Looking around Ian’s room at Ian and Travis with that mischievous grin, John sticks his stomach out, swelling it almost into a ball, and begins stroking it. Travis immediately starts laughing. This time he was in on the joke.

“What?” asks Ian. He could tell something was up, that he was out of the loop.

“Touch it,” John says.

Smiling Ian looks to Travis for some clue as to what this is about, but Travis just smiles idly in return and shrugs.

“Touch it,” John urges more seriously.

Reaching out warily and laughing from nervousness, Ian moves to put his hand on John’s stomach, but as soon as he is within a hair’s reach, John sucks it back in and throws his arms out, screaming manaically. Ian jerks his hand back and leaps in his seat while Travis howls in the background. “What the fuck!?” Ian asks laughing.

John just shrugs.

“Did Rachel call you fat or something?”

Annoyed, “No.”

“You’re not fat, dude. You’re… stout…” Ian struggles with the words, trying to be honest, but not hurt his friend’s feelings.

“Thanks,” John replies curtly.

“What?” Ian asks.

John just drinks his beer, looking away and pretending to be hurt.

“C’mon man, what?”

Pushing his bottom lip out, John continues pouting.

Turning to Travis, Ian asks, “What’s up tonight?”

Travis sits up in his seat, suddenly excited, “You mean something’s actually going to happen tonight?”

Ian shrugs. “They’re havin’ another keg tonight,” he says, meaning his fraternity.

“Cool.”

“We could grab some free beer and then head downtown.”

“Let’s go to Lowrie’s.”

Ian and John both make faces.

“C’mon. It’s nickel night.”

Raising his eyebrows, Ian thinks about it. Nickel night usually proved to be fun. Lowrie’s was a dive bar. They cateredheld a monopoly on, actuallythe meat market in town. It was a kind of joke, too. When some poor soul who didn’t know his way around asked for directions to the nearest “happenin’ place,” they always got directions to Lowrie’s. Still though, on Thursday nights Lowrie’s sold everything for a nickel (with a five dollar cover charge). The basic object of nickel night (from the point of view of the attendants at any rate) was to drink enough to make-up for the cover, and then drink like a fish to see how good a deal you could get. The place usually packed it in on Thursday nights, especially when school was in session. The drinks were a nickel, but it took a half an hour to get one. Summer was different. If you got a table, or a booth preferably, the crowds of swingers were tolerable.

“C’mon, we haven’t done that in a while.” Travis enjoyed it the most of anyone in the pack. Of course, he was single, and though the women at Lowrie’s weren’t his type, it was fun to flirt and leer, or be leered at. John and Nick never felt quite the same. Ian, taken, could still sympathize.

“Let’s see what we all feel like later,” Ian offers in compromise.

“All right,” Travis says, leaning back. It was compromise enough to get them to think about it, and really he didn’t have his heart set on it anyway.

Looking at his empty can, John holds it up and looks to the other two. They’d finished smoking. “Ready?” he asks.

Travis and Ian reply by chugging the last of theirs and getting up to go. “Head ’em up and move ’em out,” Travis calls as the three of them shuffle out of the room.Looking around Ians room at Ian and Travis with that mischievous grin, John sticks his stomach out, swelling it almost into a ball, and begins stroking it. Travis immediately starts laughing. This time he was in on the joke.

“What?” asks Ian. He could tell something was up, that he was out of the loop.

“Touch it,” John says.

Smiling Ian looks to Travis for some clue as to what this is about, but Travis just smiles idly in return and shrugs.

“Touch it,” John urges more seriously.

Reaching out warily and laughing from nervousness, Ian moves to put his hand on John’s stomach, but as soon as he is within a hair’s reach, John sucks it back in and throws his arms out, screaming manaically. Ian jerks his hand back and leaps in his seat while Travis howls in the background. “What the fuck!?” Ian asks laughing.

John just shrugs.

“Did Rachel call you fat or something?”

Annoyed, “No.”

“You’re not fat, dude. You’re… stout…” Ian struggles with the words, trying to be honest, but not hurt his friend’s feelings.

“Thanks,” John replies curtly.

“What?” Ian asks.

John just drinks his beer, looking away and pretending to be hurt.

“C’mon man, what?”

Pushing his bottom lip out, John continues pouting.

Turning to Travis, Ian asks, “What’s up tonight?”

Travis sits up in his seat, suddenly excited, “You mean something’s actually going to happen tonight?”

Ian shrugs. “They’re havin’ another keg tonight,” he says, meaning his fraternity.

“Cool.”

“We could grab some free beer and then head downtown.”

“Let’s go to Lowrie’s.”

Ian and John both make faces.

“C’mon. It’s nickel night.”

Raising his eyebrows, Ian thinks about it. Nickel night usually proved to be fun. Lowrie’s was a dive bar. They cateredheld a monopoly on, actuallythe meat market in town. It was a kind of joke, too. When some poor soul who didn’t know his way around asked for directions to the nearest “happenin’ place,” they always got directions to Lowrie’s. Still though, on Thursday nights Lowrie’s sold everything for a nickel (with a five dollar cover charge). The basic object of nickel night (from the point of view of the attendants at any rate) was to drink enough to make-up for the cover, and then drink like a fish to see how good a deal you could get. The place usually packed it in on Thursday nights, especially when school was in session. The drinks were a nickel, but it took a half an hour to get one. Summer was different. If you got a table, or a booth preferably, the crowds of swingers were tolerable.

“C’mon, we haven’t done that in a while.” Travis enjoyed it the most of anyone in the pack. Of course, he was single, and though the women at Lowrie’s weren’t his type, it was fun to flirt and leer, or be leered at. John and Nick never felt quite the same. Ian, taken, could still sympathize.

“Let’s see what we all feel like later,” Ian offers in compromise.

“All right,” Travis says, leaning back. It was compromise enough to get them to think about it, and really he didn’t have his heart set on it anyway.

Looking at his empty can, John holds it up and looks to the other two. They’d finished smoking. “Ready?” he asks.

Travis and Ian reply by chugging the last of theirs and getting up to go. “Head ’em up and move ’em out,” Travis calls as the three of them shuffle out of the room.

Read the whole thread: Carousel Cowboy

Characters and Places: Athens, Ian Fleming, John Riffing, TKE House, Travis Fleeting