Part twenty-five: Dinner with the Wife.

Floyd used the excuse that he had a problem pupil who he needed to check up on. That was all that was needed. Well that and a smile and a bit of 'You're looking lovely today, is that a new dress?' And the woman was all over him offering him any assistance she could. The computer terminal is what he requested and I stood back silently and watched as he caused a distraction by asking for coffee and then slipped his sneaky way into the records. As she was giving me funny looks I just gave her a pathetic small wave and a little smile and tried my best to look like part of the background. It didn't take him long thank goodness. I had begun to get fidgety and ill at ease standing there grinning inanely at nothing.

'With me.' Floyd suddenly was at my side. The coffee left untouched on the counter and he's guiding me down the corridor away from ears and eyes. 'I know where we all are now at least, but there's a slight problem.'

And he's walking faster now and his hand has dropped from my arm but his sideways glances are telling me to get a move on and keep up. He pauses outside the men's room and shakes his head and walks on with me marching at his side.

'We need to be very careful and I'm worried about Sam.'

'Wh, wh?' is all I manage to say and it's beginning to really frustrate me now that I cannot ask what's going on.

'I'm married it would seem. You live in a room at the rear of the kitchens.' He gives me my room number. 'Not hard to find. My problem is a bit more complex. There seems to be a woman waiting for me at home.' And he rattles off his address to me. 'Meet me there later.'

'How?' I spit out. How am I ever going to find him.

'The last place we were at we were strangers. We were able to make up a life and a story, here though we are known. We have background and it seems I'm straight. Well on paper anyway.' He now pushes me into a small alcove and leans heavily against me. 'The culture here isn't a happy American or even English one of acceptance about race or sexuality or religion or even disability. Really Spence it's best you don't have the ability to ask questions. Keep as low profile as you can. Do what is expected of you. Don't talk…erm…communicate with anyone unless you have to and keep things simple…even more simple than you appear to be. I'm going to see what the hell is going on and why we are here and why the hell they've stuck us in this situation. Sam though he's going to have to watch his step. We both need to keep a distant eye on him. I need to warn him. Being gay here is likely to get you killed. Very likely and is no doubt the reason Sam is in the mess he's in right now and maybe why I'm apparently married. You know Spence it's you I want. You know that don't you?'

I nod at him. He's talking in a fast almost panicked fashion.

'Good. Don't you forget that. I'll sort things my end. You stay away from Sam. Right away.'

'No.' Again the word is spat out. I don't want to leave Sam to cope with this alone. I don't want to be left to deal with this alone either.

He sighs at me and gives me a quick nod. 'Just remember Spence that this place is dangerous. It's not the nice comfy home you came from. You're not going to be accepted by these people. Don't let your defences down Babes. Don't come to me unless I ask you to, unless it's an emergency. If you want to stick with Sam then you're putting yourself in danger, but I understand why you might want to. I have to go. You need to go back to the kitchens and cut through the back. I'll see you later at my place. I'm across the main quad and to the rear…apparently. I need to go and see who the hell I'm married to and see if I can get a quicky divorce!' His tongue moves quickly over my lips and his hand moves to the front of my trousers. 'And no more physical contact for now. At least not where we can be seen.'

And he pushes me back out of the way and points back towards the lunch room and the kitchens and then turns and is gone.

-o-o-o-

My house is a jolly nice house. It stands in a row of places obviously occupied by other staff members. Mine seems to be the last in the row. It's a small place painted white with black beams across it. It's old. I can smell the age of the place. There are no front lawns or anything pretty, just a gravelled pathway. With a resigned sigh I approach the door which seems mine and turn the handle and walk in. There's a strong smell of cooking which makes my stomach turn in distaste. The room I'm in is the lounge; dark walls covered in paintings, wooden floor, a couch and a big television which is showing me a blank screen right now. An open door looks like it goes into a kitchen and a flight of stairs goes up into darkness.

