The Party Giver
by Bunkong Tuon
            The lyrics of Suicide is no Solution vibrates the beer-stained rug, with the rug's brown hair moving like the coral of the sea to the waves of American hard rock. 
            Steve McClure, Valedictorian of the Class of 88, has just graduated from Lawrence High School.  His speech was well received during the ceremony.  He urged his fellow classmates to "go out there and conquer the world, just don't forget Lawrence, Your Home."     His mother cried throughout the ceremony.  His father, shaking Steve's hands, said, "I'm proud of you, Son."  Steve hugged his brothers and sisters.  Next Fall, he will be attending Brown University.  Major?  Still undecided. 
            On his bed Steve McClure tilts the Budweiser, gulping down the last drop of beer from the aluminum can and turning the pages of his high school yearbook.  He falls on his back and laughs sardonically.  On the walls are posters of Guns n' Roses, Megadeth, and Bad Brains.  On his desk, a picture of Steve and his family in front of the Charles River, taken during the Fourth of July weekend.  Below the windows, the DJ plays Louie, Louie.  And his classmates, screaming and laughing, sing along to the tune.  Steve gets to his feet, turns up the volume of his stereo, and jumps back into bed.  After he closes his eyes for a few seconds, someone staggers into his bedroom. 
            "Hey, what are you doing here?  The party is out there, man.  Get up."  Mike Davis, his buddy since junior high school, takes a seat next to him on the bed.  "Nicole Sullivan is looking for you.  WOW!  She's hot.  For my sake, you gotta see her!"
            Steve gets on his feet and moves towards the window.  He looks at the people dancing under the porch light.  Above the noise are stars, alone and silent. Beyond the porch light are the cliffs and the darkness overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.  The sea also seems quiet, distilled, waiting. . . and the moon above the cliff shines like a yellow Easter egg. 
            "They are so young."
            "Who?"
            Steve motions to the people outside.
            "Of course they are.  Now, look at what they're doing to celebrate their youth!"  Mike puts his hand over his best friend's shoulder, "Come on, lets go and join in."
            "Wait.  I want to stay here for a while."   
            "Listen, Steve.  I'll tell you this, the room won't go anywhere.  But Nicky will!  It's all up to you, man."
            "I know. "
            Mike walks to the stereo system and turns off the tape player.  Steve turns from the window and watches his best friend take a couple of beer cans from the case next to his bed.  Mike hands him a beer, then from his shirt pocket produces two joints. 
            "What are those?"
            "They're your friends."
            "Where did you get them?"  
            "Didn't you see?  I took them out from my shirt pocket, minutes ago!"
            Mike laughs.  They sit on the bed, drinking and smoking.  Mike sings Smoking in the Boy's Bathroom, banging his head in the air, and Steve laughs for a while.  
            "You ever think about it?"
            "What?"
            "Life.  Where you're going, what does it all mean?"
            "No.  And why should I!  I'm young, remember?"  
            "I don't know what it's all about?"
            "You're the valedictorian, you tell me!"
            "Fuck that crap.  Man, all it means is that I've been 'a good boy.'  Teachers, friends, even my own parents--they all like me.  And when everyone is behind you one hundred percent, you're supposed to know everything.  Fuck no, man!" Steve exhales a smoke of weed before saying,  "I know just as much as you."
            "We're drinking and smoking, and here you are talking about this deep stuff.  You're supposed to lay low, get down with me, talk about broads you want to screw or something, man, not this depressing stuff." 
            "I can't help it.  You know, the more you learn the more you realize that you know absolutely nothing about the world.  Everything is all relative, chained together.  If one link is missing, the whole structure crumbles."
            "What are you talking about, Stevie?  Here, have another.  It's the last one and maybe it will do you some good."
            "Yeah, I hope so.  Thanks, Mike."
            When they finish they go downstairs and join the group outside.  After a while Steve excuses himself for an evening walk.  They watch him disappear into the mist. 
            A few days later, the search party finds Steve McClure's body at the bottom of the cliff.   
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