Drink in case of Emergency Read Online Free Page A

house, Tyler climbed the creaky outdoor staircase to the apartment that Justin lived in. Tyler didn’t bother knocking, he simply let himself in.
    “Justin?” Tyler called out when he didn’t find his friend already waiting in kitchen. He paused a moment before calling out his alternate greeting. “Beer?”
                  Following the sound he heard coming from the back of the apartment, Tyler found Justin in the bathroom. Standing barefoot in the tub, Justin wore black athletic shorts, an old Chicago Bulls jersey, a backwards baseball cap and bright yellow rubber cleaning gloves that went up almost to his elbows. If Tyler hadn’t just lost his job, he might feel overdressed in his Dockers’ Khakis and yellow polo. Justin was holding a squirt bottle of all purpose cleaner and a rag that looked like it had done some terrible things in its day.
                  “Tiger got sick, again.” Justin mumbled, gesturing with his gloved hands at the bathroom in general. “Sorry about your job though, that sucks.”
                  “I am at least a dozen drinks away from being ready to talk about that.” Tyler replied. “What do you have around here that is made of alcohol?”
                  “That depends on your poison.” Justin spoke as he carefully pulled off his gloves and dropped them into a blue bucket beside the bathtub. I know we’ve got a sixer in the fridge, some whiskey from my birthday a few months back, and a couple bottles of wine from when Beth tried to set up a book club with her friends. Personally, nine in the morning is usually a little early for me to start drinking, but given the circumstances...” Justin was about to continue when Tyler cut him off.
                  “We’ll start with the beer and see where destiny takes us.” Tyler was already walking back toward the kitchen to find the beer before Justin was able to respond.
                  “You know, a friend might feel obligated to point out that binge drinking does nothing to solve your problem.” Justin called out as he washed his hands in the kitchen sink.
                  “Good thing you’re my best friend then, which means that obligation is overridden by the obligation to shotgun a beer with me, right now.” Tyler shouted back as he stuck his head into the fridge and pulled two beers, flipping them both upside down on the kitchen table
                  “Really? Shotgunning? At 9:00am? I haven’t even had breakfast yet.” Justin stared across the kitchen at his friend.
                  “The obligations between best friends can be rough sometimes, I know. But it’s what you have to do, that’s why they’re called obligations.” Tyler pulled out his car keys, punched a hole in the bottom of each can of beer while he continued. “Besides, beer makes a great breakfast. It’s got the perfect blend of water, alcohol, carbs, and poor decisions.” Both cans were bubbling, spilling beer onto the table when Tyler slid one across to Justin. Without another word of protest, Justin lifted the can in response to the toast that Tyler was making.
                  “To terrible days and the friends that get you through them.” Tyler spoke before pulling the tab, opening his can and draining the beer in two short seconds.
     

Four miles away, in a small basement apartment, Scott Mankowski pulled off sweat soaked black shorts and a white tee shirt and climbed into the shower. The water cooled his skin and washed the salty residue from his morning workout away. Two minutes later, he was drying himself off, and adjusting his hair in the mirror.
                  Scott heard the chime of his cell phone receiving a text in his bedroom. Applying deodorant as he walked over to check it, he was reaching for his phone when he heard a shout through his bedroom wall.
                  “Up for some