Walker scratched his neck, it wasn’t particularly itchy, he just didn’t know what to do with his hands.
“I’ve known her for a month, more or less. We’ve hung out a few times each week since then. Either studying or getting something to eat.”
“You have her phone number?” Chet asked.
“Yes.”
“There’s your first clue. Do you find yourself initiating all the time? Or does she text you out of the blue every once and a while? How long are the messages?”
Walker pulled out his phone and opened the text thread. He scrolled through.
“It’s more of a running conversation. Although it’s pretty fifty-fifty in both initiation and details.”
Walker declined to mention that she was one of the few people that he texted outside of Chet and Sonya. He felt that was information he should probably keep to himself.
Chet slowly nodded, “Okay, good sign. That show’s she’s engaged at least. So, everything’s dandy then all of a sudden she ghosts you? What happened, you grab her booty without her consent? They don’t like that.”
Walker chuckled, “Her booty remains ungrabbed.”
“Then what?”
Walker exhaled slowly, where to begin?
“Well. She texts me to come study with her tonight, and it was pretty late to boot. I show up, and she has two of her friends with her. Usually, we’re one-on-one so this is odd.”
“Were they cute?” Chet asked.
“Umm,” Walker stared at the ceiling, “I’d call one of them hot and the other a mousy cute. Though I wasn’t thinking about that at the time.”
Chet guffawed, “Why not?”
He shrugged, “I don’t know. Whenever I spend time with a girl I find attractive, other girls lose their luster.”
“They become more lustrous to me.”
“Why?”
“I think it’s the silverback gorilla inside of me. Something inside me has the urge to propagate.”
Walker squinted at him, “Nah man, imagine if a girl was using you just to have sex but she had guys on the side. Wouldn’t feel good, would it?”
“Still hit though.”
Walker rubbed his thumb over the tablet’s groove. It helped him think.
“Where was I?”
Chet reminded him.
Walker nodded, “Yeah. They were weird. Kept looking at me and giggling.”
Chet grabbed the medical bed and lurched forward. The next words out of his mouth came out slowly and, in a whisper, “What did you say?”
Walker couldn’t help but sarcastically whisper back, “Looking and giggling. Like two hyenas.”
Chet thrust his hands in the air and howled.
“Dude, you’re in! You're so in.”
“How am I in?”
Chet slapped his forehead, evidently, he regretted that because he winced.
“When a girl has a crush on a guy, they tell their friends. Their friends want to meet the boy in question, so they go as a group. However, girls like this are like squeak toys, when they get excited, they squeak. So, when they see the boy their friend likes and they get excited and want to talk about it, they do. It’s a clear sign that the girl you like has mentioned you to her friends.”
“You’re pulling my dick,” Walker sputtered.
“My hands are firmly grasping my own genitals,” Chet retorted.
“How can you be sure?”
Chet gestured to his face, “Do you see me? I’m a sexual Adonis of a man. Handsome as sin. Women climb me like a tree. After said climbing, I ask questions for future forest activities.”
Walker was getting a bit lost in the metaphor, but he could understand the logic.
“You haven’t heard the rest of the story though; things take a turn.”
“You kissed her, and she gagged,” Chet guessed.
Walker pursed his lips, “No. My breath is exquisite.”
Chet held up his hands in surrender.
“They all left to the bathroom about ten minutes in.”
Chet hit the button on the side of the bed. The mechanics whirred and the bed slowly pushed him into a sitting position. “Are you serious?”
“What?”
“Do you think their bladders cycle up too? They went in there to talk about you man. How can you not see this?”
Walker slapped his thighs, “Look, I’ve only had two prior girlfriends. One was in middle school and only occurred because she thought I had rockin’ hair.”
Chet glanced at Walker’s forehead, “It is nice, dense, and thick, really frames you’re face.”
Walker thanked him and continued with the story. “After they came back the two girls left. Then it was just me and her. We sat next to each other as usual. Then…”
Walker's mouth became parched, almost like sandpaper. He grabbed his water bottle and took a swig. Chet was indignant.
“A curl fell over her face, and I tucked it behind her ear. She seemed embarrassed and left the library after that.”
Chet’s jaw dropped, “I’m flabbergasted. I didn’t know you were that smooth.”
It was Walker’s turn to laugh, “I’m not smooth. I’m rough, like a lizard.”
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
“You made her spontaneously combust.” Chet chuckled, “Get it. Com…bust.”
