Paying for College - The Novel

by Kenneth Szulczyk

  Chapter 14

  Brothers, I have never been so angry with a person in my life. I just wanted to grabbed the first stranger I saw by the throat and choke him to death. I should be furious with Steve. He can have any girl on campus, but he stepped into my world and stole my girl, but I wasn’t furious with Steve. I should be angry with Phaedra for deceiving me and running after another guy, but good riddance to her. I suspected she was not a good girl, but my emotions covered my eyes. Of course, I was furious with Phaedra’s father, the Dean. That bastard deliberately set me up, so he could embarrass me in front of everyone at his little cocktail party. That motherfucker!

  So brothers, I waited until Sunday morning, when many students slept in late in their dorm rooms, recuperating from a weekend of binge drinking.

  I slipped on my old clothes and headed out. I walked around the campus for a while letting the cool autumn air cool me off. Then I headed straight to the business building around 8:30. I slipped into a classroom at the back of a building with a row of windows that looked out at the lawn. I unlatched the last window, where a large bush blocked the window.

  I wandered around campus for a while and returned for breakfast at the cafeteria.

  Later that night, after the guards had made their routine patrol around campus and locked all the doors to the buildings, I walked to the building at eleven o’clock. I stood facing the front of the building for a moment. Then I walked to the side of the building and ducked behind that large bush, where I had left the window open. I scanned the area for any traffic. Satisfied no one was lurking around, I slipped on my gloves. I turned to face the window and pushed the window up.

  Once I pushed the window to the top, I climbed inside. Then I closed and locked the window.

  I walked to the front door of the Dean’s office. I spun around and thrust a back kick at the door. Bam! The doorframe around the doorknob exploded into a cloud of splinters while the door slammed against the wall.

  I walked in and closed the door behind me. I didn’t see anything to steal at the secretary’s desk, but brothers, I leave innocent people alone. I went to the Dean’s door to his office and rammed my upper body into the door.

  The door moaned and groaned. After my third attempt, the door yielded and broke opened.

  I entered and rummaged through the Dean’s desk drawers.

  Brothers, I’m not sure what happened, but I felt my insides turn to lava and gurgled through my bowels. I held my stomach to soothe those angry spasms, but it was too late. Those twelve atomic tacos drowned in hot sauce needed to make an emergency exit.

  I quickly jumped onto the Dean’s desk, dropped my drawers to my knees, and crouched while brown lava exploded out and splattered over Dean Tremaine’s desk.

  I squatted for five minutes, letting the last bits of the tacos drip out. After finishing, I pulled up my drawers and jumped off the desk. Then I spotted the antique alabaster chess set.

  I removed my backpack. Then I folded and slid the board into the backpack. Then I dropped the gray and olive chess pieces into the front pockets.

  I left the Dean’s office. Once I made it to the corridor, I crouched low and tiptoed to the back door. I opened the door a little and peered out.

  I didn’t see anyone, so I pushed the door open and walked out while the door automatically closed and locked behind me.

  I returned to an empty dorm room. Thank God, Drew was out. I went to the bathroom and removed my clothes and soiled underwear and carefully placed my underwear in the wastebasket. I showered and washed all the nasty crevices on my body. After I had dressed in fresh clothes, I took the small trashcan straight to the dumpster behind the dormitory.

  I returned and lied on my stomach on my bed and read a textbook.

  Drew scampered in around twelve thirty.

  “Hey, Jax.”

  “Damn Drew. Did you go swimming in a lake filled with alcohol?”

  “Oh, you’ve missed a killer party.”

  “I know. I had to stay here and study. I have an exam to study for.”

  Drew collapsed onto his bed with his feet hanging over the side.

  I turned to look at him, “Did you finish your psych assignment?”

  Drew opened a textbook, but his head started wobbling until his head collapsed on it.

  I shook my head back and forth while mumbling, “How’d you get that scholarship?” Then I went to bed.

  Early the next morning, I grabbed the antique chess set, the gun, the stolen checks, and the commemorative two-dollar bill I had taken from the grocery store and slipped them into my backpack. I went downstairs to eat breakfast. Afterwards I walked to the student athletic center and hid the whole backpack in the men’s locker room. I chose a locker in the last aisle, where few patrons ventured.

  I was ready to walk out.

  “Jax. Jax.”

  I turned and saw David.

  “Hey, David.”

  “It’s been a while. I haven’t seen you around.”

  “I’ve been a little busy.”

  “That’s great. I hate to ask, but do you have little time for a chat?”

  I looked at my watch. Then I shrugged my shoulders. “I guess I have some time.”

  “Awesome. Let’s go to my car.”

  We walked to his rusty maroon Buick, or at least I thought it was maroon, and climbed in.

  David started, “Are you all set with the plans?”

  “Oh, the plans? Yeah. Of course, I’m ready.”

  “Great. It’s just I haven’t seen you in a while. I’ve meant to catch up with you. That’s why I’m glad I’ve ran into you at the gym.”

  I noticed David was driving the car out of town, “By the way, where’re we going?”

