Autumns Past
Minutes later: The Library
Lauren was in the library waiting for Harry. She had been there for fifteen minutes. She didnt know how much longer she could wait, she was actually cutting a class to meet him. After he socked Guber in the stomach for antagonizing remarks he made about his father in the cafeteria. He told her to wait for her in a specific section of the library in half an hour. Its been almost 4o minutes since she had last seen him. Had he been caught? What if he actually forgot? Was she in the right section? And why didnt Guber give her that strange look in the cafeteria after Harry escaped the clutches of his inferior troop of security guards. Lauren sighed and picked up a book. She was in a library, might as well learn something while she was there.
"Hey babe, read any good books lately?" She heard behind her. Lauren turned around. She put the book she had back where she had gotten it. "What ARE you reading?" Harry said taking the book off the shelf. "The kama sutra? Lauren I had no idea....!"
"Shut up Harry." Lauren said blushing a bit. "I didnt look at the title when I grabbed it."
"Sure you didn't." Harry smirked. He put the book back. Lauren reached out and quickly gave him a hug. "Gee, this must be my birthday...what was that for?"
"For making it up here." She said. "Thats all."
"All right." Harry said. "I guess you want to know why we're here."
"I do." Lauren said. "But I'm missing some hokey science class to talk to you."
"I want to ask you something." Harry said. "I wanted to ask you before the scene in the cafeteria, but as you know things got in the way."
"Things is right!" Lauren said. "Half the student body dont know whether to string you up or throw a tickertape parade!"
"I'll be there if they'll throw money. I'm gonna need it where I'm going."
"You're going somewhere? Since when?" Lauren asked as a student walked by their aisle.
"Since around eight or nine this morning when I got my draft notice." Harry said. "You already know my feelings on the subject."
"You're not going to be another part of whats going on over there." Lauren said remembering something he once told her.
"Plus oriental food does a number on my stomach." Harry said. "I'm going to Canada, with a few other unlucky Winslow High students. My point is that I'm here to ask you to come with me." Harry said placing his hands on her shoulders. "Most everyone else going to canada is bringing something or someone with them. I want you to be my someone."
"As opposed to something?" Lauren laughed. She gazed at his face and saw something amazing. For the first time since she had known him Harry suddenly had this focused serious look on his face. He meant this, he was serious.
"I don't know if I can." Lauren said.
"Don't tell me you've met someone else you want to go with?" He asked her.
"No, thats not it." Lauren said taking his hands off her shoulders. "You see, I'm different than you are. You can pick up everything you own and go where ever you want, at anytime. You have nothing, nobody to tie you down to this ratty old city. But I can't do that. I have a whole life here Harry. I can't ditch everything I've ever hoped for at the last minute just to take my life on the run, with no certain future or destination." Lauren said. "I know you don't want to go, but there has to be another solution. If you run now, you'd be on the run for the rest of your life. I gotta really think about this Harry.."
"So thats it." Harry said. "You're not coming."
"You didnt let me finish." She said.
"You don't have to." Harry said. "I've already ruined my life, why should have I have to drag yours down into hell with me?"
"I never said that!" Lauren said as their conversation started to grow louder. Students started to look up from their desks to see what was going on.
"You don't have to." Harry repeated. "I can see it in your face." He said. He held out his hand, as if to offer it to shake. He then turned it and waved at her instead. "Then I guess this is goodbye. I can't stay." Harry said. He turned and headed out of the aisle. Lauren stood silent for a minute then took off after him.
"Harry wait..." She started to say when she stopped cold in her tracks. Harry turned to look at her. She pointed ahead of her at the main doors that lead out of the library. Harry looked at her with a questioning look on his face. He then looked at what she pointed out to him. Scott Guber, with two or three police officers blocked the door.
"Mr Senate, so nice to see you here." Guber said. "Nice to know you are semi punctual."
"What are you doing here?" Harry said.
"I overheard you." He said to Harry. "I knew you two would be meeting so what better opportunity to gather some of Bostons finest together and have them here to meet you when you get done."
"Why you son of a..."
"No need for name calling." Guber said. "I finally have the chance I've awaited for a long time, to see you in youre proper place: jail. Just like your father."
Harry started to charge him but two of the cops caught him by the shoulders. He started to thrash about trying to get the cops to loosen their grip on him, but it seemed hopeless.
"Don't fight son." One of the cops. "You don't want to add assault to an officer to your charges."
"What are the charges?" Lauren demanded while one of the officers read him his rights. They struggled with Harrys arms when they tried to put him in handcuffs.
"Assualt on a teacher." Guber said. He looked coldy at Harry. "Potential draft dodger...what is the potential prison time on that?"
