The Time is up (working title)
Punishment
Author: madlodger
A/N: Well, NaNoWriMo is over and I finished at 9015 words (by nano validator). The free online word count tool only showed 8959, strangely enough. This is below my personal goal, but I am very happy with the outcome, considering a total lack of time and slow typing. Will do it next year for sure :) I find having a buddy list very helpful. Seven out of eleven on mine are winners, the last one is to validate today (hopefully). Quite amazing.
Feedback request: I had a discussion with a reader recently about using the word "boy" regarding Evan and his roommate (both are nineteen years old). Is there an eighteen year old cut off for using that word or not? What sounds better for this particular story:
1) Boy
2) Youth
3) Lad
4) Other or some combination
Chapter 6
"Extensive repair and repainting of a dorm wall; a dent in the door, three broken light covers in the hallway; trash and empty beer bottles in the hallway, bathrooms and staircase..."
"We can't be responsible for those!" Jake interjected in outrage, "That's outside of our dorm room!"
Evan flinched and kept looking at his shoes. He wished Jake kept his mouth shut, at least before they found out about all the damages.
The Housing Director gave Jake a cold glare and continued reading off the list, "vomit in the shower stall and on the staircase, covering the rails and balusters from the second floor down to the first, requires a professional clean-up crew. The total bill is ..."
"It is not my vomit!" Jake's voice rose to a high pitch.
The Housing Director's eyes sparked with malice, "and how would I know that?"
"You've got to look at it! There is enough to come from four people. I can't hold that much liquid in me!"
Evan winced and discretely punched Jake in the leg. Jake looked at him and instead of shutting up turned for support, "You were there! Tell him, Evan. It is not my vomit!"
"It is not his vomit, sir," Evan sadly said to the Director's toned chest covered with white grad student tee. The guy was about twenty five and had a stocky muscular body, bulging blue eyes and a massive lower jaw. He looked a lot like a blue-eyed bulldog and if the circumstances were different, Evan would of thought that pretty cute.
The Director glanced at Evan for a second and turned back to scowling Jake.
"There is no way I am going to go and separate a crap load of vomit into the different containers and try to identify which part came from which juvenile projectile vomiter! You have to be mad to even assume that I can be bothered with such nonsense. Not my vomit. It doesn't matter!" He leaned forward, his eyes drilling into Jake's, "one week before classes and The Malcolm Shitz building leading the way with housing damages. The first-years' dorm! This is outrageous."
"You still can't charge us for outside of our room! We'll pay for the door and the wall, fine, but not the vomit and trash!"
The director's face turned red and the veins on his thick neck bulged out. He leaned forward, staring at Jake like an attack dog.
With a sinking heart Evan realized that any chance of a fair deal was lost.
"Are you trying to tell me what I can and can't do!?! Well, I got news for you, boy: I am the one who makes decisions here. I am not going to charge the entire building for the outcome of your party!"
Jake stepped forward, shaking in anger. His thin body was hunched in a defensive way and the overly long hair hanged over his blazing eyes in streaks.
"Sir..." Evan's timid voice cut though the thick tension in the air.
Jake and Director continued their staring contest, ignoring Evan completely.
Evan raised his voice, "Sir!"
The Director slowly shifted his eyes to Evan, not moving a muscle otherwise.
"We do respect your decision, sir, we do, but is there any chance to let us fix some of it ourselves? Like the light covers and the trash, at least? Please?"
"Only if you were a certified electrician and custodian and before I hired workers this morning."
Jake swore, lunged forward and slammed his bony hands into the desk, "You never planned to give us a chance, asshole!"
Evan jumped, watching with horror as the Housing Director stood up and slammed his own meaty hands in front of Jake's, barely missing them. His chair had fallen down, hitting the filing cabinet behind with a sharp metallic bang. He leaned forward and screamed at the top of his lungs, "What. Did you. Just. Call me!?!"
"Just what you've heard! You don't give a shit about us, you just want to make us into some idiotic example and have everyone scared of you! Well, I am not! I am not scared of you!'
"Oh, but you should be," the Director grabbed a green folder from his desk, knocking a random stack of papers onto the floor. He opened the folder and shook an official looking letter in front of Jake's nose. "Do you know what this is?" His voice was dripping with venom, "This is a recommendation to withdraw your scholarships. All I have to do is to confirm that you two are too much trouble - and you are history at Mills! Not giving you a chance, you little shit."
"No!!! I can't drop out, I'll never be able to go back home!" Evan's screech made both men stop and look at his milky-white face and trembling hands."I'll pay for damages, I'll do whatever it takes... I can't drop out, I just can't!"
"Look what you've done, you scared him!"
"Jake, shut up! You are making it worse!"
"Listen to your roommate. Jake."
"What for? You've already made your decision. Asshole."
