A Basketball Court at the River Oaks Country Club
June 28, 1982
Around Noon
Pete showed up a little early at the club to make sure he could grab a court. He needn’t have worried; the club wasn’t as crowded on Monday afternoons as it was on weekends, and only one other court was being used at the moment. Jerry hadn’t arrived yet, but Pete went ahead and started casually shooting hoops to get warmed up.
Pete grinned when Jerry showed up a short time later. “Jerry! I wasn’t sure if you’d show up; I figured you'd chicken out at the thought of the shellacking I’m gonna give you,” he said confidently. “Hey, check it out: I brought that old ABA basketball we used to play with when we were kids, the one I got at the Dallas Chaparrals game before they abandoned us for San Antonio.” As he said it, he spun the red, white, and blue basketball on the tip of his index finger, though he could only maintain the spin for about a second.
*tag*
Pete bounced the ball a few times and took a long jump shot. The ball clanged off the rim, and Pete grunted in disappointment. “Damn, that’s not a good start. So how was your weekend? Pretty eventful, from what I’ve heard.”
*tag*
June 28, 1982
Around Noon
Pete showed up a little early at the club to make sure he could grab a court. He needn’t have worried; the club wasn’t as crowded on Monday afternoons as it was on weekends, and only one other court was being used at the moment. Jerry hadn’t arrived yet, but Pete went ahead and started casually shooting hoops to get warmed up.
Pete grinned when Jerry showed up a short time later. “Jerry! I wasn’t sure if you’d show up; I figured you'd chicken out at the thought of the shellacking I’m gonna give you,” he said confidently. “Hey, check it out: I brought that old ABA basketball we used to play with when we were kids, the one I got at the Dallas Chaparrals game before they abandoned us for San Antonio.” As he said it, he spun the red, white, and blue basketball on the tip of his index finger, though he could only maintain the spin for about a second.
*tag*
Pete bounced the ball a few times and took a long jump shot. The ball clanged off the rim, and Pete grunted in disappointment. “Damn, that’s not a good start. So how was your weekend? Pretty eventful, from what I’ve heard.”
*tag*
Jerry was running a few minutes late as usual. Even though they were meeting at noon, Jerry had been out late the night before and it was just after 11 when he woke up. He was always slow to get started and wasn't well disciplined. Given he didn't work a normal job, Jerry wasn't accustomed to being punctual, particularly now that he was out of high school. Despite being a relatively good student, he was chronically late to first period. Jerry finally stumbled into the gym of the River Oaks Country Club a few minutes past 12.
Pete grinned when Jerry showed up a short time later. “Jerry! I wasn’t sure if you’d show up; I figured you'd chicken out at the thought of the shellacking I’m gonna give you,” he said confidently. “Hey, check it out: I brought that old ABA basketball we used to play with when we were kids, the one I got at the Dallas Chaparrals game before they abandoned us for San Antonio.” As he said it, he spun the red, white, and blue basketball on the tip of his index finger, though he could only maintain the spin for about a second.
"Whoa," Jerry replied not even bothering with a greeting. "I remember that! We saw them at the Dallas Convention Center back in elementary school. I'd forgotten all about that." Jerry paused to admire the ball a moment before passing it back to Pete.
Pete bounced the ball a few times and took a long jump shot. The ball clanged off the rim, and Pete grunted in disappointment. “Damn, that’s not a good start. So how was your weekend? Pretty eventful, from what I’ve heard.”
Jerry wasted no time in taking possession of the ball and dribbled it alternating hands. He was eager to s how off his skills on the court. Jerry didn't answer his friend immediately. Instead he dribbled the ball to mid-quart and took a shot, swishing the ball through the hoop. He still had it.
"Eh, it was alright," Jerry replied nonchalantly. "I hung out with those dorks for your girl. We went boating Saturday and went over to that guy's house Sunday. They are kinda dicks and the scene was lame so I bailed."
He passed the ball back to Pete.
*Tag*
Pete grinned when Jerry showed up a short time later. “Jerry! I wasn’t sure if you’d show up; I figured you'd chicken out at the thought of the shellacking I’m gonna give you,” he said confidently. “Hey, check it out: I brought that old ABA basketball we used to play with when we were kids, the one I got at the Dallas Chaparrals game before they abandoned us for San Antonio.” As he said it, he spun the red, white, and blue basketball on the tip of his index finger, though he could only maintain the spin for about a second.
"Whoa," Jerry replied not even bothering with a greeting. "I remember that! We saw them at the Dallas Convention Center back in elementary school. I'd forgotten all about that." Jerry paused to admire the ball a moment before passing it back to Pete.
Pete bounced the ball a few times and took a long jump shot. The ball clanged off the rim, and Pete grunted in disappointment. “Damn, that’s not a good start. So how was your weekend? Pretty eventful, from what I’ve heard.”
Jerry wasted no time in taking possession of the ball and dribbled it alternating hands. He was eager to s how off his skills on the court. Jerry didn't answer his friend immediately. Instead he dribbled the ball to mid-quart and took a shot, swishing the ball through the hoop. He still had it.
"Eh, it was alright," Jerry replied nonchalantly. "I hung out with those dorks for your girl. We went boating Saturday and went over to that guy's house Sunday. They are kinda dicks and the scene was lame so I bailed."
He passed the ball back to Pete.
*Tag*
He’d bailed? Marie had told him that Jerry had been kicked out. It occurred to Pete that if Jerry had been kicked out, he probably wouldn’t want to admit it. On the other hand, he didn’t know for sure if Marie knew what she was talking about. As far as he knew, anything Marie knew about what had happened had come from her talk with Jerry, but that didn’t necessarily mean she’d got the story right. Of course, he’d never question her to her face.
Pete caught the ball and began bouncing it. “Really? They were acting like dicks? Why, what did they do?” In Pete’s view, geeks often acted goofy, but they didn’t usually have enough backbone to stand up to people like Jerry, much less act like assholes to them. Pete wanted to find out what had happened at the house where the older guy and the brunette chick lived, but he didn’t want to bring up Marie’s accusation that Jerry had been involved in some kind of witchcraft, at least not yet. First he wanted to see what Jerry would tell him about his visit to that house without influencing his answer by bringing up the supposedly Satanic game.
*tag Jerry*
Pete caught the ball and began bouncing it. “Really? They were acting like dicks? Why, what did they do?” In Pete’s view, geeks often acted goofy, but they didn’t usually have enough backbone to stand up to people like Jerry, much less act like assholes to them. Pete wanted to find out what had happened at the house where the older guy and the brunette chick lived, but he didn’t want to bring up Marie’s accusation that Jerry had been involved in some kind of witchcraft, at least not yet. First he wanted to see what Jerry would tell him about his visit to that house without influencing his answer by bringing up the supposedly Satanic game.
*tag Jerry*
Pete caught the ball and began bouncing it. “Really? They were acting like dicks? Why, what did they do?”
"Uhhhhhhh," Jerry stammered for a moment as if distracted. "Well, ya know, just real judgemental and stuff. I mean the whole thing was lame," he began. "We went boating and those dorks were so afraid of getting in trouble with their mommies that everyone had to wear a lifejacket. They also didn't want anyone drinking beer or anything. It was pretty boring. I mean it's like that guy was worried his mom was going to show up to make sure they were following the rules." Jerry paused a moment before getting back to the question at hand. He had lost sight of Pete's question in recalling the events of Saturday.
*tag*
"So like, they invited me over to the older guy's house the next day. The one where the brunette reporter chick with that Firebird lives. You know, we followed those dorks there in my old man's car and the red head saw us and stood in the yard watching?"
Jerry paused for Pete to verbally acknowledge he remembered the prior weekend where they had tailed the group in the green Impala.
*tag*
"So yeah, they invited me to come to their D&D game. I only did it for Marie, ya know? Otherwise, that would have been the end of it after the lake," Jerry continued. By doing it for Marie, he really meant 'score a date with Doreen'.
"So anyway, lamest game ever! It was like playing with grade school kids. Lame story, lame character names, and that guy was the worst Dungeon Master ever! He just threw me in. I didn't know their characters or anything so being chaotic alignment, I didn't see any reason to help them out, ya know? So I tailed them and when I tried to kill them and take their shit once they did all the heavy lifting and were low on hit points and spells and they couldn't deal with it. I can't help the fact I'm a better player. They got their panties all in a wad and the DM guy told me I couldn't do it so I left. I had enough of those losers..."
