The House of Burgiss Part III

The Better of Two Evils

From the time she was five Belle wanted to be a lawyer. “What do you want to be when you grow up? An astronaut? A doctor? A fireman? No, Belle wasn’t the bright-eyed child that one might suspect. When asked the question, she would respond “A lawyer” with great enthusiasm. It was evident to her friends and family that she had been born for the job. Quick witted and very argumentative, her true potential for being a lawyer first came out in her high school speech class. She took the class by Con’s recommendation in her senior year. He agreed to take it with her because she was frightened of speaking in public. That fear was soon absolved. She participated in debates quickly rising to the top of the class. The only person that could still argue her down was Con. The difference between them was that Con argued through reason and Belle through passion. Con earned her total respect through their sometimes violent arguments. Counselors spent a great deal of time with all of the others. They all required great encouragement to devote themselves to a specific field. Belle had immediately chosen law. She had begun looking at the law program at the college in her junior high school year. Everyone knew she was perfectly capable of graduating at the top of her class. She was a bit of a perfectionist. She wouldn’t settle, and no one expected her too. Once she had set her mind to something, it will be done perfectly no matter how long it takes.

Her room resembled this demeanor. It was always spotless. She kept her desk and computer completely clear of any loose papers. “A clean workstation is a productive workstation.” She used her computer more than anyone else. She was constantly typing some assignment, even if that was not required. She typed everything, even her grocery list. She didn’t spend much time studying in her room. Most of her spare time was spent in the college’s library alongside many of the other law students. She wasn’t the type of person to listen to music while she was trying to study. She would become very upset if someone were even turning the pages loudly in the library. She gained the habit of sleeping on top of the covers throughout her first year at college. “I’m simply too tired to bother with pulling them down, and then having to put them back the next morning.” Instead she would wake up and smooth out the wrinkles. Her room seemed oddly bare. She didn’t spend much time in it, and therefore it never acquired the “lived in” look. There were no pictures or keepsakes. No awards, no decorations, no small teddy bears---just a room with a bed, a desk, a television, and a computer.

The school year began and immediately Belle was thrown into the fury of the study of law. Her classes were long and in depth. She filled up three notebooks with notes in the first two weeks. As always, one teacher was especially hard. Mr. Taron, was the head of the law department at the college and didn’t get there by being considerate to others. He was an ancient white haired man, who would stand rigid at the front of the class. He seemed almost brittle at time, as if he would break if he tried to bend. He walked with a cane and wore tailor made suits. His small spectacles only helped increase his persona. He didn’t accept any excuse for missing his class. Even if it were a death, it wasn’t excused. It was doubted he would excuse his own death. There was no small talk in his class. There were questions and answers. He would allow only a few seconds to respond before ordering the student to sit. He didn’t appreciate anything but hard work. He quickly became Belle’s favorite teacher.

The first day of class he assigned them all a ten page paper due by the following session that describe in detail their reasoning for wanting to be a lawyer. Belle was delighted. She finished the paper in two days. It resembled a small biography from the day she was born. Rafe, who was also in the class, had not been pleased with her promptness in completing the assignment. He asked several times for help with his own. Mr. Taron ordered that the papers been placed on his desk. After everyone had done so, he took the roll and stood next to the pile. He slammed a trashcan in front of the desk for everyone to see. He would simply call out the name on the paper, count the pages, and make a mark in his book. The class was horrified as they watched a week’s worth of time and effort is dropped into the trashcan. After he finished he informed the class of the grade they had received, “If you completed the assignment, you did not received a failing grade. Otherwise you are now very far behind, and I suggest that you drop out. Now you write another ten page paper on the Supreme Court’s decision in Roe v. Wade. Should be simple enough.”

This paper he did grade, but not kindly. Everyone received his or her papers back covered with red ink. “This is the most pitiful display of inept knowledge and writing I have ever seen. Everyone receives a failing grade. Correct them for half credit.” After he finished the sentence several of the students left the room, muttering. The following week’s class was much smaller. They all turned in their corrected papers quietly. Mr. Taron looked at the considerably smaller stack of papers and then proudly said, “Now we have a class dedicated to their education.” This trick was unsuccessful in driving away Belle or even Rafe. Belle had taken it as a challenge. Later when she received back the corrected paper, Mr. Taron congratulated her personally in front of the class. “Miss Franklin’s paper should be displayed for all of you. Maybe you would all finally understand the proper way to write. Top marks to her, the rest of you were graded from there. I also might suggest, Mr. Poole, that you take an example from your housemate.”

After class one day Belle was on her way to the library when someone calling her name stopped her. She turned around and saw a young red-haired man walking quickly in her direction. She recognized him from her class immediately. He was the only other person Mr. Taron had ever given a compliment too. Kenneth Andrews was his name. She knew from the day she met him that she would never like him. The feeling was mutual. When she realized who was calling her she kept walking. He had to break into a run to catch up with her. He reached her out of breath, desperately trying to keep his things in order. He was of average height and build. The most outstanding characteristic about him was his red hair. Much like Belle’s it was a little orangish, it stood out everywhere no matter how hard he tried to push it down. She grudgingly stopped and gave him a cold stare, “I have to be in the library Kenneth.”

“So do I, on the other side though.”

“What do you want?”

“Not to having this conversation,” he said as he reached inside his bag. “Mr. Taron asked that I give this to you. I don’t know what possessed him to do so. I don’t think he really considered whom he was talking to. He was occupied with some other guy who wasn’t even a law student.”

She snatched the paper away from him, “Thank you Kenneth, I’ll be on my way now.”

They both started walking in the same direction. They stopped after a second and then went opposite directions.

