Keen's Turn: Descent & Depravation

Chapter 8: Illicit Appeals (fourth quarter)

Jared trudged up out of the subway and into the humid streets. He'd been rebuffed again, of course. Lou must know by now he'd been blacklisted—perhaps it was the fact that Suzanne had designed his journalistic credentials on PowerPoint. But the smug little turn at the corner of his boss's mouth that he'd once not been able to hide, when Jared had returned—irritated, embarrassed, and forced to confess his failure—had made him suspect Lou got off on it. He longed to tell him exactly where to go. But what could he do? Lou was the boss.

Their antagonism had built from the moment they'd first become aware of each other, early in the sixth grade. Jared wasn't sure what it was about him that had ticked Lou off, but for his part, he remembered perfectly.

Third week of the new school year. Substitute teacher. Roll call.

"Yaired Stern?" the teacher called.

He raised his hand.

Someone behind him snickered loudly, stage whispering, "Yaired!" to more snickers.

Heat crept up Jared's ears.

"What kinda name is that?" the boy continued, to more mirth from his peers.

"It's 'Jared!'" Jared cried, twisting in his seat.

"Yaired!" the teacher broke off, mid-naming. "Quiet down!"

Jared's face was burning as he turned back around to face front.

"Aw, she knows the little guy's name!" came the whisper from behind.

He clenched his fists. At least Rose wasn't in this class. "Only teachers get to call names," he hissed behind a shielding hand.

It had kept like that, with little jibes, here and there, Lou muscling past him in line, sneering at him across the cafeteria. Until the day Lou had waited for him after school.

"Stern." The larger boy slouched against the chain link fence of the schoolyard. His companions drew away as Jared came down the sidewalk toward them.

"Whaddaya want?"

"Saw you hanging out with Rose Beauregard today," Lou drawled. "Find the only girl in school shorter than you are?"

"The fuck d'ya want?"

"I'm just impressed with how tiny you are." He leered at him. "Is all of you that tiny?"

A stab of adrenaline brought Jared up short. "No. But I suppose you're an expert. Since you're such a big dick."

A scowl materialized on Lou's face. The bystanders were gathering, murmuring to each other as they formed a loose ring around them. They were vultures, Jared knew, waiting for blood.

The larger boy swaggered closer. "Whadju say?"

Jared swallowed, balling sweaty fists. His opponent was over a head taller than him, with an athletic build. He didn't have a chance. And damned if that would stop him trying.

"I said, you're a big dick."

Lou nodded a few times, then swung at him.

The punch caught him in the eye, knocking him back against the schoolyard fence. Pain exploded around the point of impact—