'Ah at last you're home.' A female voice from the kitchen. I walk slowly and guardedly towards the light. It feels like I'm walking towards hades though. I don't like this one bit. I enter the large airy bright kitchen and just stand there staring at a dark haired woman wearing not much but a see through overly short frilly tarty night dress – I hope to the gods that it's a night dress – She turns to look at me with a smile on a face which might have been OK looking if it didn't have so much makeup on. To be honest she looks like a drag queen. A good looking drag queen.

'You like?' She does a twirl for me.

'What the hell is it?' The words are out of my mouth before I can stop myself and I have to quickly change track. 'What are you cooking?'

'That's not what I meant.' And she's walking towards me and I'm backing off just as quickly.

'I thought I'd make an effort for you tonight. But you know I don't cook as well as you do. We could forgo the food?'

Ah shit. I virtually fly for the couch and sit looking at the blank screen and she's there in front of me on her knees and her hands are on my legs and moving towards places I don't want her hands to be.

'I've invited…I'm going out.' I say as I place my hands over hers to stop them encroaching any further up my legs.

'Out? This was meant to be our night in! Why do you constantly do this to me Floyd? What's going on? You go out more and more often and people will begin to ask questions. Are you seeing someone else? Is that what it is?'

And her hands have slid away from under mine and are moving to my groin. 'Spencer's calling later. I'm taking him out for a drink.'

She stands now and looks down at me. 'I thought that was over with. I thought you'd realised what a dangerous game that is. People won't like it.'

I quickly cross my legs to stop any further mauling and look up at her. 'It's a drink not a sexual encounter.'

'But tonight was going to be just us. You promised you'd not go out again this week.'

I can smell that vile stench coming from the kitchen and give her a small smile. 'Is the food burning my dear? I think you need to check on it.' But she doesn't move…actually she kneels back down again.

'I'm not going to be a victim Floyd. You are promised to me and your nights out will stop.'

She's threatening me. The bitch is actually threatening me and I don't like that. Not one little bit do I like that and I can feel my toes curling in my boots and the hair on the back of my neck standing on end.

'Don't you threaten me girl.' I snarl at her as her hands move back up my legs to that place she seems intent on reaching. 'And get your hands off me.'

'Just talk to me. I'll understand. You need to trust me.' This time she slides onto the couch next to me and I get a waft of what is probably expensive perfume. 'I know that you work real hard love, but you did promise me. You said you'd not see Spencer again. I'm scared for you. You know I am don't you?' He arm is snaking around my shoulder now and I swivel around slightly so I can look at her face.

'There's nothing to say. I'm tired and I wanted a quiet drink and a smoke and you don't get much quieter than Spencer. I can't see why that's such a problem.' And really I can't. 'Now if I was fucking him then, yes you'd have a right to be cross, but I'm not.'

'Why do you have to be so vulgar? And I don't know that! We've been married four years Floyd and the only sex we've had isn't likely to make a baby now is it? I need to have a child! I need to prove to people that I'm clean!'

I rub at my eyes with my fingertips and then look at her. 'Sonia, I'm not stopping you from going someplace else you know. If that's what you want. If all you want from me is to prove to that lot out there that you can spawn something with the right amount of limbs then go ahead. I'm sure there's plenty of blokes out there who'd be willing to fuck you. Me though? I'm not interested. I don't want to sire your brats and I do want to go out for a drink with Spencer.'

That didn't go too well. Really not well at all, and the thing is that I'm telling the truth. I am a very capable liar, but right now every word I'm saying is truth. If she wants kids she can go cock hunting someplace else cos I'm not sure that her breading stock is quite fine enough for me. She's on her feet though and the smell of burning is getting worse. Her bare feet slap on the wooden floor as she walks away shouting abuse.

