Chapter 58: The Problem with Wayne Comes Back.

He must have said it louder than I thought because all of a sudden the room went very quiet. You could hear the proverbial pin drop. Somehow it was only Darren, Wayne and me standing; no one was looking at Darren because they were looking back and forth between Wayne and me. Things were suddenly very, VERY tense.

I didn't want to have to deal with this problem because I didn't know how to with any certainty. I hadn't thought about Wayne in weeks and I still didn't know why he was so angry with me. I thought my best move would be to ignore him and pretend nothing had happened. I sat down in a seat near Linc and Ryan, opened a notebook and looked towards Darren. Wayne was standing a few desks away, still glaring at me and radiating anger.

Darren broke the silence of the room. "Is there a problem, Mister Benton?"

Wayne didn't move or respond in any way.

"Mister Benton?"

Wayne turned towards Darren and glared at him.

"Take a seat, please, Mister Benton, I'd like to get this class started."

After another moment Wayne sat down and the tension in the room dissipated but only a little.

I didn't look at Wayne and I resolved to stay away from him, as far away as I could. This was a problem, though, there weren't that many of us in this program and we tended to have the same classes and have them together. I was going to ask Linc and Ryan to help me out when the class broke.

I went to lunch after class with Linc and Ryan, almost as if we were taking lunch back at the company again. Most of the others from our class also went to lunch and many were nearby. I think they were all looking at me, some more blatantly than others.

"Guys, what am I going to do? You saw Wayne in class this morning; I can't deal that vehemence every day. I'm looking for suggestions."

They looked at each other and then Ryan spoke, "Kay, Linc and I were talking before you came into class today. As soon as we saw Wayne, we knew he was going to be a problem."

Linc picked up the thread, "Judging from his reaction, Darren doesn't know anything about what happened at the start of the internship. We thought the company would send in some sort of report on what happened but if they did, Darren hasn't seen it."

We talked a little more while we ate but we didn't come up with anything definite. We went to the afternoon class and sat together in one corner as far away as we could from everyone else. Wayne came in, almost late, and sat quickly in a seat on the other side of the room. He didn't look around before he sat down and I didn't think he knew I was there. The one thing I knew was this couldn't continue. The three of us stayed together in our seats talking when the class was over and waited for everyone to leave. We wanted to give Wayne time to get out of the area.

It wasn't a waste of our time; we decided we'd work together if any group projects came up. We also vowed to be supportive of each other if one of us actually did get the yearlong internship at the company. We wouldn't allow any jealousy to exist between us.

When we were sure there wouldn't be anyone still around we left and I went home. I thought about it as I drove and came up with an idea I wanted to run by Rob. His car and the truck were both there but I didn't see Rob when I went in. I took a quick look into the backyard but didn't see him there either. I thought he might have gone for a walk. I went to the kitchen to get a drink and heard something in the backyard. I looked again but didn't see anything, so I went to investigate.

As I walked through the screen room into the backyard I heard the sound of tools from the far side of the cabaña. When I walked over, I found Rob in the pump enclosure. "Watcha' doin'?"

"Hi, Sweetie, I had to change out the particle filter for the pool. It has to be done twice a year and it was due. How was your first day of classes?"

"The classes themselves were fine and I'm sitting with Linc and Ryan, at least on Thursdays, which is good, but I DO have a problem."

"Eh'? What problem?"

"Wayne is still in school and in at least some of my classes. He's still mad as heck at me and I still don't know what about."

"Is that the problem?"

"The problem is his anger is so intense it radiates from him and it's disruptive to everyone around him. This morning when I went into the hall for first class, he saw me and his reaction brought the whole class, including Darren, at the podium, to a standstill. The tension in the class skyrocketed and everyone was looking at us, frozen. The room went silent."

"Darren didn't do anything?"

"After a couple of minutes he was able to get the class going but it was tense in the hall for the whole period."

"What about your afternoon class?"

