It's like riding a bike. (short story)

It was so cold outside and there was nothing to do. We were crammed, the three of us, into this tiny sub-level dorm room and waiting for school to start. Freshaman year in the middle of who-knows-where New York. I got the bottom bunk bed - great now all I hear every day is the "squeek-eek" of Jennifer's bed while she read's her Glamour magzaine and play's with herself. Jamie got the single bed next to me , she was here first. Jaimie came here with a backpack and a poster of Devon Sawa and a box of pot and rolling papers. I came with my whole life packed into the back of my grandpa's van that Mike and I drove six hours from Brooklyn. I had stuffed pots, frames, old books, towels, sheets, photo albums, old diaries, everything but the kitchen sink into one of two closets that were in the room. I am sure this was the reason I kept getting dirty looks from Jennifer. I also brought Travel my little China-Town turtle in his bright red bowl.

It was Jaimie's idea to go to Toronto, to this little bar she knew. She lived on the reservation about 20 miles out this town, if you could call it that. Aside from the students and faculty, there not more than 100 residents of Cranbrook, NY. There was one restraunt and it was called , Chinese Restraunt. There was a movie theater with lawn chairs instead of stadium seating and a Nail Salon which shared its space with the local Psychic and Pet Grooomer. There was a Dollar store and one bus stop.

We stopped by her house to pick-up her friend Liz. Liz was the kind of girl you would imagine in a wet T-shirt contest in Malibu. She had bleach blond hair that made her look like a Barbie doll. She was wearing a knee length petite coat with mother-of-pearl bottons. She came inside the care and smiled to reveal her near perfect teach, with the one exception being her right incisor was poking out a bit, which only made her look sweeter. I could'nt help but smile back, although at that point my mood was fowl - I was cold and pre-ocupied about all the issues I was having with remaining a student at Cranbrook SUNY.

We drove past the half dozen gas stations and left the reservation. I wondered why there was nothing but gas stations in such a small region. Jaimie said that's what her people did , open gas stations and smoke weed all day. I kept my mouth shut - as it tends to get me into trouble - especially with people who don't knwo me.

When the patrolman at the border asked for ID from Jaimie, she jest smirked and said she's from the reservation. He took a look at Liz and then at me - the mut - I could basically fit any nationallity description. Italian, Iranian, Jewish, Muslim, and now Native American.

The walls were sticky with persperation and it smelled of old beer. The lights were dim and no one bothered asking for ID when I ordered my Long Island Ice Tea, I was broke, so Jaimie was treating. We danced a bit on the dance floor, and as ussual I pretended to be gay to protect myself and my companions from getting hit on by horney middle-aged Canadians. Liz and Jaiemie seemed as though they knew this place and the bartender, I didn't pay attention. I saw that the two of them were wasted already and could harldy walk. Liz was a bit more consciouse than Jaimie and helped me get her into the car. She slammed the door closed after she pushed Jaimie inside and bent over with the heave-hough of alcahol-induced vomitting. The pink gush flowed out of her for nearly 10 minutes. She climbed into the back seat with Jaimie and passed out instantly. I stood outside in my too-thin coat and my Russian wool scarf and went into to problem-solving mode. I climbed nto the driver's seat and turned on the car. Once the car was warm , I turned to Jaimie who was moaning in her nauseous state and said "I don't even have a permit, how will we get home?". "Just press the pedal and turn the wheel, you can do it." And then she was out again.

I was concentrating on the road so much that I failed to notice that the border patrol line was coming up 50 feet ahead. Once I drove up to the window I could hear my heart pounding away in my ears and I prepared myself for the casual conversation that I had to achieve, because homlessness would soon be the least of my poblems. I turned to the patrolman, he looked a bit like Santa Clause mixed with a marine. He was about 6 feet tall and had a long white bear, but his head was shaved completley, hsi cheeks were read from the cold and his eyes were sleepy from boredom. I took a quick glance at him and said" Hey, there, cold night today isn't it? We are headed back into the Champoke. "Have a good night ladies, drive safe." He didn't even care to look at my face, the radio was on, and shift change was announced.

So far so good. No ice. Brightly lit roads. So far so good. I pulled into a gas station and Liz came out and threw up all over the trunk and back tires. I took the keys and went to see if I could buy some coffee for Jaimie to wake her up a bit so she could give me directions. I had a good sense of directions and the road was simple enough, but I was not sure where to go next. The deli was closed. I came back into the toasty car and shook Jaimie with all the panick and anger that I had inside me. How could someone be so irresponible, so carless? She opeened one eye and burped into my face. "Jaimie, I don't know where to go next. How do we get home from here?" " Just take this road all the way down, when the road splits go left, no I mean right, that's right , go right...." she said. "And then what?" I said. "Then, then you follow the road until you see the Exxon station on your right and go like 500 feet and there will be an entrance to the path to my house." she said. I rembered the Exxon station she was talking about , so I felt better.