'You will have to prove yourself Floyd. They will come and they'll want to know why we have no children and I'll tell them you won't prove yourself with me. I'm not going to take the blame for this. I'm not the one at fault. It's you. You only have eyes for that retard from the kitchens. Yes he's got a nice face Floyd and yes he's a good silent chap to go and have a drink with but I swear that you look at him differently than you should and if I've noticed then I'm sure the other faculty members have noticed. I see whispered conversations. I see people looking at me and I'm not going to put up with it. I'll get Spencer moved away if he's such a distraction.' She's poking angrily at the food now with a wooden spoon and moves up and stand behind her.

'Keep your voice down. Our problems are our own. Let's not go sharing them.'

And she spins at me with the spoon in her hand and flicks muck over the front of my white Tshirt. 'Our problems are our own? No! That's the whole point Floyd. You have to mess around with Spencer and I heard that you intervened during a fight with that cripple Trent today too. What's on your mind? Why are you putting yourself and me in such danger! Why can't you back off and leave things alone. Trent won't be around much longer. He's a blatant trouble maker. Someone will get him pretty soon. That sort of thing, you showing sympathy is not what's meant to happen! Just leave it. Let someone put the revolting animal out of his misery for goodness sake.'

'Voice. Keep it down.' I snarl in her face and she slaps me. Yes she slaps me with the wooden spoon. She slaps me with it across the side of my face and I'm afraid that's all it took. Well not all. I could maybe have taken that had I not thought that she was going to nag me half to death and cause problems for the other two. I snatch the spoon out of her hand and place it on the counter. 'Enough.'

'Don't you threaten me Floyd.'

'It's not a threat.' I place a hand on the side of her head and twist my fingers through her hair. My other hand I rest on her shoulder. 'I'm going out tonight. I'm going to give Spencer a blow job and then I'm going to go find Sam Trent and fuck him. Is that all right with you?' I look at her face and see the look horror on her face. 'Or maybe I'll just go out for a quiet drink, but as you seem to think I'm such a bad boy, I might as well live up to expectations.' I smile at her. 'Will that suit you, you nagging ugly whore?'

I don't wait for an answer and the results are quick and very clean. She's a dead heap on the floor before she can take another breath. Now I have to think about disposal and I don't want to think about stuff like that now when I have a date with Spencer looming. I pull the blinds down on the kitchen windows, I lock the back door and then go and lock the front one. I then run up the stairs and search out the bathroom. Second door along on the landing takes me into a room with a big white tub and a separate shower cubical. The room is all white and shiny and wonderful and smells nicely of bleach and cleaning fluids. It smells and looks like I've spent many an hour in this room. The only other room up hear takes me to a bed room. The room is big and has a lovely fancy bed in the middle of it. I pull the drapes and turn on a side lamp and then leave, closing the door behind me. I then jog back downstairs and grab dear Sonia, dear ex-Sonia under the arms and drag her up stairs. For now I put her in the bathtub. Then I cover her over with a towel. I'll have to get Spencer or maybe Sam to help me out and get rid of the body. I'll probably need a saw and a good knife. Back to the bedroom and I open the closet and choose something good to wear. I have a nice selection and there at the back hanging on a big hook is my beloved "WHORE" belt and buckle. I add that to the pile of clothes I get out ready to wear.

Shower time. I want to get the smell of her perfume off me and so I go back to the bathroom.

I get very distracted.

Distracted might not be the word you'd use in court to describe what I did to Sonia but it seems to fit the situation really.

-o-o-o-

I find my room without too much trouble and without the need to go and try to ask someone which is a blessing. The room is in a small block of concrete with a nice display of bins in front of it. The whole area smells of rotting food. I've smelt worse, but it's not really a place you'd choose to live in. The main door of the building opens into a small urine stinking lobby with a few doors leading off. I look on these doors for the correct room number and pull a key from my pocket with seems to be attached to my belt loop by a long strip of elastic. At least I'll not drop it or get it lifted I suppose, though I have a suspicion that I'm not going to find much worth pinching behind this battered door I'm standing in front of. There is a light on. I can see it under the door and there is the sound of light rock music playing. I take a deep breath and unlock the door and walk in.

'Oh hey.' Someone says.

