Vengence

VENGENCE ©

by: Jim Caswell

"What's the matter, Wally? Fall down and go boom? Maybe Wallykins should run home to mommy."

"Don't you think that's getting kinda old, Bill?" Walter Johnson had always been picked on at school. From kindergarten to senior year in high school, he was always the butt of the jokes. And if it weren't for Bill Rogers, none of it would have happened.

It all started when Walter was five. Bill had already established himself as a bully, and Walter was the perfect target. He was small, weak, and uncoordinated. It was the second week of school and everyone was on their way to the bus when Bill tripped Wally. It had rained the day before, and Wally's momentum carried him right into a giant mud puddle. Little Wally didn't know what to do, so he started crying and running. Seeing Billy chasing after him, some of the other bullies joined in the fun, chasing him all the way home where his mother shooed them away.

Walter was a marked man ever since. He thought about switching to a private school, but his parents couldn't afford it. He tried to become popular, but Bill always stopped anyone from trying to get to know him. He didn't want to loose his favorite stepping-stone. Now, Bill was the captain of the wrestling squad; Wally captain of the debating team. Bill was popular, Wally wasn't. Bill had every girl in school at his beck and call. The only time Wally got to put his arms around a woman was when he was hugging his mother goodbye. Nothing changed for the better between the two teens, it only got worse.

The only good thing that ever happened to Walter was the day Joan Carter transferred into the school. He was in eighth grade, and she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. He fell for her the first day they met. Walter had always wanted to ask her out, but always chickened out, so he remained satisfied with just being friends, which was better than he had with everyone else in school. Down deep in his heart, however, the dream remained.

After five years of his feelings remaining strong, however, Walter knew that it was the real thing. Everywhere he went and did, he thought about her. What could he give her, though? He was from a poor family, so there was no chance he could take her fancy places or give her expensive gifts. He wasn't very strong or handsome, but those are things that everyone sees, not what's on the inside - the things that count. All he ever wanted was to be helpful and to be loved.

This was the end of it, though. No more Bill to put up with after the year was over. Joan would go her way, Walter his. All of his problems would be over when that diploma was in his hands. He also knew, however, that he would be tormented with the thought of what could have been with Joan. She wasn't the type Walter thought of as a one-night stand; more like a wife to live with and love for the rest of his life. He had to ask her out once; make one attempt at having her as his love.

But where? When?? How??? It had to be done at the right time and place. One small goof-up and it could all be lost before he even got the started. She wouldn't want to be with a looser. A nice restaurant, high class. He would have to save up … a lot. She was worth any amount of expense, however. The best eating-place in town. Even he would look good in a place like that.

It was Friday when Bill got hold of Wally again, just like clockwork. Wally used all weekend to plan it out. Monday came way too soon, but it was now or never; his nerve was built up and he couldn't back down now. He went to see her first thing in the morning. "Hey Joan."

"Hi Walter. What's up?"

"Can I talk to ya a sec, in private?"

"Yeah, sure. What's up?" They walked across the hall. That was about as private as you could get in a crowded hallway. "What's with the stealth operation?"

"I was wondering if you were busy Saturday night?" His friend, the lump that lived in his throat, had returned.

"Why? You wanna get married or somethin'?" She laughed, he didn't. "No, I'm not busy. Why?"

"Would you like to go to dinner with me, maybe see a movie?" He was sure she was going to laugh in his face.

"Sure, why not. What time you want me to be ready by?"

Transportation. How were they going to get where they're going? "How about seven?"

"Cool. Hey, there's Cathy. I'll see you later?"

"Yeah, sure. Later." How were they going to get there? He had his license, but his car was a hunk of junk. Was it too late to rent a car? It took a few seconds for it to sink in. She said yes. He had finally gotten a date with the girl of his dreams. Nothing else mattered because she said yes!

Walter was on cloud nine. Bill saw that and figured it was his job to remove him from that position. If Bill had his way, this little putz would never be happy. It was no longer a game; it was personal. He had to find out what was going on and put a stop to it now. With this kid, there were no holds barred.

The week went by very slowly, but it didn't matter to Walter. He had Saturday circled, stared, and exclamation pointed. No matter what Bill did, there was no way Walter was going to be discouraged.

