Of Movie Rooms & Brown Blankets: Part One

I met Gary Esposito on the bus coming home from Fort Myers High School, November 1995.

He was that quiet guy who read on the way home and kept to himself for the most part. It appeared that he has no friends to sit with and for some reason i felt bad for him. Day in and day out i would observe him and ask him stupid questions. He showed me books he was reading like the Diablo Strategy Guide and other dribble that i was also into at the time. One day i asked him what he was doing after school.

"Nothing. Wanna come over?"

"Sure, ill get off at your stop."

"You can't do that, you'll get in trouble."

"If Miss Black lady says something I'll remind her i got her Boy's to Men cassette before it came out."

"Oh. Okay. Yeah get off at my stop. I have a computer."

I got off at Gary's stop and he lived right next to the bus stop so the walk was not far at all. He showed me his sweet 486DX computer setup and how he could get online with the TNT Online BBS and all the cool nude pictures he had. (I did not bother telling him at this point in time Brian and I established several phony lines of credit and had closets full of stolen computer mechandise.) His mom brought us cheesy pasta which was really good, and she asked me lots of questions. When it came time for dinner i skated home. (I rollerbladed everywhere then as transportation, being 14 years old) That night i told my dad about Gary and how he is a pretty cool guy but a little sheltered and needed a friend.

Fuck.. was I ever wrong.

Brian and Kyle asked me the next day at school where i had been and i told them about Gary, and his up-to-date computer and his nice house. (I knew nothing of his Movie Room at this time)
They asked me if i could come to his house, and at the time i didn't care who i pissed off so i told them yeah, come over and if he gets pissed.. whatever, we will go smoke pot and laugh about it.

I said nothing to Gary as i saw him in the hallway about my buddies coming over, i just told him i would be coming over after school. He seemed okay with it and pretty much ignored me. Gary did not carry a backpack which i thought was odd. I headed to my next class, which i looked forward to, as a cute girl sat next to me and i liked talking to her. For some reason i thought i had a chance with her, which i didn't and i guess i knew that. (her name is withheld because she is my friend on facebook and may read this)

"What's up Major?"

"Nothing.. going over a buddies after school. Maybe smoke before. You?"

"Kyle's house?"

"No, a guy a met, Gary."

"Oh."

She looked down at the ground and pretended not to know who he was. "You know him?"

"Yeah we kinda dated. He is a nice guy." Again looking at the ground.

At that moment i knew Gary had banged the girl i had a crush on. She even blushed. I didn't try to get the conversation going again as i could she was very uncomfortable about it. So i learned something in 4th period, that Gary had pulled some serious ass somewhere along the line. I was looking forward to going over his house for sure now. I had a feeling like i was going to crack open and peel back the layers of my new friend. What kind of person was this?

The terrible trio showed up high to Gary's house with our ripped jeans and Rollerblades. Gary answered the door in the only way he knew how, with a fucking RAPIER in his left hand.

"Lunge! Parry! HAHAHA!" He screamed trusting the rapier at my face and cracking me across the shoulders with some unknown power.

Kyle laughed and Brian looked like he might throw up. Later, Brian introduced himself to Gary's sister, which was received with a prompt thrashing of the testicles in the archway to the Movie Room.

The Movie Room - A large room dedicated to watching movies and drinking alcohol. Many women in that room for sure. Gary had been using this room and luring unsuspecting High school girls for years into this Fortress of Solitude only to strip them of the pureness born onto them. The moment i saw this room, i looked at my friends and wondered why we had never talked to that quiet Italian kid on the bus. All those lost moments. We had to make up lost time, and that time was now. The glances we exchanged at that moment would set up our masculinity for the rest of our High school careers, and most likely for the rest of our lives.

I kissed my wife for the first time in that room. No fucking shit. So did Gary. Yeah.. no fucking shit is right.

Stay Tuned for - Of Movie Rooms and Brown Blankets: Part Two