"I basically hid in the back corner of the room with Linc and Ryan helping me to stay out of Wayne's sight because he's in that class, too."

"What are you going to do?"

"That's what I wanted to talk with you about."

"Let me finish up with this and take a shower, then we can sit and discuss it. Have you got anything you need to do tonight?"

"I have some reading I need to get done for class."

"I'll catch up with you in the great room after my shower."

"Okay but don't take too long."

"I won't, I'm almost done here."

I went inside and sat on the sofa to read while I waited for Rob. I didn't have to wait long.

"Okay, now that the pump filter is fresh once again and I've cleaned up, what's going on and what do you want to do about it?"

"It was like I said; I walked into the hall and when Wayne saw me he went into a rage. He only said one word, 'you', but the hate he radiated was so intense it was palpable. Everyone felt it even if they didn't understand it. Heck, I still don't understand it myself but I know I have to do something. What happened in this morning's class can't continue or happen again."

"Do you think it would do you any good to talk with Wayne?"

"I don't want to be anywhere near him; I'm afraid of him. I still think he's the one who slashed my tires and the detective thought he was, too; at least he did at the time. If the hate I felt coming from him is as strong as it felt, Wayne may be dangerous."

"If that's what you feel, I can understand you not wanting to get near him. What do you want to do?"

"I think I should start by letting Bert know what happened today, he told me to let him know if there was a problem. I have a class tomorrow morning but I'm off in the afternoon. I think I'll send Bert an email tonight to let him know I NEED to see him as soon as possible and that I'll be at his office at lunch time tomorrow."

"What are you going to tell him?"

"I already told him that there was a problem with Wayne at the beginning of the intern program and that it involved me but I didn't go into the full details. Bert said he'd check on what happened but I think I need to give him all the details, as I know them."

"What is it you think Bert can or will do?"

"I don't know for sure but I think he should at least let my program offices know. I would have thought they already knew about Wayne, but from the way Darren acted, he didn't have a clue."

"I think you might ask Bert to inform Campus Security about the situation, too."

"Do you think that's necessary?"

"I think they should be made aware of the situation. If it comes from Bert's office, it might have more meaning for them. It won't be the paranoid ramblings of a ditzy coed."

"Do you really think they'd feel that way?"

"I don't KNOW that they would, but they might. Having Bert call them would give the situation more credibility. When Security hears your name I don't know how they're going to react. If not the guy on patrol, I'm sure the supervisors will recognize your name as being connected to an issue and when they look into it there's Todd. Didn't Bert tell you they were watching for Todd?"

"Yeah, he did. I think I'll talk with Darren tomorrow morning before class and ask him if he knows what happened with Wayne and the intern program."

"I don't know if that's a good idea. If you catch him before class he won't have the time to look for anything in the program offices. It might be better if you let things go until you talk with Bert again. Bert can talk with admin and then your program offices."

"Bert did say he was going to check on what happened with Wayne."

"I think you should make Bert aware of what's happened and your fear of Wayne. You should tell him also that Linc and Ryan were there when everything happened. He may want to talk with them."

"Should I put it all in the email or just wait to tell him when I see him?"

"If it were me, I'd put it everything in the email tonight, especially the part about your fear. What happened in class is too important. If you give him enough information in the email he'll have the time to look into it before you see him at lunch. The question that worries me is, is Wayne dangerous?"

"I don't know but I think so."

"If you want to work on that email, I'll put something together for dinner."

"Thanks, Rob, but I want you to hold me first, at least for a couple of minutes. I need a comforting cuddle."

We moved around until he was leaning back in the corner of the sofa and I snuggled back against him while I pulled his arms around me in a hug. He cooed at me and leaned his cheek up against the side of my head. It helped me feel safe and secure. I depended on Rob for those feelings.

After five minutes, or so, I got up. "I'm going to go write up that email. Go make dinner, please." When he got up I gave him a quick kiss and he went to the kitchen. I got out my laptop and set up on the dining room table where I usually went to write my reports.

