Go Bingo! - Excerpts

Hey Guys. It's been a long time since I've written. I thought I'd give you guys a little glimpse as to what I'm doing now. The following is an excerpt from a novel I'm writing, called Go Bingo! as an exclusive to TR. Go Bingo! is my book, which follows the life of semi-neurotic, stably-unstable Alex Warner as his life is changed by two people: the love of his life and his new best friend and role model. I would totally show you guys the whole book, chapter by chapter as the story unfolds, but I'd like to keep most things under wraps about the project until it is finished and hopefully published. As this is a public forum however, I'll share with you one chapter, the 5th chapter, subtitled "Up All Night".

Chapter 5 - Up All Night

September 20
I would never have thought I would fall for a girl as hard as I fell for Cath. Ever since I saw her that day, I find myself more and more looking for her in the halls. I haven’t missed any opportunity to pass her locker during passing times, wait for her to walk down the hall towards me after English, watch her confident stride, her beautiful smile, catch a glimpse of the look in her eyes when she talks to me.
I also never thought I’d get as hooked on Bingo as I have. Every day is the same. I come home, I turn on my radio, I lay down on my bed and let Bingo play the soundtrack to my life. Every once in a while he comes on and says something brilliant, and sometimes I put the brilliant things on post-it notes and stick them on my bedpost. I have a pretty good collection. I figure one day Cath will say something or need advice and I’ll have the perfect Bingo quote for her.
The problem with these two routines is that they’ve become too normal for me. The point of this journal was to elaborate on my day, and if I keep saying the same things over and over it gets boring and becomes a routine in and of itself. I don’t handle everyday routines well, so I need today to break from the habit of writing “Cath said I looked good today, I almost asked her to marry me in the hallway. Bingo is cool and I wish I were him because then maybe she’d actually say yes to my proposal”.
Come to think of it, I probably would have wrote that today if Cath hadn’t done what she did today. I came home and went on Facebook again. Another habit of mine, now, was seeing what Cath was doing on a day-to-day basis. I got a notification whenever she posted a picture or status update, now. I had a notification, it was a status update.

Cath Tastrophe I’m sooo bored, someone new should text me.

I almost screamed with excitement reading it. I went to her page and whipped out my phone. Her information loaded onto my screen, and I copied her number down directly into the address bar of my text message. I didn’t bother typing her name into my contacts, because I was too excited. And then I stopped. What do you say to the most amazing girl in the world when you have the time to think about it? What do you want the words that hook her into a relationship with her to be? And then I thought of it.

Me: Do you like Huey Lewis and The News?

I realized as soon as I wrote it that it was lame and vaguely stalker-ish considering her first favorite movie was American Psycho, and now she knew I knew. I regretted sending it as my home screen came up again and I wondered how she’d take it. She didn’t even have my number, so it would seem doubly stalker-ish of me to say it. As I wondered why I couldn’t be as simple as to just put “Hi, it’s Alex, we’ve talked a few times.” my phone vibrated. I was shocked that she replied so fast and double surprised at the sensation, because it had been a while since I received my last text.

Cath: Well, their earlier work was a little new-wave for my tastes but when Sports came out in ‘83, I think they really came into their own, commercially and artistically. :)

I smiled and laughed a little. For some reason, a pretty girl quoting a serial killer over text followed by a smiley face is unbelievably attractive. Maybe that’s just Cath though. She could tell me she’s having an old friend for dinner with a smile and I’d still dream about kissing her in the rain.
Me: Yeah, the whole album has a clear, crisp sound and a new sheen of consummate professionalism that really gives the songs a big boost.

I hesitated writing it, wondering if it’d be too soon or too girly to end my message to her with a smiley face. Kind of like how I contemplate real smiles towards her in the hall, for fear that it might come off too flirty and I’d walk outside one day to be beaten to a pulp by her boyfriend. When my memoir is written, it should be called “Contemplating Smiles” by Alex Warner.

Cath: Hehe :) To whom do I owe the pleasure, fellow AmPsy fan?

Oh god I thought, I can’t stand the smiley faces. And then I thought, What’s my name again?

Me: Alex Warner, and the pleasure is all mine.

