Chapter 27:

-

Wayne grumbled to himself as he walked back to his dorm after a long day of classes. He was beginning to come to realize that no matter what he did, faithful or not faithful, Beatrice was never going to succumb. It was just killing him to be going about his day as a monk, not letting himself be swayed by the winking eyes of girls who craved his attention like a drug. He was a saint for letting this go on as long as it did.

But no.

As he had kissed Beatrice that last time, she had kissed him back. Her fear was the only thing to stop her. She wanted him. He was sure of it now. He was so close to getting her… he just knew it. He just had to be the monk for a little while longer…

He sighed as that lovely blonde named Jezebel walked by, his old instincts screaming inside of him to return her affections. They only got louder as she neared the corner she would undoubtedly turn and leave him behind with. She could serve as a fine substitute until Beatrice gave into him.

But no.

He would be faithful. He had vowed such, in order to get the woman he truly wanted. So he forced himself to walk on.

That's when a group of girls passed, all of which he had come to know each very personally over his time at Spenser. The possibilities rang through his imagination, chiming boastfully like an annoying little bell.

"Hey, Wayne," one said as she passed, causing the others to giggle at her bravery, probably wishing to themselves they had the courage to speak to him first. The entire group wanted him.

But no.

He didn't dare speak lest he do something brash and hormonal. He wasn't an animal, for crying out loud! He could control this! He hurried onward, seeing the refuge of his dorm door off in the distance. Once he was there he would be home free. He gained speed and broke out into a run, until he stuffed his key into the lock and barged his way inside, slamming his entire weight on the door to slam it surely shut behind him. He sighed a deep sigh of relief. Free from temptation at last…

"Ooohh, Wa-ayne…" said a voice all too familiar from the bathroom doorway that made Wayne freeze. He looked before he could stop himself. Desiree, leaning on the doorframe with a flaunting pose. She was clothed only in strategically arranged red lace, a sheer robe with no real purpose draped on her arms. Her face expressed hunger, her eyes full of suggestive mischief. Wayne could only gulp.

"Ogawd…" he breathed in fear.

He was done for.

-

"What is all this?" Abraham growled, slamming his cup down on the dinner table in outrage. Glenn froze, not knowing what to do, and Abraham reacted to his hesitation.

"Are you even married to my daughter at all?"

"Abraham," Rosalind's mother shushed, trying to pull him back down to his seat.

"No!" Abraham protested, pointing his finger at the cowering Glenn, whose eyes were wide in shock. "I knew there was something wrong with this one. I want to see a marriage certificate, right now!"

"Dad," Rosalind said, rising from his chair. "This is ridiculous! Mommy, do something!"

"Abraham," her mother said, rising from her chair too. "You're going to have to accept that your daughter is married sooner or later."

"Sir!" Glenn said, getting up too. "I'm sorry if our lack of rings has upset you. The truth is, Rosalind insisted on getting her mother to help her pick one out. I, in turn, thought I would wait for your blessing first as well."

Rosalind's father was taken aback at this, and was silenced for several moments. Then, he sat back down in his seat. Confused, the others followed his example. Abraham took one more bite of his food and pushed his plate away.

"Well, what's for dessert?"

-

Joe moped in class the next day, his cheek rumpling in the cradle of his hand. Meredith gazed up at him lovingly from her place two rows down, and the feel of her eyes on him made him sick. Her very presence made his stomach churn. There she sat so confidently, in her Delilah-replica of a long coat, her freshly cut and curled hair, her new smoking habits. She was trying to replace Delilah, but it only served to make his heart swell in pain and miss his lovely Ly all the more.

He was relieved when the bell rang and released him from the prison of her stare, and he hurriedly swung his bag over his shoulder and weaved his way to the door. He breathed heavily when he got to his locker, knowing that by now, Delilah might as well have been a thousand miles away. When he opened his locker, he could swear he smelled her strong perfume… and that's when he saw it. A note on the bottom shelf… from her. She had left a forwarding address.

202 Arrow St.

He barely had time to read it before the letter was snatched out of his hands.

"Love letters, no doubt," she scoffed. "I don't think I need to remind you that in three weeks you're mine and that this is highly unacceptable."

She pulled out a lighter and held it out to Delilah's note.

"You're only making this harder on yourself."

Joe stood defiantly before her as she burned the letter in her hands, then when it got too hot to handle, crushed the fire underfoot. She leaned close to whisper in his ear, holding his face so that he couldn't pull away.

"I look forward to our wedding… and our wedding night… with great anticipation."

Joe looked at her with disgust.

"Meredith. You don't find it the least bit pathetic that the only way I will marry you is by extreme force?"

