the booze

There was this guy who didn't drink much until he moved to the suburbs of KC around '72. He and his buddies would "kype" things from parents, like beer , wine, and whiskey, and pills. Home again Home agin jiggerty shit, we had a canteen that we'd take to each dude's house. Vodka from Barney's , red wine from Drew's , Howard had cooking sherry, poured that shit in too. I'd snag a Schlitz and some old creme de menthe , and it's off to the woods or the sewer.
As we got older,6th grade and 7th, we discovered parties. And so, we did Party. Suddenly, people I knew , were getting cars and a few could grow beards and score liquor. I got a job at Texas Toms. The crew was wild. Johnson county was crawlin' with hippies and freaks in the summer of '75. One of these freaks managed the Texas Tom's and would sell us weed , drink with us, and get statutory with some of the counter girls. He was the son of the owners, probably early twenties, married, baby. I was 12. I told them I was 13 to get the job. The assistant manager was a big-tittied 16 year old who would sometimes tackle me and just smoosh me for a while. The counter girls were mostly floozie teens with cars and desires to Party. I was living rent-free, no bills, no debts. Every penny I earned went to Entertainment Expense.
Around closing time each night, we would place our orders for the liquor store. Susie wants a pint of Lord Calvert. Little Billy needs an 8-pack of Miller ponies. Do you want to split a fifth of Southern Comfort? We'd pour our treats into regulation cups, sucking beer through a straw as we cleaned. We'd repair to the booths after clocking out for more drinking and laughing and toking. Then it'd be time to lock up and leave. I might get tackled and smooshed. I'd hop in somebody's car to go to the foosball parlor. We'd cruise. We'd park. And we'd cruise some more. We'd cruise to the park. drinking all the way Oh, how we puked! Did you puke? I think he's gonna puke. Where's Larry? He's pukin'. Every night. Even if I wasn't on the schedule, I'd get my little person up there about closing time. This went on for months until this older lady (mid-twenties?) got too stoned and finked us out to the owners. Everybody got fired , especially their son.