The room is not very big. It smells, unsurprisingly of bins and there are two beds and a window. That's about all. On one of the beds sits a guy in his thirties I'd judge. He has a magazine of some kind open on his lap.

'Hi.' I reply and let the door close behind me. Now what? I don't know this person's name. I don't know that the hell is going on and so I walk slowly in and sit on the vacant bed.

'I've been meaning to talk to you about something and I know you don't like to talk so I thought you could just listen and stutter out the occasional thing if and when you can.' He puts the magazine to one side and puts his hands on his knees. 'You want to be careful.' He tells me and to save my brain from the struggle of talking I just shrug at him. He's wearing a pair of jeans which look like they need a good wash and a blue and white checked shirt. His hair is short and probably brown, but it's hard to tell as it looks like it's not been washed in months. 'That Trent kid you are hanging around with.' And I just continue to watch this person. 'Well you are asking for trouble you know. You need to avoid people like him. Especially as those guys have a want to pick on you all the time. You're just asking for more reasons for them to slap you around.'

I try to tell him that I know what I'm doing but my words just won't come out. 'It, it, it's….'

'Yeah I know. I know what you are doing. Stick with the kid who has the mouth and attitude but it'll turn nasty and he's not going to be around for much longer. You can tell by the looks he's getting. He's no good. Stay away from him Spencer. He's got a reputation for liking things we should avoid. And now that damned Flanders guy is getting involved. It's all going to end up a bloody nasty mess and you know it will.' He really seems genuinely concerned. 'Trent might well have a good brain but he's a crip and a deviant. Stick with me mate, you'll be better off.'

'He's OK.' I manage to fire off.

'Only OK if you want to end up like him. It's a damned death wish Spencer and that Flanders isn't much better. There's rumours of all sorts going on about him. Don't know what on earth he's doing sticking up for Trent like he did, but he's not a nice person. I've heard the girls saying things about him.'

I shrug again and wonder now what's being said and how I can ask without it looking too obvious and how I can then report this information back to Floyd.

'Wha, wha….?'

'Oh just nasty stuff you know? That he hits his wife and messes around with the students in his class. Avoid them Spencer. I saw what happened in the lunch room earlier and I didn't like it. I don't like how things are turning. It's getting worse. They're getting bolder. Trent is getting bolder. He thinks he has connections cos of where he comes from, but his family aren't here are they and when the shit hits the fan you're going to be lucky if you're not standing right there in the way of the fire.'

This time I shake my head and fall back so I'm lying down on the bed. A waft of stink comes up off it and I wonder if the bed linen is ever actually changed.

'You gotta see it Spencer. You're not right in the head. We all know you're a retard, but man, you don't want to hang with Trent. They're going to lump you in with him and they'll assume that there's something going on between the two of you if you get my drift.'

I get his drift and I wish he'd shut up so I could concentrate and figure out what to do next. My impulses are telling me to go to find Sam and warn him to calm down his attitude they are also giving me alarm signals to stay away and try to keep the low profile Floyd told me to keep. I decide that I'll just lie here for a while and talk to Floyd about it when I see him. If his wife lets him out to play that is.

'Well I'm just warning you, cos I like you and all, but know that if trouble starts I'm having no part of it. I'm here to try to straighten out the mess I made and I'm off the drugs and I'm slowly getting there and I'm not going to risk my life for you. As long as you know that. When trouble starts I'm walking away from it.'

'OK.' I whisper to him. I don't know if he hears me and I don't really care. What I do know that is Sam is in danger and Floyd is going to have to tread carefully too. I'm hungry and thirsty and there doesn't even seem to be a tap in the room. I'll wait. There is a clock on the wall telling me that it's six in the evening. I will give it a couple of hours and then go and see if I can find Floyd. Though what then I don't know, but maybe he'll have worked out what is going on by then.

-o-o-o-

I'm still lying on the floor where I landed when I hear a couple of taps on the door.