"Not at all," Meredith replied coldly. "You're the one that's pathetic. At least my way gets me what I want."

Joe frowned at her, in utter disgust. Then his face fell, and he stared at the floor, coming upon a revelation.

"You're absolutely right," he breathed. He then shoved past her to run off, heading for where everyone else was headed: the cafeteria. He barged through the door, and went straight over to the usual table, where all three other Covenant members sat. He slammed his angry hand onto the table, making James, Wayne, Glenn, Rosalind, and Beatrice jump.

"Goddamn HELL!" Joe yelled. James stared back in confusion for his outburst. James's mouth dropped in shock, his eyes wide, just like the others currently seated around the lunch table. Joe was usually so composed and quiet, and his eruption disturbed James thoroughly.

"Joe?"

"That's what I've been living in!" Joe went on. He yanked off his jacket like it was on fire. "I'm so freaking SICK and TIRED of it!"

Joe turned to James and stuck a threatening finger in front of his nose.

"You tell Mrs. Burson, and Mr. Doane, and all of my other stupid good-for-nothing teachers here that I'm going to BE sick and tired for a good couple of days. You tell them, James!"

"I'll tell them!" James assured him quickly.

"What—what are you doing?" Glenn regained his senses first.

"I'm going to New York," Joe said firmly. "I don't care what you all say, I've made my mind up and I'm going."

James looked at Wayne and Glenn with distress. At once, they all understood. Joe waited for the inevitable speech about how he was getting married in under three weeks and that he would be risking everything by doing this. It would only be courteous for his friends to remind him what horrors he was facing here.

Yet, instead, James burst out with an agreeable:

"Okay!"

Now it was Joe's turn to be confused.

"Okay?" he panted through loss of breath in all his excitement. "Okay, then…"

Wayne put a happy hand on Joe's shoulder and tipped his glass to him encouragingly.

"Do tell Delilah hi for us!" he winked knowingly.

Joe nodded at his friend determinedly, then turned and rushed off.

"Indeed I shall.

Glenn blinked twice, then looked back to his friends.

"Well, as I was saying," Glenn piped up. "Rosalind and I got out of there alive and well. The bad news is, we got invited back next week."

"Sucks to be you!" Wayne said with a broad smile. "I guess some people were just born with all the luck."

"What side of whose bed did you wake up on this morning?" Beatrice observed, her eyes narrowing suspiciously. "Last time I saw you, I thought you were going suicidal."

"Life's too temporary to take too seriously," Wayne assured her, taking another bite of food and chewing happily.

Beatrice knew that face of Wayne's all too well. Suddenly, she seemed offended by this, and gathered her things to go.

"I'll catch up with you later, boys," she promised in a tight voice. She bent down to her boyfriend and stroked a hand on his jaw to guide his lips to hers. "Bye, hon."

"Mmm!" James said happily after she kissed him. "Don't be too long, yeah?"

"Sure," she said, casting Wayne a deadly look before she swung her bag over her shoulder and stalked out.

"I'm glad she's gone," James said excitedly, his voice going lower and leaning in closer to his friends secretively. "I wanted to show you all something."

He searched through his bag, while Wayne shifted in his seat with unease. James pulled out a small wooden box. He opened the box to show them the white ring, embedded with many small diamonds.

"Oh, James, no way!" Rosalind exclaimed. "It's so beautiful! That's wonderful news!"

Everyone was silent, all eyes on Wayne, who couldn't hide the fact that his face had gone pale.

"Isn't that wonderful news?" Rosalind elbowed Glenn.

"Oh, yeah!" Glenn's disposition immediately shifted, patting James on the back good-naturedly. "That's great news, James! I'm glad for you!"

Everyone looked to Wayne once more, who still hadn't spoken.

"Hey," James said to him seriously. "We said we'd let her choose, and she chose."

Wayne didn't speak, his eyes locked on that little purple velvet holding the shimmering white gold ring.

"No hard feelings, right?" James laughed nervously. "I mean, you're married, Wayne."

"What it cost you?" Wayne asked smoothly, acting as if nothing was wrong. "The hardware, I mean. Like, twenty thousand, nine hundred ninety-five?"

"I know it's the one you picked out for her, Wayne," James said, putting the box away. "But you're right—there wasn't a more perfect ring for her."

Wayne nodded in agreement. Silence ensued for many moments, fearing what Wayne would do next.

"For God sakes, Wayne, say something," James pleaded.

Wayne nodded, frowning in compliance.

"Sure, yeah, okay," he said very plainly, as if stating a very simple fact. "You're a dead man."

-

Please review.
Signed,
--RedRogue