Two young men from very different backgrounds end up roommates at a state college in west Texas in the latter part of the turbulent sixties. Riki is the black sheep of a wealthy family, on his third and final chance to avoid the draft or disinheritance. His big dream is to be a hot guitarist with a rock band, and he has a weakness for recreational drugs that make him feel better about himself. Jerry is a true son of Bible Belt America, happy to be able to go to college and perhaps rise above the lower middle class level of his family. The two form an unlikely friendship that develops into a deeper bond as they experience drugs, sex, and rock n' roll in their heyday.

Midnight Cowboys

“You boys do good work. I want to make sure you know how much we appreciated it.” He picked up a wallet from another table and pulled out several bills. He handed two to Jerry and the rest to Riki. Right then, Riki didn’t dare try to count. He was sure he saw a fifty and a twenty anyway. He just might have found the best part time job possible. He dressed again and they bid Bobby goodbye, promising to come back soon. Even if Jerry didn’t look too enthused about that, Riki figured the money would win him over.


They got back to the dorm before two o’clock and managed a few hours of sleep before their first class. The midnight cowboys were in business.2


The first class began at eight o’clock. Freshman luck—the only available section of a class you had to have, and at that unholy hour. Jerry slid into the desk he’d taken the first day several weeks before, while Riki took his customary seat behind him. They both clutched their papers.


Chapter 5