"A couple years. Long enough to keep him out of trouble." Guber said. "Take him away." He said tot he officers. The officers nodded and started to haul Harry out of the library.
"You can't do this!" Lauren said to Guber as she started to follow him out.
"I'm afraid I just did." He said. "Good day." He said dismissivelt. He followed the police out.
"I'll find you help Harry!" She called out. "Somehow." She said. She thought for a minute, then she thought of something. "I know who can help. I hope I can find him now."
Lauren was lucky. She found Stephen in his empty classroom erasing his chalkboard.
"Mr Harper!" Lauren called out. She ran into the classroom.
"Lauren, dont you have science now?" He asked her.
"Thats not important now." She said as she started to pull on him. "You gotta come with me."
"Why? I have a class next period, and so do you." He said.
"Harrys been arrested." She said letting go of his arm.
"Arrested?" He asked his eyebrows going up. "I'm afraid to ask..."
"You might have heard." She said. He shook his head. "Harry socked Guber in the gut in the cafeteria. He sent a whole bunch of guards with him, He caught him in the library with me and had him arrested." She gushed.
"Why did he punch Guber?" Stephen asked.
"If you gotta ask then you don't really know Harry." Lauren said.
Stephen nodded. This was true, Harry as famous for his short fuse. He once tried to beat up a wrestler that was twice his size. He lost but it didn't matter.
"Where are they now?" Stephen asked, grabbing his coat.
"On the way to the police station." She said. "We gotta bail him out."
"Okay. I gotta find someone to cover my class for me." Stephen muttered to himself. "I wonder what bail is."
"I think this is a second offense, couple hundred." Lauren said. "Are you using your own money to bail him out?"
"Yes." He said.
"Marla isnt gonna be happy. You two saved up money to move into a house together. I don't think she'd approve." Lauren said.
"I'll deal with her." Stephen said. "In the meantime you get back to class, I don't want to have to deal with anything else right now."
"Right." She said. She ran back towards the library, she had left her books there. Once she was out of sight, Stephen decided he had two things to do before he left. Find Guber and Marla.
Marla was easier to find, she was in the music room singing the song she was going to perform at the protest rally later on. Marla was singing some improvised scat notes when she noticed Stephen was sitting in on her.
"What do you think? I been working on this all day." She asked putting down her music sheets.
"If only your singing could bring peace to the world." Stephen said walking over to her. She was standing by the piano. "The world would be a better place."
"I know." Marla said with a small smile. "You are very flattering to me today." She said. Stepehn shrugged. "That means somethings up." She said her smile turning into a slight frown. "Whats wrong?"
"I gotta tell you something." Stephen said. "I doubt it will make you happy."
"What?" Marla asked. Stephen paused. "I know I'm not gonna like it already so you might as well just spit it out."
"I need you to cover my class for me while I go downtown." Stephen said. "Will you do it?"
"Sure, is that all?" Marla asked relief spreading across her face. Stephen exhaled hard. Marla sighed, and looked at him. "But that isnt all is it?"
"Right." Stephen said. "The reason I'm going downtown is to go to the police station. Harry Senate was arrested."
"Mmhhmmm. For what?" She asked. Stephen made a move as if to tell her but she held her hand up. "Nevermind, I dont want to know.? Stephen you have been bailing that boy out of every situation he has been getting his dumb white ass into. Whatever he does, you are always there to defend him. Anytime he needs you, you ae there. There are times I wonder if you prefer him more than me. But that can't be." Marla said. "Of course you're gonna bail him out, right?" Marla asked. She stopped Stephen before he could answer. He looked at her with frustration. "Stephen, you used our house money to bail him out last time. I thought it was ok cause I thought he would never get in trouble again, but he has hasnt he?" She asked. "I don't know what to think anymore. You're starting to act like you're his father. Well you're not." She said bluntly.
"I promised his father that I would look after him when he went to jail and I've been doing that." Stephen said.
"Yes, you promised, but lord you have gone up and beyond the call of duty." Marla said. "Its time to stop. Maybe what that boy needs is a night or two in jail. Maybe he would learn something. But if you keep bailing him out, he will not learn, do you understand?" Marla asked.
Stephen sighed and looked at her. "I have to go. I am a teacher, and the only way that boy will learn how the world works is from me." He said slowly. "If you can't understand that, then maybe you won't understand any of my other motives."
"I wonder that too." Marla said. She looked around. She wiped a tear out of her eyes. "Oh just go. You want to."
Stephen nodded. "Will we be okay?"
"Not now." Marla said. "But maybe someday." She said.
He reached out and gave her hand a final squeeze. She nodded at him. He let go of her hand and walked out of the music room. Now all he had to do was find Guber, and go bail Harry out.
to be continued..
