Chapter 8

It was a different student this time. He yelled at me, "Watch where the fuck you're going. You trip me again and I'll pound the crap outta you good and I won't let you drop a rock on me either."

My shoulder that suffered from the gunshot hurt like hell. The young man was bigger than the last, and maybe grade eleven or twelve but I wasn't sure.

I got up with difficulty and said, "Did she promise you some good pussy for this. I doubt if she will pay up. That makes you a fool."

The young man moved in quickly and threw his fist contemptuously at my face. I moved a bit and used my arm to deflect the punch. I was just quick enough to put out my foot and trip him. He fell to the ground and I was off balance. I recovered first and kicked the guy in the face then once more in the side. I didn't pull the kicks. I waited for the young man's next move. I also looked around to see who was looking.

Twenty feet away was the other boy that wanted to knock into me in the lunchroom. I hurried after him and he ran like a scarred rabbit. I probably wouldn't be able to take him if I caught him anyway.

It took five minutes for the young man to sit up. His face was ruined. His nose was surely broken and bled profusely. Before he got his bearings I grabbed a good handful of hair and said, "Do you want to continue this?"

He didn't answer and I slapped him hard. This must really hurt but he did look at me when he recovered enough. "Do you want to continue this?

"Ah, you broke my nose," he said with a slur.

I pinched his nose and he jumped at the pain. "Do you want me to rip your nose off?"

His hands came up and held my arm but he could not move me without hurting himself. "Leave me alone."

I grabbed his nose tighter and twisted just a bit. I asked again, "Do you want me to rip it off?"

"No, no leave me alone."

"What's your name?"

Just a little twisting got, "Mark Fenton."

"Who sent you, Mark Fenton?"

This time it took more twisting until I got, "Helen."

"Who's Helen?"

This took even more twisting until I got, "Helen Stevens."

"Marcy's sister?"

With no twisting I got, "Cousin," and it seemed that he gave up now by the way he slumped.

"Get up." Mark needed some help to do so. When he was on his feet I saw that he was much larger than I was. I was very surprised I was not a lump of bleeding flesh. The only thing I could do was push forward. Even if I won this fight I would definitely lose the second.

"Mark, people tried to kill me a few times, not just once. I was on the run and when I had to, I killed. Do you want to continue this over a silly cunt?" I gave him a moment then said, "She's testing how to make people do what she wants. It has been done since time began. The way I see it, you should stand on your own feet and tell her that she's just a silly little girl."

Continuing I said, "Later you'll get better and get angry at little old me for besting you. You'll come after me and perhaps beat me. You may do it a few times. But I have to say that there are a lot of rocks around here and you know that I can use them. Once I do, you'll not come after me again."

I bent over and untied the knots on his shoes. I lead him back inside the school and to the office. The secretary was going home but ran to Mark.

"What happened?"

"I think he tripped over his laces." I looked at Mark now and said, "Is that what happened?"

"Yeah — yeah I tripped."

With Mark in better hands I left and gathered up my books. I was now shaking inside from adrenaline. I knew that I was too small, weak and slow to defeat any enemy and needed surprise. The only thing going for me was that I was ruthless enough to follow through with an attack. I was not going to jeopardise all this by following the Marquis of Queensberry set of rules.

My composure was shattered and didn't return to normal even after I got home. I couldn't study so I went downstairs and just exercised. It did get some pain out of my left shoulder but I was very tired when I got upstairs to eat.

The family had known something was wrong when I went downstairs in the first place. Jane asked, "What happened Honey?"

I debated keeping this a secret but it would come out at school anyway.

"Marcy Stevens is a girl in the class I used to be in. She took a liking to me. I told her that Paige and I were an item. She didn't like the answer. She's the type of girl that wants to manipulate those around her. It may be for fun or just to experiment.

"She sent one boy after me and he tripped me a month ago. Today another one tried but I was watching for this. When I got out of school, an older young man by the name of Mark Fenton tackled me to the ground then threatened me. When he tried to punch me, I tripped him and kicked him in the face and the abdomen. I'm afraid I broken his nose. I had a little chat with him while holding onto his broken nose. Apparently Helen Stevens, Marcy's cousin, sicced her boyfriend on me."

