CHAPTER 10: MY BRETHREN'S KEEPER

Peapod steered clear of Bryce for the whole weekend. He thought doing homework and would take his mind of of it. But he knew that on Monday, he was going to have to face an angry Bryce. Peapod told Park about the whole thing. Park understood how Peapod felt about the whole ordeal.

On Monday during lunch, Peapod walked into the cafeteria. He quietly got some food to eat and then looked around the cafeteria. Bryce and co. were nowhere in sight. Peapod smiled, and decided to find a table. Unfortunately, Park had a major test in one of his classes and was going to be late. He looked around again. Arnold caught sight of him.

"You can sit at our table, Peapod," said Arnold.

"Okay," said Peapod.

Peapod walked over to Arnold's table. As usual, Helga, Phoebe, and Gerald were sitting there too.

"Where's your frat boy friends?" asked Helga mockingly.

"Helga..." said Arnold.

"I don't care," said Peapod.

"Something the matter, Peapod?" asked Phoebe.

"I'm nervous about seeing Bryce," said Peapod. "He's going to kill me!"

"There's a surprise," said Helga sarcastically.

"You're safe here," said Gerald. "There's no way Bryce could..."

Peapod heard a wolf whistle, which he recognized as Bryce trying to get someone's attention. Bryce and the other frat boys walked up to Peapod.

"There you are!" said Bryce.

"Looks like you've got some 'splainin to do!" said Chase.

"Shut up!" Bryce told Chase. Bryce shot an angry look at Peapod. "Thanks to your little friends, my parents' expensive stuff is all broken! That broad Rhonda told me she's never coming back to my place. She refused to have sex with me!"

"Earth to Bryce!" said Helga. "Even Rhonda is smart enough not to have sex with you!"

"Why don't you just leave Peapod alone, Bryce?" said Arnold.

Peapod looked at Bryce.

"Hey," he said. "Rhonda's my friend."

"I don't care!" snapped Bryce. "And thanks to you, Peapod, our fraternity is the laughing stock of Hillwood College! You're in hot water, Peapod. You're in a whole fucking lot of hot water. We're going to demote you for this."

"Criminy," said Helga, "I thought you'd kick him out."

"I could," said Bryce, "but then I wouldn't have a personal slave...I mean, servant to clean our place." He looked at Peapod. "Sorry, Peeps, but you're stuck in the fraternity."

Arnold, Gerald, and Phoebe gasped.

"Oh, dammit!" said Peapod.

Bryce and his fellow frat boys looked at each other and laughed haughtily.

Cut to the fraternity house after classes were over. Peapod was sitting on a chair, while the other frat boys ganged up on him. Bryce slapped Peapod across the face.

"We've got some work for you to do," said Bryce. "First, you're going to have to weed the garden."

"That's all?" asked Peapod.

Bryce whistled.

"Owen," said Bryce, "please shackle Peapod's feet together."

Owen took a pair of shackles and put them around Peapod's ankles. Peapod was led outside. The fraternity garden was nothing but weeds - big, noxious weeds that went up to Peapod's waist. Peapod started pulling weeds, but he kept tripping due to the shackles on his feet. It didn't help that Owen let loose a bumblebee to sting Peapod. Peapod tried to ignore the bumblebee, but it was hard to ignore since it wouldn't leave him alone.

By the time Peapod finished, he had a bee sting on the side of his right upper thigh, close to his knee. Chase removed Peapod's shackles.

"That wasn't fun," said Peapod.

"Don't worry," said Bryce. "There's plenty more work where that came from."

"Where did you get that stupid bee anyway?" asked Peapod.

"There's a nest under that crooked tree over there," said Owen, pointing to a crooked tree. "If one bee isn't enough, we can always add more. We know how to attract them."

When Peapod looked in the cabinet, he noticed there was lemongrass oil, pheromones, and beeswax. Peapod knew from Nadine that all of this attracted bees.

"We use all that to attract bees that sting our slaves," said Levi, "like you."

"You're going to love tomorrow," said Dylan, "because we have a shitload of work for you to do then."

Peapod gulped.

That evening, Peapod sat on his bed, clad in his nightshirt. He had put baking soda on his sting since it would reduce the swelling. He was looking out the window, dreading the next day of college. He then heard Park downstairs. Park had come to visit him.

While Peapod was lying down, Park went upstairs and knocked on Peapod's door.

"Come in," said Peapod. "Door's unlocked."

Park opened the door and saw Peapod, who looked faint from today's abuse.

"Hi, Peapod," said Park.

Peapod turned around and looked at Park.

"Hi, Park," said Peapod.

"Rough day?" said Park.

"I've seen better," said Peapod. "Fucking Bryce found out about what happened and I'm now fucking Cinderella or something - doing dirty work for Bryce and co. I had to weed the garden - in shackles - and those assholes release a bumblebee to torture me. I've got a sting on my thigh."

"I'm very sorry to hear that," said Park. "Why didn't they expel you?"

"They said they needed a slave," said Peapod. "And considering how racist Bryce and his friends are, they'll probably be hurling the N word at me soon."

"Oh God..." said Park.

"What am I going to do?" asked Peapod.

"Maybe I can tell the dean about it," said Park.

"The dean's a total bum," said Peapod. "He lets emotion-driven psychos like that gender studies professor teach here. Why would he do something about a bunch of stuck-up frat boys? Besides, Bryce's father is a major donor to Hillwood College. He'll probably cut funding. There's no way to escape."

Park sighed.

"Listen, Peapod," said Park. "I'll try the best I can to help you. I know I can't do much, but I'll make sure all of your real friends will be by your side to support you."

"Thanks," said Peapod. "I'm glad to be your friend."

"Trust me," said Park. "I know you a lot better than Bryce and those other frat jerks do. Bryce can never get in the way of that. We're here for you, man. Me and the rest of your real friends will never stop caring about you no matter what happens."

Peapod smiled, sat up, and hugged Park.

"Thank you, Park," said Peapod. "I know I can count on you. I'll make it out of this mess soon."