Jerry had been so wrapped up in his story he hadn't been watching Pete. He suddenly stopped realizing that his friend was no longer dribbling the ball or focused on the game. Jerry wasn't quite sure how to read his face. "What," he asked puzzled after an awkward moment.
*tag*
"Uhhhhhhh," Jerry stammered for a moment as if distracted. "Well, ya know, just real judgemental and stuff. I mean the whole thing was lame," he began. "We went boating and those dorks were so afraid of getting in trouble with their mommies that everyone had to wear a lifejacket. They also didn't want anyone drinking beer or anything. It was pretty boring. I mean it's like that guy was worried his mom was going to show up to make sure they were following the rules." Jerry paused a moment before getting back to the question at hand. He had lost sight of Pete's question in recalling the events of Saturday.
*tag*
"So like, they invited me over to the older guy's house the next day. The one where the brunette reporter chick with that Firebird lives. You know, we followed those dorks there in my old man's car and the red head saw us and stood in the yard watching?"
Jerry paused for Pete to verbally acknowledge he remembered the prior weekend where they had tailed the group in the green Impala.
*tag*
"So yeah, they invited me to come to their D&D game. I only did it for Marie, ya know? Otherwise, that would have been the end of it after the lake," Jerry continued. By doing it for Marie, he really meant 'score a date with Doreen'.
"So anyway, lamest game ever! It was like playing with grade school kids. Lame story, lame character names, and that guy was the worst Dungeon Master ever! He just threw me in. I didn't know their characters or anything so being chaotic alignment, I didn't see any reason to help them out, ya know? So I tailed them and when I tried to kill them and take their shit once they did all the heavy lifting and were low on hit points and spells and they couldn't deal with it. I can't help the fact I'm a better player. They got their panties all in a wad and the DM guy told me I couldn't do it so I left. I had enough of those losers..."
Jerry had been so wrapped up in his story he hadn't been watching Pete. He suddenly stopped realizing that his friend was no longer dribbling the ball or focused on the game. Jerry wasn't quite sure how to read his face. "What," he asked puzzled after an awkward moment.
*tag*
"Uhhhhhhh," Jerry stammered for a moment as if distracted. "Well, ya know, just real judgemental and stuff. I mean the whole thing was lame," he began. "We went boating and those dorks were so afraid of getting in trouble with their mommies that everyone had to wear a lifejacket. They also didn't want anyone drinking beer or anything. It was pretty boring. I mean it's like that guy was worried his mom was going to show up to make sure they were following the rules." Jerry paused a moment before getting back to the question at hand. He had lost sight of Pete's question in recalling the events of Saturday.
Pete thought it seemed a little surprising that they had been allowed to go boating without any adult supervision; after all, they were all still in high school. Well, except for Jerry himself, and he supposed that brunette reporter chick might have graduated already. The lifejacket thing just seemed like good sense to Pete, kind of like suiting up in the pads and helmet if you were going to play football. Still, he didn’t want to seem uncool to Jerry, so he didn’t say anything about that. Instead, he just said, “Aw, man, no beer either? That is pretty lame.”
"So like, they invited me over to the older guy's house the next day. The one where the brunette reporter chick with that Firebird lives. You know, we followed those dorks there in my old man's car and the red head saw us and stood in the yard watching?"
Jerry paused for Pete to verbally acknowledge he remembered the prior weekend where they had tailed the group in the green Impala.
“Yeah, I remember. That’s a nice car that reporter’s got.” Her legs are pretty hot, too, he thought, though he didn’t say it; he didn’t want to take a chance that word of a comment like that might get back to Marie.
"So yeah, they invited me to come to their D&D game. I only did it for Marie, ya know? Otherwise, that would have been the end of it after the lake," Jerry continued. By doing it for Marie, he really meant 'score a date with Doreen'.
"So anyway, lamest game ever! It was like playing with grade school kids. Lame story, lame character names, and that guy was the worst Dungeon Master ever! He just threw me in. I didn't know their characters or anything so being chaotic alignment, I didn't see any reason to help them out, ya know? So I tailed them and when I tried to kill them and take their shit once they did all the heavy lifting and were low on hit points and spells and they couldn't deal with it. I can't help the fact I'm a better player. They got their panties all in a wad and the DM guy told me I couldn't do it so I left. I had enough of those losers..."
Jerry’s speech seemed to suddenly turn nonsensical. He was throwing around words like “characters”, “Dungeon Master”, and “chaotic alignment”, and none of it made any sense to Pete. Jerry might as well be talking in a foreign language. But then he said something that Pete did understand: “I tried to kill them”. Pete’s mind raced, trying to think of any way he might have misunderstood what Jerry had just said. It seemed pretty straightforward. And what was worse, Jerry had said it casually, like it was no big deal. Marie had said there was something wrong with Jerry, but Pete had been dismissive of that idea. Could he have misjudged Jerry so completely? He grabbed the basketball and held it with tensed muscles while wondering if he was going to have to defend himself against a psycho. Pete was a little taller than Jerry, but Jerry was a year older and he thought the two of them were pretty close in weight. If things came down to a fight, Pete thought he could take Jerry, but it would be close.
Jerry had been so wrapped up in his story he hadn't been watching Pete. He suddenly stopped realizing that his friend was no longer dribbling the ball or focused on the game. Jerry wasn't quite sure how to read his face. "What," he asked puzzled after an awkward moment.
“’What’? Are you kidding me? You just said you tried to kill them!” Pete was trying to keep his voice down, with limited success. “Dude, what the hell?”
*tag*
Pete thought it seemed a little surprising that they had been allowed to go boating without any adult supervision; after all, they were all still in high school. Well, except for Jerry himself, and he supposed that brunette reporter chick might have graduated already. The lifejacket thing just seemed like good sense to Pete, kind of like suiting up in the pads and helmet if you were going to play football. Still, he didn’t want to seem uncool to Jerry, so he didn’t say anything about that. Instead, he just said, “Aw, man, no beer either? That is pretty lame.”
"So like, they invited me over to the older guy's house the next day. The one where the brunette reporter chick with that Firebird lives. You know, we followed those dorks there in my old man's car and the red head saw us and stood in the yard watching?"
Jerry paused for Pete to verbally acknowledge he remembered the prior weekend where they had tailed the group in the green Impala.
“Yeah, I remember. That’s a nice car that reporter’s got.” Her legs are pretty hot, too, he thought, though he didn’t say it; he didn’t want to take a chance that word of a comment like that might get back to Marie.
"So yeah, they invited me to come to their D&D game. I only did it for Marie, ya know? Otherwise, that would have been the end of it after the lake," Jerry continued. By doing it for Marie, he really meant 'score a date with Doreen'.
"So anyway, lamest game ever! It was like playing with grade school kids. Lame story, lame character names, and that guy was the worst Dungeon Master ever! He just threw me in. I didn't know their characters or anything so being chaotic alignment, I didn't see any reason to help them out, ya know? So I tailed them and when I tried to kill them and take their shit once they did all the heavy lifting and were low on hit points and spells and they couldn't deal with it. I can't help the fact I'm a better player. They got their panties all in a wad and the DM guy told me I couldn't do it so I left. I had enough of those losers..."
Jerry’s speech seemed to suddenly turn nonsensical. He was throwing around words like “characters”, “Dungeon Master”, and “chaotic alignment”, and none of it made any sense to Pete. Jerry might as well be talking in a foreign language. But then he said something that Pete did understand: “I tried to kill them”. Pete’s mind raced, trying to think of any way he might have misunderstood what Jerry had just said. It seemed pretty straightforward. And what was worse, Jerry had said it casually, like it was no big deal. Marie had said there was something wrong with Jerry, but Pete had been dismissive of that idea. Could he have misjudged Jerry so completely? He grabbed the basketball and held it with tensed muscles while wondering if he was going to have to defend himself against a psycho. Pete was a little taller than Jerry, but Jerry was a year older and he thought the two of them were pretty close in weight. If things came down to a fight, Pete thought he could take Jerry, but it would be close.