She and Rafe spent more time together in the first month of college than they had since they met. They would sit across from each other with several books spread out between them. Occasionally one would mention some occurrence of the day or something that would soon come up in class. For the most part, they simply sat in silence pretending the other was not there. The libraries stayed open all night, and Belle found this exceptionally helpful. She would stay late into the night before even beginning to consider going home. Early on, Rafe had made a point to mention he was leaving in case she wanted to walk home with him, but he quickly realized that she seldom heard him. When she was in the library she was in a completely different world. She would become utterly absorbed in her work. She could work the library very efficiently, so she didn’t often need help from the librarians. The other late nighters like her had become rather territorial. The library was very large and the study areas were soon drawn off by imaginary lines. They all knew who would study where and did not like it when their space was invaded. Belle’s section was near the back of the library. She sat in a large leather chair next to the bust of some former university president while she was reading or working lightly. For her more serious sessions she would move to the table to her right. At this workstation she would spread out books from one end to the next, only leaving space enough for Rafe to work. She would sometimes encounter her friends in the library. Finn and Con commonly wandered through looking for some book. Finn, like the other medical students, frequented the library. He wasn’t ever there as much as the others. When he was he usually spent his time whispering to Cole. Belle ran them off more than once for disturbing her while she was working.

She usually arrived home very late. The house would be dark with the usual exception of the small office where Con would work late into the night. She would sometimes drop in on him for conversation. He would be writing in some small leather book as she walked in. He would close it and set it aside to talk with her. He kept a small pot of coffee in the office with him. “I tired of walking back to the kitchen every ten minutes. It was simpler to bring the entire thing in here.” They would talk about school and the goings on of their friends. Belle’s work kept her isolated from the others in a way. Con was her link to what was currently going on in everyone’s life. She enjoyed talking to him or more often listening to him. He would go on and on about something until she stopped him. They were the only two in the house that were concerned with the world around them. Politics was a favorite topic between them. They still liked to argue for the sake of arguing. The pair would sometimes sit in the room talking pleasantly until the next morning caught them by surprise. The sun would be flooding in the small office as they finished the last drops of coffee. It didn’t bother them. They would shower and go right on to class without an hour’s sleep. Unfortunately these all nighters left Belle in a rather ill temper.

It was after one of these late night conversations that Belle had her second encounter with Kenneth. Mr. Taron assigned them a paper to be done alongside a partner so as to compare views. Mr. Taron decided to do the pairing off. Belle’s obvious choice was Rafe. “No, Miss Franklin, I think you will do better with Mr. Andrews. Mr. Poole you will work with Mr. Carlton.”

“Mr. Taron, I can’t work with him! I despise him!” yelled Belle without thinking.

“Miss Franklin, you still have several things to learn, I see. First, you must work with all types of people. Not only those you live with. Secondly it is very unwise to yell at your teacher. Your arguments should be five pages longer for your temper.”

This obviously didn’t help she and Kenneth off to a good start. They spoke to each other after class in the middle of the room.

“Nice going you overzealous twit,” said Kenneth with stifled anger.

“Don’t start. I’ll be in the library after I get something to eat. That should take about an hour. I suggest that you meet me there so that we can begin.”

Kenneth nodded his head and left the room. Belle was trying to gather her things as she heard Mr. Taron begin talking. “I expect an exceptional paper from the two of you. You are my best students.” He gathered his briefcase and cane and hobbled stiffly out the door.

She entered the library about thirty minutes later. She wanted to get a head start on her partner. When she arrived at her usual spot she saw Kenneth sitting there already. He didn’t look up as she sat down across from him. She fumbled through some of the books in front of her and was soon deep in her own writing. She knew that eventually they would have to discuss what they were righting, just to be sure they were disagreeing. “Ok, tell me what you have written,” she said.

“I am trying to write. Could you please be quiet?”

“Listen this idiotic assignment will go a lot faster if we can just pretend to get along.”

He looked up at her and gave a look of resignation. “Fine, we’ll call it a truce.”

The reason the two didn’t like each other was obvious. They were competing and they were much too alike to be doing that. Yet, they found they could be civil though the completion of this project. They would receive identical grades and wind up in the same position as they were in before it ever occurred. They spent several hours a night working together. They weren’t friendly by any means, but they weren’t as malicious as they could have been. They finished quickly, both being steady workers. They finished around nine.

“So, that’s the end of that,” said Kenneth with a content sigh.

“Yes, and I suppose the end of our little agreement,” said Belle with the slightest amount of reserve.

“Do you think we could keep up this little bit longer? Perhaps long enough to get a meal in?”

Belle stared at her archenemy with immense hatred, but she was hungry. “Ok, let’s go.”

They went down to the small diner near Belle’s house. They ate rather quickly in an odd silence. After they had finished, Kenneth lifted his glass, “To the end of friendship, and the beginning of a struggle for perfection.”

“Here, here!” Belle said raising her glass. She set it down and then stood to leave. Kenneth had left a tip and stood as well. “To be honest, I have enjoyed working with you somewhat. I mean you do have a meager intelligence.” She had said the words without meaning too.

“It is refreshing to get away from these common imbeciles and work with another mind as great as your own,” he replied.

They walked outside and stood in the street. She turned and thrust out her hand to shake his. He took it and shook it slowly. “It was a pleasure working with you, Kenneth,” she said politely.

“Back to being evil,” he said. “Oh, one more thing.” He pulled her towards him with her outstretched arm and met her lips with his. They held the kiss for quite a long time. Neither resisted. Then they tore apart as if they remembered who they were.

“That didn’t just…” Belle screeched.

