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Chapter 19: A Tale of Two Generations, Part II
 By Jim Caple |
Previously at 24 College Avenue: Former housemate Katie Maynard was hit by a rocket-powered grenade while serving overseas in the war. Meanwhile, oblivious to Katie’s injuries, the current residents enjoy their annual spring party, perhaps the last one because the city has condemned the house to build a theme mall called “College World’’ in the neighborhood. After losing her baby in a miscarriage Jenn Robbins has moved out of her parents’ house and returned to class and her role as Bubby the Red Devil mascot, a gig she now shares with the talented but insufferable Clay Ellum. An anonymous video posted on MyWeb caught cheerleader Mandy Stevenson leaving the Devils locker room after obviously having sex with basketball coach Jimmy Medici. The coach has been suspended, not for having sex with a cheerleader, but for his role in ignoring Orion Winfield’s split personality (Orion also was/is former 24 College resident Sirius Winfield). . . .
Jenn hadn’t felt this happy in more than a year, and it wasn’t just because of all the beer she drank during a keg stand. No, it was mostly because Clay Ellum had just resigned as a Red Devil mascot. No one other than Jenn knew – or cared – why he resigned. Hell, most people didn’t even know about it, though his resignation had been reported in the State College Daily. Only Jenn knew the full story.
Although the Red Devils had been snubbed from the national basketball tournament, Jenn’s bungled bungy swing over the gym on Bracket Sunday (Chapter 15) had produced some very valuable information. While she was swinging dangerously into the Buckley-Sheaffer Fieldhouse back wall, Jenn had spotted Ellum masturbating and video-taping the cheerleaders while they changed out of their costumes. When she confronted him, Ellum admitted he also was the one who posted the video of Mandy leaving the locker room and agreed to step down as Bubby in exchange for her silence.
“Fine. No skin off my back,’’ he said when she proposed the deal. “Spring sports never get any TV time. Besides, the major league baseball season is starting and I’m up for the job as the Yankees mascot.’’
“The Yankees have a mascot?’’
“Yeah. He’s a big, loud Wall Street investment broker who lights his cigars with $100 bills and gives opposing fans the finger.’’
Whatever, Jenn thought. The important thing is she no longer had to deal with the jerk. She was celebrating this in a big way at the house’s spring party. By the time she finished with her share of the/Hawaiian Punch/absinthe/dry ice mix and followed up with the keg stand, she was feeling very, very good. So good, in fact, that she needed to sit down for a minute.
Jenn flopped down on the living room couch and stared at the dozens of students drinking and dancing in front of her. “This is great,’’ she said.
“What did you say?’’
She looked to her right and saw that she was sitting next to Joey Vancouver, the cute kid with the gorgeous brown eyes she had invited from her oral interpretation class. She had fallen for him when he impressed the class with an emotional rendition of T.S. Eliot’s “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock.’’ It seemed so meaningful and deep to her -- or at least compared to Jenn’s reading for the poety unit.
“Hey, you! I thought I lost you!’’ she shouted. “Whaddaya drinking?’’
“Coke.’’
“Coke? &@#$ that! You need a beer!’’
“That’s OK. I’m fine.’’
“Sure? Well, all right,’’ Jenn said, shifting her body so that her right leg pressed against Joey’s left. “I’m not gonna lie to you – I’m glad you could come.’’
“Thanks for inviting me,’’ he said, a little shyly. He looked her in the eyes and then awkwardly shifted his gaze to the couples dancing. After a minute he broke the silence. “Great party. Thanks for inviting me.’’
“You’re welcome,’’ Jenn replied, placing her right hand on his thigh and taking a gulp from the beer in her left. “I’m not gonna lie to you – I really liked your reading in oral interp class. I mean, I REALLY liked it.’’
The beer was beginning to talk.
“Really?’’ Joey said, turning toward Jenn. “You’re not kidding? I thought it was kind of geeky. I mean, not the poem – that’s Eliot’s masterpiece – but how I did it. Way too serious, you know? Yours was way better.’’
“Mine? No way. Mine was just goofy.’’
“Are you kidding? It was AWESOME!’’
“That’s sweet of you but it’s not true,’’ Jenn said. She looked at Joey and noticed a couple beads of sweat on his temple. That was cute. He was nervous around her. Boys were never nervous around Jenn, except when they feared she was going to drink their beer.
“No, I mean it. I loved it. Do a couple lines for me.’’
