BooksBarbecue
Back The House Party
Chapters (57)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. April 2008
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. 44
  48. 45
  49. 46
  50. 47
  51. 48
  52. 49
  53. 50
  54. Author’s Note
  55. Acknowledgments
  56. About the Author
  57. About the Publisher

The guy shook his head. “I worked for John Williams for three years, and now I’m out of a job. I’ve got a daughter. I’m trying to save up for my own place. And thanks to you, all I got for my trouble was the police coming around, and my boss accusing me of leaving the garage opener out and telling me not to bother coming back. All I could get this week was two days painting houses, which doesn’t pay shit. Did you think about that while you were partying it up with a bunch of teenagers? That there were hardworking people around here you would hurt? But I guess you can’t make anything out of your own life, so you’ll take everyone else down with you.”

Trip felt the Jim Beam he’d drunk pulsing through his dilated veins. He was catching it from everyone, and he was sick of it. And this guy had hit a little close to home. “You’re a big man, huh?” Trip asked. “If you think you’re gonna get anywhere in this town working construction, you’re as stupid as you look. You’ll still be saving up for that town house when your daughter has kids.”

As he spoke, Trip tried to push past the guy and back into the bar. But the guy stepped in his path and caught him on the shoulder. A few of the guy’s friends had come outside and were standing by the door, watching them. Trip started to raise his fists. The guy had twenty pounds on him, but Trip didn’t care. Maybe he wanted a beating. They looked at each other for a long moment, and then the guy stepped aside.

“You’re not worth it,” he said. Then he turned and walked back into the bar with his friends, leaving Trip standing alone on the sidewalk.

“I know,” Trip said to no one in particular.

33

At first, Rosie didn’t notice when Jake Tillman sat down at the counter. She had a lot to think about. There was the party, which was all anyone was talking about. She still couldn’t believe that she hadn’t been named, but she knew that it could happen at any moment. Now that the charges had been announced, people were desperate to get themselves out of trouble in any way that they could. She’d had more than one conversation at school with kids she barely knew who were clearly trying to feel out whether she’d been at the party or not. It felt icky. Even her dad had asked her about it. She hated lying to him, but she’d denied being there right to his face.