“No, nothing, must have been something in the drinks.”

“I got to go brush my teeth.”

“With bleach.”

They ran off in opposite direction.

When she arrived home she went directly to the small office. As usual Con was sitting there thumbing through the leather book.

“I’ve just done something very disgusting,” she cried as she collapsed into the chair.

“By all means, tell me about it,” Con said in his placid tone.

Belle scrambled to find a way to communicate, “Ok, what does it mean if you suddenly kiss someone you hate with every fiber of your being.”

“So you kissed Kenneth did you?” said Con with a small laugh

“How did you know?”

“Well, I know you hate him, and I know that you just came from being with him. I saw you at the diner.”

She was a little embarrassed. “Well, doesn’t it mean something? You are the one with his nose in psychology books all the time.”

“No,” he said refilling his mug with coffee, “I read philosophy books all the time. There is a small difference.

“Psychology, philosophy, who cares what it is.”

“Yes.”

“Yes what?”

“Yes, it does mean something. It means that somewhere down in you there is a person trying to get out. That person has some twisted affection for Kenneth.” He finished talking and took a long drink from his cup.

“No it doesn’t. It doesn’t mean anything.” She got up and left.

Her class with Mr. Toran became increasingly difficult as the holidays neared. She completely avoided eyecontact with Kenneth. They received top marks on their paper. She couldn’t concentrate in class anymore. It felt as if someone was staring at her constantly. She had once tried to angle a mirror to get glimpse of what Kenneth was doing, but had to quickly put it away as Mr. Toran questioned what she was doing. She didn’t like the idea that there was a part of her that she couldn’t control. She had this odd feeling at the pit of her stomach when she thought about the kiss. She had enjoyed it somewhat. She hadn’t dated since high school. Dating wasn’t an option in college though. She didn’t have time for a boyfriend. She didn’t even have time for friends, nonetheless someone who would occupy her every moment. Still, she found herself wondering what Kenneth was doing at odd times. Right in the middle of her exam she had started doodling on the margin. This shocked her greatly and she mentally reprimanded herself for being so foolish. She had resolved that the holidays would clear her mind. Her classes were slacking off and she had more free time. This wasn’t the best thing for forgetting. She tried to occupy herself with various tasks around the house. She decided to decorate the dining room for the upcoming Thanksgiving party. She spent hours shaping pumpkins, plastic leaves, fake fruit, and other Thanksgiving related items into a sensible pattern.
<insert description of holiday>

She had a wonderful holiday season. She did forget about Kenneth and even her schooling in all the celebration. After Christmas though, all of her life slowly came flooding back. She felt as if there was a disaster about to occur the moment she set foot in the Burgiss House. She arrived back on New Year’s Day to find the whole house in an uproar. There were people everywhere. She noticed that several of them were in some of her classes. She walked in the house and up the stairs. She heard someone in the shower. She went to her room and threw her luggage on the bed. She finished putting things away and changed for the party. As she walked back down the back stairs she passed Rafe and Con. Neither of them seemed to happy, but Con did say hello. She went into the den. She said hello to some of the people she knew as she crossed the room. She wound up standing by the front window. About three minutes until the New Year. She didn’t know who she was standing next to. The window was open giving a little refreshing air entrance to the crowded house. She heard someone screaming outside. She lowered her head and looked out to see some man holding a bottle. The mass of people behind her started counting.

Ten…..nine….eight…

She looked around frantically for a minute and then turned to her other side. Their eyes locked for a moment of pure terror. Perhaps he had considered this meeting, but she certainly hadn’t.

Three…..two……one……

They both leaned in and clumsily hit foreheads. Hoping no one noticed they tried to finish the kiss without laughing. Their laughing subsided and they remained interlocked for quite a while. Long enough to cause several girls nearby to giggle. They both looked at each other and smiled.

“I suppose I could make a little time just after midnight for a boyfriend,” she said cautiously.

“And, I could try not to be so mean and coldhearted all the time,” he answered.

“Is this how true love begins? With promises not to kill each other?” she said with a light laugh.

“I guess we’ll find out.”

The ensuing months brought a great change in Belle. She didn’t care as much about her grades. She still kept top marks, but she didn’t spend near as much time worrying over it. She had learned to share her small study space with her new boyfriend, much to the distaste of Rafe. The pair had taken to long walks throughout the darkened library stacks, stopping occasionally to “get to know each other better.” The librarian had run them off twice saying, “I expected more from two students as smart as you.” The pair would simply giggle and move deeper into the shelves. They also took to driving around the country. Kenneth owned a rather expensive convertible. They would ride the small winding roads with the top down, their firey red hair blowing in the wind. Even Mr. Toran noticed the budding romance between the two. Not that he was nice about it, he simply stated it when for the first time someone outscored them both. “I believe it will become much easier to outscore Miss Franklin and Mr. Andrews. Their minds are no longer in control.” Belle wasn’t happy with the rude remark, but expected no less from the old miser.

About two weeks before spring break, Belle was sitting in the den eagerly awaiting the mail. Their midterm grades were to arrive soon. Rafe walked in with the mail casually. She ran and snatched from him as he laughed heartily. She ripped open the small envelope from the university and pulled out the card. “B”. She had never had one before. Her first “B”. She felt sick, the world seemed to be spinning. All she could hear was Rafe’s horrible laughing. She wanted to make him stop, but she couldn’t think strait.

“Bathroom’s that way, darlin,” Rafe said in her ear giving her a small push. She stumbled into the bathroom and immediately began to vomit. She could still hear Rafe laughing in the room behind her. After several minutes of this she pulled herself up and looked in the mirror. She was a mess. The impact had thrown her badly. It may be difficult to comprehend, but to Belle grades were life and death. Rafe was at the door again. “Phone for you.”

