Urrghh…

Now I understand why you hate him, Pammy.

We could have left in the morning. We could have gotten there and hung out with people we knew and had a blast. We could have stayed the night there and then driven back in the wee hours of the morn. A bit tired, but no worse for the wear. Better yet: we could have stayed home the entire time and I could have hung out with my friends.

Instead, when Pammy offered me the option of going, and I asked my friends for their advice, they told me to go. Hell, we’ll go with you, says they. Great! I thought, I mean, that way I wouldn’t have to pay for the trip all by my lonesome and I wouldn’t be alone whilst on the drive there! With that settled, I decided we’d leave in the early morn’.
…
Let’s leave now, he pushed. Okay, I abided. And we went to each of our houses to pack. At each house, he said, hurry up. We don’t have much time.
What are you talking about? We have nothing but time. The party doesn’t start till 8 PM.
I want to go to the mall.
The mall doesn’t open till nine.
I want to eat breakfast.
They don’t start serving breakfast till seven.
Shut up, let’s go.
Okay, I gave in too quickly.

By three AM, the four of us (two more or less invited, two certainly not) were ready. We left. I drove most of the way alone (at 65, 70 for the most part, resisting his urges to go faster because A: I like keeping my mileage up, and B: even if we got there quicker, what would we have to do?). Before Socorro, I was too tired to go on and he took over.
When we finally got to Albuquerque, we went to eat at the Frontier, which is open 24 hours and renowned state-wide.
Then we sat at the table talking. All the while he was urging us to go somewhere.
Where?
Call your friends.
It’s 7 AM. Would you be up this early on a Saturday?
Let’s go somewhere.
Where? Nothing is open, and I’m not getting in that car until we have a destination.
I’m tired, I want to go to sleep.
Pick a place.
Let’s go to the college, maybe there is somewhere to sleep there.
Fine, I acquiesced.

We went to the college and tried to fall asleep in various conference rooms, but no. Everything was locked. Finally, we went to their theatre and slept on the benches just outside of it. At 9 they asked me to call my friends, I refused. I slept some more. At 11, they woke me up and said that they’d gotten hold of one of my friends and he’d explained how to get to his house. We drove around until we found the place and we talked to him for a while. Then they played a bongo-Donkey Kong-version of Dance Dance Revolution and I showered.

Soon, they grew impatient. Let’s go to the swap (Mexican word for flea market), he said. And we did. We walked around the swap for several hours until they grew tired.
I don’t feel like walking anymore, let’s go.
Okay, where.
Let’s go to the mall.
…Okay, I conceded, warily.

We were at the mall for a few hours. Then we decided to go back to my friend’s house. We hung out there for a few more hours until Pammy called us and we went to Peter Piper Pizza. Then we ordered pizza and played arcade games. In order to avoid buying Pammy a present, we had taken a Jack-in-the-Box bobble-head with us. Unfortunately, Pammy found out and was less than amused.

We hung out at PPP for a few hours. Then we went to Smith’s and bought Pammy some alcohol. We went to her house and watched Crank Yankers for what seemed like two hours. Then we left.

The ride home was less fun. He kept annoying us. Asking to stop and buy cigarettes. We eventually had to stop to put gas, and he, at least for a moment shut up. But, after being awake for 30+ hours, me and my friend were really tired. And my artist and he were legally drunk. So, about an hour outside of Las Cruces, we pulled over on the side of the road and slept.
…
Hey, let’s go, he said.
Okay, I thought, not realizing who had said it or even what time it was.

It turns out he had let us sleep all of twenty minutes. I swear, I’ve never thought we were all going to die as much as I did then… And all for an insignificant asshole named Isaac Melendez. The bastard.

Now I understand why you hate him, Pammy. We could have left in the morning. We could have gotten there and hung out with people we knew and had a blast. We could have stayed the night there and then driven back in the wee hours of the morn. A bit tired, but no worse…