“I understand all your innuendos, Chet, you don’t have to check in with me.”
Chet grew serious, “Call her.”
“Call her?”
“Is there an echo? Yes, call her and ask her out. Strike when the iron’s hot, or in your case, magma.”
Walker stared at his phone, “I’ve got to say. I’ve never done that before.”
Chet cocked his skull, “Really? Never had a girlfriend?”
“No, I’ve had a few. But I’ve always asked them in person.”
Chet waved him off, “This will be a piece of cake, you got this. Just don’t be weird.”
“You’re weird.”
Walker opened Mowgli’s contact, took a breath, and hit the call button.
ɸ
‘His peers, friends, and family all found Peter Peebles, or PP as many of his friends called him, charismatic. He was magnetic. People, men, and women alike, were attracted to him. Unfortunately, over the years his friend group slowly dwindled. This was because he murdered them, one by one. Although, what was most horrifying was the way he killed them. This is… Peter Peebles: The Penile Perforator.’
Mowgli ignored the TV as she stretched her open mouth over the side of the bed.
“Hold… Hold…” Bella warned.
A cheese puff flew across the room and landed on her tongue.
The three girls cheered. Bella jumped on top of the bed and pumped her arms. Her oversized t-shirt scrunched up around her armpits. Conversely, an XL sweater hugged the XS body of Ella. She clapped and stomped her fuzzy bunny slippers. Mowgli slid off the bed like a slug and landed on the ground.
Her phone fell out of her sweatpants.
“Ohmygodohmygodohmygod,” Mary squealed.
“What?” Ella asked.
“Adam’s calling!”
They screamed in unison.
Mowgli picked up the phone, “Should I answer?”
“Yes!” Ella said.
“Bella grabbed her shoulders, “No, let it ring a bit, don’t want to look easy.”
“Okay.”
Mowgli joined Bella and Ella on her pink-covered bed. After a couple more rings Bella motioned her to answer. She did and hit the speaker.
Mowgli twirled her hair around her finger, “Hello?”
Bella leaned in and picked at her lips. Ella sucked on her hair.
‘Hey, Mowgli? Can you hear me? It’s a little loud here,’ Adam said. She did hear some screaming in the background.
Mowgli felt an involuntary smile creep onto her face, “Yup, what’s up?”
Bella gave a thumbs up.
“Ball is in his court,” Ella whispered.
’You uh, left pretty quick tonight. Is everything, umm, okay?”
Bella squeaked and said in a low voice, “Remember: hard to get. Tell him you don’t know.”
Ella pushed her and replied in an equally soft voice, “Don’t listen to her, he obviously cares!” She swooned and held her hands over her heart, “Say you liked it.”
Mowgli hushed them.
‘Still there?’ Adam asked.
“Um, yeah-no. I mean, it was fine. More than fine actually, just wasn’t expecting it.”
Bella smacked her forehead.
Adam continued, ‘Okay. That’s good. Umm. In that case, I was wondering if you are doing anything this Friday.’
Mowgli bit her lip, she could feel her face turning crimson. But she couldn’t hold it in, they whisper screamed. Mowgli grabbed Ella’s shoulder and shook her. She bobbed back in forth in the bed. Bella slapped her hand over her mouth.
“This Friday?”
Bella vehemently shook her head. Ella tried to pry Mowgli’s fingers off her shoulder to no avail.
“Actually, I’m busy this Friday.”
‘Oh.’
“But I’m free on Saturday,” Mowgli hoped the hopefulness didn’t leak into her voice.
‘Great! I don’t know if you’ve gone, but there’s this crime museum nearby and they just opened this serial killer wing. I think you’d like it.’
Mowgli could feel the grin on her face widen.
“I’d like that. I’ll meet you there?” She asked.
’Sounds good. See ya then Mowgli.’
“Bye,” she hit the end call button.
They screamed.
Bella grabbed Mowgli’s shoulders and pushed her off the bed and toward the closet, “We need to get your outfit picked. Ella, you’re on perfume, hair, and makeup. We got to get this done now and get it done right so by the time Saturday comes you’re as pretty and sexy as possible.”
Mowgli’s face burned, “I don’t think it’s going to go that far. It’s the first date-”
Ella, chipped in, “Nope, don’t try to argue. I’ve gone this route, Bella’s not going to take no for an answer.”