She took it from his hand and said coarsely into the phone, “Hello.”

It was Kenneth. “Did you get your grades? I got A’s across the board. I assume you did too. We should go out and celebrate tonight.”

She threw the phone on the ground and Rafe erupted in hyena-like laughter. She turned back into the bathroom and slammed the door behind her. She remained locked in for several hours.

Con was knocking on the door as she cleaned herself up. “Belle, I think we need to talk. Belle unlock the door.”

She did. She staggered by him and walked into the den. She threw herself down on the couch. Con was close behind. Her vision was slightly blurred from water she had thrown on her face. She thought that Con resembled the Angel of Death quite a bit. The swishing cloak and everything. Con sat down in his usual spot on the couch. “It is only a single “B”. That won’t kill you.”

“It’s not just the grade. It’s how I got the grade. I’ve been acting like a slut for the past three months and now I have my letter. I should have it embroidered on all of my clothes and start calling myself Hester.”

“Now it isn’t all that bad. Even I make B’s. You weren’t acting like a slut either. You were simply acting human. There is no point in going through life like a machine. Before Kenneth you were isolated from the world. Now that you have him in your life you are experiencing new things. You simply need a while to sort them out and reprioritize your life. If you’re not having fun, then you’re not really living.”

“You’re right,” she said drying her eyes. “You’re always right. Now I’ve got to apologize to Kenneth.” She got up from the couch and walked over to Con. She handed him the paper that was laying on the coffee table and kissed him on the forehead. Somebody was knocking on the door. “I’ll get it.” She walked to the front door and gently opened it. Kenneth was standing on the other side.

“I have something to say,” he said solemnly. “I just wanted to say, HA HA!” He held up the grade card and shoved it in Belle’s face. “I beat you. You couldn’t handle me and school could you? I could handle you though?” With that he turned and skipped down the small lane.

“I hate him.”

She slammed the door. She walked into the den and picked up a small wooden figurine. She threw it at Con, tearing the paper.

“I can’t be right all the bloody time,” he bellowed as she stormed up the stairs.

Forgiveness

He could see the lights. He could hear the screams even over the piercing sirens. What has happened? Where am I? Then he saw someone. It seemed as Death was standing in the street. A hiss flowed from the black figure, “Forgive me.”

Rafe woke with a violent start. He was sweating and was out of breath. It had been a dream. He was in his room. He had always had vivid dreams, but this was an exception even for him. His heart was racing as he stood and dressed.

His room was very messy. He waded in the pile of dirty clothes for a suitable shirt. He took his pants from their place on top of his computer, knocking over a glass that was sitting on his desk in the process. He looked at the wet mass of papers and decided to clean it up later. His room was very dark. The walls were blue as were the curtains and coverings. He had a small lamp in the corner that he used for light, seldom turning on the overhead. He liked it cold in there as well. He had a personal fan that stood in the corner oscillating back and forth with a quiet hum. He liked his room, but hardly ever got to spend time in it.

It had been a month since he had moved into the house. He didn’t like it. He felt that it didn’t want him there. He simply never felt at peace inside of it. His classes had begun to take their toll on him. The constant workload was something that he wasn’t used to. He didn’t get much sleep, and when he did it wasn’t very resting. He hardly saw anyone else in the house besides Belle. They were always the first to leave and the last to come back. He would leave Belle sitting in the library and walk home. He couldn’t stand her work ethic. He would try to work in peace and she would badger him about not doing it right. He didn’t like the library anyway.

He made decent enough grades in his classes. Enough to keep the checks coming from home. He wasn’t like the others, who received multiple scholorships and the like. He was bright, but not to the likes of Finn or Con. Instead his parents were taking up his tutition fully. He hated college. It was his parents that made him go. In his final year of high school he had been put under preassure about his college career. His parents insisted that he would go. “I will not have some uneducated bum lying around the house all day,” his father had said. Rafe talked to dozens of counselors, and taken hundreds of interest exams. None of them had done any good. He didn’t want to do anything. He just wanted to have money. He wasn’t used to working for things. His parents were a doctor and investor combination that brought in a large sum at the end of each month. It showed blazingly in their two children, from their expensive clothing to the twin silver Mercedes that they drove. Unfortunately for the siblings, their parents realized that they were spoiling their children and decided to cut them off. They no longer got money and nice things. They were allowed to keep the cars, and anything else they already owned. Still, the financial halt had hit the two rather hard.

Rafe’s sister, Kristine, was a year older than him and all the more spoiled. She did sit around all day and have people wait on her. Kris, as she was called, had the habit of dating rich sons that had richer fathers. She would constantly swap their wallets and go on spending sprees just before she dumped them. She lived one city over and loved seeing her baby brother. They had become very close when their parents turned on them.

This large turnabout in the lifestyles of an entire family took a great deal of provocation. Fate produced its antagonist and soon Rafe and Kris were missing their silver spoons. For the longest time, the two children had known nothing of this antagonist. They began to cope with their new way of life, each in their own way. Kris fell back on her lovers, Rafe relied on his friends. The group was glad to hear he would be joining them in the Burgiss House.