Jerry had been so wrapped up in his story he hadn't been watching Pete. He suddenly stopped realizing that his friend was no longer dribbling the ball or focused on the game. Jerry wasn't quite sure how to read his face. "What," he asked puzzled after an awkward moment.
“’What’? Are you kidding me? You just said you tried to kill them!” Pete was trying to keep his voice down, with limited success. “Dude, what the hell?”
*tag*
“’What’? Are you kidding me? You just said you tried to kill them!” Pete was trying to keep his voice down, with limited success. “Dude, what the hell?”
"Dude, I know it is supposed to be about cooperation, but I'm chaotic man," Jerry repeated. Clearly, he was not picking up on the fact that Pete was taking him literally and not understanding that Jerry was talking about events that occurred in the game. Jerry was so wrapped up in his story that he wasn't reading his friend at all. Jerry's blood began to boil as he recounted what happened.
"It was perfectly fair! If that guy wanted me to join their party and be part of the group, he should have done a better job," Jerry continued, his voice slowly getting louder. "He's the shittiest DM ever! I had no reason to help them! It's what my wizard would have done! That orb should have been mine! That's what I was supposed to do! I was on a mission to take it from the cult! Not help them! I'm done with them. Fuck them all! I don't need that shit, man."
Pete could notice a change in Jerry's face. He seemed wild-eyed and really worked up. He also seemed to be getting incoherent and was now ranting, having a one-sided conversation with himself.
"I did what Marie asked and now it's time to pay the piper," Jerry suddenly said abruptly switching gears. "I did it. I got what she wanted man! She owes me! When do I get to see Dori? Marie said we were coming here Sunday to see the fireworks. You, me, Marie, and her. Why do I have to wait, though man? I shouldn't have to wait a whole week man. I've been through a lot this weekend. Is Marie gonna pay up, man? Is she? When do I get to see her, Pete? When?"
Jerry was almost worked into a full-blown psychotic frenzy now. He was pacing back and forth and grabbing the back of his head every few seconds. He wasn't looking at Pete, though. He was staring at the ground as he kept ranting. Things were definitely getting weird.
Two kids had arrived and had been shooting hoops on the court furthest from the pair. As Jerry started ranting and his voice got louder, the pair stopped and just stared at him.
Tag
"Dude, I know it is supposed to be about cooperation, but I'm chaotic man," Jerry repeated. Clearly, he was not picking up on the fact that Pete was taking him literally and not understanding that Jerry was talking about events that occurred in the game. Jerry was so wrapped up in his story that he wasn't reading his friend at all. Jerry's blood began to boil as he recounted what happened.
"It was perfectly fair! If that guy wanted me to join their party and be part of the group, he should have done a better job," Jerry continued, his voice slowly getting louder. "He's the shittiest DM ever! I had no reason to help them! It's what my wizard would have done! That orb should have been mine! That's what I was supposed to do! I was on a mission to take it from the cult! Not help them! I'm done with them. Fuck them all! I don't need that shit, man."
Pete could notice a change in Jerry's face. He seemed wild-eyed and really worked up. He also seemed to be getting incoherent and was now ranting, having a one-sided conversation with himself.
"I did what Marie asked and now it's time to pay the piper," Jerry suddenly said abruptly switching gears. "I did it. I got what she wanted man! She owes me! When do I get to see Dori? Marie said we were coming here Sunday to see the fireworks. You, me, Marie, and her. Why do I have to wait, though man? I shouldn't have to wait a whole week man. I've been through a lot this weekend. Is Marie gonna pay up, man? Is she? When do I get to see her, Pete? When?"
Jerry was almost worked into a full-blown psychotic frenzy now. He was pacing back and forth and grabbing the back of his head every few seconds. He wasn't looking at Pete, though. He was staring at the ground as he kept ranting. Things were definitely getting weird.
Two kids had arrived and had been shooting hoops on the court furthest from the pair. As Jerry started ranting and his voice got louder, the pair stopped and just stared at him.
Tag
"Dude, I know it is supposed to be about cooperation, but I'm chaotic man," Jerry repeated. Clearly, he was not picking up on the fact that Pete was taking him literally and not understanding that Jerry was talking about events that occurred in the game. Jerry was so wrapped up in his story that he wasn't reading his friend at all. Jerry's blood began to boil as he recounted what happened.
Chaotic? Wasn’t that another word for "crazy"? Pete thought so, but he wasn’t sure. It wasn’t a word normal people used on a daily basis. It seemed to Pete that Jerry was admitting to being crazy, but that didn’t make a lot of sense; crazy people didn’t usually realize they were crazy. Well, now that he thought about it, maybe it meant "disorganized" or "messy" more than crazy.
"It was perfectly fair! If that guy wanted me to join their party and be part of the group, he should have done a better job," Jerry continued, his voice slowly getting louder. "He's the shittiest DM ever! I had no reason to help them! It's what my wizard would have done! That orb should have been mine! That's what I was supposed to do! I was on a mission to take it from the cult! Not help them! I'm done with them. Fuck them all! I don't need that shit, man."
Pete could notice a change in Jerry's face. He seemed wild-eyed and really worked up. He also seemed to be getting incoherent and was now ranting, having a one-sided conversation with himself.
As he listened to Jerry’s ranting, Pete stood there quietly with muscles tensed, trying to figure out how to get out of this situation. The things Jerry was saying didn’t make any sense. It was almost like Jerry’s brain was replacing some of the words in his sentences with other words, chosen at random. Wizard? Orb? That was some kind of round thing, he thought, like a basketball. Maybe the sight of the ball had caused the word “orb” to pop into Jerry’s head, but what made him think of the word “wizard”? At least those were real words; but before that he’d said something about a “deeyem”, or something like that. Pete had never heard that word before, and if it was a real word, he had no idea how to spell it.
Then Jerry said something that caught Pete’s attention, something about having a mission to take something from a cult. That must be the Satanic cult Marie had told him Tabitha and Starla were in, the one that practiced witchcraft. So Marie had been right about that! But his mission had been to spy on them, not to take something from them. And then he suddenly realized that any information Marie had about the "cult" had come from Jerry, and that made it suspect considering Jerry’s current frame of mind. Could this whole cult thing be a big hallucination that existed only in Jerry’s mind? He suddenly worried that Marie might do something rash in response to bad information from Jerry, as if he didn’t have enough to worry about already. But that line of thinking didn’t last long; Jerry’s continued ranting distracted him away from it.
"I did what Marie asked and now it's time to pay the piper," Jerry suddenly said abruptly switching gears. "I did it. I got what she wanted man! She owes me! When do I get to see Dori? Marie said we were coming here Sunday to see the fireworks. You, me, Marie, and her. Why do I have to wait, though man? I shouldn't have to wait a whole week man. I've been through a lot this weekend. Is Marie gonna pay up, man? Is she? When do I get to see her, Pete? When?"
Jerry was almost worked into a full-blown psychotic frenzy now. He was pacing back and forth and grabbing the back of his head every few seconds. He wasn't looking at Pete, though. He was staring at the ground as he kept ranting. Things were definitely getting weird.
Two kids had arrived and had been shooting hoops on the court furthest from the pair. As Jerry started ranting and his voice got louder, the pair stopped and just stared at him.
Pete wished he could be anywhere but here. The conversation was going in a bad direction, and he wasn’t sure how to turn things around. Now Jerry was asking about Marie and Doreen, and it was becoming clearer by the moment just how obsessed he was with getting into Doreen’s pants, and as soon as possible. But Marie had made it clear the night before that she and Doreen wanted nothing more to do with Jerry. More importantly, now that he’d seen Jerry acting like this, he himself didn’t want Jerry anywhere near Marie or Doreen. The problem was, he didn’t think he could tell Jerry that right now, considering how Jerry was acting; he might completely flip out. Probably the best thing he could do now would be to distract Jerry with something else until he calmed down; he could talk to Jerry about Doreen later.
Pete spread his hands and shrugged, trying to convey a sense of sympathy and futility. “What can I say, dude? I don’t know when; I don’t keep track of Doreen’s schedule. But, uh, you might want to lower your voice a little; you’re starting to attract attention.” He subtly indicated the two kids watching. “Look, they say good things come to those who wait, and I think Doreen’s worth waiting for, don’t you?”