Susan's mouth was open. "You broke Mark Fenton's nose?"

"I'm afraid I may have put him in the hospital too so it can be set. I undid his shoelaces then helped him into the school. We told the secretary that he tripped. He had a spotter though and he saw what happened. Mark should be afraid of me for a while but may come after me later. If we spread the truth around then he will come after me for sure."

I added as I looked pointedly at her, "If you tell anybody the truth then it'll spread and I'll get hurt a great deal."

Susan said, "Mark Fenton? You beat Mark Fenton? Nobody beats him."

"Susan," When she looked at me, "he fell. Remember?"

"Oh, ya."

The next morning I told Paige and Jennifer. I knew that my sisters may tell them and it was better to let them know and ask them to be quiet. They knew that Mark could easily beat me to a pulp and send me to the hospital for a long time.

A secretary came to see me in Auto. I was excused to go to the Principle's office.

Mr Grissom said, "What do you know about Mr Fenton's accident last night?"

"I saw him on the ground as he was trying to get up. I assisted him into the office then left. Is there something wrong?"

"Mr Fenton is one of our star athletes. With his coordination and agility, it's very unusual for him to fall like that."

"Too bad he's hurt. I hope he gets better soon. Is there anything else you want sir?"

Mr Grissom was still angry with me and I didn't know if he suspected the truth. On the face of it, the situation was so odd as to be ludicrous. A twelve-year-old boy that cannot move very fast could not beat up one of the schools 'star athletes'.

It was late and I went to my locker to drop off books and notes from the classes I had taken. Woodworking was relaxing anyway.

As the day progressed I found a great many people looking at me again. This was like the first week of school when the facts of Corinne's kidnapping were still coming out. So it looked like the secret was out now and Mr Fenton would be forced to protect his name and status.

I went to music class to find out what my sister's had discovered. Susan came to me. "The rumour is out and we didn't spread it."

I hugged my worried sister. "It's ok. There was one witness and he had no reason to remain quiet."

Miss Floit asked, "Is it true what we heard?"

"Miss Floit, I have done some violent things in my life when I was pushed hard. I cannot say anything other than Mark Fenton may have tripped over his shoelaces."

She paused, then just nodded her head in understanding.

The music didn't start and it looked like things were breaking up. I asked, "Does anybody here know where Mr Fenton lives?"

Tom said, "He lives around the block from me."

"Would you show me? I want to see how he's getting along."

"To Fenton's house? Are you sure?"

"Very sure, Tom."

The girls wanted to come but the boys didn't volunteer to escort me. Tom looked to be hesitant too.

The girls got a ride home and just Tom and I were in his car.

"What happened to Mark?"

"There is one rumour going around that mutates as it travels. I cannot say anything. I'm sorry. Would you pull up at the next block? I want to stop in at the pharmacy."

Once inside I found some get well cards and signed it at the counter. Tom had stayed in the car and in a few minutes dropped me off at the house. There was one car in the driveway. Surely if the young man was popular he would have his friends from school nearby.

"Thanks Tom. I can find my own way home."

"Are you going to be safe?"

I smiled, "Yes, I think so." Mark would be in enough pain still that he would not want to go into any strenuous activities, still, he might make an exception in my case.

I knocked at the door and a woman of forty came to answer it.

"Hello, I came to see how Mark is doing. Is it alright if I see him for a moment?"

The woman looked me up and down then said, "Sure, if you want." I was too young to be one of Mark's friends.

We went upstairs and down a hall to an open door. The mother gestured with her hand and left. Mark was lying on his back on his bed. His face was wrapped in bandages. I assumed his eyes would be black, which is what usually happened when your nose was broken.

I knocked on the frame and Mark slowly moved his head. When he saw me he got part way up and said, "What the fuck you want here?" His voice was odd with the bandages and the damage.

I walked in and put my books on a dresser then turned. "Somebody is spreading vicious rumours about you at school."

"Nobody would do that."

"Somebody had to be the lookout. I went after him when you were on the ground but he got away."

"Yeah, that asshole would talk."

"That asshole is spreading rumours. When you get better you're going to be goaded to do something to me. What really happened was that your shoelace came undone and you were thinking of your girlfriend when you fell and got hurt. I came along and helped you to the office. Your good friend saw you fall when you were close to me and saw wrong."