Bella pulled open the closet, and the hinges screeched, “Damn right.”
The narrator in the TV documentary droned on, ‘Peter’s father was largely absent during his childhood. Peter Peebles was a smart child though. He excelled in school despite his trouble with teachers. It was this tomfoolery that led to his teacher calling his mother when he was fifteen. Although, his mother was absent in a different way. Turns out, after one missed parent call too many, child protective services visited his household. Peter Peebles’s mother raised him until he was eleven but lived with him until he was fifteen. For those of you at home who are wondering why the math isn’t adding up is because the mother’s corpse was found neatly tucked into bed. Many years later Peter joked that his mother’s bare bones were still warmer than her love for him.’
ɸ
“See? Easy peasy lemon squeezy,” Chet said after Walker hung up the call.
Walker’s heart was definitely beating at a higher frequency. He tried to suppress the smile on his face. He stretched.
“Thanks, Chet.”
Chet shrugged, “What can I say? I’m a savant.”
Someone knocked at the door, “Chet Thundercock? Can I speak with you for a moment?”
A woman in blue stomped into the medical room without waiting for an answer. She was garbed in a blue police uniform. Her hair was tied into a ponytail and presumably tucked under her hat.
“Damn pig,” the shackled inmate muttered from his bed.
Chet raised an eyebrow, “Talk about what?”
“The death of Jerry Springles of course, or did you forget about him already?” She accused.
Chet fiddled with the bed cover, “I remember very clearly.”
The cop, whose name tag read: Lee, pulled out a tablet and its respective screen pen and handed it to him. “I’m here to collect a statement about tonight.”
As Chet reached for the tablet the inmate shouted, “Don’t do anything without a Lawyer. They’ll screw ya’ for all you’re worth!”
Martin hushed him with some crackers.
Chet paused, both the tablet and his outstretched arm hovered in the air.
Lee sighed and Walker got a glimpse at the exhaustion she exuded. Bags hung from under her eyes, she leaned to one side as if to give one of her legs a rest, and her eyes drooped.
“I’m not here to bust your balls, kid. I know you had nothing to do with it, my partner and I cleared the rest of your team. You left before we could get to you. All I need is a quick statement and we can both get some rest.”
Chet accepted the tablet and pen and, after being guided by Lee on what he should do and where he began.
In the silence after, Walker asked a question.
“You’ve been getting a lot of these assignments?”
Lee stepped back to lean against the sink in the corner of the room.
“Like you wouldn’t believe. Why PIP dropped the rank requirements for these bounties, I have no idea.”
“Is it abnormal for people to die during bounties? From what I’ve seen, I’m surprised the rivers don’t run red,” he said.
Lee rubbed the bridge of her nose, “Unlike most citizens, most PIP members are usually aware of their limitations when it comes to this job. Especially the higher-ups. It’s the newbies that usually get themselves hurt; they just don’t know when to quit. Or in Chet’s case, an unfortunate accident.”
Walker was still curious, “Do you know why these things are popping up? I mean mutated rats in the middle of a city? I could understand, every once and a while, but daily? Ridiculous.”
Lee shrugged, “The United Region’s has always been a technological powerhouse. It was only a matter of time before it spills more and more into civilian life.” She rested her hand on her firearm, “Although, I agree with you. The city’s been stretched thin. Something’s happening, and it’s above my paygrade to ask.”
Chet tapped the tablet with the pen and held it out to Lee. She accepted it.
“Alright. Thank you… Mr. Thundercock?
Chet nodded sagely.
“If we have any more answers we’ll call you. Until then get some rest.”
She left.
Walker scooted his chair to the side of Chet’s bed, “You didn’t tell me someone died.”
Chet just looked at him.
“Could’ve been you,” Walker continued.
Chet clenched his jaw, “As could’ve you, or did you forget what happened in that cave?”
Walker averted his gaze. He tapped the saline bag that hung from the bed. He thought about Edwin’s lab where his bed resided. How he would lie down at midnight and not fall asleep until three A.M. How his heart now beat irregularly.
Walker couldn’t sleep on his stomach any more; he could hear his heart through the cotton. It scared him.
He remembered how his skin would flare up in itches and he would scratch until blood caked his fingernails. How his tongue would swell, and he could barely open his mouth. Walker began to fear the nights when the moon would rise and the noises quiet. There wasn’t much to do other than listen to his body scream.
“I can’t not forget.”