Before Jerry could think too much about it, Pete started bouncing the basketball, indicating he was about to make a move toward the basket. Hopefully a little playing would get Jerry’s mind off Doreen and back on the game. “Alright, ready or not, here I come!” He drove toward Jerry and the basket, faked right, and then spun off to the left before shooting a short jump shot.
*tag*
Chaotic? Wasn’t that another word for "crazy"? Pete thought so, but he wasn’t sure. It wasn’t a word normal people used on a daily basis. It seemed to Pete that Jerry was admitting to being crazy, but that didn’t make a lot of sense; crazy people didn’t usually realize they were crazy. Well, now that he thought about it, maybe it meant "disorganized" or "messy" more than crazy.
"It was perfectly fair! If that guy wanted me to join their party and be part of the group, he should have done a better job," Jerry continued, his voice slowly getting louder. "He's the shittiest DM ever! I had no reason to help them! It's what my wizard would have done! That orb should have been mine! That's what I was supposed to do! I was on a mission to take it from the cult! Not help them! I'm done with them. Fuck them all! I don't need that shit, man."
Pete could notice a change in Jerry's face. He seemed wild-eyed and really worked up. He also seemed to be getting incoherent and was now ranting, having a one-sided conversation with himself.
As he listened to Jerry’s ranting, Pete stood there quietly with muscles tensed, trying to figure out how to get out of this situation. The things Jerry was saying didn’t make any sense. It was almost like Jerry’s brain was replacing some of the words in his sentences with other words, chosen at random. Wizard? Orb? That was some kind of round thing, he thought, like a basketball. Maybe the sight of the ball had caused the word “orb” to pop into Jerry’s head, but what made him think of the word “wizard”? At least those were real words; but before that he’d said something about a “deeyem”, or something like that. Pete had never heard that word before, and if it was a real word, he had no idea how to spell it.
Then Jerry said something that caught Pete’s attention, something about having a mission to take something from a cult. That must be the Satanic cult Marie had told him Tabitha and Starla were in, the one that practiced witchcraft. So Marie had been right about that! But his mission had been to spy on them, not to take something from them. And then he suddenly realized that any information Marie had about the "cult" had come from Jerry, and that made it suspect considering Jerry’s current frame of mind. Could this whole cult thing be a big hallucination that existed only in Jerry’s mind? He suddenly worried that Marie might do something rash in response to bad information from Jerry, as if he didn’t have enough to worry about already. But that line of thinking didn’t last long; Jerry’s continued ranting distracted him away from it.
"I did what Marie asked and now it's time to pay the piper," Jerry suddenly said abruptly switching gears. "I did it. I got what she wanted man! She owes me! When do I get to see Dori? Marie said we were coming here Sunday to see the fireworks. You, me, Marie, and her. Why do I have to wait, though man? I shouldn't have to wait a whole week man. I've been through a lot this weekend. Is Marie gonna pay up, man? Is she? When do I get to see her, Pete? When?"
Jerry was almost worked into a full-blown psychotic frenzy now. He was pacing back and forth and grabbing the back of his head every few seconds. He wasn't looking at Pete, though. He was staring at the ground as he kept ranting. Things were definitely getting weird.
Two kids had arrived and had been shooting hoops on the court furthest from the pair. As Jerry started ranting and his voice got louder, the pair stopped and just stared at him.
Pete wished he could be anywhere but here. The conversation was going in a bad direction, and he wasn’t sure how to turn things around. Now Jerry was asking about Marie and Doreen, and it was becoming clearer by the moment just how obsessed he was with getting into Doreen’s pants, and as soon as possible. But Marie had made it clear the night before that she and Doreen wanted nothing more to do with Jerry. More importantly, now that he’d seen Jerry acting like this, he himself didn’t want Jerry anywhere near Marie or Doreen. The problem was, he didn’t think he could tell Jerry that right now, considering how Jerry was acting; he might completely flip out. Probably the best thing he could do now would be to distract Jerry with something else until he calmed down; he could talk to Jerry about Doreen later.
Pete spread his hands and shrugged, trying to convey a sense of sympathy and futility. “What can I say, dude? I don’t know when; I don’t keep track of Doreen’s schedule. But, uh, you might want to lower your voice a little; you’re starting to attract attention.” He subtly indicated the two kids watching. “Look, they say good things come to those who wait, and I think Doreen’s worth waiting for, don’t you?”
Before Jerry could think too much about it, Pete started bouncing the basketball, indicating he was about to make a move toward the basket. Hopefully a little playing would get Jerry’s mind off Doreen and back on the game. “Alright, ready or not, here I come!” He drove toward Jerry and the basket, faked right, and then spun off to the left before shooting a short jump shot.
*tag*
rolled 1d6 and got a natural 2.
Note: Pete's jump shot; even it goes in, odd it misses
Pete spread his hands and shrugged, trying to convey a sense of sympathy and futility. “What can I say, dude? I don’t know when; I don’t keep track of Doreen’s schedule. But, uh, you might want to lower your voice a little; you’re starting to attract attention.” He subtly indicated the two kids watching. “Look, they say good things come to those who wait, and I think Doreen’s worth waiting for, don’t you?”
"Who cares about a bunch of stupid fucking punk kids," Jerry replied loudly turning in their direction. "You got a problem assholes? Get out of here!" The two kids exchanged looks and quickly exited the gym as if intimidated.
Jerry turned back to Pete, still worked up. "I don't want to wait, Pete," Jerry said angrily. "I want her now. I did the work and Marie owes me!"
Before Jerry could think too much about it, Pete started bouncing the basketball, indicating he was about to make a move toward the basket. Hopefully a little playing would get Jerry’s mind off Doreen and back on the game. “Alright, ready or not, here I come!” He drove toward Jerry and the basket, faked right, and then spun off to the left before shooting a short jump shot.
Jerry paused his rant momentarily when Pete began dribbling the basketball. He just stared dumbly at his friend. Jerry didn't react nor did he try to block as Pete charged at him and then suddenly cut to the right and took a shot.
"Are you listening to me man? I'm in the middle of a fucking story! We're having a conversation about how we're going to make Marie pay up, man," Jerry yelled. "You know what, if you're not going to help me then fuck you, too! I'm out of here."
Jerry turned and stormed off without looking back. He exited the opposite side of the gym from where the two younger kids had. He was making his way to the parking lot and planned to leave the country club as soon as he got to his car. All the while, Jerry continued ranting to himself about Marie's 'debt'.
"Who cares about a bunch of stupid fucking punk kids," Jerry replied loudly turning in their direction. "You got a problem assholes? Get out of here!" The two kids exchanged looks and quickly exited the gym as if intimidated.
Jerry turned back to Pete, still worked up. "I don't want to wait, Pete," Jerry said angrily. "I want her now. I did the work and Marie owes me!"
Before Jerry could think too much about it, Pete started bouncing the basketball, indicating he was about to make a move toward the basket. Hopefully a little playing would get Jerry’s mind off Doreen and back on the game. “Alright, ready or not, here I come!” He drove toward Jerry and the basket, faked right, and then spun off to the left before shooting a short jump shot.
Jerry paused his rant momentarily when Pete began dribbling the basketball. He just stared dumbly at his friend. Jerry didn't react nor did he try to block as Pete charged at him and then suddenly cut to the right and took a shot.
"Are you listening to me man? I'm in the middle of a fucking story! We're having a conversation about how we're going to make Marie pay up, man," Jerry yelled. "You know what, if you're not going to help me then fuck you, too! I'm out of here."
Jerry turned and stormed off without looking back. He exited the opposite side of the gym from where the two younger kids had. He was making his way to the parking lot and planned to leave the country club as soon as he got to his car. All the while, Jerry continued ranting to himself about Marie's 'debt'.
Jerry turned back to Pete, still worked up. "I don't want to wait, Pete," Jerry said angrily. "I want her now. I did the work and Marie owes me!"
Before Jerry could think too much about it, Pete started bouncing the basketball, indicating he was about to make a move toward the basket. Hopefully a little playing would get Jerry’s mind off Doreen and back on the game. “Alright, ready or not, here I come!” He drove toward Jerry and the basket, faked right, and then spun off to the left before sinking a short jump shot.