After we left that gas station the road was pitch dark, not one lamp the whole way, no cars, no houses, nothing. Just blackness and cold. Eventually I saw that there were tree's on either side of the road and rembered passing through a patch of tree's on our way to Tronto. All of a sudden I see a tree straight ahead , I turn right , as shrply as I could. Then another tree in front of me, a left, then nothing, just a short glimspe of emptiness, and gravel under the tires, and my heart beating in my ears, and instincs give in and I turn right and catch a glimpse of the valley beside me, as I heard the gravel screach under my tires in protest. I stopped. The car lights shown straight into the side of a boulder and I realized I was in the middle of the road. The only thing I could hear was my heart beating in my ears and the engine. I put the car back into drive and drove 20 miles and hour the rest of the way. Gripping the wheel as though it was my life vest. I passed the Exxon station on my right and slowed down even more. There were no signs, no cars. I was sure I passed the entrance to the path leading to Liz's house. Then suddenly I feel a sharp thud to the back of my seat and I press the break. Jaimie sticks her head between the two front seats and said , "You passed it a minute ago, back-up, you'll see a reflective sticker on the tree next to the entrance" and then she plopped back into the back seat. I figure out that R is for reverse and back-up a few feet and see the tree. I drive down the path till I see the house. When I get out, I fell like a person must feel after being stranded in a boat in sea and finally ebing on land.

I woke the girll's up and Liz told Jaimie to sleep in the livingroom and pulled my arm and led me upstairs. Her hands were wet from sweating and she smelled a bit of vomit and beer, but the hint of her perfume and the smell of her shamppoo was still inviting. She smiled her imperfect smile and led me into her room. She said, "All the other room's are take, you can sleep with me in my bed." She tossed me an old t-shirt and took off her clothes. The lights were off, but I could see her shadow struggling with her shirt ovr her head, stumbling, half drunk, half asleep. I changed quickly and slid into bed under the covers to feel some warmth and completion to the day. I was alone in the room while Liz was in the bathroom and all I could htink about was that I was alivve, but if I had died, it would take months for my family and friends to notice.

She felt like silk against my skin when she climbed into the twin bed and covered herself with the down comforter. She lay on her back and asked me what I was thinking. Again, I kept my mouth shut, avoiding any trouble it could get me into. She was Malibu Barbie and I was a near-homeless mutt in the middle of nowhere. I was like a stray pup that she would bring home when she was 10 and beg her mommie to keep.

She turned to lay on her left side and looked at me when I didn't answer. She said, "You smell good." I snapped out of my self-pity daydream and turned to glance at her to see if she was sleeping. She pushed a curl out of my face and tucked it behind my ear. She said" Are you warm?" "Ye. Very. You?" , I said. She smiled, which in turn of course made me smile. She put her head on the same pillow as mine and put her arm on my belly and wispered, "Your beautiful."

I heard my heart pumping in my ears. My face felt warm and I didn't knwo what I was doing. All I could think is , " well I have always wanted to try to see how it would be with a girl. But here, now, with her? I don't even know her. Maybe that's good, a clean break, a get out of jail free card. But what about Jaimie, what if she walks in? In the morning , what would I do? I 'm not even that into her. I like brunettes for God's sake. Why am I thinking of "my type"? Just suck it up and let go, stop being so uptight all the time. Your young. Relax. What if she has some sort of disease? What if......"

Before I could continue running through all my paranoid thoughts, Liz had made up my mind for me. I felt her warm silky, feminine fingers, lightly find thier way below my belly button. I felt the elastic of my underwear lift. I felt her ... She turned around towards me and leaned in and kissed my neck - so gently that I could hardly feel it. She turned my head by my chin, and kiseed my lips, so gentel,so soft,so differant. The down comfoter was on the floor, as both of us moved in rythym and the heat was all over my body. Her other hand manuvered itself with kwoing finers so lightly so gentel. She looked at me for a brif second and smiled. She took my hand and placed it on her belly, and nudged it gently,implying I should return the favor. She liffted my shirt and delicatley licked at my hard nipples and my hand was still. I didn't want to make it awkward so my hand lightly, cautiously, crept its way below her belly button. she arched her back when I found the spot and I couldnt pay attention anymore to her lips on my nipple or her hand between my thighs, all I thought about was pleasing her and not making a fool of myself in the process. I tried to imagine myself and what I would like , and did the same. She said in a whisper, "Harder".

In the morning, I woke up and was alone. I changed and went downstairs. The house looked so differant today. I felt a rush of discomfort run through me when I saw her face. She smiled and said, "Hurry up get dressed , we are going to go have breakfast on campus." A feeling of self-conscousness and parania fell through me. Did Jaimie know? Did Liz regret it? And then I saw Liz smile and say , "Common silly." And I was calm. We drove through the half dozen gas stations and I stared out the passanger door window and thought about last night.