Why did you use your full name? What’s the matter with you second-guessing yourself? I thought, and then Just pretend it’s a face-to-face conversation. I tried to relax my nerves.

Cath: Hehe :) I was hoping you’d read my status, Alex. But I didn’t know for sure, you kinda don’t post much.

She was hoping I’d read it? I read the message over. No way. Why would a girl like this ever want to talk to me?

Me: I never really have anything interesting to say. I’m really boring.

Way to tell the girl you like you’re boring, idiot. I thought, Why don’t you pretend it’s face-to-face, like I said? I answered myself, Because I’m bad at face-to face, too.

Cath: Oh, I wouldn’t say that, Alex. You aren’t boring to me. What are you up to?

Me: I’m just texting you. Like I said, boring.

Stop using the “B” word, idiot, I thought. Then I took a better look of my surroundings. Absent-mindedly I must have moved to my bed, staring up to my phone above my face, laying clothes on, over the covers on my bed. 1901 by Phoenix was playing on the radio next to my bed softly. I turned the volume up a little more.

Cath: I’m flattered you’d stop breathing, maintaining homeostasis, digesting your lunch and even existing just to talk to me, haha :)

Me: I didn’t eat lunch today, actually.

It was about then when I realized I was starving. I went downstairs and made a fluffernutter. My mom was in the hallway, putting on earrings. “Honey, will you be okay making dinner tonight for yourself? Dad and I are going to a Chris Trapper show.”
“Oh, yeah, I’ll be ok.” I said, I was too focused on Cath to really have a conversation with her.
“Something the matter? Are you okay?” She hustled over to me in her high heels and put the back of her hand on my forehead. “You’ve got a little bit of a fever. Make some soup, and get some rest, okay?”
“Okay Mom, have fun.” I said, making myself smile. I hadn’t really felt sick, but it was nice to be worried about, a little bit.

Cath: Go eat something, silly. Haha :)

Me: Jussst made a sandwich, actually. What are you up to?

Cath: Bleh, getting ready for work. 4 to 8 tonight.

Me: Oh yeah? What do you do?

Cath: Soul-crushing cashier work. But you know, we’re not usually very busy and the customers don’t suck so it’s pretty ok.

Me: That’s cool, I wish I had a job.

Cath: Oh, no you don’t.

I sat down on the couch and turned on my PS3. My Dad came down a few minutes later to tussle my hair, adjust his tie, and tell me what my mom had already told me before running back out the door to the car. I heard the car start up and back out of the driveway.

Me: So it seems I’m all alone tonight and it’s only 4.

Cath: Nice, mind if I come over? ;)

I tensed up. Was she serious? Of course I wouldn’t mind. What if I said the wrong thing? What if it’s a joke? I could almost feel The Unforgettable Girl’s boyfriend’s fist on my face.
Me: Well, I don’t mind at all. Haha.

Cath: Joking, Alex, joking. I have work, remember?

I had forgotten everything we said in the past two hours thanks to the winky face. I shook my head, dismissing the daydream I had of having her walk through the door in her black boots and red skirt and pressing her red lips up to mine. It wasn’t going to happen, not today, not tomorrow, not next week, I was just a friend.
I walked over to the fridge and got an IBC root beer out, then sat back down to play more Brütal Legend. Lita Ford’s “Betrayal” blared through our surround-sound speakers as I raised the volume. I picked up my controller, took a swig of my root beer and my phone buzzed again.

Cath: Going to be a sssllooooowwww day at work today. What are you up to?

Me: Just going to play PS3 I guess, parents are out, I have no homework to do and no friends, so, yeah.

Cath: Sounds fun :) What game?

Me: Brutal Legend. It’s a game with Jack Black in it and there’s loads of blood and all that good stuff. I got it from my Dad for my birthday last year because he thought it’d help me “bond” with him over heavy metal. I’ve barely touched it for a year because I keep getting stuck at this one part and I rarely get to sit down and play and actually enjoy it anymore.

Cath: Was he right? Do you now have an appreciation for the finest of metal?

Me: You know what? I do, a little bit. Dragonforce is starting to grow on me, haha.