Jerry paused his rant momentarily when Pete began dribbling the basketball. He just stared dumbly at his friend. Jerry didn't react nor did he try to block as Pete charged at him and then suddenly cut to the right and took a shot.
"Are you listening to me man? I'm in the middle of a fucking story! We're having a conversation about how we're going to make Marie pay up, man," Jerry yelled. "You know what, if you're not going to help me then fuck you, too! I'm out of here."
Jerry turned and stormed off without looking back. He exited the opposite side of the gym from where the two younger kids had. He was making his way to the parking lot and planned to leave the country club as soon as he got to his car. All the while, Jerry continued ranting to himself about Marie's 'debt'.
“What, we can’t talk and play at the same…” Pete’s words trailed off as Jerry continued to rant, and Pete never finished the question. Pete stared in bewilderment and consternation as Jerry flew into a rage and stormed out. Pete stood speechless for a moment and stared at Jerry’s back as he headed out the door. He was trying to decide whether he should follow Jerry out. Jerry had been spouting off about Marie’s ‘debt’, and Pete was worried that Jerry was about to do something rash. His first impulse was to follow Jerry and stop him if he tried to go after Marie, but there was no telling if he could successfully keep from losing Jerry, especially if Jerry noticed him following and tried to evade him; and for that matter, he didn’t know what he’d do if he managed to actually keep up with Jerry. Pete abandoned that idea in favor of calling Marie to let her know what was going on.
He fished some change out of his pocket, inserted it in the closest payphone, and dialed the number for Marie’s house. “Come on, pick up,” he muttered to himself while waiting for someone to answer. He glanced nervously over his shoulder once or twice to reassure himself that Jerry wasn’t coming back.
*tag Marie*
Before Jerry could think too much about it, Pete started bouncing the basketball, indicating he was about to make a move toward the basket. Hopefully a little playing would get Jerry’s mind off Doreen and back on the game. “Alright, ready or not, here I come!” He drove toward Jerry and the basket, faked right, and then spun off to the left before sinking a short jump shot.
Jerry paused his rant momentarily when Pete began dribbling the basketball. He just stared dumbly at his friend. Jerry didn't react nor did he try to block as Pete charged at him and then suddenly cut to the right and took a shot.
"Are you listening to me man? I'm in the middle of a fucking story! We're having a conversation about how we're going to make Marie pay up, man," Jerry yelled. "You know what, if you're not going to help me then fuck you, too! I'm out of here."
Jerry turned and stormed off without looking back. He exited the opposite side of the gym from where the two younger kids had. He was making his way to the parking lot and planned to leave the country club as soon as he got to his car. All the while, Jerry continued ranting to himself about Marie's 'debt'.
“What, we can’t talk and play at the same…” Pete’s words trailed off as Jerry continued to rant, and Pete never finished the question. Pete stared in bewilderment and consternation as Jerry flew into a rage and stormed out. Pete stood speechless for a moment and stared at Jerry’s back as he headed out the door. He was trying to decide whether he should follow Jerry out. Jerry had been spouting off about Marie’s ‘debt’, and Pete was worried that Jerry was about to do something rash. His first impulse was to follow Jerry and stop him if he tried to go after Marie, but there was no telling if he could successfully keep from losing Jerry, especially if Jerry noticed him following and tried to evade him; and for that matter, he didn’t know what he’d do if he managed to actually keep up with Jerry. Pete abandoned that idea in favor of calling Marie to let her know what was going on.
He fished some change out of his pocket, inserted it in the closest payphone, and dialed the number for Marie’s house. “Come on, pick up,” he muttered to himself while waiting for someone to answer. He glanced nervously over his shoulder once or twice to reassure himself that Jerry wasn’t coming back.
*tag Marie*
Evan's House
June 28, 1982
12:30 PM
Marie was in her swimsuit and about to head out the back door when the phone rang. She rolled her eyes and made her way back into the kitchen. It seemed like a good day for a swim. Rather than driving all the way to the country club, she decided to use the family's pool in the backyard instead. She might head over to the club later in the day for a round of croquet with Doreen and some of the other seniors.
"Hello," Marie said snatching the receiver off the wall. She made her way around the corner into the living room. The family dog trotted after Marie hovering near her feet. The tiny Maltese was trying to get Marie's attention and wanted to be held, but Marie ignored her. When Marie realized it was Pete she sighed. "Hey, I'm about to take a dip in the pool for a bit and then lay out in the sun. Can I call you back in a few?"
*Tag Pete*
June 28, 1982
12:30 PM
Marie was in her swimsuit and about to head out the back door when the phone rang. She rolled her eyes and made her way back into the kitchen. It seemed like a good day for a swim. Rather than driving all the way to the country club, she decided to use the family's pool in the backyard instead. She might head over to the club later in the day for a round of croquet with Doreen and some of the other seniors.
"Hello," Marie said snatching the receiver off the wall. She made her way around the corner into the living room. The family dog trotted after Marie hovering near her feet. The tiny Maltese was trying to get Marie's attention and wanted to be held, but Marie ignored her. When Marie realized it was Pete she sighed. "Hey, I'm about to take a dip in the pool for a bit and then lay out in the sun. Can I call you back in a few?"
*Tag Pete*
Meanwhile...
A few minutes later, Jerry was speeding away from River Oaks in his orange VW bug. His mind was racing. He realized he couldn't trust anyone... at least not anyone in Pete and Marie's circle. Clearly, Pete was using him, too. Jerry realized he should have known better than to trust Pete. Sure, they had been friends years ago, but clearly, his loyalty was to Marie now. It was obvious that he was trying to keep Doreen from him.
Still a bit paranoid, Jerry glanced in the rearview mirror half expecting to see Pete racing after him in his car, but it didn't appear anyone was following him. Jerry took a deep breath and tried to collect himself. He needed to figure out what his next move was going to be. Should he head straight to Marie's to confront her? Obviously, she wasn't at the country club. Would she even be home? A better question was where was Doreen right now? What was SHE doing? Jerry was very tempted to drive by her house. He knew where she lived and she was just a few streets over from his house as was Marie's family.
As he turned on the main road, Jerry was satisfied Pete wasn't going to try to follow him. There were miles of farm road between River Oaks and Teal Cove. The area outside of town was still rural and undeveloped. It took about 25 to 30 minutes to get out to the club. Jerry decided to drive around the back roads for a few minutes debating what he should do next.
OOC:
1. Go to Marie's House
2. Drive by Doreen's House
3. Actually try to knock on Doreen's door and see if she is home
4. Let things cool down for a little
A few minutes later, Jerry was speeding away from River Oaks in his orange VW bug. His mind was racing. He realized he couldn't trust anyone... at least not anyone in Pete and Marie's circle. Clearly, Pete was using him, too. Jerry realized he should have known better than to trust Pete. Sure, they had been friends years ago, but clearly, his loyalty was to Marie now. It was obvious that he was trying to keep Doreen from him.
Still a bit paranoid, Jerry glanced in the rearview mirror half expecting to see Pete racing after him in his car, but it didn't appear anyone was following him. Jerry took a deep breath and tried to collect himself. He needed to figure out what his next move was going to be. Should he head straight to Marie's to confront her? Obviously, she wasn't at the country club. Would she even be home? A better question was where was Doreen right now? What was SHE doing? Jerry was very tempted to drive by her house. He knew where she lived and she was just a few streets over from his house as was Marie's family.
As he turned on the main road, Jerry was satisfied Pete wasn't going to try to follow him. There were miles of farm road between River Oaks and Teal Cove. The area outside of town was still rural and undeveloped. It took about 25 to 30 minutes to get out to the club. Jerry decided to drive around the back roads for a few minutes debating what he should do next.
OOC:
1. Go to Marie's House
2. Drive by Doreen's House
3. Actually try to knock on Doreen's door and see if she is home
4. Let things cool down for a little
rolled 1d4 and got a natural 1.
Note: Jerry's plan
"Hello," Marie said snatching the receiver off the wall. She made her way around the corner into the living room. The family dog trotted after Marie hovering near her feet. The tiny Maltese was trying to get Marie's attention and wanted to be held, but Marie ignored her. When Marie realized it was Pete she sighed. "Hey, I'm about to take a dip in the pool for a bit and then lay out in the sun. Can I call you back in a few?"