Minutes later: The Library
Lauren was in the library waiting for Harry. She had been there for fifteen minutes. She didnt know how much longer she could wait, she was actually cutting a class to meet him. After he socked Guber in the stomach for antagonizing remarks he made about his father in the cafeteria. He told her to wait for her in a specific section of the library in half an hour. Its been almost 4o minutes since she had last seen him. Had he been caught? What if he actually forgot? Was she in the right section? And why didnt Guber give her that strange look in the cafeteria after Harry escaped the clutches of his inferior troop of security guards. Lauren sighed and picked up a book. She was in a library, might as well learn something while she was there.
"Hey babe, read any good books lately?" She heard behind her. Lauren turned around. She put the book she had back where she had gotten it. "What ARE you reading?" Harry said taking the book off the shelf. "The kama sutra? Lauren I had no idea....!"
"Shut up Harry." Lauren said blushing a bit. "I didnt look at the title when I grabbed it."
"Sure you didn't." Harry smirked. He put the book back. Lauren reached out and quickly gave him a hug. "Gee, this must be my birthday...what was that for?"
"For making it up here." She said. "Thats all."
"All right." Harry said. "I guess you want to know why we're here."
"I do." Lauren said. "But I'm missing some hokey science class to talk to you."
"I want to ask you something." Harry said. "I wanted to ask you before the scene in the cafeteria, but as you know things got in the way."
"Things is right!" Lauren said. "Half the student body dont know whether to string you up or throw a tickertape parade!"
"I'll be there if they'll throw money. I'm gonna need it where I'm going."
"You're going somewhere? Since when?" Lauren asked as a student walked by their aisle.
"Since around eight or nine this morning when I got my draft notice." Harry said. "You already know my feelings on the subject."
"You're not going to be another part of whats going on over there." Lauren said remembering something he once told her.
"Plus oriental food does a number on my stomach." Harry said. "I'm going to Canada, with a few other unlucky Winslow High students. My point is that I'm here to ask you to come with me." Harry said placing his hands on her shoulders. "Most everyone else going to canada is bringing something or someone with them. I want you to be my someone."
"As opposed to something?" Lauren laughed. She gazed at his face and saw something amazing. For the first time since she had known him Harry suddenly had this focused serious look on his face. He meant this, he was serious.
"I don't know if I can." Lauren said.
"Don't tell me you've met someone else you want to go with?" He asked her.
"No, thats not it." Lauren said taking his hands off her shoulders. "You see, I'm different than you are. You can pick up everything you own and go where ever you want, at anytime. You have nothing, nobody to tie you down to this ratty old city. But I can't do that. I have a whole life here Harry. I can't ditch everything I've ever hoped for at the last minute just to take my life on the run, with no certain future or destination." Lauren said. "I know you don't want to go, but there has to be another solution. If you run now, you'd be on the run for the rest of your life. I gotta really think about this Harry.."
"So thats it." Harry said. "You're not coming."
"You didnt let me finish." She said.
"You don't have to." Harry said. "I've already ruined my life, why should have I have to drag yours down into hell with me?"
"I never said that!" Lauren said as their conversation started to grow louder. Students started to look up from their desks to see what was going on.
"You don't have to." Harry repeated. "I can see it in your face." He said. He held out his hand, as if to offer it to shake. He then turned it and waved at her instead. "Then I guess this is goodbye. I can't stay." Harry said. He turned and headed out of the aisle. Lauren stood silent for a minute then took off after him.
"Harry wait..." She started to say when she stopped cold in her tracks. Harry turned to look at her. She pointed ahead of her at the main doors that lead out of the library. Harry looked at her with a questioning look on his face. He then looked at what she pointed out to him. Scott Guber, with two or three police officers blocked the door.
"Mr Senate, so nice to see you here." Guber said. "Nice to know you are semi punctual."
"What are you doing here?" Harry said.
"I overheard you." He said to Harry. "I knew you two would be meeting so what better opportunity to gather some of Bostons finest together and have them here to meet you when you get done."
"Why you son of a..."
"No need for name calling." Guber said. "I finally have the chance I've awaited for a long time, to see you in youre proper place: jail. Just like your father."
Harry started to charge him but two of the cops caught him by the shoulders. He started to thrash about trying to get the cops to loosen their grip on him, but it seemed hopeless.
"Don't fight son." One of the cops. "You don't want to add assault to an officer to your charges."
"What are the charges?" Lauren demanded while one of the officers read him his rights. They struggled with Harrys arms when they tried to put him in handcuffs.
"Assualt on a teacher." Guber said. He looked coldy at Harry. "Potential draft dodger...what is the potential prison time on that?"
