orig fic: Julian Wins By a Head

[seryn]

I subscribed to several daily prompt comms here. I feel like I should write more. I want to wake up at the end of N weeks/months/years and have something demonstrable to show for it. Plus there's a dearth of really tasty fiction out there, so maybe I should cook my own for a while.

Today's stayintheroom was "Your character's happiest memory."

That struck a chord with me, not because I have an established character that all fiction filters through currently, but because that was how I started one of my first original pieces when I wanted to step away from fanfic. It remains a very weird subset of an even weirder story that showed me I was a lot too damaged to come up with plots for mundane characters.

I will dig it out for you. I called it:
Julian Wins By a Head

The note said, in careful printing that indicated his roommate had been cowed into a direct transcribing the dictated message,

Meet Julian by the elevator.
ps. Don't forget the heads.

"I donut like Barbies."

Julian was nodding, but missed the joke.

"Her hair gets in the way." Jim slid the disembodied head further along the path. "Damn! Her hair touches that slide. Fuck. Now I'm losing again."

Julian frowned. "It was your idea to play Chutes and Ladders with Katy's dolls' heads." He shrugged. "And it was your idea that whatever square was most covered would count. There is no possible way you are going to blame me when you weren't paying attention to the board because you were busy whining because you're three whole drinks behind.

"Pour a shot and suck down your tequila or next time we play this a ladder will require a dance, disco style, right here in the common area. Drink. Shut up. And let me play."

"It's no fair! You got the Midge head we played barber with. Next time I get Ken!"

"You're the freak who stole your sister's dolls' heads to play a kindergarten game! And I offered you first choice of heads tonight but your mind was in the gutter."

"Well, matchbox cars slid all over. They've got wheels ya know! And I didn't want my roommate hearing your shout that I was grabbing Ken's head. Ken's really touchy about being gay and there not having been any private rooms left.

"Why didn't we room together, again?"

"Are you crazy? I'm not the one with a shelf full of dolls' heads resting in baby shoes you bought at the neighborhood garage sale--- which embarrassed both our mothers half to death-- It's not normal."

"But Barbie and her friends are so sexy and the shoes keep the heads still, even when the wall shakes with Matt and Andrew's stereo."

"You're not seeing the problem. I wanted a chance to be normal when I went to college. No one who is your roommate will ever be normal to anyone else again.

"Ah. I win. You drink for losing. Loser cleans up. G'night. See you in Physics." Julian walked away.