"That chicken shit cocksucker. I'll get him back."

"Mark, may I sit?"

He looked odd at me but I took a chair and put it close to his bed. He lay back down now.

"I'm sorry for the amount of pain I had to cause. I'm just too small to take chances." I handed him the envelope with the card and he paused to open it.

"Thanks." He kept staring at it and I assumed he didn't know what to really say.

"Yesterday I mentioned how some males are manipulated by women. It's usually the powerful men that are chosen to do what the women want done. An old saying is that behind every successful man is a woman. The saying for the most part is true."

"I wasn't successful."

"No but you should have been. You were overconfident. That I imagine has been told to you by the coach."

His head unconsciously nodded.

"Some of those women pushing men do it so they just have a tool that will do what they cannot do. Other times the woman knows what's best for both her and the man. That's the best way and usually they're married. The team works great. Are you on a team or are you just being manipulated? Marcy is the type to manipulate."

"Ya, I know and so is Helen. It's scary being in the same room with them. Usually I want to see a game and Helen drags me off to some place she wants to go. Sometimes she gets me to do things in front of her friends just to show that she has power over me. Last week at a party she had me act stupid in front of my friends."

"Mark, are you her puppet to dance as she wants or the co-pilot with her as the pilot and both of you going somewhere?"

"She used to love me, I think, but now I'm more her puppet."

I changed the topic by asking, "What do you want to do in life?"

He stopped his thoughts of Helen and said, "Probably work with my dad. He owns a small electrical company."

"Do you like wiring?"

"It'll be a job."

"What are your hobbies?"

"Sports mostly. I like cars. I used to go camping. I went to church t — "

"I'm not judging you Mark. What did you do at church?"

"When I was a stupid kid, I sang in the choir."

"Can you play an instrument?"

He didn't answer. "Mark you're putting up a phoney wall and hiding behind it. I'm not one of your friends that have to see you win at sports all the time. I'd like to be a friend that knows what you're like. That means I have to let you feel what I'm like."

The look I got made me think that he didn't care to learn what I was like. "I played the piano and the church organ."

"Really. Did you know that I write songs?"

"I heard something about it."

"Nobody knows, but I sold more than one."

"Really? Who else?"

"Tell me your favourite singers or instrumentalists first."

The list came out in fits and starts but covered many of the popular singers. As an afterthought he mentioned some female vocalists.

"Do you have a guitar I could borrow?"

"My brother has one." He got up with difficulty and walked to the other room and brought it back. I took it out of its case and strummed it then made some adjustments.

I sang 'Crying in the Chapel' that Elvis had sang and would again. His manager had bought it:

"You saw me crying in the chapel

The tears I shed were tears of joy

I know the meaning of contentment

I am happy with the Lord

Just a plain and simple chapel

Where all good people go to pray

I prayed the Lord that I'll grow stronger

As I live from day to day..."

When I finished the song I asked, "Who would be the best person to sing that song?"

"Ah, probably Elvis, I guess."

"You're going to have to wait for a few months but you might hear the song on the radio. You'll not be surprised to hear who's singing it."

"No shit! You sold that song to Elvis?"

"I didn't say that. I said you would hear the song and the person singing it would not come as a shock to you. As a song writer I cannot give out all that information especially if it gets spread out to the rest of the world."

"I wouldn't tell anybody."

He probably would but this was a way for him to want to see inside me. "On your word as a gentleman, you will tell nobody until it comes out on the radio?"

"Sure."

"Say it all."

"On my word I won't tell anybody."

"Elvis will sing the song. You were right."

"No shit!"

The song reminded me of the song 'The Dixie Cups' sang called 'Chapel Of Love'.

I sang this song now but I had to think. Mark didn't bother me and in a moment I sang:

"Goin' to the chapel

And we're gonna get ma-a-arried

Goin' to the chapel

And we're gonna get ma-a-arried

Gee, I really love you

And we're gonna get ma-a-arried

Goin' to the chapel of love..."

