The grass was a factor. Bunch of guys in the lounge, in a circle, more like a rectangle, two joints passing in opposite directions. Lots of kidding, idiocy, boredom, into which Alex says in his great voice, "Which one of us is most like a girl?"
The room quiets down. If anyone had else said it, it wouldn't have gone anywhere, but Alex said it and it holds the room. A few faces turn to me. I don't see faces turning to anyone else. A little coughing, guys looking at Alex and Alex says, solemnly, "Johnny what's your opinion?"
Noises of the snicker variety, a few. I get the feeling that some guys are nervous, uneasy, wish they were somewhere else, my feeling exactly. I'm taken aback that Alex asked me, smart of him, putting me on the spot when I'm on the spot already. It lures a person, dares you to join the game, even on your own terms. I say in my fake girl's voice,
"Definitely not you, Alex."
Laughs, though not from me and not from Alex who says, simply, "Then who, Johnny?"
"Well, I'm one possibility," I say in my own voice, thrilled by my dare. Who is this person?
"Let's see, Johnny, can you giggle like a girl?", Alex says. Now it's really quiet.
I'll play, call his bluff. Who the fuck does he think he is? This is one side of it. The other side is me calling my own bluff. I'm playing by ear.
"Do I have to, Alex?,"
Alex nods that I do have to. The guys are watching, not looking bored.
"I can't force a giggle, Alex. A giggle comes naturally to a person."
"You're right, Johnny. You'll show us your natural giggle when the time comes. I like that. So show us this. Can you walk like a girl and can you wiggle, if you can't giggle?"
A feeling, recently discovered, was washing over me, the feeling you get from taking in the expressions of people studying you. I never used to notice it. I would be engrossed in sizing up people I saw, but whatever impact I might be making on those sizing up me sailed right by. I don't know what changed it, but over the past month or so something had. I was attuned now as never before to the interested faces, and instead of it deepening my customary shyness, the shyness melted away. I had confidence. I had an attitude.
So, I walked like a girl, and I wiggled my bottom, I was wearing fairly tight jeans, and after I walked and wiggled, I talked like a girl, which I have a knack for, and that was a big hit. I got actual applause, which surprised and pleased me so much that I giggled. Alex took a vote on whether my giggle satisfied the requirement of being like a girl's. I'm proud to say my giggle matriculated but I would bet half the guys who voted didn't hear it in the general hubbub.
Anyway, ten minutes of kidding around and teasing and a tension is growing. The tension commands the room like Alex did when he started it all, and then Alex says in his casual way,