Chapter 5: Resignation
When Monday dawned at Bullworth Academy, the rumors started. The story of what happened in the Hole was repeated to those who didn't live on campus in so many ways, that it was impossible to keep count. The wildest version was probably one where Peanut's brain was fried by Johnny Vincent's latent mind-raping psychic powers. Looking at the greaser clique and how the members behaved, there could've been some truth to that. Johnny, and by extension Lola, seemed to be unanimously feared among them. Though Johnny tried to be as calm and collected as possible, an atmosphere of anxiety and hurt loomed over him and his henchmen as he tried to converse with them.
It was, at the very least, understandable: if Johnny could beat his best friend into a coma, who knew what he could do to the rest?
The credit for saving Peanut belonged mostly to Jimmy Hopkins and Beatrice Trudeau. After Larry lost his consciousness, Jimmy had snagged a cell phone from one of the townies to call an ambulance and controlled the crowd so Peanut could be carried out of the Hole safely, according to instructions from the sworn doctor-to-be Beatrice. Nobody wanted the Hole to be found, after all.
When Johnny Vincent was called into the principal's office, everybody was holding their breath. He told Dr. Crabblesnitch the bare minimum of what happened: he and Larry Romano had gotten into a fight over Lola Lombardi and suddenly, the other boy had fallen over. Apparently, the old fool had a soft spot for love triangles between troubled teenagers, so Johnny got off easy. He would, however, be very closely scrutinized until the reason for the other student's sudden comatose were to be found.
Come Tuesday, and Peter Kowalski, the head boy, informed Johnny that he was off the hook. The principal had been told that Larry had regained consciousness sometime during the night and that neither he or Lola were under suspect, although both boys were expected to serve detention for fighting. The real, honest-to-god reason was, however, that this kind of stuff was bad publicity. The residents of the town were negative enough towards the academy without rumors about teenage mutant esper greasers being spread around.
In the afternoon, Johnny was finally due to visit his friend.
When Larry was allowed to have visitors apart from family members, it had been many boring hours. Ever since his mother and sister had come to check up on him and preach to him until he had felt like strangling himself with the tubes he had been tapped into, he had been alone and bored. In the absence of a cigarette, he bit on and played around with a toothpick while staring at the ceiling.
"Mister Romano, you have a visitor", an unenthusiastic nurse said from the open door and ushered a very familiar face indoors.
"Hey Peanut. Glad to see you're okay", Johnny harrumphed awkwardly as the nurse left, laying one more sideward glance at the youngster's butt like the perverted old hag she was.
"Hey Johnny", Larry greeted plainly.
"Where are the guys?" he asked.
Johnny looked around him, nervously.
"Uhm... I wanted to come here by myself first. To, y'know, say I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Peanut. I'm really, really sorry."
He inhaled agonizingly before continuing.
"My anger got the best of me again', it's the last time I promise", he blurted out, trying hard to actually look at the bed-ridden young man. His best friend.
"Right", Larry said, but not meanly. This is how he always accepted his apology.
"You were right all along. It was Lola. When you were taken away, she... She panicked and fessed up. Said it was supposed to be just a prank but somethin' went wrong", Johnny explained.
"Of course she did", Larry said, his amusement and annoyance towards Lola's antics lost to Johnny's ears.
A year ago he would've been angry at Johnny for still being surprised when she pulled of stunts like this, but Larry found his emotional reserves extinguished. He had simply ran out of damns to give. So, he didn't even scold his friend.
"She's got a lot to make up for", Johnny said bitterly.
Of course, no matter what she ever did, she made out of it with a slap on her wrists. And then she'd cry and cry until Johnny mellowed up and gave her leeway again.
"So, how's the hospital been for ya?"
Larry snorted.
"These guys have no idea what they're doin'. I woulda been up 'n' about just fine yesterday if they hadn't done some kinda mistake that they don't wanna talk about. I think imma shit a scalpel or somethin' tomorrow. And they didn't even operate on me", he said cynically.
Johnny's shoulders slumped.
"I'm so sorry man", he murmured, feeling guilty.
"Fuhgettabout it."
"Oh yeah. Um... What didja say to them? About what happened? … Did they even ask?" Johnny carefully inquired.
"Yeah... I mean, the cocktail that knocked me out was a pretty grand mix, apparently. Not that the cops were interested, but the docs had to tell them to come over anyways, to ask me some questions."
"And...?"