I put the instrument down and said, "That song was not sold. If you promise to sing it when you get better I'll let you try out. The girls and the musicians are going to cut a few records if they do well. Sing with us if you want. If you're good enough you get to sing this song. If you can't sing well enough you at least get to have some fun. Someone else may have to sing the song though and my voice is too squeaky for me to do it. Do you want to try?"

"What about my friends?"

"Did your friends come over to visit and cheer you up? Did they call to see how you are doing or to just find out what happened? You tell me if they are your friends. When you get better, you go to school the same as always. You play sports with your friends but now you sing too. You think Elvis is good. You would hang around Elvis if he were here, so your so-called friends can hang around you. You're not throwing away everyone that you used to hang around with. You're just adding some people that may be your friends too."

"That may be fun."

"I didn't tell you but my sister Susan wanted to come over here too." I didn't say that she wanted to rip his face off but I was not lying.

"Really? Susan Congdon. She's cute."

"She is one of the girls that are singing and hoping to cut a record. You want to give this a good try?"

Now I kept music paper with me all the time and I used the guitar to play the song again and wrote out the notes. I started from the first many times until I had it as good as I thought I could do it. The lyrics came next and I went over the song one more time.

"I get some good ideas but Miss Floit helps me polish the songs. Take this to her, and she'll be waiting."

"I don't take music."

"After school you do. Would Elvis be afraid to sing after school?"

"Noooo. I guess not."

"Well Marcus and the Gladiators will not be either."

He made such a large smile that it hurt.

I made a phone call home and stayed for supper.

The next morning Paige said, "What happened exactly? Tell me again."

I went through it all and listed what I felt and what I thought he felt.

Paige looked at Susan and said to me, "And you told him Susan was going to go over and see how he was doing. Like fluffing his pillow and tucking him in?"

Susan scowled something fierce and I said, "Well I didn't say that but I didn't lie either. Susan was just going to kill him and be done with it. Now she has a tougher job and has to pretend that she doesn't hate Mark. He actually is a nice kid that got led astray."

Susan asked, "What about the rumour now?"

"I'm not sure but Mark may have made a phone call. The guy that spread the rumour may have to take it back. Nobody is going to believe him but it gives their minds a way of understanding what happened."

There was now even more looks in the hallway but the new rumour would not have a chance to get around yet.

The teachers wanted to know more about the rumour but I pled not guilty. The furthest I went was to say that Mark may have been love struck.

When we had health, just before my lunch, Sam said to me, "Did you really beat the shit out of Mark Fenton?"

Most of this class was listening intently. "Sam, I'm the worst at running. I'm not good at gym. I'm twelve-years-old. My body has scar tissue that doesn't allow me to move well because it doesn't stretch. My shoulder had a big hole in it a while ago. Most of the girls in the school can beat the shit out of me. Do you really think that I could beat up a guy like Mark Fenton?"

"No, but I heard — "

"Did you hear that I change in a telephone booth and wear a red cape? Did you hear that I have a magic ring? If you believe everything that's said then I'll have to sell you some prime real estate out of town."

"Well I guess you're right. I didn't believe it anyway."

Mr Renzo had been listening and now moved his papers as if he had been studying them. "Can anybody list the main portions of the male reproduction tract?"

Nobody volunteered. I didn't usually. There was no sense in showing off.

"Congdon, tell us."

"May I use my own words and the blackboard?"

"Go right ahead."

I went to the blackboard and drew the scrotum. "This is a sack composed of skin that contains a pair of testicles. It usually starts to be covered in hair when the male reaches puberty. Its purpose is basically to regulate temperature. When you're hot it hangs and sweats to cool. When it's cold it shrinks so tight your voice is like mine."

This got a laugh. I continued to draw what I was talking about so everybody could see.

"The family jewels here are also called testes. They are secured at either end by a structure called the spermatic cord. The testes are responsible for making testosterone. That's the primary male sex hormone, the testes also generate sperm cells. Inside the testes you will find coiled masses of tubes called convoluted seminiferous tubules. Kinda hard to remember. These tubules are responsible for producing the sperm cells through a process called spermatogenesis.

"The Epididymis is a long, coiled tube that rests on the backside of each testicle. It transports and stores the sperm cells that are produced in the testes. It is also like an incubator to bring the sperm to maturity, since the sperm that emerge from the testes are immature and incapable of fertilization.