Two weeks before they were scheduled to move in, there was a going away party at Kat’s home. Rafe celebrated right alongside everyone else. He stood up in front of everyone, held his drink up high, and said, “To Friendship!” Later that night, when most of the guests had left, he heard Grace calling for Con. Con came from one of the back rooms and went outside. Rafe’s curiosity had been tapped and he wandered into the back of the house aimlessly. He found the small leather book sitting on a desk. It was closed and a pen was lying next to it. He walked over and flipped the book open. The entry was from several weeks earlier and it contained a small letter. He read it with great interest and then began flipping through. To his horror he soon realized who had masterminded his parent’s new philosophy. There were detailed accounts of meetings between Con and his parents. Con would tell them about Rafe’s extravagant lifestyle and recommend that he be made accountable for it. He was in the middle of the last page when he heard Con at the door. He tried to get by him, but Con wouldn’t allow it. Rafe grabbed a book off of a nearby shelf and slammed it into Con’s face.
He told his sister later who had betrayed them, “He said that it was for our own good!” He threw a trashcan across his sister’s bare apartment startling her. “Apparently he believes he is God. Now I have to live with him and be a damned lawyer.”

Rafe did not want to be a lawyer. He didn’t enjoy it any whatsoever. He chose it because it pays good and it makes you look intelligent. Lawyers can be respectable people if they try hard enough, and that is what he wanted. Power, money, and respect.

He walked downstairs. It was five in the morning and no one else was awake. He had classes all day and didn’t expect to be home until late that night. He rummaged in the refridgerator finding some leftover meal from the night before. He warmed it up and began eating quickly. Someone came down the stairs and immediately he felt the sense of loathing that obsessed him. Con walked into the kitchen and said a friendly good morning. Con was carrying a coffee pot and went to make more coffee. Rafe immediately stood and left the house. He walked briskly to the library hoping to finish an assignment before his first class.

His sister called him that night. She asked how college life was going and demanded that he come visit her as soon as possible. He rudely hung up the phone and fell into bed. His life was very dull as compared to some of the others. He had no ambition or goals. He woke up every morning with a dreary outlook for the day ahead. His sister was enjoyable. He visited her often enough, but it only succeeded in reminding him of the days when they were on top of the world. He could remember vividly the mischief he would get into when they were in high school. He and Con were known for their malicious tricks and scandals. He wanted that back. He wanted the old Con. The one who would participate in ruining someone’s life just for the fun of it. Rafe didn’t need him though. Maybe it was just another of Con’s little games, to see who could manipulate the best. Rafe wasn’t one to back down from a challenge.

In October Rafe went to see Clark, Grace’s boyfriend. He took his sister along with him. They all met for dinner at a local resturant.

“So Clark, how is this football thing working out?” Rafe asked.

“Good, we could win our division,” answered the humble Clark.

“Do you ever talk to Patricia?” said Kris.

“No, why?” replied Clark.

“She is a cheerleader, I was just wondering.”

“You know, she always did have a thing for you Clark,” said Rafe slyly.

“I’m dating Grace.”

“Oh, you don’t know?”

“What?”

“I shouldn’t say. Its personal. She should be the one to tell you.”

Clark slammed his hand down on the table.

“Well do you remember a Will Ritter?” Rafe whispered. “She has been spending an awful lot of time with him lately.”

“Oh, yes, and she was telling me not long ago how you never could be there for her,” said Kris with a slight giggle.

Clark looked crushed for a moment, “Maybe I will say something to Patricia, after all Grace is pretty far away.”

The two siblings delighted in their evil work and returned home.

The next night Rafe was home uncommonly early, and even more uncommonly he received a phone call from home. It was his father.

“Rafe?” said the deep voice from the other end of the phone.

“Yes, Dad.”

“It is good to hear your voice son. You haven’t called us in ages.”

“I know.”

“Your mother was getting worried.”

“That’s a shame.”

His father paused for a second because of the tone in his son’s voice. “How school going?”

“Perfect father. I wake up every morning at five for a steady day of listening to droning teachers who then assign mountains of pointless paperwork. Luckily I don’t have time for fun, so I am never in any danger. Tell Mom that unless the library collapses and I am horribly crushed under a mountain of books, I am perfectly safe. I get plenty to eat as well, you can tell her that. I don’t sleep any but that is fine because no one really needs it to function properly. You would know father so why don’t you enlighten me?”

“Now listen son, medical school wasn’t easy either.”

“Oh, that is obvious. Two med students walk through this house every five minutes staring into each other’s eyes without a care in the world. They keep their grades up just fine. You don’t know what you’re talking about old man.”

“Now see here boy---“

“What would you do? Bring me home? Stop paying tuition? Then do it.” He slammed the phone down. He fell back on his bed. They wouldn’t normally call. They know I have class. He realized what had happened. He went quickly downstairs and into the small office. He found Con sitting quietly, the desk in front of him was clear.

“Stay out of my life. You’ve done enough.”

Con stared at him coldly, “I just got off the phone with Clark. He said that you paid him a visit today.”

Rafe sneered and left the room.

Time seemed to drag by in that house. October and November were an eternity to Rafe. Finally, the Thanksgiving holidays were there. He knew he wouldn’t be staying in the house. He didn’t want to go home either. Instead he and Kris decided to stay with some uncles and aunts that lived up north. They were Terry’s relatives as well and Kris instructed her brother to invite him along. He decided to have a little fun with Terry on the trip. He told Terry that he had seen the letter written to Kat that confessed Terry’s love for her. He enjoyed the little psychological advantage over his cousin, but it was to be ruined by the holidays. When they arrived at their relatives house, they saw two familiar cars in the driveway already. Kris’s Mercedes was parked behind an expensive Catilac. Rafe snarled as he saw the vehicle.

“My parents are here. I’ll kill that bastard.” He muttered it as he got out of the car. Terry didn’t hear him. The second Rafe walked in the door his aunt was already fussing over his appearance.

