Lara Reznik - The Girl From Long Guyland Read Free

attention.
    Denise pointed at several sand dunes about ten yards away. “Look over there.”
    Three longhaired guys and a hip girl in a halter-top and maxi skirt sat huddled on a wool blanket passing a metal pipe around. The guys appeared enamored with the wavy-haired brunette. One lit the pipe for her, while another held her hand on his lap. The third just looked desirously in her direction.
    The scene reminded me of Scarlett O’Hara surrounded by all the southern gentlemen in Gone With The Wind.
    Denise gave me the high-five. Then she stopped to pat her hair and yank her V-neck sweater down to reveal more cleavage. When we reached the sand dunes, she produced a big smile. “Mind if we join you?”
    They all looked up at us with bloodshot eyes. “Shit yeah!” said one, a burly guy with wild kinky hair. He pointed at Denise. “You, sit next ta me.”
    “I’m Katie,” said the girl. “Which dorm do you chicks live in?”
    It turned out that Katie not only had a room in Bodine, but she lived just down the hall. She told us she’d grown up in Westchester.
    Denise sat next to the husky guy and he passed her the pipe packed with black rock. “I’m Joey, by the way. Joey Costello. Everyone knows me as the Hash King.”
    Denise took a hit and passed Katie the pipe. “Good shit.”
    Joey put his arm around Denise’s shoulders. “What’s your name, gorgeous?”
    “Denise Manelo.”
    One of the guys doubled up with laughter. “Manelo and Costello, you two are meant to be.”
    Joey watched Denise’s every move and handed her a chunk of hash to take back to the dorm. I pulled out a ten-dollar bill but he waved his hands. “Don’t insult me, honey. Just give me her phone numba.”
    We spent the rest of the afternoon gossiping, giggling, and gagging on the hash pipe with Katie and the guys. They all lived at North Hall, the boys’ dorm across the street from Bodine. Two of them, Jack and Hal, were freshmen, while Joey was a sophomore.
    At one point we saw a couple of guys in leather jackets walking in the distance along the shoreline. Their hair was long and slicked back in ponytails, and they looked somewhat tougher than the guys I knew. More like hoods than hippies.
    Joey stood and formed his hands into a foghorn. “Hey, Ben, Chris. Over here.”
    “You know those townies?” Hal said.
    “Where ya think I score my dope?”
    The townie dudes apparently hadn’t heard Joey as they continued to walk along the beach.
    Katie stood and said she needed to head back to get ready for a dinner date with a senior she’d met at orientation.
    Hal’s face looked glum.
    She bent down and kissed him passionately on the lips. “Call me later, okay?”
    Hal looked puzzled. “Ah, sure.”
    Jack poked Hal in the side as Katie sprinted away. “Nice way to get dumped.”
    “She said to call her. That’s not getting dumped,” Hal insisted.
    “He’s a senior. You’re just a dumb freshman, idiot.”
    Joey grabbed Denise’s hand and led her away from us.
    I remained on the beach with the two freshmen. They finally quit arguing and relit the hash pipe. “I’m done,” I said, when the pipe came to me. This was only my second time. I was already quite buzzed.
    The three of us sat talking about how orientation sucked and what classes we each were registered for. The conversation turned to the war in Vietnam and the guys said how relieved they were they’d scored high numbers in the draft lottery. Denise and Joey returned an hour later holding hands. Joey had a hickey the size of a half-dollar on his neck.
    We all stared at the inky water and the star-filled sky. I felt a sense of euphoria as the sun set over the Long Island Sound. The night sky sizzled with purple and red color. Shades of pink-orange and bits of yellow reflected in the water. I was part of something big, the group, the beach, the sky. Of course, I was totally shit-faced.
    Then suddenly the euphoria ended. A police siren wailed and someone yelled, “ RUN!