“I don’t think so.’’
“C’mon. Please? For me? The last lines?’’
Who could say no to those wonderful brown eyes, Jenn thought. He looks like a lost little puppy. “OK,’’ she said.
She took another gulp of beer and sat up straight. She looked over at Joey and smiled. He smiled back and she started to laugh. She stopped herself and began her poem.
“Oh, somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining bright,
“The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light,
“And somewhere men are laughing and somewhere children shout.
“But there is no joy in Mudville, mighty Casey has struck out.’’
She belched and looked back at Joey who had the cutest expression on his face. Jenn couldn’t help herself. She leaned over and kissed him. She pulled back for a second, then returned her lips to his, and their tongues touched and danced together.
When they broke apart, Joey didn’t know how to respond so he said, “You are so hot when you’re Bubby the Red Devil.’’
Jenn felt those were the most seductive words anyone had ever spoken to her. And it had been sooooo long since she had had a boyfriend. “C’mon,’’ she said, taking his hand. “Let’s go to my room for a little more oral interpretation.’’
# # #
Josh leaned on the stairway handrail and watched his old girl friend take Joey by the hand toward her bedroom. The kid looked a little young but good for Jenn, he thought. It was high time she enjoyed herself again, even if it was with a freshman. Heck, Josh would be delighted to have any girl interested in him.
He took another drink of beer and turned back to the living room where he saw Mandy dancing with Bonzi Bangor, the band geek who lived next to her on the second floor. Or make that with Bonzi and Mandy’s fellow cheerleader, Lacey V. Murrow-Bridge. Bonzi was scarcely involved; it was Mandy and Lacey who were rubbing against each other.
“GET A LOAD OF THAT GIRL ON GIRL ACTION!!! GOD, I MISSED THIS PLACE!’’
It was Danny Edmonds, who had just moved back into the house, taking over the room Sirius/Orion Winfield had been living in until his split personality had been revealed.
“DID THIS GO ON EVERY NIGHT I WAS GONE?’’
“Afraid not. At least not that I ever saw.’’
Danny suddenly staggered and fell to the floor and his head snapped back hard against the stair rail. Josh feared he had knocked himself unconscious but Danny hadn’t even spilled his beer. Josh extended his hand and helped Danny up.
“THANKS, BRO’,’ Danny said, breathing very heavily on Josh.
“Don’t mention it. Just turn the other way the next time you feel like breathing on me.’’
The two returned their attention to the dance floor, where Mandy now was holding her pet Chihauhau, Tinkerbell, above her head and swaying to the music.
“So, Danny,’’ Josh said. “Why is it you left the dorm again? I thought you enjoyed being an R.A.’’
“I DID, MAN. BUT THEY WERE GETTING TOO INTRUSIVE. LIKE, THEY WANTED ME TO SPY ON THE KIDS AND REPORT BACK TO THEM. AND THEN AFTER THAT GUN MASSACRE BACK EAST, THEY WERE REQUIRING US TO SIGN EVERYONE IN AND OUT ON OUR FLOOR. BECAUSE OF THAT SHOOTING THEY MAY EVEN INSTALL VIDEO CAMERAS IN EVERY ROOM – WITHOUT TELLING THE RESIDENTS! IS THAT BULL@#&$ OR WHAT? THIS IS BECOMING A POLICE STATE, MAN. SO I TOLD THEM TO @#&$ THEMSELVES!’’
“I didn’t know you to be so concerned about civil liberties.’’
“I AM NOW, MAN. EVER SINCE YOU AND ME STARTED TAKING THAT CLASS ON GOVERNMENT SURVEILLANCE.’’
Josh nodded appreciatively and touched his beer cup to Danny’s.
“Well, good for you. Not many people have the conviction to stand up for what they think is right these days.’’
Danny finished off his beer and started wiggling his tongue at Mandy. “YEAH, WELL, IT WASN’T THAT BIG A DEAL. IT WAS EITHER RESIGN ON MY OWN OR GET FIRED FOR GROWING MARIJUANA IN THE STUDY LOUNGE.’’
# # #
Jenn opened her eyes and was immediately blinded by the bright sunlight. She shielded her eyes with her right hand, rolled away from the window and found herself against Joey. He was staring at her breasts. And he was naked.
“Oh,’’ she said, embarrassed. Good morning.’’
“Yeah, good morning,’’ he said enthusiastically and leaned over to kiss her. Jenn was overwhelmed by his morning breath. How could anyone have breath that bad without drinking any beer the night before?