“Oh, good heavens, would you look at the poor boys. They haven’t had a good home cooked meal in months,” said the little lady.

“Yes we have Aunt Lola, we have a housemate that cooks wonderful meals,” said Terry enthusiastically. It drew a cutting glance from Rafe.

“Oh, and Rafe, your father wants to see you in the study,” said Aunt Lola.

Rafe walked back to the study and threw the door open. His father was sitting in a wingback chair facing the window. The man looked very old sitting there. His black hair had begun to gray around the temples. His forehead was wrinkled and his eyes were dim. He had long ago lost his lean figure. He now wore a small stomach and slouched miserably. He was even shorter than Rafe. He didn’t turn as Rafe closed the door behind him.

“You wanted to see me, Dad?” Rafe said quickly.
The man in the chair seemed to be very tired, as if the sound of his son’s voice had taken several years of his life away. He reached over to a sidetable and picked up his drink. “Come in and sit down son.”

Rafe went and stood in front of his father, “I’ll stand.”

His father glanced up with a pitiful look in his eyes and then turned his attention back to the drink in his hand. “Your mother and I have been discussing this matter of you and Kris fending for yourselves.” This drew a look of concern from Rafe. “We feel like we made an even worse decision in taking away your allowance. After all, if you’re miserable you won’t do very well at school or anything else. For that reason we are going to return to our old ways. We just want to be a family again, son.”

Rafe looked down on the old man. It was too good to be true. Obviously Con’s little plan had finally backfired. “Thank you. I think we will be a family again. I’m sure Kris can use the money to buy some furniture, and then you and Mom could come visit. We could have our Christmas dinner at her house. Mom could come and cook----” Rafe choked on the words. His father’s face fell immediately. “He told you to give it back didn’t he. He told you where I was going and that you should start the allowance back.”

“No, no, this has nothing to do with him,” said the old man grabbing at Rafe’s hands.
Rafe threw the old man back, “I don’t want your cursed money. You should learn to think for yourself, father. Until then, just pretend you don’t have a son.” He left the room as the old man began to cry.

The remainder of the holidays kept Rafe in a foul mood. Kris had decided to accept the allowance, and he wasn’t pleased with it. Terry was miserable. No matter how much he tried to enjoy the familiar surroundings, one look from Rafe would ruin a perfect day. Rafe kept a fake smile on his face around his aunts and uncles, but wouldn’t speak to his parents. His mother had begged him to reconsider. She wanted him to come home for Christmas, but he simply shoved her out of the way saying, “I think I’ll just get drunk and play poker with Santa Clause.” When he and Terry finally returned home, Rafe was in a state to murder. Fortunately Con hadn’t yet returned home when they got there.
Christmas came and Rafe held his promise to his mother. He went to spend the holidays with Kris. She had procured a large variety of alcohol with the money she received. They spent Christmas Eve drinking. Soon it was time to go back to the Burgiss House. For once, Rafe decided, he didn’t want to go back to the boring place ruled over by Con. He arrived a day early and started making calls. He got everyone that was already back from the holidays to come to a New Year’s Eve Party. He knew the others would arrive that day. Con had said they would have a small private celebration.

Rafe was standing in the kitchen close to midnight when Terry came down. Terry was asking questions about something or the other when Con stormed in. He grabbed Rafe as he was trying to drink something and drug him up the stairs. The bigger man even stopped his rampage to say “hey” to Belle. Rafe threw him off in the hallway slightly spilling the drink he was still holding. “You told my parents where I was going!” he yelled. The noise from below drowned out most of the sound.

“I was just trying to help,” said Con with a stern look.

“You have been screwing up my life from the day you started to help.”

“Shut up! This is not about your stupid life. This house does not belong to you! You have no right to bring all of these people hear! You are here by my good graces and no other reason!”

“It doesn’t belong to you! I don’t need your good graces! Don’t ever tell me to “shut up” again. I just wanted to have a little fun.”

“No! You are doing this to spite me. You called
Clark didn’t you. I saw him down there. You knew the state those two are in and you still---“

The mass below began counting.

“Be quiet you bleeding heart fool----“

“HAPPY NEW YEAR!” The crowd erupted from below.

Con had his hand around Rafe’s neck in an instant. He threw him back against the wall with a loud thud. The drink flew from Rafe’s hand and landed on the floor spilling everywhere. Con brought up his other hand and punched Rafe several times. Con released his grip and Rafe began gasping for air. Con opened the door to Rafe’s room. Rafe quickly grabbed Con from behind, but Con pushed back and ran him into the wall with a crash that was strangely amplified in the silence that followed the countdown. Con turned and threw Rafe into his room. Con walked in and quietly closed the door behind them. He kicked Rafe in the side of the head as he lay on the floor knocking him out. Con stood in front of the window for a moment looking outside. Then he turned and quickly went downstairs leaving Rafe sprawled out on the floor.

Following the New Year’s Eve party, Rafe had a brand new hatred for Con. He couldn’t stand to be in the house anymore. He avoided Con at all times. He even started to skip church, something that surprised the whole group a great deal. He became even more coldhearted as the year progressed. Once he overheard Kat talking about her best rosebush. That night he got drunk and brought home some very potent alcohol. He walked into her garden and poured it all over her favorite plant, laughing while he did it. Con continually warned that he was going to far, but Rafe didn’t care. Spring break was coming soon and he didn’t look forward to spending an entire week in the house with the rest of them. It was the Friday before that week that it happened.
Rafe was in the bathroom when he heard someone at the door. He had been rummaging through the medicines trying to find something to relieve his headache. When he came back into the den Cole was sitting quietly on the couch. He heard Con going up the stair. He smiled at her and sat down very close.

