This Just Doesn't Seem To Be My Day


      Drew is sitting at his desk, reading a newspaper and wearing headphones.
      Wick comes up next to him. "Carey!"
      It doesn't phase Drew, so Wick takes the newspaper and spins Drew around so he's looking at Mimi.
      "Ahh!" Drew yelled, whipping off the headphone and turning his chair back to his desk. "All you had to do was wave your hand in front of me, not give me a heart attack!"
      "I need some research down. You weren't planning anything for lunch," Wick said, placing a pile of folders in front of Drew, then left.
      Drew looked at the pile in front of him. "Not anymore, I lost my appetite looking at Mimi."
      "Quit your mumbling, Pig!" Mimi said.

      Kate, Oswald, Lewis and I are all in Drew's garage.
      "I hate doing inventory," I said.
      "Too bad you're not old enough for quality control, yet," Lewis said, then turned towards the taps to find Oswald drinking from one of them. "Atleast use a mg, will ya?"
      "Guys, knock it off," Kate said. "Someone has to do inventory."
      "So, isn't there some other job I could do?" I asked.
      "Well, you can baby-sit these two while I go get some orders started," Kate suggested.
      I looked over at the guys. "I think I can handle that."
      Kate got up. "Great, I'll be back in a little while," she said, then left.
      I sat there and looked around, then realized I had to use the bathroom. "Hey, guys, I"m gonna go in the house real quick. I'll be right back, okay?"
      "Yeah, sure," Lewis said.
      I left the garage. "Not even lunch time yet and they're already wasted," I commented to myself.

      A few minutes later, I came back out to the garage and went in. "Guys?" I didn't see them. "Lewis?" Nothing. "Oswald?" Still nothing. "Now, where'd they go?" I went out to the backyardand looked around. "Great. Two minutes and I lost them already." Next thing I know, I get hit with a snow ball.
      "Gotcha!" Oswald yelled.
      I looked up to find him sitting in a tree. "What're you doing up there?"
      "I'm watchin' out for the enemy!" Oswald said.
      "And who's the enemy?" I asked, playing along.
      "You!" he said and hit me with another snow ball.
      "Okay, okay. So, where's Lewis?" I said, brushing snow off my coat.
      Next thing I know, I'm on the ground... Lewis tackled me. Where he came from, I don't know.
      "We got the enemy!" Oswald said, cheerfully from his perch.
      "Surprised ya, didn't I?" Lewis asked, now sitting on my legs.
      I tried to prop myself up, but then I got an idea. I laid back in the snow again and grabbed a handful. "Yeah, you surprised me all right..." I sat up, grabbed his coat, and stuffed my handful of snow in it.
      "Geez, that's cold!" Lewis said, standing. He shook out his coat.
      I stood up. "Now, we're even!"
      Oswald grabbed another handful of snow and this time chucked it at Lewis, hitting him between his shoulder blades.
      Lewis turned and glared at Oswald. "That's it... This means war!" He grabbed some snow and heaved it at Oswald, hitting him in his shoulder. "He's like a sitting duck up there!"
      "You should let him get down before you pelt him with snow balls," I said.
      Lewis looked at me. "Why?" He grabbed more snow and threw it at Oswald, missing him.
      "Missed me! Missed me! Nyah nyah!" Oswald said, then stuck his tongue out.
      "I'm trying to reason with two drunk guys," I siad. "Why do I bother?" I went and sat next to the house to watch.
      They kept throwing snow. Oswald kept losing his grip on them--he was throwing them bare-handed--andthey flew up on the roof of the house. I kept wondering why he wasn't running out of snow.
      After about five minutes of this, there was a loud noise. The guys stopped.
      "What was that?" Oswald asked.
      "It sounded like... snow shifting..." Lewis started.
      It was indeed snow shifting and it fell off the roof and onto me.
      "You idiots!" I yelled, pushing snow off me.
      "Now, see what you did, Oswald!" Lewis said, coming over.
      "I'm sorry!" Oswald said.
      "You okay?" Lewis asked me.
      "I've got a bit of a headache," I said, then shivered, "and I've got snow down my back!"
      "Why don'tcha go inside and grab a blanket," Lewis suggested.
      I fished around in my pockets for the key. "I can't find the key..."
      Lewis thought for a moment. "Okay, Oswald, you stay here for when Kate comes back. I'll take Lauren to our place and get her warmed up."
      "So, what'll I do when Kate gets here?" Oswlad asked.
      "I don't know, make something up!" Lewis said.