Saturday finally arrived. Walter primped, prodded, and saved for this day. He had to cash out all of the security bonds his grandmother had given him for the past five years, but he had the cash and was ready to go. He washed and waxed his Pontiac LaMans, covering as many of the rust spots as possible. It was too bad there was no way to cover up the loose muffler. It sounded like a thunderstorm rolling into the area. He put on the closest thing he had to stylish: black slacks, sky-blue dress shirt, pinstriped tie, and navy sports jacket. He felt good, but did he look good?

After picking up Joan and coaxing his car to make the trip to The Ritz, Walter knew he was out of his league when the carhop looked at him as if to say "you're kidding, right?" Joan was with him, however, and that was all that mattered. He had reserved a table in the far corner of the restaurant so the could be alone. The candlelight sparkled in her eyes, making for a moment that was more romantic than anything Wally could have imagined.

Then Joan spoke. "Wally. I have the best news in the world. I'll the envy of everyone, and I just can't hold it in any longer."

Wally was the proudest man in the world, just having her sitting next to him. This was his chance to win her heart. "Why is that?"

"Only the greatest thing in the world."

He was beginning to feel as though he was a step behind. He couldn't bear to hope she was that excited about being there with him. "What are you talking about?"

"Bill Roberts asked me to go out with him. I didn't even know he knew I existed, but he came up to me yesterday and asked me to be his girlfriend. Isn't it great?"

Wally's heart sank to his shoes in a million pieces. "Yeah. Great."

"Well, aren't you happy for me? I'm going to be dating the most popular guy in school." Her face was lit up with excitement. "And seeing as you are one of my best friends, I couldn't wait to tell you."

Wally mumbled, "How did he find out?"

"What was that?"

"Ecstatic." How could Bill have found out that he was interested in Joan? He couldn't get away with it! Wally had been pushed too far! He had to have vengeance!

For the rest of the meal, Wally remained silent while Joan boasted about her blossoming relationship and how privileged she was. With every word, Wally wanted to place his hand's around bill's neck and strangle him until his life force was drained from his body. That, however, was not a possibility, as Bill would ground Wall to dust. The vengeance would have to be a mental attack, not a physical one.

* * * * *

Over the next couple of days, Wally walked around the school in a daze. Every time he saw Bill with his arm around Joan, holding her tight, whispering in her ear, Wally's stomach began to churn. It took weeks before Wally was able to think about the situation logically. In every dream, Bill's life was in Wally's hands, whether by gun, knife, or poison. In one, Wally was a marshal in a western movie, preparing to hang Bill from a tree. Then Joan ran in, begging for Bill's life to be spared. It was that night that Wally realized that no matter how he enacted his revenge, he couldn't harm Joan in the process.

Physical vengeance was out; there was no way Wally could over-power Bill, and the jock was too stupid and too cocky to be afraid. The only way left was to demean Bill, so low that no one would admire him again. That would take a lot of work, however, as Bill had worked hard to reach the top of the heap and had gained himself a lot of allies because of that position. He had also stepped on a lot of people on the way up, however, giving Wally a place to start.

Going all around school, Wally looked for at least one ally in the war. Everyone he talked to, however, was either afraid of Bill or thought that they were still his friends. Even when they were confronted with the truth, they backed away and said it didn't matter. In a school of five thousand students, Wally was unable to find one person who would help him.

Meanwhile, Bill was enjoying his hold over Wally, not having to resort to physical violence to hurt him, but simply groping onto Joan in his presence made him turn into sludge. Joan wasn't sure what was going on, as Bill would almost always ignore her. When he did pay attention to her, he was all over her like a wet T-shirt. He never called her at home, walked her to school, or talked to her in class. With the exception of their first date at the drive-in, the only time she ever saw him was in-between classes where everyone could see his performance. In addition to that, Wally had stopped calling since she started dating Bill, and would always try to avoid the two of them in the hallways. She missed being able to talk to Wally; his unique sense of humor and the way he treated her - the way she liked to be treated. The choice seemed to be between being a nobody with a good friend or somebody with a lot of friends she wasn't sure she could trust, and she wasn't sure she had made the right decision.

Wally couldn't handle much more and had to stop Bill one way or another. He had used Joan for close to a month, and that was inexcusable to Wally. He had to prove to Joan that Bill didn't care about her as much as Wally did. He decided that no strategy was his only chance. Every time he came up with a detailed plan, a fatal flaw would surface and he'd have to start from scratch. This time, he would play everything by ear, let Bill make the first move and then act from there.