"Told 'em some bullshit about some guy who got friendly with Lola at the bar and offered her a soda. I said I switched drinks with her just in case and got drugged. Gave the cops a really vague description of our imaginary friend and they just gave me a warning about hangin' in bars. That's about it."
Johnny sighed, very relieved. Who was he most relieved for, though; Larry, himself, or Lola? Larry wasn't sure if he wanted to know.
"Anyway, I guess we oughta have a welcome back party when you're outta this dump. I know Hopkins and the head boy will probably not approve, but how about we have some fun with the preppies, for old times' sake?" Johnny suggested, smirking at his friend.
Larry didn't smile back at him. Johnny's gesture of friendship was met with eyes full of dull disinterest.
"I ain't a greaser no more", he reminded.
Johnny looked at him in disbelief.
"Hey, c'mon man. We're cool, right? This ain't gonna happen again, I swear. I'll make sure Lola plays nice too", he said, laughing nervously.
"No, Johnny. I meant what I said at the Hole. Every single word, for serious."
"But that's... You can't expect me to...", Johnny stuttered, trying to avoid a certain sentence he remembered hearing.
It would've been interesting, but Larry decided not to go there. They both knew that he'd choose Lola every time, but it was too cruel to make Johnny to say it and too masochistic of Larry to make himself hear it.
"Yeah, I know Johnny. I know. It's okay, really. I wanna step down."
Johnny let out a noise of frustration as he sat down on a chair that had been left next to Larry's bed by his sister.
"It's me, right? I majorly screwed this up somehow", he whined.
Ingenious, Johnny, simply ingenious of you to realize that.
"It was a lot of things, Johnny, don't worry about it", Larry assured.
"Fuck... I didn't want this, Peanut. Believe me when I say that! I just want us to be pals again!"
When he looked at Larry pleadingly, the ex-greaser wondered if he should tell him things, maybe even his darkest secrets. That could change his mind.
Nah.
Ever so stoically, Larry looked at his friend with his dark, soulful eyes and sighed.
"During the past few months, bein' your friend has meant bein' Lola's friend more than anythin'. I'm sorry Johnny, but I don't want that anymore", he explained. He winced at himself for sounding like he was a girl breaking up with a boyfriend.
"Oy, c'mon. I'm sure she don't mean to, I mean Lola ain't that bad. She says and does things, but she just don't think sometimes and...", Johnny started, his words turning into incomprehensible mumbling as he ran out of excuses.
This was one of those moments when Larry just felt like grabbing Johnny's shoulders, give him a good shake, and just scream at him for being so dense. But, the reserved young man had learned to be patient with him, even if it was sometimes hard.
"Johnny. You may not wanna admit it, but I know Lola better than you. I made it my business to know. Whatever she does or says, she knows exactly what it means. She's a smart chick if I ever knew one", he said.
Johnny opened his mouth, but couldn't say anything. Larry took that as a sign to go on.
"Lola's the one who called off her end of our agreement. She went outta line. She wouldna done it if she hadn't wanted. That's my cue to leave", he continued.
The two were quiet for a moment. Sadness and pain hung in the air like heavy, oppressing rain clouds. At the same time, Larry was relieved that his feelings were out.
"So this is really how it's gonna end", Johnny said with a strained voice.
"Yes. I'm sorry, Johnny. I really am", Larry apologized with a soothing tone, like a parent to a kid whose dog had to be put down. He gave his old best friend a slight sad smile to soften the blow.
The leather-clad leader of the greaser clique let out a deep, pained sigh as he stood up and started walking towards the door. When he was about to step out, he halted.
"Goodbye, Larry", he said without turning.
"Goodbye Johnny", Larry responded.
Johnny Vincent left the hospital room, leaving his old best friend to listen to nothing but his own breaths and the quiet blips and whirrs from the sophisticated machinery around him. As Larry closed his eyes and pressed his head against his pillow, he exhaled shakily, realizing that his breathing had been very restricted until just a moment ago. He felt like he had just ripped off a part of himself with his own hands. Figures that when he finally gets a break from his self-inflicted perpetual numbness, it has to be something like this.
The ex-greaser didn't know it, but while he contemplated upon his loss, bold steps were heard in the hallway outside as another visitor was closing in on his room. Then, the door opened and revealed a familiar figure.
"Why hello, Peanut", said a soft, feminine voice.
Author's Note: I wish I could draw. I would so draw the teenage mutant esper greasers. Anyway, I'm afraid I might have downplayed Johnny's intelligence a bit too much in this chapter (then again, I really do think he's rather dumb). Will probably compensate later.