      About an hour later, I'm sneezing and shivering, sitting with my feet in warm water and about three blankets draped over my shoulders, waiting for Lewis to get back with some of my clothes so I can change.
      The door opened and he came in.
      "Okay, I got your stuff," he said.
      "Wha- took ya?" I asked, kinda nasally.
      "Well, I didn't have a key for your dorm, so..." Lewis started.
      "Nevermind, jus' gimme my clothes," I said.
      He handed me my stuff.
      "I gotta go change..." I said.
      "Here's a towel," he said, handing it to me.
      I sniffed. "Thanks." I dried off my feet, then took my stuff and went into the bathroom. I came out after a few minutes.
      Lewis had turned on the tv and was sitting at the ooth.
      I went over and sat next to him, sniffed, then pulled up the blankets I had earlier.
      "I'm really sorry," he said.
      "it wasn't your fault..." I said, then sniffed again, "it was Oswald's."
      "Wel, it kinda was because I had the idea for the snow ball fight," Lewis said.
      "It's alright, I'm not mad," I said, then leaned my head onhis shoulder and sniffed again. "I'll probably just be sick for a week, that's all."
      "Hm. I'm gonnacall Drew, see if he's home yet," he said, then reached for the phone. He dialed Drew's number, then waited.
      Kate picked up.
      "oh, hi, Kate... yeah, I'm here... yeah, she's here, too... He did? That figures. Is Drew there?... No, oh, um, we sorta lost one of his house keys. It's probably out in the backyard underneath that pile of snow that fell off the roof... Okay, yeah, I know... I know... Kate... just... will you... let me..." Lewis took the phoen away from his ear and looked at it. "Well, that was... interesting."
      "Oswald spilled his guts," I said, knowingly.
      "Too bad, now I won't have the honor of doing that," he said, paused, then looked at his watch. "Wow, it's only about seven. You want anything to eat?"
      "Soup," I said, hopeful.
      "Yeah, I think we've got some of that," Lewis said, got up, and started rummaging through the cabinets. "Ah ha!" He looked at the can. "Tomato?"
      "Perfect," I said, happily.
      "Now... um... we have a problem," he said.
      "Why do you two even keep food here?" I asked, got up, and went over to him. "How hard it it to read the directions?" I took the can and opened it. "Atleast the can opener works," I paused. "Why don't you just sit and let me do this."
      "Okay!" Lewis said and went back to the booth.

      At Drew's house, Kate's out in the backyard, looking for the house key.
      "Oswald, I wish you'd get out of the tree and help me look," Kate said.
      Oswald replied with a snore.
      Kate looked up to see he'd fallen asleep. "I didn't know he slept in trees." She continued looking.
      Drew came out the back door. "Hi, Kate... uh, what're you doing?"
      "We lost one of you keys out here and I was looking for it," Kate replied.
      "Oh," Drew said, then saw Oswald in the tree. "What is he doing up there?"
      "He was drunk," Kate answered.
      "Okay, answer this one..." Drew started.
      "The guys got drunk and started a snow ball fight. One thing led to another, some snow fell off the roof, here, and fell on Lauren. Lewis took her to his place, left Oswald and I'm trying to find the key. Does that answer everything?" Kate said.
      "Wow, yeah, it does," Drew said. "Is Lauren okay?"
      "She wasn't hurt, but she'll probably be sick for a week. She got all wet and everything," Kate said. "What should we do about Oswald?"
      "Leave him, he looks pretty comfortable up there," Drew said. "Since no one knows there's a key out here, why don't you go home and we'll look tomorrow."
      "Yeah, okay, I think I'll go check on Lauren real quick... It'd probably be better if she stayed there, rather than be out in the cold and go back to her dorm," Kate said. "Well, I'll ask her what she wants to do. See you later, Drew." She left.
      "What wound her up?" Drew asked himself and went inside, leaving Oswald in the tree.

Part 2