"A couple years. Long enough to keep him out of trouble." Guber said. "Take him away." He said tot he officers. The officers nodded and started to haul Harry out of the library.
"You can't do this!" Lauren said to Guber as she started to follow him out.
"I'm afraid I just did." He said. "Good day." He said dismissivelt. He followed the police out.
"I'll find you help Harry!" She called out. "Somehow." She said. She thought for a minute, then she thought of something. "I know who can help. I hope I can find him now."
Lauren was lucky. She found Stephen in his empty classroom erasing his chalkboard.
"Mr Harper!" Lauren called out. She ran into the classroom.
"Lauren, dont you have science now?" He asked her.
"Thats not important now." She said as she started to pull on him. "You gotta come with me."
"Why? I have a class next period, and so do you." He said.
"Harrys been arrested." She said letting go of his arm.
"Arrested?" He asked his eyebrows going up. "I'm afraid to ask..."
"You might have heard." She said. He shook his head. "Harry socked Guber in the gut in the cafeteria. He sent a whole bunch of guards with him, He caught him in the library with me and had him arrested." She gushed.
"Why did he punch Guber?" Stephen asked.
"If you gotta ask then you don't really know Harry." Lauren said.
Stephen nodded. This was true, Harry as famous for his short fuse. He once tried to beat up a wrestler that was twice his size. He lost but it didn't matter.
"Where are they now?" Stephen asked, grabbing his coat.
"On the way to the police station." She said. "We gotta bail him out."
"Okay. I gotta find someone to cover my class for me." Stephen muttered to himself. "I wonder what bail is."
"I think this is a second offense, couple hundred." Lauren said. "Are you using your own money to bail him out?"
"Yes." He said.
"Marla isnt gonna be happy. You two saved up money to move into a house together. I don't think she'd approve." Lauren said.
"I'll deal with her." Stephen said. "In the meantime you get back to class, I don't want to have to deal with anything else right now."
"Right." She said. She ran back towards the library, she had left her books there. Once she was out of sight, Stephen decided he had two things to do before he left. Find Guber and Marla.
Marla was easier to find, she was in the music room singing the song she was going to perform at the protest rally later on. Marla was singing some improvised scat notes when she noticed Stephen was sitting in on her.
"What do you think? I been working on this all day." She asked putting down her music sheets.
"If only your singing could bring peace to the world." Stephen said walking over to her. She was standing by the piano. "The world would be a better place."
"I know." Marla said with a small smile. "You are very flattering to me today." She said. Stepehn shrugged. "That means somethings up." She said her smile turning into a slight frown. "Whats wrong?"
"I gotta tell you something." Stephen said. "I doubt it will make you happy."
"What?" Marla asked. Stephen paused. "I know I'm not gonna like it already so you might as well just spit it out."
"I need you to cover my class for me while I go downtown." Stephen said. "Will you do it?"
"Sure, is that all?" Marla asked relief spreading across her face. Stephen exhaled hard. Marla sighed, and looked at him. "But that isnt all is it?"
"Right." Stephen said. "The reason I'm going downtown is to go to the police station. Harry Senate was arrested."
"Mmhhmmm. For what?" She asked. Stephen made a move as if to tell her but she held her hand up. "Nevermind, I dont want to know.? Stephen you have been bailing that boy out of every situation he has been getting his dumb white ass into. Whatever he does, you are always there to defend him. Anytime he needs you, you ae there. There are times I wonder if you prefer him more than me. But that can't be." Marla said. "Of course you're gonna bail him out, right?" Marla asked. She stopped Stephen before he could answer. He looked at her with frustration. "Stephen, you used our house money to bail him out last time. I thought it was ok cause I thought he would never get in trouble again, but he has hasnt he?" She asked. "I don't know what to think anymore. You're starting to act like you're his father. Well you're not." She said bluntly.
"I promised his father that I would look after him when he went to jail and I've been doing that." Stephen said.
"Yes, you promised, but lord you have gone up and beyond the call of duty." Marla said. "Its time to stop. Maybe what that boy needs is a night or two in jail. Maybe he would learn something. But if you keep bailing him out, he will not learn, do you understand?" Marla asked.
Stephen sighed and looked at her. "I have to go. I am a teacher, and the only way that boy will learn how the world works is from me." He said slowly. "If you can't understand that, then maybe you won't understand any of my other motives."
"I wonder that too." Marla said. She looked around. She wiped a tear out of her eyes. "Oh just go. You want to."
Stephen nodded. "Will we be okay?"
"Not now." Marla said. "But maybe someday." She said.
He reached out and gave her hand a final squeeze. She nodded at him. He let go of her hand and walked out of the music room. Now all he had to do was find Guber, and go bail Harry out.
to be continued..