The Director was on Jake so fast, as if he had magically transported from behind his desk. He shoved the boy in the chest and Jake shoved back at him with surprising strength.
"You are just bitter! I know all about you, I know how you got this loser job. The damage I made is nothing, not a tenth part of what you did! But you are still not expelled!"
Meaty hands grabbed and twisted Jake's tee shirt on his chest and shook the enraged boy. Jake's bony hands got a hold of Director's white tee and yanked on it, making the burly man stumble. The fast scuffle ensued.
"Stop it! Both of you!!!"
Four burning eyes nearly incinerated horrified Evan, who backed out to the door on shaking legs.
"Get! Out!" Both men barked at the same time, holding tight into each other.
Evan ran out, shutting the door behind himself with a bang. He made a few steps and dropped to his knees, hyperventilating.
There was a sound of a fight coming from the office, with loud bangs on the door and walls, as if someone or something was being thrown around. The shouting and insults were too muffled to make out.
Evan's head was spinning and his heart was beating so fast as if it was trying to break out of his ribcage. He blew it. He had a one in a million opportunity to go to the most prestigious university of Empire. And he blew it for a stupid party. Tomorrow, some lucky guy will get offered Evan's lost scholarship... Everything he worked for...
The boy dry heaved, holding to his chest. The air in the reception room was becoming thinner and thinner and he struggled to fill his lungs.
He couldn't go home now. To face his father, brothers, and the townsfolk... Impossible.
The ringing in his ears overpowered sounds of the struggle. Quiet darkness slithered over him and he gently toppled into the floor.
...
It was quiet and chilly.
...
Why was it so quiet?
Evan opened his eyes with some effort; he was lying on his side, his cheek on the floor and the office door just a few feet ahead.
There was no sound of struggle.
Jake must be really hurt, then. Or worse... And it was Evan's fault for leaving him to fight a stronger guy by himself. He was a one gargantuan failure. He only knew Jake for twenty-four hours, but the idea of his demise felt hundred times worse than expulsion from Mills.
Evan got to his knees with effort, crawled to the massive office door and tried to turn a door handle. It didn't give. The door was locked from inside. He pressed his ear to the cold wood and heard faint grunts coming from the room.
Jake could be hurt and dying. Every minute counted.
Evan got up and leaned on the door, recovering his strength. He pulled on the door handle again and knocked loudly.
"Hang on."
It was hard to tell who yelled that, the Director guy or Jake. At least one of them was alive, then... There was sound of moving furniture and more undecipherable talking. The door suddenly opened, and with a squeak Evan had fallen into the Jake's arms.
"Jake."
"Hey, buddy."
Jake's face was flushed red and sweaty hair stuck to his forehead and cheeks. A large hole was torn on his tee shirt, baring a flat heaving chest and one puffy pink nipple.
The Director stood by the window, with his back to the boys, hastily fixing his clothes.
Evan wrinkled his nose. "What is this stench?"
"Just some cologne. Just got sprayed accidentally."
Jake wasn't meeting his eyes.
"Come here, both of you." The bulldog-man was by his desk and sat down gingerly. His formerly spotless white tee shirt was covered in grey spots, wrinkled, and ripped at the collar.
Evan and Jake separated and came to stand in front of the messed up desk.
"I am not going to have you thrown out. I never planned to do that, so you were wrong."
Evan's heart soared sky high and Jake hanged his head in shame.
"You still have to pay all the charges. Your dorm deposits are already gone; you'll have to put in new ones before the classes start, to comply with the rules."
Both boys groaned.
The bulldog shifted on his seat, his face tense. "Are you able to do that?"
The boys nodded.
"Are you able to pay the rest of it?"
The boys shook their heads in unison.
The bulldog sighed and pointed to the green folder in the corner of the office. "Someone, fetch it for me."
Jake immediately went and picked it up, shoving the loose papers in. He handed it to the bulldog almost apologetically.
The dog-man looked through the folder and pulled out a fax sheet. "This is what I was able to find for you this morning."
Evan took the offered sheet.
Towel launderer at the Big Dipper pool.
Basic rate, billed no more than three hours/day
Mon-Fri, after hours.
"You should be able to work it off by the end of December."
"Thank you." A huge weight had melted off Evan's chest. He looked at Jake.
"I'll find something in the city, I suppose. Shouldn't be that hard."
"Nearly impossible. However, another vacancy has just become available." The Director's eyes were looking at Jake with a barely concealed mirth.
"Uh, what is it?"
"The assistant to the Housing Director, a part time position."
"What?"
"Take it or leave it."
Jake stared at the bulldog's face for a minute, then his eyes dropped to his massive chest and strong arms.
"I guess I'll take it." He said grudgingly, but a smile was curving the edges of his lips.
"Great. Start with cleaning this office. I am on my break."
...
The heavy scent of cologne permeated the office air.
*****
End of chapter six
Nov 30, 2009
1845 words
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