Ken's POV
Why did I come here? I didn't want to, I knew it was going to be painful. I didn't want to come, but I had the map, I needed too. It's just not right for me to be here without Russ. It just doesn't feel the same.
I'm staring at that small, pink piece of paper and my eyes are burning from withholding tears. The day we got that dentition slip was great. We were trying to return the liquid nitrogen tank after putting the Varsity on ice and dean Buckley caught us. Saturday dentition is apparently the sentence assigned when you remove lab equipment from the classroom.
I'd never been in trouble before in my life, but I knew Russ had had his share of run ins with authority figures. That thought comforted me a bit, Russ comforted me a bit. He never stopped cracking jokes as we walked to the building to serve our punishment. I was glad he was the one I got into trouble with him.
He hid the list of students that were suppose to be in dentition that day, on Mrs. Lakewood, the substitute Latin teacher that was hosting us in our penalty. He some how convince her our names were Seymour Butts and Hugh Jass. That had everyone on the room rolling, every time she yelled at one of us, the room irrupted in giggles.
We always had fun when were together. I remember one time he wanted my to teach him to figure skate. He ripped his pants attempting a lay back spin. I laughed for hours. He however didn't find it quite as amusing.
He was my best friend, the brother I never had. We spent more time together out of school then people that lived next door to each other did. It was great, and my parents loved him, his liked me too. I guess we were one big African-Korean-American family.
I got married last year, Russ was suppose to be my best man, he wasn't. He didn't even come to the wedding like he was suppose to. Why? For the same reason he's not at the reunion. Russ is dead.
He started his club for inner city kids when he got out of college. He was so proud of it, I've never seen him light up brighter then he did when talking about it. He talked to so many kids out gangs and dealing drugs in his neighborhood. He could talk anyone into anything. 'That boy could talk a hungry dog off a meat wagon' as my grandmother would say.
I guess Russ persuaded to many kids out of a certain gang though, because one night as he exited the building, he was shot. They simply drove by and shot him. They didn't even have the heart to stop the car, just pulled the trigger and continued on their way. Those bastards rubbed the world of a wonderful person like Russ Tyler and didn't even feel remorse for it.
They didn't only kill him that cold November night, they killed a piece me. I'm going to name my first son Russ, I already have a daughter named Tyler. I hope to keep a part of him alive in them. This planet needs some of him to hold onto. If there were more Russess in this world, it would be a much better place.
I shouldn't have come here. Russ should be here, he should be the one holding this detention slip. He should be the one pulling Banksie's lettermen jacket out of this stupid capsule. As I hand the jacket over to Adam I turn and walk back to my car. I can't stay. This is just to much.
~* Well Russ is the Duck not at the reunion, did anyone have him in mind from the beginning?*~
Why did I come here? I didn't want to, I knew it was going to be painful. I didn't want to come, but I had the map, I needed too. It's just not right for me to be here without Russ. It just doesn't feel the same.
I'm staring at that small, pink piece of paper and my eyes are burning from withholding tears. The day we got that dentition slip was great. We were trying to return the liquid nitrogen tank after putting the Varsity on ice and dean Buckley caught us. Saturday dentition is apparently the sentence assigned when you remove lab equipment from the classroom.
I'd never been in trouble before in my life, but I knew Russ had had his share of run ins with authority figures. That thought comforted me a bit, Russ comforted me a bit. He never stopped cracking jokes as we walked to the building to serve our punishment. I was glad he was the one I got into trouble with him.
He hid the list of students that were suppose to be in dentition that day, on Mrs. Lakewood, the substitute Latin teacher that was hosting us in our penalty. He some how convince her our names were Seymour Butts and Hugh Jass. That had everyone on the room rolling, every time she yelled at one of us, the room irrupted in giggles.
We always had fun when were together. I remember one time he wanted my to teach him to figure skate. He ripped his pants attempting a lay back spin. I laughed for hours. He however didn't find it quite as amusing.
He was my best friend, the brother I never had. We spent more time together out of school then people that lived next door to each other did. It was great, and my parents loved him, his liked me too. I guess we were one big African-Korean-American family.
I got married last year, Russ was suppose to be my best man, he wasn't. He didn't even come to the wedding like he was suppose to. Why? For the same reason he's not at the reunion. Russ is dead.
He started his club for inner city kids when he got out of college. He was so proud of it, I've never seen him light up brighter then he did when talking about it. He talked to so many kids out gangs and dealing drugs in his neighborhood. He could talk anyone into anything. 'That boy could talk a hungry dog off a meat wagon' as my grandmother would say.
I guess Russ persuaded to many kids out of a certain gang though, because one night as he exited the building, he was shot. They simply drove by and shot him. They didn't even have the heart to stop the car, just pulled the trigger and continued on their way. Those bastards rubbed the world of a wonderful person like Russ Tyler and didn't even feel remorse for it.
They didn't only kill him that cold November night, they killed a piece me. I'm going to name my first son Russ, I already have a daughter named Tyler. I hope to keep a part of him alive in them. This planet needs some of him to hold onto. If there were more Russess in this world, it would be a much better place.
I shouldn't have come here. Russ should be here, he should be the one holding this detention slip. He should be the one pulling Banksie's lettermen jacket out of this stupid capsule. As I hand the jacket over to Adam I turn and walk back to my car. I can't stay. This is just to much.
~* Well Russ is the Duck not at the reunion, did anyone have him in mind from the beginning?*~