* * * * *

That Friday, Bill made his move following the last bell of the day. Wally had felt the urge to see Joan again, overwhelmed by his feelings. As soon as he came into view, Bill leaned over and kissed her passionately, completely shocking her and causing her to recoil.

"That enough, Bill!" Wally said it as loud and harsh as he could, shocking everyone around them, as well as himself. "Stop using Joan like that!"

"What's the matter, Wallykins? Can't handle playing with the big kids?" A bunch of Bill's boys gathered around behind him, like soldiers falling into formation behind their Sergeant. "Have you been missing our weekly meetings?" He and his gang began to laugh hysterically.

"Yes." The laughter stopped. Bill looked confused. "But not in the way you mean. I'd rather get smacked around the entire school than watch you hurt Joan for one more day. Instead, we're going to play a little game. I'm going to prove how little you care about Joan."

"I'd rather go with option A, Wallykins. It sounds like more fun." A crowd had formed around the group, fully expecting a fight to break out. As Wally glanced around, he noticed that many of Bill's former stepping-stones had fallen into rank behind him; similar to how the jocks backed up their leader. Wally felt their support radiate through him, a very strange feeling that he was unaccustomed to.

"I don't think so, Bill. I'm tired to the way you use Joan, and it's going to end today. I'm going to prove that you don't love her as much as I do."

It was Joan's turn to look confused. It made sense to her; they had always gotten along great, but did she love him?

Seeing the crowd forming behind Wally, Bill realized that he was in a no-win situation. If he smacked Wally around in front of all these people, he's get suspended, or possibly expelled. It was better for him to play along and humiliate Wally in front of his girl. "Lets get this moving. Joan and I have plans." He reached out to pull Joan closer, only for her to pull away. Bill knew he was in trouble before the first question was asked.

"Tell me what Joan's phone number is, Bill."

"If you wanted her number," Bill quipped, "you should have asked her yourself before we started dating."

"Just answer the question." Bill stopped a second, realizing that he didn't know the answer; and Wally knew it. "545-2517. Next question: When's her birthday?"

Again, the puzzled look crossed Bill's face. "I don't know."

"July 21st. What are her parent's names?"

"I don't care."

"That's the point. Peter and Catherine. Here's an easy one. What's her favorite color?"

"I have one for you," Bill quipped.

"Red."

"Which thigh has the mole on it?" A smile appeared on Bill's face as Wally's face fell and was filled with nausea. He looked at Joan with disbelief, unwilling to accept that Bill knew what he was talking about.

It was too cruel of a thought, and Joan knew it. Nothing had happened between the two of them, and she was insulted that he would even suggest it. Not only was a direct attack against Wally, but also insulted Joan's integrity. It was unbearable, and she decided to strike back. Reaching down, she tapped her right thigh, winking at Wally, who caught on instantaneously. If she was going to be seen as loose, she might as well take Bill down with her.

"Her right one." Wally returned Bill's smile with interest.

Now it was Bill's turn at nausea. He didn't know if she had one or not; it was just another way to rattle Wally's cage, and it had backfired badly.

"One last question, Bill. What color are Joan's eyes?"

Bill knew he was caught. He looked over at Joan, but she had turned her back to him. No last minute look-sees; he was on his own in more ways than one. "Blue?"

"Wrong. Hazel." The crowd had seen enough and declared the winner. All of the guys in the crowd started laughing as the girls huffed and walked away. All of the girls save for Joan. She walked over to Wally, who said, "long time, no see, pretty lady. No hard feelings?"

"Nope, just good ones."

By this time, Bill wanted blood. "Charlie. You and Roger grab 'im. I'm gonna rip his spleen out through his nose."

"Get outta my face, ya jerk. It's gonna take me a week of kissin' up to get Mary to even speak to me again. You're an idiot."

Bill went from big man on campus to scum of the earth in five minutes flat, and he knew it. He charged at Wally like a wild animal would lunge at its prey. Wally, however, wasn't going to be caught that easily. Stepping out of nowhere, the Vice Principal came out of the crowd, grabbing Bill by the collar and hauling him up short. "You're coming with me. We're going to talk about disrupting passing periods and attempting to start a fight in my school."

"I'll get you Walter, if it's the last thing I do!"

"You know what, Bill? You've seen too many movies." Wally then turned back to Joan as she reached out and took his hand in hers. "Will you go out with me?"

"I owe you a lunch at the Ritz. We'll discuss it then. It'll be my treat this time." She then reached over and kissed him gently on the cheek.