“This is important, Marie, and I don’t think it can wait," said Pete, hurrying his words to get them out before Marie decided to hang up. "Jerry’s flipped out, and he stormed out of here a few minutes ago. He was ranting about getting you to pay up on your debt. I’m afraid he might be heading to your house, or maybe Doreen’s. He’s unhinged, I mean completely off his rocker, and I’m afraid he might be dangerous. If he shows up at your place, don’t let him in. You should call Doreen and tell her the same thing. Or I can. I don’t want you or Doreen anywhere near him.”
*tag Marie*
“This is important, Marie, and I don’t think it can wait," said Pete, hurrying his words to get them out before Marie decided to hang up. "Jerry’s flipped out, and he stormed out of here a few minutes ago. He was ranting about getting you to pay up on your debt. I’m afraid he might be heading to your house, or maybe Doreen’s. He’s unhinged, I mean completely off his rocker, and I’m afraid he might be dangerous. If he shows up at your place, don’t let him in. You should call Doreen and tell her the same thing. Or I can. I don’t want you or Doreen anywhere near him.”
*tag Marie*
“This is important, Marie, and I don’t think it can wait," said Pete, hurrying his words to get them out before Marie decided to hang up.
That got Marie's attention. Did he have more goods on the dorks? Was it something concerning the theft of her car? "Alright, tell me," Marie replied cautiously, hoping that this was going to be worth her while.
"Jerry’s flipped out, and he stormed out of here a few minutes ago. He was ranting about getting you to pay up on your debt. I’m afraid he might be heading to your house, or maybe Doreen’s. He’s unhinged, I mean completely off his rocker, and I’m afraid he might be dangerous. If he shows up at your place, don’t let him in. You should call Doreen and tell her the same thing. Or I can. I don’t want you or Doreen anywhere near him.”
Marie stood there for a moment speechless. She wasn't sure how to respond to that. Jerry had gone nuts and was possibly after her?
"Uh, wait. What now," She asked dumbfounded. Marie wasn't quite sure she processed what Pete had just told her. "What do you mean by 'dangerous'? Like he's going to try to murder me? What should I do? Call the police?"
*Tag*
"Okay... get your ass over here now! My parents are out and I don't want to be here alone! I'll call, Dori. Should I have her come over, too? Maybe she should stay at her house if she's home?" Marie asked nervously, wondering if the front door was locked. Right now, she had no idea what to do and was freaking out.
*Tag*
That got Marie's attention. Did he have more goods on the dorks? Was it something concerning the theft of her car? "Alright, tell me," Marie replied cautiously, hoping that this was going to be worth her while.
"Jerry’s flipped out, and he stormed out of here a few minutes ago. He was ranting about getting you to pay up on your debt. I’m afraid he might be heading to your house, or maybe Doreen’s. He’s unhinged, I mean completely off his rocker, and I’m afraid he might be dangerous. If he shows up at your place, don’t let him in. You should call Doreen and tell her the same thing. Or I can. I don’t want you or Doreen anywhere near him.”
Marie stood there for a moment speechless. She wasn't sure how to respond to that. Jerry had gone nuts and was possibly after her?
"Uh, wait. What now," She asked dumbfounded. Marie wasn't quite sure she processed what Pete had just told her. "What do you mean by 'dangerous'? Like he's going to try to murder me? What should I do? Call the police?"
*Tag*
"Okay... get your ass over here now! My parents are out and I don't want to be here alone! I'll call, Dori. Should I have her come over, too? Maybe she should stay at her house if she's home?" Marie asked nervously, wondering if the front door was locked. Right now, she had no idea what to do and was freaking out.
*Tag*
"Uh, wait. What now," She asked dumbfounded. Marie wasn't quite sure she processed what Pete had just told her. "What do you mean by 'dangerous'? Like he's going to try to murder me? What should I do? Call the police?"
“Um…” Pete didn’t know what to say. He wasn’t used to dealing with stuff like this. This was the kind of thing that happened on TV, not in real life. Or at least, not to him and people he knew. “Look, I don’t think he’s going to try to murder you. This is mostly about him wanting to get with Doreen, and he doesn’t want to wait till the weekend. At least, I think that’s what it’s about. He was babbling a lot of nonsense, so it’s hard to say what he’s thinking. Uh, I don’t think you should call the police, at least not yet. Lock all your doors and windows, and if he shows up, don’t let him in. Don’t even let him know you’re there; pretend nobody’s home. And if he doesn’t go away, or if he tries to get in, then call the police. In the meantime, I’m going to head over there. I’m coming from River Oaks, and Jerry's got a head start, so he might get there before I do, but I won't be far behind.”
"Okay... get your ass over here now! My parents are out and I don't want to be here alone! I'll call, Dori. Should I have her come over, too? Maybe she should stay at her house if she's home?" Marie asked nervously, wondering if the front door was locked. Right now, she had no idea what to do and was freaking out.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea for Doreen to come to your house; she’d be vulnerable while she’s on the way over,” said Pete. “Tell her the same thing I told you, to stay in her house with the doors locked, and call the police if Jerry shows up and tries to get in. I’ll get there as soon as I can, and maybe when I get to your house we can go together to Doreen’s. Just sit tight till I get there.”
*tag Marie*
“Um…” Pete didn’t know what to say. He wasn’t used to dealing with stuff like this. This was the kind of thing that happened on TV, not in real life. Or at least, not to him and people he knew. “Look, I don’t think he’s going to try to murder you. This is mostly about him wanting to get with Doreen, and he doesn’t want to wait till the weekend. At least, I think that’s what it’s about. He was babbling a lot of nonsense, so it’s hard to say what he’s thinking. Uh, I don’t think you should call the police, at least not yet. Lock all your doors and windows, and if he shows up, don’t let him in. Don’t even let him know you’re there; pretend nobody’s home. And if he doesn’t go away, or if he tries to get in, then call the police. In the meantime, I’m going to head over there. I’m coming from River Oaks, and Jerry's got a head start, so he might get there before I do, but I won't be far behind.”
"Okay... get your ass over here now! My parents are out and I don't want to be here alone! I'll call, Dori. Should I have her come over, too? Maybe she should stay at her house if she's home?" Marie asked nervously, wondering if the front door was locked. Right now, she had no idea what to do and was freaking out.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea for Doreen to come to your house; she’d be vulnerable while she’s on the way over,” said Pete. “Tell her the same thing I told you, to stay in her house with the doors locked, and call the police if Jerry shows up and tries to get in. I’ll get there as soon as I can, and maybe when I get to your house we can go together to Doreen’s. Just sit tight till I get there.”
*tag Marie*
"Okay... get your ass over here now! My parents are out and I don't want to be here alone! I'll call, Dori. Should I have her come over, too? Maybe she should stay at her house if she's home?" Marie asked nervously, wondering if the front door was locked. Right now, she had no idea what to do and was freaking out.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea for Doreen to come to your house; she’d be vulnerable while she’s on the way over,” said Pete. “Tell her the same thing I told you, to stay in her house with the doors locked, and call the police if Jerry shows up and tries to get in. I’ll get there as soon as I can, and maybe when I get to your house we can go together to Doreen’s. Just sit tight till I get there.”
"Alright, fine. Just get over here as fast as you can and hurry! I'll call Doreen," Marie snapped and hung the receiver up before Pete could respond. She looked anxiously to toward the front door. Should she check it first and then call Doreen?
Marie started toward the front door but stopped. She quickly retreated to the kitchen and grabbed the biggest butcher knife she could. Marie started to move towards the front door and stopped again. She turned on her heels instead and dashed to the living room and locked the backdoor leading to the pool. After taking a deep breath, she then made her way to the front door cautiously. Her father had a gun in the bedroom in the nightstand drawer. Should she get it? Marie didn't know how to shoot.
Suddenly, Marie realized that Jerry could be there any second and she had to warn Doreen. She forced herself to hurry to the front door. It was already locked, but she set the deadbolt and safety chain, too. Normally, those were only set at night. Marie stole a glance out the window and scanned the street. There was no sign of Jerry's bug.
Marie hurried to check the garage door which meant another trip past the phone and through the kitchen. Suddenly, it dawned on her that with the big door down, there was no way to get in without a remote. Still, Marie wasn't taking any chances.