Half an hour later Rob called me to the kitchen table to eat. I had sent my email to Bert and there wasn't anything else I could do before tomorrow. Rob had fixed ham steaks with fried potatoes for us. It was easy to fix and something we both liked. We ate and talked about the email I'd sent. We also talked about his plans for going to Colorado. I didn't like the idea but it was a necessary evil. I looked forward to his travels dropping back to what they were when we first met.

After we cleaned up the kitchen, we went for a short walk both for the exercise and to settle our meal. We weren't in any rush and felt a lot better when we got back to the house. We turned on some music and sat on the floor to play cards and just spend some time together relaxing. When we had reached the point of being tired and relaxed enough we went for our shower and then to bed.

In the morning I went to class knowing Ryan wouldn't be there, he had a different class. I'd made plans to meet with Linc and go into the class together and I was glad I did. We walked into the room and Wayne was already there. Unfortunately, he was looking towards the door when we walked in.

His eye brows came down, his face went tight and he glared. "Bitch!"

Darn! Considering there were only two other women in the class and he was looking directly at me, there were no doubts about who he was talking to. Both what he said and how he said it made his feelings towards me clear to everyone.

I turned to Linc. "I don't know if I can deal with this."

"Don't say anything to him, Kay. Try to ignore him. You have to take the class, Kay. C'mon, we'll do what we did yesterday; we'll sit as far away from him as we can."

I took a quick look at him, long enough to see him still staring at me and then turned with Linc to go to the furthest corner of the room from Wayne. Steve, from my study group last year was already sitting there.

"What's going on, Kay? What's Wayne so steamed about? I heard something happened in the class yesterday morning."

"I really don't know what has him so wound up, Steve, but he's trouble. I'll tell you everything I know after class. Do you know Linc here?"

"We've shared a few classes. It's kind of hard not to with this program and there being so few of us in it. Hey, Linc, how're you doing?"

"I'm okay, Steve. Would you mind letting Kay have that seat? We're trying to keep as much distance between us and Wayne as we can."

"Sure I'll move up one and help if I can. I still owe you for the help that computer friend of ours gave us when we had that computer virus problem."

"You don't owe me anything, Steve, but I'll gladly accept your help in keeping away from Wayne. Oh, by the way, that 'computer friend' is now my husband."

"Now, THAT, I hadn't heard about."

The instructor came in then and we had to settle down. The class went on and he didn't seem to notice but Wayne turned to glare at me with hate in his eyes every so often. I tried to ignore him but it was unsettling, not just to me but to several others in the class. This couldn't continue, something had to be done and I hope Bert can help.

After the class, Steve turned in his seat to look at me and Linc. "Okay, will one of you please tell me what the heck is going with Wayne?"

Between the two of us we told Steve everything we knew. Everything, except how forcefully and thoroughly Wayne was terminated from the company. I didn't see any benefit in that getting out. Steve proved the rumor mill was already in action when he said he knew something had happened yesterday morning and that was just twenty-four hours ago.

I looked at my watch. "I've got to go guys. I'm sure Wayne isn't out there waiting for me and I've got to go meet with Bert Symes, my advisor. I sent him an email last night to let him know there was a problem and that I'd see him today during lunch."

"I'll walk over with you, if you want, Kay."

"Thanks, Steve. I'll see you Monday, Linc."

Steve walked with me to Bert's office but he wasn't there. Steve and I talked while we waited. He stayed with me until Bert came to the office.

"Sorry about that, Kay. I got hung up in admin; I was looking to see what they knew about Wayne and what you told me in your email."

"What'd they say?"

"It took a while for me to find out anything. The company sent a report but it was sitting on the wrong desk."

"Then the people in my program's office don't know what happened this summer?"

"I don't think they do. The person who should have taken care of this was on vacation when the letter came in. That's how the company's report ended up on the wrong desk. Now how bad is it?"

"It's real bad. I told you in the email what happened in yesterday morning's class."