I was starting to get more comfortable with Cath. I could feel it. It was as if we had met years ago and were friends ever since. We talked and talked, and at every message I would pause my game, open the text, type my reply, hit send, watch the sending animation and imagining the message shoot from my phone to the local cell tower, up into space, get sorted and shot back down to earth to the beautiful eyes of Cath Spencer. Her own messages were beamed to me, and I smiled at each one before replying and smiling at every reply before sending in the hopes that my smile would be sent along with it. I finally got a message to kick me out of my dreamland of video games and root beer.

Cath: Aaand that’s it, we’re closed up, time to go home.

I shook my head and looked at the clock. 8:30. I had sat down and played video games and talked to the most beautiful girl in the world for four and a half hours. Part of me was a little happy to have wasted a sizeable amount of my day to myself, rather than to school or chores. I heard my stomach grumble again, and went to make broccoli cheese soup.
Me: Over already? Wow, that seemed short. How was it?

Cath: My soul’s still crushed, but you know, less so. You’re a good preventer of soul crushing.

Me: Makes me sound like some kind of DnD Character. Alex Warner: Preventor of Soul Crushing. haha. I’m glad to help :)

My own jokes and minor flirtiness increased as the night went on. Hers became more flirty. I knew in the back of my mind it was mostly just friendlyness, it had to be. She had a boyfriend. And she’d tell me if I crossed the line as far as flirting went, right? I didn’t care the consequences then. I wanted her. I needed her. Screw David, she talked to me all afternoon. She wanted me to talk to her. He didn’t help her through her shift at work. I did.
We talked and talked. Before I knew it, I heard the car pull up in the driveway. I panicked and grabbed a throw blanket to toss over myself. I hugged myself, curled up as pathetically as possible, fake coughed to get the mood right and proceeded to fake sick as best as possible.
My mom walked in, “Oh honey!” She said when she saw me, hurrying over in her heels. She felt my head, checked my palms, I fake coughed.
My dad came in “Sport? Are you okay?” he asked. His walk towards me was a little more relaxed.
I faked a sniffle. “Oh yeah, I’m okay, really, I am.” I tried to push myself off the couch. My mom pushed me down again.
“Oh no,” she said, worriedly, “No you’re not honey, you’re never up this late on a school night. How’s your stomach?”
I fake groaned as best I could and hugged my stomach. “Owww. It’s hurting a lot. I just need some rest, though, honestly, I’ll be okay.”
“Yes you do, kiddo” my dad chimed in. My phone buzzed. I muffled it with the blanket. “Honey, I think he’s sick. Should we keep him home tomorrow?”
“Oh yes, I think so. Oh poor baby. I’m so sorry we left you all night.” she said.
“No no, don’t be sorry mom, I’m fine, honest. I’m glad you went and had fun.” I said. I fake coughed hard.
“Oh honey, I’ll get you some medicine, you lay and rest, we won’t bother you any more.” she said, hurrying to the medicine cabinet. She came back with two pills and a glass of water. I choked them down and did my best to pretend it hurt to move. After a while they went to bed. I checked my phone again.

Cath: Stay up with me a while while I finish my Physics?

Me: For you? Anything. :)

A while became an hour. An hour became two, and two became four. Before I knew it, it was five A.M.

Cath: Well I guess all hope of us going to Hell today are shot, eh?

Me: Yeah, I guess so.

Cath: Worth it :)

Me: Oh yes. Very :)

Cath: I suppose we should get some sleep.

Me: Okay, well I guess I’ll see you soon then :)

Cath: You’re too cute. Goodnight, Alex.

Me: Goodnight, Cath.

I thought for a long time of writing “Goodnight Sweetheart” or “Goodnight my love” or “Goodnight unforgettable girl.” It didn’t seem right, and it didn’t seem fair to David. Dreams were my own property, and Cath could be in them as much as I damn well pleased. Flirtations were flirty, not concrete. She did not have to accept them, and if she did it was her choice. For some reason I thought that words like love and sweetheart still belonged to him. To the one who at the end of the night would still be her boyfriend, and not to me.
Finally, after contemplating this in my head, my eyes began to flutter shut. My father walked past me, tussling my hair as he adjusted another tie. I slept through till noon and wrote in my journal. It still felt like a dream, but as I lived and breathed and re-checked texts, it was still unbelievably true.