With the butcher knife still in hand, Marie snatched the receiver from the wall and frantically dialed Doreen's number. She glanced nervously at the front door every few seconds. The phone rang, but no one answered. "Come on, answer damn it," Marie hissed aloud. After the eighth ring she slammed the phone down.
Marie debated if she should go upstairs and lock herself in the bathroom or stay by the phone. There was no phone up there and if Jerry were as out of control as Pete was claiming and decided to break in, all she would have is the knife. Pete was on his way and she'd have to open the door for him anyway. She glanced at the phone again, wondering if she should try Dori or wait a minute or two. Before she could answer herself, she snatched the receiver and hit redial. The phone began to ring over and over.
Just then, she heard the doorbell and froze...
“I don’t think it’s a good idea for Doreen to come to your house; she’d be vulnerable while she’s on the way over,” said Pete. “Tell her the same thing I told you, to stay in her house with the doors locked, and call the police if Jerry shows up and tries to get in. I’ll get there as soon as I can, and maybe when I get to your house we can go together to Doreen’s. Just sit tight till I get there.”
"Alright, fine. Just get over here as fast as you can and hurry! I'll call Doreen," Marie snapped and hung the receiver up before Pete could respond. She looked anxiously to toward the front door. Should she check it first and then call Doreen?
Marie started toward the front door but stopped. She quickly retreated to the kitchen and grabbed the biggest butcher knife she could. Marie started to move towards the front door and stopped again. She turned on her heels instead and dashed to the living room and locked the backdoor leading to the pool. After taking a deep breath, she then made her way to the front door cautiously. Her father had a gun in the bedroom in the nightstand drawer. Should she get it? Marie didn't know how to shoot.
Suddenly, Marie realized that Jerry could be there any second and she had to warn Doreen. She forced herself to hurry to the front door. It was already locked, but she set the deadbolt and safety chain, too. Normally, those were only set at night. Marie stole a glance out the window and scanned the street. There was no sign of Jerry's bug.
Marie hurried to check the garage door which meant another trip past the phone and through the kitchen. Suddenly, it dawned on her that with the big door down, there was no way to get in without a remote. Still, Marie wasn't taking any chances.
With the butcher knife still in hand, Marie snatched the receiver from the wall and frantically dialed Doreen's number. She glanced nervously at the front door every few seconds. The phone rang, but no one answered. "Come on, answer damn it," Marie hissed aloud. After the eighth ring she slammed the phone down.
Marie debated if she should go upstairs and lock herself in the bathroom or stay by the phone. There was no phone up there and if Jerry were as out of control as Pete was claiming and decided to break in, all she would have is the knife. Pete was on his way and she'd have to open the door for him anyway. She glanced at the phone again, wondering if she should try Dori or wait a minute or two. Before she could answer herself, she snatched the receiver and hit redial. The phone began to ring over and over.
Just then, she heard the doorbell and froze...
Jerry had taken the long way back to Teal Cove to clear his head. He wondered if Pete was going to be at Marie's house, but as he pulled up, there was no sign of his car or anyone else's. Jerry sat in his VW bug for a moment or two debating if he should knock on Marie's front door or not.
Finally, after quickly considering options, he figured he had nothing to lose. He was in a calmer state now and much more clear-headed and rational. Jerry hopped out of his car, slammed the door, and made his way up the walkway. As he approached, he could hear Marie's little dog barking frantically through the front door. Jerry rang the doorbell and stepped back a moment waiting to see if she or anyone else answered.
A minute or two passed. The dog continued yapping away. That didn't mean anything, however. The dog could easily be there alone. Jerry wondered if Marie wasn't headed to River Oaks already and he missed her as he drove around on the back roads. He debated if he should go back up to the country club, try heading to Doreen's house, or come back a little later. He knocked on the door one last time just in case Marie was in the bathroom. Could she be in there avoiding him? It was always possible that Pete had called her somehow.
After pondering what to do another moment, Jerry decided the best course of action was to sit in his car for a few minutes to see if Marie, Pete, or anyone else showed up. He could think his plan over a little more while he waited.
Finally, after quickly considering options, he figured he had nothing to lose. He was in a calmer state now and much more clear-headed and rational. Jerry hopped out of his car, slammed the door, and made his way up the walkway. As he approached, he could hear Marie's little dog barking frantically through the front door. Jerry rang the doorbell and stepped back a moment waiting to see if she or anyone else answered.
A minute or two passed. The dog continued yapping away. That didn't mean anything, however. The dog could easily be there alone. Jerry wondered if Marie wasn't headed to River Oaks already and he missed her as he drove around on the back roads. He debated if he should go back up to the country club, try heading to Doreen's house, or come back a little later. He knocked on the door one last time just in case Marie was in the bathroom. Could she be in there avoiding him? It was always possible that Pete had called her somehow.
After pondering what to do another moment, Jerry decided the best course of action was to sit in his car for a few minutes to see if Marie, Pete, or anyone else showed up. He could think his plan over a little more while he waited.
By the time he got to his car, Pete felt like he was close to panicking. He started the engine and took off like a shot before forcing himself to slow down and maintain a reasonable speed. He was over the speed limit, but only by five to ten miles per hour or so, probably not enough to get pulled over. Jerry had a head start of several minutes, but Pete knew it wouldn’t do him any good if he got stopped by the police while trying to make up the lost ground. He wished the phone call to Marie hadn’t taken so long, but he comforted himself with the knowledge that at least she was forewarned about the possibility of a visit by an insane Jerry. Marie would lock the house and not let Jerry in, and that ought to give him a few extra minutes to get there before things got out of control. Hell, maybe Jerry wasn’t even going there.
As he drove, he tried to psych himself up for the potential confrontation. “You can do this,” he thought to himself. “You face tough situations all the time. This isn’t so different from a football game, down a few points with time running out. You just have to focus, move the ball, and score that last touchdown before the end of the game. You’ve done it plenty of times before.”
As he pulled into Marie’s neighborhood, he’d almost convinced himself that Jerry wasn’t even going to be there. He’d probably just gone back to his own house to mope. But then Pete saw the orange Volkswagen on Marie’s driveway, and his heart sank. “Damn it,” he growled quietly and to no one in particular. His eyes darted toward the front door of Marie’s house, and then at all the windows on this side of the house when he didn’t see Jerry at the door. A second look at the bug revealed Jerry still sitting in the driver’s seat. That made Pete feel better; at least he knew Jerry wasn’t trying to break in, or already inside.
Pete parked on the street rather than pulling into the driveway; if Jerry decided to leave in a hurry, Pete didn’t want his own car to be an obstacle to Jerry’s retreat. He shut off the engine and reluctantly climbed out of the car, all the while wondering if he shouldn’t have a weapon of some sort with him. There was nothing at hand, though, unless he wanted to take the time to open the trunk and dig around in the toolbox for a wrench or something, which he didn’t. Maybe it was for the best; the presence of a weapon might cause things to get out of hand quickly, and Pete didn’t want to fight if it could be avoided. Maybe there was still a chance to resolve this peacefully.
Pete walked slowly towards the Beetle, stopping about ten feet away. The driver’s side window was rolled down, and Pete could talk to Jerry from here. “Hey, Jerry,” he said, hoping it sounded like a calm greeting. He didn’t know what to say to someone in Jerry’s mental state, but he figured the best thing he could do was just to be there as a firm presence, not being overtly hostile, but just making sure Jerry understood that Marie had protection. “You left River Oaks pretty abruptly. I didn’t know if you were going to come here, but I thought you might. Is everything okay?”
*tags*
As he drove, he tried to psych himself up for the potential confrontation. “You can do this,” he thought to himself. “You face tough situations all the time. This isn’t so different from a football game, down a few points with time running out. You just have to focus, move the ball, and score that last touchdown before the end of the game. You’ve done it plenty of times before.”
As he pulled into Marie’s neighborhood, he’d almost convinced himself that Jerry wasn’t even going to be there. He’d probably just gone back to his own house to mope. But then Pete saw the orange Volkswagen on Marie’s driveway, and his heart sank. “Damn it,” he growled quietly and to no one in particular. His eyes darted toward the front door of Marie’s house, and then at all the windows on this side of the house when he didn’t see Jerry at the door. A second look at the bug revealed Jerry still sitting in the driver’s seat. That made Pete feel better; at least he knew Jerry wasn’t trying to break in, or already inside.
