Dedicated to.. | Chapter 3: God’s Bathroom Floor
A Collection of Short Stories on the Flower That Grew From Concrete
[Title inspired by Atmosphere’s 1996 release, God’s Bathroom Floor.]
“Let’s get a handle” was an every weekend statement.
It wasn’t a question. No one asked, “Do you want to get another handle?” We didn’t leave room for ambiguity. There wasn’t any doubt about it. We were drinking that weekend and drinking heavily.
In our group of friends, booze was the common denominator.
Even as wide-eyed underage teenagers, we’d always find a way to get a handle of alcohol in our possession.
Travis had the fake I.D., and Steve was dating a 21-year-old.
From Wednesday to Saturday, there was a new handle to start every night. We’d kill each handle by the end of the night, and afterward, we would memorialize the bottle by placing it on top of the fridge.
A trophy of our debauchery.
It turned into an unannounced friendly competition.
There was nothing else to do in the desert.
Whoever had the most handles or bottles of alcohol in their kitchen was usually a sign of where the party was.
The party was also a breeding ground for immoral self-indulgence.
No longer were we partying to have fun, but we drank for the sole purpose to not remember the night.
We were a bunch of young souls, kids, drowning our lives away. But we thought we were grown. Or so we tried to act like it. We knew everything. Nothing could be questioned. Not even our own morality. Or, for worse, mortality.
Multiple times I came close to death.
Many nights I spent hunched over the porcelain toilet staring at the bathroom floor.
I believe I’m lucky to be alive today. I think we all are.
The party was a place to erase your memories, escape from your reality, and transport you to a scene just like in the movies, just for the night. Yet it was only Wednesday, so you looked forward to repeating the exact same chase the next day.
There was always a rush to start drinking again.
So we’d say, “Let’s get another handle.”
DEDICATED TO..
is a collection of flash fiction short stories on the stages of life we grow through, the battle of youthfulness, and the transition into adulthood.