“So, we haven’t really got to know one another have we?” he said with a false tone of intrigue.

“Well, no,” answered the beautiful girl timidly.

“I have this question that I have been dying to ask,” he said with a sadistic smile. “No one else seems to have noticed, but your beloved boyfriend is black.” She drew back at his words. “Now, I was wondering if you have seen any burning crosses lately, and, my, what will the children lo---“

“THAT’S ENOUGH”

Con was standing in the doorway to the room with a frightening look on his face. Cole had begun to cry. Con took her by the arm and led her to the stairway where he sat her down. He walked back into the den and over to the smug looking Rafe.

“You went too far, worm! You are no longer welcome in this house. Get out! Get your things and leave. You will not return. I don’t care if you die, but leave and never come back.

“You can’t do this. You don’t have the right.”

“I don’t give a DAMN! Be gone by tonight or I will remove you and your things personally.”

Con left to escort Cole outside. Rafe stood in the den with his entire body shaking. He knew that he had gone too far. He went upstairs in a rage. He went into his room and began to fill his bag with things he would need. An hour later, he walked out of the house. He hadn’t seen any of the others. He would come back for his things. He would go to a hotel on the other side of town. Before he left he wrote a letter.
“I doubt this will ever reach any of you, but I want it to be written somewhere anyway. For the record: Karen you are an idealist fool, you will be very miserable, underpaid, and lonely; Finn and Cole I hope you have a life filled with ridicule and unhappiness; Grace you are an ugly, stupid, bitch, you’ll be better off marrying some rich guy than fending for yourself; Kat I hope you choke on your own cooking, Terry is deeply in love with you by the way; Terry I hope she turns you down you miserable coward, you deserve that kind of life; Belle that “B” should haunt you for the rest of your life, the only blemish on your perfect record; Con, I hope you are delighted, you have successfully ruined my life, I hate you; I hope this damned house burns with all of you in it.”

The Engagement Party

The week of spring break had finally come. Finn and Cole had driven out to her parents. They were formally told and amazed at the news. The older couple insisted on putting them up for the night. Finn and Cole were told dozens of stories about when the Hartmans had gotten married. They all stayed up late into the night talking. Mrs. Hartman was very impressed with the ruby ring that stood out like a small fire on her daughter’s hand. Mr. Hartman had a small private talk with Finn, explaining that they wouldn’t need to worry about finances. Mr. Hartman was generous enough to offer to pay for a small apartment in the city so that they could both continue their education. The engaged couple left the following morning for Finn’s parents. When Finn made the announcement, his mother, his sister, and his grandmother all fainted, his father was sitting down. Once the women were revived there was much celebration and talk of the wedding began. Cole was already being asked about where it should be held. Her natural reply was that it should be in the small church they attended on weekends. Finn’s father was especially congratulatory. He had been convinced that Finn would never make that commitment. The pair stayed three days at Finn’s old home. Kat, Terry, and Karen had also come back to the small town and were spreading the news as quickly as possible. They left on Tuesday night after a large engagement party put together by friends and relatives.

Karen’s return home was greeted warmly by her parents. They were excited to hear about Finn, but more excited over her decision to become a teacher. She played chess with her father almost everynight. As they played they talked about Karen’s future. She didn’t know where she would teach or what she would teach, but she was leaning towards senior English.

Terry’s came back with a rocking chair for his father. He didn’t forget the longing he saw in his father’s eyes when he had seen Mr. Robert’s working on one. His father was very thankful and eager for news about his son’s grades and work. Terry had nothing, but good news. Very little had changed since his father’s visit, and the entire family was very pleased to hear it. Terry and his father talked late into the night about his future and what he wanted.

“Well, son, where do you picture yourself in ten years?” said his father as they sat in the house’s den.

“I wonder that sometimes. I don’t really know where I will be or what I will be doing, but I do know what I would love to be doing. I dream of myself in a nice little house out in the country, my wife is baking in the kitchen, I am sitting in my little workshop that I built myself. I am a successful architect that can take or leave jobs.”

“That’s everything it should be son,” his father said with a reflective smile.

Kat spent the weekend with her family, telling her story about Mrs. Robin and the others. She even sang for them, a heart breaking rendition of an opera song. She gave her mother several tips about cooking, eventually leading to her mother running her out of the kitchen. She also tried to help her father with his garden, which led to her being run out of there as well.

The others spent the week at the Burgiss house. Grace was in a tizzy over the upcoming party. She was ecstatic over the news of the wedding. Belle moped around the house trying to be excited, but still a little depressed over her grade. Con supervised the removal of Rafe’s things, and purged the house of any trace that he even existed. Con sat staring at the table for the longest time. He tried to tell himself that it was anger and it would pass. He would eventually allow Rafe to come back, but Con thought that Rafe needed to experience life without his friends for a while. Con had called Rafe’s parents, but they refused to speak to him. Still, despite Rafe’s actions, Con was in an exceptional mood. He was smiling more often and spending less time in the office.

The party was scheduled for the upcoming Friday. A guest list was being drawn up by Con. The house was to be spared, the party would be held outdoors. Kat was the first to suggest this. She wanted to show off her garden. The guests would be asked to leave around midnight, and then only the friends would remain. They had appropriated this time to give engagement presents. Each of them was preparing something special. Karen had found an exquisite necklace that would fit Cole perfectly. Con had purchased a gold pocket watch and had the couple’s names engraved on the back. Kat was baking a huge cake for the party. Belle and Grace went in together to buy them an antique silver tea set. Terry’s plan to have the names engraved on the table went smoothly enough. The table was brought back and placed outside for the party.