Pete parked on the street rather than pulling into the driveway; if Jerry decided to leave in a hurry, Pete didn’t want his own car to be an obstacle to Jerry’s retreat. He shut off the engine and reluctantly climbed out of the car, all the while wondering if he shouldn’t have a weapon of some sort with him. There was nothing at hand, though, unless he wanted to take the time to open the trunk and dig around in the toolbox for a wrench or something, which he didn’t. Maybe it was for the best; the presence of a weapon might cause things to get out of hand quickly, and Pete didn’t want to fight if it could be avoided. Maybe there was still a chance to resolve this peacefully.
Pete walked slowly towards the Beetle, stopping about ten feet away. The driver’s side window was rolled down, and Pete could talk to Jerry from here. “Hey, Jerry,” he said, hoping it sounded like a calm greeting. He didn’t know what to say to someone in Jerry’s mental state, but he figured the best thing he could do was just to be there as a firm presence, not being overtly hostile, but just making sure Jerry understood that Marie had protection. “You left River Oaks pretty abruptly. I didn’t know if you were going to come here, but I thought you might. Is everything okay?”
*tags*
Dolly, Marie's Maltese, had been barking at the door before the bell rang. Marie had long learned to ignore the tiny dog. Dolly tended to be pretty yappy and barked at the slightest noise. She once spent the entire afternoon barking at leaves blowing around on the porch. It didn't take much to set her off.
Marie had been focused on Doreen answering the phone. She was startled by the doorbell and froze staring at it, debating what to do next. After a moment she glanced down at the receiver in her hand and slowly sat it back in the cradle on the wall and raised the butcher knife. Her eyes cut between the phone and the door. Should she call the cops?
Just then, there was a sharp knock. Dolly got even more excited. What if it was Pete? Marie crept carefully to the door. She moved like a cat stalking its prey, not wanting to make a sound. She peered through the peephole and felt a rush of fear sweep over her as she saw Jerry standing on the porch. Marie was completely paralyzed. All she could do was stand there staring at Jerry.
After a moment, he turned and walked away. It wasn't until the car door opened before she breathed a sigh of relief. Marie continued to watch him, however. Jerry got in the car but didn't drive off. He just sat there for several minutes.
As Marie continued watching Jerry wondering why he wasn't leaving, it suddenly dawned on her that Doreen was at work. She should be safe if Jerry decided to go to her house. A moment later, Pete pulled up. He got out of his car and made his way to Jerry's bug. Marie debated if she should step out now that he was here or stay hidden.
Marie had been focused on Doreen answering the phone. She was startled by the doorbell and froze staring at it, debating what to do next. After a moment she glanced down at the receiver in her hand and slowly sat it back in the cradle on the wall and raised the butcher knife. Her eyes cut between the phone and the door. Should she call the cops?
Just then, there was a sharp knock. Dolly got even more excited. What if it was Pete? Marie crept carefully to the door. She moved like a cat stalking its prey, not wanting to make a sound. She peered through the peephole and felt a rush of fear sweep over her as she saw Jerry standing on the porch. Marie was completely paralyzed. All she could do was stand there staring at Jerry.
After a moment, he turned and walked away. It wasn't until the car door opened before she breathed a sigh of relief. Marie continued to watch him, however. Jerry got in the car but didn't drive off. He just sat there for several minutes.
As Marie continued watching Jerry wondering why he wasn't leaving, it suddenly dawned on her that Doreen was at work. She should be safe if Jerry decided to go to her house. A moment later, Pete pulled up. He got out of his car and made his way to Jerry's bug. Marie debated if she should step out now that he was here or stay hidden.
Pete walked slowly towards the Beetle, stopping about ten feet away. The driver’s side window was rolled down, and Pete could talk to Jerry from here.
Jerry was sitting in the car looking toward Marie's house lost in thought when he saw Pete's car coming down the street. Pete pulled up a safe distance behind Jerry's bug, got out, and approached the car cautiously. Jerry was watching Pete in the mirror as he approached. He waited until Pete got up beside the car and spoke before he reacted.
“Hey, Jerry,” he said, hoping it sounded like a calm greeting. He didn’t know what to say to someone in Jerry’s mental state, but he figured the best thing he could do was just to be there as a firm presence, not being overtly hostile, but just making sure Jerry understood that Marie had protection. “You left River Oaks pretty abruptly. I didn’t know if you were going to come here, but I thought you might. Is everything okay?”
Without a word, Jerry opened the car door but didn't close it and stepped out. "You got a problem, Pete," Jerry asked after staring the blonde man down a moment. "Can't you mind your own business? I gave you a chance to help and you didn't. You were more interested in trying to be Moses Fuckin' Malone and impress those kids in the gym."
*Tag*
Jerry was sitting in the car looking toward Marie's house lost in thought when he saw Pete's car coming down the street. Pete pulled up a safe distance behind Jerry's bug, got out, and approached the car cautiously. Jerry was watching Pete in the mirror as he approached. He waited until Pete got up beside the car and spoke before he reacted.
“Hey, Jerry,” he said, hoping it sounded like a calm greeting. He didn’t know what to say to someone in Jerry’s mental state, but he figured the best thing he could do was just to be there as a firm presence, not being overtly hostile, but just making sure Jerry understood that Marie had protection. “You left River Oaks pretty abruptly. I didn’t know if you were going to come here, but I thought you might. Is everything okay?”
Without a word, Jerry opened the car door but didn't close it and stepped out. "You got a problem, Pete," Jerry asked after staring the blonde man down a moment. "Can't you mind your own business? I gave you a chance to help and you didn't. You were more interested in trying to be Moses Fuckin' Malone and impress those kids in the gym."
*Tag*
Without a word, Jerry opened the car door but didn't close it and stepped out. "You got a problem, Pete," Jerry asked after staring the blonde man down a moment. "Can't you mind your own business? I gave you a chance to help and you didn't. You were more interested in trying to be Moses Fuckin' Malone and impress those kids in the gym."
Pete was flabbergasted at what he was hearing from Jerry. Hadn’t they come to the club to play basketball? What else were you supposed to do on a basketball court? And if anybody had made an impression on those kids, it was Jerry himself. Pete hadn’t interacted with the kids at all; he’d merely pointed out to Jerry that he was attracting their attention. “I am minding my own business, Jerry. When I left River Oaks, I came to my girlfriend’s house, and I found you here.” He spread his arms, a look of bewilderment on his face. “What are you doing here, Jerry? Looking for Doreen? It doesn’t look like she’s here; I don’t see her car anywhere. It’s a weekday; she’s probably working.” Pete had told Jerry at the club that he didn’t know what Doreen’s schedule was, and it was true. He thought she was working part-time during the summer as an office assistant or something at her father’s law firm. He didn’t know the details, and if he did he wouldn’t have told Jerry anyway, not the way he was acting now.
“So what were you expecting to happen here? You said you wanted my help; well, I’m not playing basketball now. You’ve got my attention. What kind of help exactly are you looking for? Just what is it you think I can do to help you, and what did you expect to achieve by coming to Marie’s house?”
*tags*
Pete was flabbergasted at what he was hearing from Jerry. Hadn’t they come to the club to play basketball? What else were you supposed to do on a basketball court? And if anybody had made an impression on those kids, it was Jerry himself. Pete hadn’t interacted with the kids at all; he’d merely pointed out to Jerry that he was attracting their attention. “I am minding my own business, Jerry. When I left River Oaks, I came to my girlfriend’s house, and I found you here.” He spread his arms, a look of bewilderment on his face. “What are you doing here, Jerry? Looking for Doreen? It doesn’t look like she’s here; I don’t see her car anywhere. It’s a weekday; she’s probably working.” Pete had told Jerry at the club that he didn’t know what Doreen’s schedule was, and it was true. He thought she was working part-time during the summer as an office assistant or something at her father’s law firm. He didn’t know the details, and if he did he wouldn’t have told Jerry anyway, not the way he was acting now.
“So what were you expecting to happen here? You said you wanted my help; well, I’m not playing basketball now. You’ve got my attention. What kind of help exactly are you looking for? Just what is it you think I can do to help you, and what did you expect to achieve by coming to Marie’s house?”
*tags*
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