"But you didn't have a problem in the afternoon?"

"I didn't, but that was because Wayne didn't see me. I hid in the back corner of the room and he didn't see me. He did see me this morning. He wasn't as disruptive to the class as yesterday morning but this can't go on. I'm scared of him and what he may do. It was never proven, but I'm pretty sure he's who slashed my tires in the parking lot while the rest of us were on the field trip."

"Who made the police report on that, you or the company?"

"I didn't, the company made the call. A couple of officers came out and took a report and then there was a detective who did a follow up investigation. The company's insurance carrier required it."

"Do you have a copy of that report?"

"I have it at home; I can bring in a copy for you Monday."

"I'll want that, to add to the file. I was going to your program offices to discuss Wayne with them."

"Do you want me to come with you?"

"I don't think that's necessary. I have a copy of the report from the company. I don't know if anything can be done before Monday. Do you have class this afternoon?"

"No, Fridays I have a morning class only."

"Do you have anything else you need to do on campus today?"

"No, I've got reading to do for next week but I'll do that at home."

"Alright then, I think you should get off of the campus, go home. If you'd like, I'll come in early Monday and go to your class with you. I want to see what's going on for myself."

"Okay, Bert, I'd like that. As it is now, I'm recruiting guys I know in my classes to stay between me and Wayne. Linc and Ryan were in the intern program with me and were there when Wayne had his melt down at the company. They're both in most of my classes and are acting as my bodyguards. I've got another guy, too. I worked with him on a project last year. That's who was waiting with me until you got here just now."

"Kay, I don't know how this is all going to work out but we can't have someone on campus threatening someone else. You have to stay safe. The school is real sensitive to that right now with all the hoorah about campus violence across the country. If there's a real threat something will be done. I just don't know what right now. It's a good idea to have someone around you to act as a buffer, at least for now."

"Thanks, Bert. Do you think I need to talk with Campus Security?"

"No, I'll take care of that after I talk with your program offices. Heck they must be building a quite a file on you."

"That's what I'm afraid of. I'd rather they didn't have to know about me at all."

"I understand what you mean. Go home and I'll meet you at your program building Monday morning. If something changes, I'll send you an email."

"Okay, and thanks again."

I left for home. It was the middle of the afternoon and there was no traffic, so it wasn't long before I was walking in the front door. Rob was in the great room and stood up when he heard me come in.

"Hi there, how was your day? How'd your meeting with Bert go?

"It started out as another disaster. Wayne saw me as soon as I walked into class and it wasn't pretty. He was nasty and hateful but he didn't disrupt the class as bad as he did yesterday. I ignored him as best I could and sat as far away from him as I could. Linc and Steve sat between me and Wayne. Steve's the guy you helped when his laptop picked up that virus last year and gave it to all of ours in the study group."

"I remember him. So he helped you today, too?"

"Yeah, Steve changed his seat so I could be in the corner away from Wayne. He even positioned himself to help me out."

"As I remember him, he was a decent guy; he took responsibility for bringing the virus in. That went a long way with me."

"That's him; he even walked with me to Bert's office and stayed until Bert got there."

"Okay, he gets two more points for being chivalrous and acting to protect my fair maiden."

"When I talked with Bert, I told him the situation couldn't continue. Wayne disrupted the class and I felt like I was in danger from him."

"What's Bert going to do?"

"He checked with admin and with the information I gave him in the email last night, he was able to locate the report from the company about Wayne. It went to the wrong desk or section or something. My program doesn't know anything about Wayne, yet. Bert is going over there this afternoon and will talk with them. He'll make sure they know what happened. He's also going to meet me for class Monday morning. He wants to see for himself what's going on."

"What about Campus Security?"

"He's going to talk with them, too. He talked about staying safe and that the school was very sensitive to security issues because of campus violence across all across the country. He said about the same thing you did, that Security probably has a file on me already. I'm not real happy about that, Rob."