Chapter 28: Promenade

Like in most US high schools, the end of the final academic year was marked with a formal dance: the
Senior Prom. Cia was matched with Eddie Waller, a guy from the football team. He played safety, which means he was fast and strong, but not particularly big or bulky.

To nobody’s surprise, Casey was going with Ben. Following tradition, Eddie and Ben would be renting tuxedos for the event, and the girls would be in formal gowns that cost hundreds of dollars each. The venue would be a ballroom in a downtown Phoenix hotel, and many couples would arrive in rented limousines. The women would also be given corsages, that is, flowers for their wrists.

Altogether the whole event was an expensive spectacle, and for some a huge event in their lives.

Carter Drummond was a star on the high school’s basketball team, 6’ 4” [193 cm]. As prom approached, he realized he needed a suitable date, and he started looking. Casey, being one of the few tall girls in the class, had caught his eye, and he approached her aggressively to be his prom date.

“No, Carter, I have already decided to go with Ben Wilcox,” she answered, in a small voice.

“Ben Wilcox? You’ve GOT to be kidding. That short little weenie?”

“Carter, you have your answer,” Casey said, and walked away.

The Blackboard Jungle

A couple of days later, Eddie was clearing his locker. As the school assigned the lockers alphabetically, Ben’s locker was nearby. Ben was being confronted by Carter Drummond. Carter had decided the way to overcome Casey’s resistance (to being his prom date) was to eliminate his competition, that is, Ben.

Carter expected Ben, who was so much shorter and weaker, to be easily dissuaded, leaving Casey free to be his prom date with threats, then with slaps. Carter didn’t succeed, so he escalated, throwing punches, and then when Ben went down, Carter continued with kicks. Back when Carter’s abuse began, Eddie texted Cia.

“BEN W - CASEY BF?”

“YES WHY?”

“911 LOCKERS”

Cia and Casey took off at a dead run down the hallways, finding a horrifying scene.

Brawling over Ben’s motionless body, Eddie and Carter were trading blows, but Eddie was losing. Carter outweighed him by 40 pounds [19 kg] and had a much longer reach, being taller.

Then Carter grabbed hold and heaved, flinging Eddie’s body against the wall of lockers like a sack of potatoes. Eddie went down hard, stunned by the impact. With a loud bang, Eddie’s head put an actual dent in a locker’s door.

Regaining his footing, Carter turned back towards Ben, noticing Casey was now in his way.

Cia didn’t hesitate. She ran barreling into Carter at top speed. The two of them crashed, landing in a tangle of limbs.

Cia grabbed his hair and tried to bang his head against the stone floor as hard as she could. Since he was face down, his nose was well smashed and bloody. Roaring, he threw Cia off, slinging her crashing into the wall of lockers. Momentarily stunned, Cia couldn’t resist as he grabbed at her throat, ripping open her shirt. He clobbered Cia across the face with all his strength, stunning her.

Casey skidded to the floor beside Ben’s body. Was he breathing? Blood was everywhere from his torn scalp.

Eddie recovered enough of his wits to realize Cia was in trouble. But because he was now behind Carter, Eddie was able to get his good arm around his neck and start pulling him off of Cia, before he could finish bashing her face in.

Cia had managed to gouge into the side of Carter’s jaw with her nails. As Eddie forced Carter back, Cia’s shirt tore completely open as she pulled herself away.

It was then that several school employees intervened. When the police finally showed up, they found a throng of agitated students surrounding the bloody scene.

Carter Drummond was sprawled on the hallway floor, subdued by three faculty (including the baseball coach) literally sitting on him. Attended by his weeping girlfriend (Casey), Ben Wilcox was unconscious.

Triage

At North Maricopa Medical Center, all three injured students were being treated in the large emergency department’s (ED) open area.

Ben was in fair, but stable condition. A cannula was giving him oxygen through his nose. His diagnoses included three fractured ribs and a lacerated scalp. Also, his fibula was snapped (the smaller of the parallel bones in his lower leg).

Eddie Waller had cracked a knuckle in his hand while punching, and had broken his collarbone when Carter flung him into the lockers. Cia had a fractured cheekbone and lacerations in her mouth. There were bruises all over her face, and on her throat from being grabbed.