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“I’m sorry?”

“Never mind. Let’s hang up before it costs me another five hundred.”

The screen went blank and Brad returned to bed. He lay there not quite understanding how the government could afford fifteen hundred dollars because he ate like a pig. No one else could understand it, either. It was a magic trick whose magic had faded decades ago. But as long as they paid, so be it. That was the mantra for the older folks.

CHAPTER FIVE

It was one o’clock in the morning when the frat party broke up. Brian and Kathy went to an after-party, mostly consisting of college seniors, and Kathy drank a little and tried smokeable steroids, which made her feel all-powerful and quite angry for about ten minutes before she got dizzy and came down. The boys liked to orgasm on it; the girls just got irritated.

Kathy listened as everyone there just bitched about what was coming next. All generations were disillusioned, but for different reasons. Kathy’s grandparents had rebelled because they didn’t want money, they wanted free love and a free life. Her parents never had time to rebel, mainly because her grandparents got their wish. Her generation had different issues. They did want money, they wanted it all, but knew they could never get it. They were growing up in the flat world, and it was obvious that America had to move down to meet everyone else halfway. They were the first ones riding the pendulum back, and they hated it.

Even after college, kids were living with their folks or grandparents, longer than ever before. America was becoming like Italy, where if parents didn’t throw their children out, chances are they would never leave. Some parents liked that, but most wanted their life back and couldn’t stand the sound of the retro subwoofers rumbling through their house.

Brian was too drunk to drive Kathy home. It wasn’t a decision; the car simply wouldn’t start. All cars now came with a Breathalyzer. You could defeat it by getting someone else to blow into the steering wheel, but the penalties were so great that people refused. A man in Buffalo blew for a kid and the kid killed someone, and they arrested the man and put him in prison for life. No one tried to fake out a Breathalyzer after that.

Kathy breathed into the device and the car started, but even though the car thought she was fine, she didn’t want to drive. The steroids were screwing with her vision, so Brian took the wheel. “I’m really okay,” he said, “I’ll take you home.” And then he backed into a garbage can.

“I’ll call my dad.”

“No, he already hates me. Telling him I’m too fucked up is not a way to make him feel better about us.”

“I won’t tell him that.” Kathy pressed the dash and her father answered, sounding like he was fast asleep.

“Hello?”

“Daddy?”

“‘Daddy’? What kind of trouble are you in?”

“I’m not in trouble.”

“The last time you called me ‘Daddy,’ I had to go to the police station.”

“Brian and I had a glass of champagne and I just thought it was safer if you picked us up.”

“A glass of champagne? Will the car start?”

“Yes, but I thought it was safer.” Her father wasn’t buying this.

“Take a cab.”

“We don’t have the money. We weren’t expecting to pay for that.”

“Tell them I’ll pay when you get here.”

“They don’t do that anymore. It’s all in advance, remember?”

“Jesus, Kathy, it’s two o’clock. If the car will start, drive it.”

“Dad, don’t make me beg.”

Kathy and Brian just sat in the car until her father got there. Brian couldn’t help but stare at her, she looked so beautiful that night. “Troubled beautiful” is what his friends called her, but they were all jealous. Kathy was the most interesting girl at the party, by far.

Possibly because he was drunk, possibly because he couldn’t help himself, Brian leaned over, kissed her, and told her that he was in love with her. That was the first time he said it. She smiled, gave him a quick kiss back, but didn’t say the words. Now he felt terrible. Why did I say it? Did I ruin it forever? He was so angry at himself. At that moment her dad arrived. She got out of the car and asked Brian if he