The remainder of the week passed quickly. The group returned to the house and Cole to her boarding room on Thursday. Terry and Con woke Finn early the next morning. They instructed him to get anything he would need for the party, because he wouldn’t be coming back to the house that day. He groggily gathered all his things and they all piled into Con’s car. They took him to Solomon Street to see Mr. Roberts. They stayed there for the better part of the day, browsing the small shops. Con and Finn left him around in Mr. Robert’s shop around six with instructions to change and be ready at six thirty.

Grace and Belle spent the day with Cole, taking her farther in the city for shopping and eating. The girls had a pleasant day and returned home around four. Cole was also left with instructions to dress and be ready at six thirty.

Kat and Karen had spent the entire day decorating the house. They put up streamers and paper lanterns throughout the yard. Three large tables were set up and filled with food. The house table had a large cake sitting on it. The audio system from inside the house was moved to the porch to provide music for the evening.

At six forty two cars pulled up outside of Mr. Roberts shop. Finn was standing quietly on the sidewalk dressed in a dark blue shirt and tie. One of the cars belonged to Finn and the other was Con’s. Terry exited Finn’s car, “Get in, go pick up Cole.” Terry quickly went back and jumped in Con’s car and it drove away. Finn did as he was told and was soon waiting outside of the small boarding house for Cole. She came out of the door suddenly. She was dressed in a dark crimson dress that fitted her perfectly. She carried a small red purse that complemented her dress perfectly. Her hair was teased up in curls, and her ruby shown brightly in the fading light. She looked as beautiful as ever. Finn was standing by her door and opened it in a gentleman like manner. She sat in the car elegantly as he rushed around to enter. They smiled at each other as the car pulled away.
The house was a frenzy of anticipation as the car pulled up. The music was blaring loudly as they exited the car. They walked arm in arm up the small path looking very much in love. The inhabitants of the house greeted them first. Everyone seemed so happy that they were together. The pair recognized many of the guests from various classes. Some of the people had even traveled from Finn’s hometown to be there.
“So wonderful to see you Chris. Thank you for coming Joel. It’s a pleasure Maxine.” They said hello to the never-ending line of people as quickly as they could.

Cole noticed Kat taking pictures rapidly, “Oh, Finn I forgot my camera in the car.”

“I’ll get it,” he said.

“No, you stay I’ll get it.” She started walking back towards the car. Finn was speaking with a professor that had dropped by from the college.

“Yes, I love her very much. I don’t know how I ever got along without her. I decided to ask her in a minute’s time. It’s wonderful that you came.”

He noticed Cole walking gracefully around the car to get to the passenger’s side. She didn’t see the car come around the end of the street. No one heard it because of the blaring music. Cole closed the car door with her camera in her hand. She looked just in time to see the blur coming at her. She tried to move out of the way as screams erupted from those in the yard. She flew over the hood of the car as it swerved to the left. She was knocked to the sidewalk where she landed with a sickening thud. The car ran off the road into a tree. Finn had been shaking the hand of the professor, whose face had gone snow white. Finn heard the crash and turned to look in the street. He saw her lying there crumpled on the side of the road. He couldn’t breathe as he ran over to her. He heard someone shouting in the background. Con was ordering people around. He fell down beside Cole.

“Cole! Cole! Answer me!”

She moaned slightly as he rolled her over.

“Say something darling, say something.”

She tried to focus on him, “I’m sorry Finn, I didn’t see the…”

“No, no don’t be sorry, that’s not your fault.”

A small spot of blood was running out of her mouth.

“Don’t leave me Finn, don’t go away.” She clutched at his arm.

“I’m not going anywhere…you’re going to be fine..”

“No….I’m not fine….”

Finn turned and stared behind him. Con was in the front looking down at him with immense sorrow in his eyes, “GET SOME HELP!” He looked back down at the pale girl. She was trying to get up.

“Please….I don’t want to die….please….”

“Just..just be quiet. The ambulance is on its way, just hang on you’ll be fine.”

She went quiet for a moment; her breathing was noticeably loud and strenuous. Tears were falling from her eyes.

“Phineaus,” she said looking back up at him, “I…love….you.” She pressed something into his hand.

She closed her eyes and went limp in his arms.

“No……no….wake up…don’t leave me….please….the ambulance is coming you’ll be…”

He laid her down softly, crying as he talked. He felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up to see Con standing in front of the wrecked car. It was silver. He heard the sirens coming. He looked down at his fiancé; he kissed her lightly on the forehead. A tear fell from his eye onto her lip. He wiped it off, his hand shaking violently. Someone tried to pry him away from her, but he threw them off. He didn’t care about anything. He simply cried.

Con was standing in the vacant street. He could hear his friend crying on the ground behind him. He walked slowly over to the wrecked vehicle. He recognized it immediately. A silver Mercedes. The door had been opened and blood was dripping from the seat of the car. Rafe’s head was propped against the steering wheel. He looked dead.

“Rafe,” Con said with a stern tone. Rafe’s eyes moved to gaze into Con’s. “Forgive me…” Con’s voice wavered for the first time.

Rafe’s eyes blinked slowly and a grin appeared on his face. “No.”

He tried to turn his head the opposite direction, but a look of terror came over his face and his head fell against the wheel with a splatter of blood. Con turned away from the sight. The ambulance was racing from the other end of the street. He walked back through the horrified crowd. They parted to let him through. He stopped in front of the table. He threw the cake off, startling several of the guest that were near. He pulled the tablecloth off and withdrew a small knife from his pocket. He fell against the table scratching at Rafe’s name madly. His tears stained the table.

The end.