No, I think I'd better just tell the damn story. Definitely. It will read in a much easier fashion and would draw much more readership, which to a certain degree is part of my objective. I think I'm ready to start, and I can't figure out what I'm waiting for. Probably just fear of facing that first empty page. I have to get to it; I must. 

What about if the protagonist is narrating the events in first person, stream of consciousness? Dialogue normalizes the intensity of the pace, since it's a mental diarrhea that is being spewed out. Also, possibly an occasional  chapter of an alternate point of view - the girlfriend - and maybe even one or two by the car buddy.  I think this might be the only way to keep this novel interesting, or at the very least alive.
The key is not to make the stream of consciousness too heavy, otherwise I'll lose readership. Proper context must be maintained and intensity should only increase during moments of high stress.
I'm going to give this some heavy thought. Sleep on it for a few nights, see if still sounds like a worthwhile approach next week. The main gain out of this though, is the ability to use the original characters and only redefine them by getting into their heads. Once inside there, there should be no limitations and pretty much anything goes. 

Research and preparation

Slowly starting to get it all together...very slowly. Using research as an excuse, I have managed to put off any and all writing so far. Moving by leaps and bounds, I know. But it will all happen. Going through some great writing manuals right now and getting ideas a little clearer in my head, as far as what I want to do. I just need to flesh out the characters a little more. I still have to distance them from the actual people they were at the time, that way I have some legitimate freedom to make them do what I need them to do to keep the story rolling in an interesting fashion. It won't be much longer. I hope...