'Yeah come in. It's not locked.' I call out and try to wriggle across the room somehow grabbing at my crutches at the same time. This room is filthy and dark. A sharp shaft of light opens across the room in the shape of a triangle and then it's gone again.

'Sam?' It's the girl.

'Yeah, turn the light on will you?' The light is dim and doesn't really give the room a nice comfortable feel. My bed it seems is just a mattress on the floor. There's a door in one wall which I think might lead to the bathroom.

'What are you doing on the floor?'

'I sort of fell here and couldn't be arsed to get up again.' I roll over onto my back. 'Join me; it's easier than trying to get up again.'

She gives me a nervous smile and drops a bag of books on the floor next to me.

'It's OK, I'm not going to hurt you. Unless the maths gives you a headache.' I say to her. I feel strangely relaxed around this person. I don't feel that nasty spite coming off of her like I did from the others. She sits next to me with her legs crossed and pulls a book and some a pad and pen out of her bag.

'Well I'd not be here if I thought I was at risk of you hurting me. You're not a vampire or something are you?'

I push up onto my elbows and look at the book she's brought with her. 'Or something maybe, vampire, no. You're safe.' The metal of the things on my legs is digging in horribly and I rub with irritation at the tops of my legs. It's weird cos I have feeling in my legs. I can even move them, I just don't seem to be able to walk or stand. I look over at her and she's watching my hands.

'Did someone do that to you? You know, hurt you? No one really knows. There's all sorts of rumours flying around.'

'You came here to ask why I'm messed up or for help with your maths?'

She picks up her pen and starts an annoying click, click, click with it. 'Well a bit of both maybe? Jim says you're a mutie but I don't think you are.'

I snort out a laugh at her. 'I wasn't born like this if that's what you mean. I had an accident. A bike accident. Nothing amazing. Nothing wonderful or strange. Just an accident.' In actuality I have not the slightest fucking idea what's meant to have happened to me but it shuts up the questions for now…well most of them.

'Are you blind in that eye you have covered? I mean….'

I flip up the patch for her to look. I don't know the answer to that myself until I see her lip curl back in disgust. I guess I've just exposed an empty socket to her. 'Don't ask if you don't want to know.' I say.

Click, click, click.

'So they're saying that you like, that you…They say you're.' She sighs and starts again. 'They cut the muties.' She's looking at me. 'but you say you're not one, so you're not cut? Word is that you are though.'

Click, click, click.

'Cut?' Now I'm confused.

'They take their balls at birth. You know?'

'I know.' I lie. 'I still have all my tackle in tact and safe and ready to use at any time. No problems here.' I give her a smile and I hope she'll shut up now. 'You want me to go over this for you or not? There's other things I can be doing other than lying on the floor with a girl talking about my balls.'

She does a nervous little cough and pushes the books out of the way. 'Sam, can I ask you something?'

I have a feeling that this isn't going to be about maths. 'Fire away.'

'Well, here's the thing. I can't pay you for this help you're going to give me and I don't want to take help from you and not be able to offer something in return.'

I start fiddling now with the buckles holding these things on my legs. 'What've you got in mind?'

'Well as there are rumours going around that you're a mutie and cant take a girl and that's why you like it up your butt, well I thought we could prove them wrong.'

I stop fiddling and just stare at her for a second and then resume my fiddling. 'Thing is this, I'm happy to help you out. You seem like a nice person, but I'm not going to take advantage of you. I don't want to fuck you, if that's what you're asking me to do.'

'A blow job? Anything? I can tell people that I did it. It will stop them picking on you so much. I can tell them that they're wrong and you're not a fag.'

I manage to undo all the buckles from the first brace and then turn to her again. 'I don't want a blow job. I don't want any sexual favours. I offered to help you and I will.'

'So they are right? You are a fag?'

I start fiddling with the other brace now. 'Look here, the thing is I broke my spine. I can't get a hard on. Not that easily. It's not….'