  “It’s a surprise.”

  I pointed towards the back window, “Isn’t the church back there?”

  “Where not going to church today.”

  “We’re not. Then where we going?”

  “I’ve told you. I have a surprise for you.”

  David drove outside the city limits. Then he turned right on a dirt road that led into a mass of dark ominous looking trees.

  Brothers, my heart started beating quicker, and I felt a panic attack coming, “Where’ we going again?”

  “We’re almost here.” Then he stopped the car.

  David popped open the trunk, and we both got out. We both walked on our side of the car and went to the trunk.

  I looked at David’ face. Then I peered into the trunk.

  David opened a silver, polymer case and revealed a handgun lying in the middle of the foam.

  “What’s that,” I asked.

  “A fourth generation Glock 17.”

  “Okay. I hate to be a bother, but what do you plan to do with that?”

  “You need some target practice. You must get used to holding and shooting a gun.” David pulled out a clipped and slid bullets into it. Then he grabbed the handgun and slapped the clip into it.

  “For a Christian, you certainly come well-armed.”

  David smiled, “To do God’s work, we must be strong, and nothing makes a man stronger than a well-chosen side arm.”

  “I know I’m a little rusty on the Bible. But did I overlook a chapter in the New Testament? When did Jesus ever use a weapon?”

  David raised his eyebrows and frowned at me.

  I raised my hands. “Sorry. I’m not sure why I said that.”

  “Jesus didn’t live in our times. But if Jesus were alive today, I’m sure he would carry a Glock 17.”

  “Yeah, of course. When he’s healing someone, he wouldn’t want to get robbed.”

  David frowned again and asked, “Could you grab those empty cans?”

  I grabbed the empty cans.

  David slammed the trunk, and we walked farther into the woods.

  David pointed in the distance, “Could you place those cans over there on that tree trunk?”

  “Huh?” as I looked at the tree trunk that seemed to
o far away, a convenient place to hide a body. Then I stared at the handgun in David’s hand.

  David looked down at his hand, “Oh, I see.” Then he handed me the gun, handle first. “You take this then.”

  I passed him the cans.

  David walked to the tree trunk and lined the cans on it. Then he returned and stood behind me, “Okay, just aim the gun and shoot those cans.”

  I shot at the first can. Several splinters flew from the first tree to the left of the cans.

  “Your shot’s a little off.” David placed his hand on my hand and guided the gun. “Just line up the sights at both ends of the gun. Then pull the trigger.”

  I pulled the trigger and this time, the bullet dug itself into the tree trunk below the cans.

  “Better. Keep practicing.”

  Brothers, after an hour in the woods, I finally hit those cans.

  “I think you’re almost ready.”

  I looked at the empty shell casings on the ground. “That’s too bad. It seems like I used up all your bullets.”

  “Don’t worry. When doing God’s work, God always provides.”

  “Okay. Then I can do God’s work and kill the dean. Perhaps throw in a hockey captain too.”

  “Hockey captain? What’s this about a hockey captain?”

  “I’m having problems with the hockey team.”

  “I don’t think that has anything to do with our mission. What has the hockey captain done?”

  “They haven’t won any games yet.”

  David laughed.

  “Well, what if I shoot the Dean first and then the hockey captain?”

  “I cannot condone the killing of an innocent person.”

  “Hey, wait a minute. You want me to kill the Dean, but not someone else.”

  “The Dean is the spawn of Satan. He must die.”

  “But I’m willing to throw in the hockey captain for free.”

  “Brother, this captain has nothing to do with us. Seriously, what’s your grievance with this hockey captain?”

  I looked down towards the ground, “He stole my girl.”

  “I didn’t know you were dating someone.”

  “I was dating the Dean’s daughter, Phae-”

  “Ugh, that’s Satan’s harlot.”

  “Excuse me. What did you say? I don’t appreciate that reference you made about my girl.”

  David placed his hand on my shoulder, “Brother, it’s good she left you. You have poor choice in women.”

  “What are you talking about? I make fabulous choices in women.”

  “Then ask her where she got her Delta Chi t-shirt.”

  “Her what? I don’t understand.”

  “I heard a rumor around campus that a fraternity will give a girl a free t-shirt with their insignia on it if she sleeps with at least ten fraternity brothers.”

  I felt the heat pulsate in my face while I clenched my hand tighter around the gun. Although I’m out of bullets, I can still hit him on the head with the damn thing.

  “Look, brother. I apologize for my harsh words. You just need to find yourself a strong Christian woman.”

  “I don’t appreciate your tone and your inferences about my girl, Phaedra.”

  David raised his hands in surrender, “Just forget what I said. Just focus on the primary target the dean. If you want to go after the hockey captain, then be my guest. But get the Dean first.”

  I handed David the handgun, and we returned to the car.

  On the way to town, I looked over at him, “Have you killed anyone before.”

  David just stared at the road in front of him.

  I added, “Well, I guess the Lord does work in mysterious ways.”

  David dropped me off at the front of my dorm.