Date: Wed, 18 Jan 2006 02:16:04 +0000 (GMT) From: Dan Perducci Subject: College Town (Part Nine) College Town (Part Nine) By Dan Perducci danperducci@yahoo.co.uk I woke up the next morning entwined with Garrett's body. The sun exposed visible bruises on the boy's body. The marks bewildered me because they each were `medals' from an absurd battle. I drifted back into the waking world only grudgingly; I had to attend class that morning and never failed to attend. I calmly stepped away from the bed and started to dress. I looked sadly at the sleeping figure in my bed because my leaving left him in such an uncertain state. I collected my books and poured myself a glass of orange juice. I chased the drink down with a slice of dry toast. I began to debate myself. Should I stop by Garrett's house to find out what happened? It didn't make sense for me to involve myself, though, if I didn't want to tip off his parents as to where he was. I hustled back to my bedroom to figure out how to leave him for the day. I leaned over the bed and brushed his hair back from his forehead. I kissed him gently between his heavy eyebrows. "Wake up, Garrett. This will only take a second." "Hmmm..." he moaned numbly but curiously. "I have to get to class." "OK," he answered. I made rushed to my car. I wasn't late for class but parking was limited on campus. My permit didn't guarantee me a place to put my car within five miles of the university. Fortunately for me, I got a decent parking spot not too far from my ethics class. My other class, however, was a bit of a hike. I took notes and dutifully listened to my professors but couldn't escape the nagging fact that I was now harboring a child on the run from a family that neither of us was sure of. I wanted to know what happened the previous night with the police. I was sure to find out somehow, right? In the university's quad, I glanced at a deliveryman stocking the afternoon newspapers in their rack. It amazed me that this town could support an evening newspaper when it was always trumped by the television's latest at six and eleven. I blindly reached into my pocket for a quarter to purchase one when I thought about the police blotter. "What if last night's incident is in the paper?" I wondered. I paid my quarter and grabbed the first newspaper on the stack. I found a bench and parked myself on it; I hunted through the Metro section. It was labeled "Police Beat." I read the following reports..."two men from a nearby town were caught stealing a car in front of the supermarket...a underage drinking sting at a popular watering hole netted sixteen college freshmen with fake identification cards...a man was arrested for groping young girls in the public library parking lot..." My breathing picked up in pace when I saw what was next. "Brian Stone is being held in Lawrence County Jail for an assault. His wife, Rachel Stone, reported a disturbance at their residence at Greenleaf Manor Apartments. Mr. Stone allegedly assaulted their thirteen-year-old son and Mrs. Stone. When authorities arrived..." I shuddered at the thought of my friend Brian batting around his family like that. I read on. "Neither Mrs. Stone nor their son required medical attention. They suffered bruises and scrapes in the incident." I had to get home immediately. My imagination was running away from me again. I tried to hope for the best because I had no idea if I would even find young Garrett when I got home. Strangely, I knocked on my door when I arrived. I laughed at this internally and unlocked my door to enter my place. Garrett was not there. TO BE CONTINUED