Jenn pulled away and grabbed the sheet up to cover herself. She didn’t know what to say. Joey was cute and she had a slight crush on him from her oral interp class but to sleep with a guy on the first date? How much has she had to drink, anyway?
“What time is it?’’ she asked finally.
“Almost noon,’’ Joey said. “I never thought you were going to wake up.’’
“How long have you been awake?’’ Jenn asked. (What she meant was, how long have you been staring at my tits?)
“Oh, about an hour or so.’’
Ecccchhhhhh, Jenn thought. She looked over on the floor at the side of the bed where her jeans, t-shirt and underwear were mixed with Joey’s.
“So,’’ she said, the words failing her beyond that.\She smiled weakly and pulled the sheet up a couple inches.
To her relief, Joey shoved the blankets toward the foot of the bed and got up. She looked back out the window as he started dressing.
“Do you want to get something to eat?’’ Jenn asked to fill the awkward silence. “Some cereal? A banana?’’
“Nah,’’ Joey said, pulling on his shirt. “Mom is going to pick me up in a couple minutes.’’
“Your mom? Where are you going with her?’’
“Home.’’
“Home? You still live with your parents?’’ She caught herself. “Oops. I did that, too. I lived with mine fall quarter.’’
“Why? This place is so cool.’’
“I’d rather not go into it. And why are you still with your parents? Short of money?’’
Joey laughed. “Where else would I live?’’
“I don’t know. A dorm. A house off campus. A frat.’’
He zipped up his pants. “Jenn, I’m 14.’’
What? Jenn sat up. She waited for Joey to laugh or smile or something, but he wasn’t joking.
“You’re kidding, right?’’
“No. I’m 14. Really.’’
“Fourteen? You can’t be 14. You’re in my oral interp class for God’s sake.’’
“Yeah, but I’m part of State College’s early genius program,’’ Joey said. “I graduated from high school when I was in Little League. I would have mentioned it but I thought you knew.’’
Jenn pulled the sheet above her head. “No. No. No. This is so NOT happening to me.’’
Joey sat on the edge of the bed and pulled the sheet down. “It’s OK. I won’t tell anyone.’’ He slugged her lightly on the shoulder. “At least, not now. But I can’t make any promises because I think I’m falling in love with you.’’
# # #
After two tours of duty, medic Fred Hutch had grown accustomed to the death, blood and horrors of war but this latest attack left him feeling nauseous. It was the worst attack of the war, with at least 31 U.S. soldiers dead so far. Twenty-two had been killed instantly when the insurgents blew up the Peace and Prosperity Bridge while three Humvees were on the span. Another nine had been killed in the firefight that went on for four hours afterward, with three times that many wounded.
The battle was finally over and order had been restored (sort of) but the toll could soar even higher because they were still searching the surrounding buildings, streets and alleys for three unaccounted soldiers. They had to hurry, though -- the sun was setting and darkness descending quickly. No one wanted to be on the streets very long at night.
Several Blackhawk helicopters hovered overhead, sweeping the area with searchlights and hunting for the missing soldiers. One of the lights revealed a quick glimpse of something in an alleyway. Hutch didn’t see it clearly but it gave him a bad feeling. He waved for three soldiers to back him up and made his way to the alley’s entrance.
“We got someone!’’ he yelled, then took a knee and leaned over a bloody, fallen soldier. He checked for a pulse. It was weak but still there. He checked the dogtag. Specialist Stewart Street.
“Stewart,’’ he said into the soldier’s ear. “Can you hear me?’’
There was no response for a couple seconds and then Street slowly opened his eyes. “Heyyyyy,’’ he mumbled.
Hutch began counting the wounds as another medic brought in a stretcher. “It’s all right, son,’’ Hutch said. “We’re going to get you out of here.’’ He nodded to the other men to slide the stretcher under Street
“Wait,’’ Stree said, reaching up and gripping Hutch by the shirt front. “You . . . gotta get . . . the guys in back.’’
“Guys in back?’’ Hutch said, turning around. “Where are they?’’
Fearing the worst, Hutch stood up and trotted down the alley, then pulled to a stop. He thought he had grown used to what bullets and bombs could do to a body but apparently, he hadn’t. He leaned against the alley’s concrete wall and threw up. Then he wiped his mouth and turned back to the two soldiers lying amid the dried blood and severed limbs.
Next: Spring football
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