Her face falls and flushes red. 'Oh by the gods I'm so sorry Sam. I didn't think. I'm sorry.'

'Don't be sorry. Just hand me your notes and let me see where you're going wrong.' Now I am going to have to try real hard not to get over excited over her number work and get a stiffy, cos then she'll want to put her sweet little mouth around it and I might just drown her. I try, I do so try not to let it happen and her hands are on my leg undoing my straps and the books are being pushed away again and she's pushing me back onto to floor and she's there on top of me sitting astride me and rocking her little hips and grinding against me and well, it's not that easy you know. Not that easy to resist being touched. I don't give a shit if it's some girl wanting to prove something to her class mates that Sam Trent isn't a mutie all I can think of is….

'Oh lord.' My voice has that low husky whisper to it again.

'I told you I could pay you.'

'Ah…aye you did.'

'You don't mind do you?'

'Does it look like I mind?' My tattooed hands have reached up and I give her titties a squeeze and her hands are unzipping and pulling and pushing and I'm groaning and moaning and I can feel her heat on me and as suddenly as she started she's gone and I didn't even get to fuck her.

-o-o-o-

I listen to my room mate nag on at me for another hour and a half and then I make my excuses as best I am able. 'Walk.' I manage to say after a lot of stuttering and starting over.

'Yeah well be back before curfew or your ass will be grass.'

Curfew. That had not occurred to me, but I give him a smile and get up off the bed with my head spinning with warnings to keep away from Floyd and Sam; the two people I have every intention of staying as close to as I can. I leave the concrete bin smelling prison like building and start walking. I have a rough idea where to find where Floyd is, I just have to hope I can find it without too much trouble. Or without any trouble actually. The night air is cool on my skin. There is a light breeze and I can hear the sounds of many different types of music coming from open windows. I don't actually recognise any of the tunes though which is just another indication that I'm not anywhere near home. I can hear my feet crunching on the ground as I walk with my head down. Keep a low profile. Stay inconspicuous. I keep telling myself this. I'm just one more person walking in the evening. Most people are inside now but there are still a few courting couples standing under trees and sitting on benches giving each other loving touches and kisses. It makes me feel homesick. It makes me want to be away from all of this and go home where I can be free to hold someone in public and not be at risk of being beaten for it. And being beaten would likely be the least of my worries. I have a funny feeling that the policing of unwanted behaviour is left to the public around here.

Finally I can see a row of buildings. Small and white with exposed or semi exposed beams painted black. They all look the same. Lights glowing at the windows. The flicker of television screens can be seen. Occasionally there is the shadow of someone walking in front of a window. I just stand and look at it for a little while. It all seems so comfortable and normal. Friendly and inviting. All except for the home at the end. It stands in virtual darkness. There is no flicker from a TV coming from it. The curtains seem to be pulled for extra privacy and it's no surprise that it's this house I'm heading for now. The crunch of my feet and the sound of my breathing is all I can hear as I step up to the door and knock gently. I can't hear voices. I can't hear anything at all and I wonder if he's actually in. Has he gone out with his wife? Has he forgotten he told me to come here? His wife…that sounds strange and more than a bit unbelievable. I tap again at the door and decide to wait for a few more minutes before leaving, but this time I can hear footsteps. It sounds like someone coming down the stairs and I wonder if I disturbed him and his wife.

'Who is it?' An irritated voice, but it's definitely Floyd.

'Sp, sp…' I start but the door opens and a hand reaches out and grabs me and with a small squeak of surprise I'm dragged into Floyd's lounge. I just stare at him and mouth some words but don't bother with the sounds. He's covered in blood. His face, his hands, his arms, this clothing. Totally covered.

'Ah don't mind my mess Spencer. I won't be long. I guess I need a shower.' He's turning and making for the stairs.

'What?!' I shout out.

'I was eating. The wife.'

And he's running up the stairs.

-o-o-o-

She's gone but someone else has taken her place. It's Red from maths. 'Right you little shit. Now we've got you.' And the kicking starts.