In his time back on earth he hadn't made a single friend. He didn't work. Didn't have roommates. If he wanted to he could avoid people altogether besides for his run to the grocery store. But it became clear to Keith that without any routine commitments like work or school, there really was no need to socialize. Not to say that he didn't want to socialize. Just that he realized that all of his past 

relationships

were born out of some routine commitment that he had taken for granted. His best friends in high school came out of the fact that he spent seven hours in a building with those bozos. Sure there were other kids he shared the same building and hours with. They weren't friends. But had Keith not been at school Monday to Friday, all morning and up to early afternoon, would he ever have made any friends? Had he not been up in 

Spacecity

with Marianna and that guy. Cal, that was his name! Would they have ever been friends.

After over a decade up in space. He had no friends or commitments to return to back on mother earth. His best friends from high school were busy with their families. He knew they'd welcome him with open arms. Share a few beers. But after that they needed to return to their families. Their careers.

The only pull he had was from the possibility of finding Marianna or Cal again. That's why he came to 

Gas City

. Frequented the cafes. The diners. Go to shows at the bars. He had received a post card up in Space city. Those things were very expensive to send up to space. But Marianna had sent it. Post marked for this po dunk town.

Now he was here. No sign of her. He refused to look her up online. He wanted to find her the old school way. It had been one month now. He had yet to run into someone who knew a woman named Marianna. Then again. He hadn't made any friends. People wouldn't openly talk about a girl like that with a stranger.

Tonight in an attempt to start making friends he had decided to go to the bar. There was no show there tonight. He'd instead sit at the bar and talk to someone. A real conversation.

At the bar he was nursing a whiskey. He didn't even like this shit.  But when the bartender asked if he wanted another he nodded. Halfway into that he was thinking about going back home. Just watching some TV and dozing off. But then he felt a pat on his shoulder.

"Damn man. You look like you cleaned up. Why don't you buy me a beer for that ride I gave ya?"