Ten Days Later
Larry leaned back against the wall, able to relax for a few minutes, as the movie reached a scene without Zeke in it. Leo and I sat beside him on the bed, facing the TV screen: I wanted to take full advantage of the little remaining time I had with Leo. Maverick sat on my other side, holding my free hand with his own.
Larry closed his eyes and sighed to drain away some of the tension. He nudged me and grinned. "Got your bag packed?"
I shrugged. "Maverick and I threw a few things together. They'll have laundry facilities at the fraternity, right?"
"Oh, sure. And we're only staying a few days anyway."
I bit my lip, trying to decide whether I'd forgotten anything. "I'm so totally out of the habit of traveling anywhere. It's exciting, but kind of scary." I laughed. "You and Leo are used to it now. You just finished spending the weekend with both your families."
Larry looked at me curiously. "You could do that, you know."
I waved my arm to indicate my surroundings. "This is my family, here. Maverick..." I rubbed my shoulder against his, "...you and Leo, all the other boys." I looked at Maverick. "Hon, you were close to your family. Compared to me, anyway. Do you want to go see them?"
Maverick thought about it. "Next year, I think. I want to see my dad when I'm a graduate. I was so focused on getting in. I want to show him I made it through."
I squeezed his hand. "I want to meet him too. He sounds like a good guy." I smiled at him.
Maverick was about to respond when Larry said, "Hst! Zeke's back on." We quieted down, watching the screen nearly as intently as Larry.
After Zeke's first line in the scene, a slightly cross, "What are you talking about, Frank?" Larry thumbed the PAUSE button on the remote and said, imitating Zeke's voice, "What are you talking about, Frank?"
I blinked in surprise. "That was good! I think you're getting better just since the start of the movie! You've just had, what, three sessions with the voice coach?"
To our surprise, Ted Bloom had lined up a coach immediately, a falcon he had known in college. Bloom was no doubt paying him enough to be discreet. Secrecy was not crucial, as it would not be a tragedy if Zeke found out what was happening — nothing was going to happen to him. Nevertheless, Bloom hoped to avoid any complications that might arise from Zeke learning what was going on.
Larry beamed at me. "Yeah, but he gives me a lot of homework. I've been driving Leo nuts, listening to Zeke on headphones and trying to sound like him. I'm trying to get the pitch just right, and kind of stretch out my vowels more, the way Zeke does. Oh, and did I tell you this coach is helping me on other stuff besides voice? That's his specialty, but he's pointing out some of Zeke's mannerisms too. Like... Oh, I think one's coming up in a few seconds. Hold on..." He set the movie in motion again, then paused it again, and pointed at the once-more frozen Zeke on the screen. "Did you see that little head-turn he did? Like this." Larry flicked his head to the side without taking his eyes off me. "He does that when he's mad, which I'll have to be a lot."
Leo laughed. "Pretty soon you'll look so much like him you won't even need the surgery." He got serious again. "Really, you're doing great."
Larry rubbed Leo's arm fondly. "Thank you, sweety." He looked at me again, and leaned forward to include Maverick in his line of sight. "I'll really make you guys crazy after the surgery. By that time I'm going to be trying to use Zeke's voice all the time. And I want you to tell me if I slip back into my own voice. I need Zeke's to come out of me naturally in whatever situation Ted puts me in..." He shook his head, irritated with himself. "I mean Edward. Edward. Edward. Edward. Damn it. I need to remember to call him that. That's what Zeke would call him. He didn't start going by Ted until college."
I was about to tell Larry to go a little easier on himself, but I held back. Larry insisted that the time to catch all mistakes, and edit them out of his behavior, was now. I couldn't argue with that, and I knew how important this was to Larry.
It was becoming important to Maverick and me as well. All four of us occupied many of our free hours going over bios of Zeke from various sources, and Bloom's own increasingly detailed reminiscences, some of them written, some of them spoken into a recorder. The four of us, whenever we got together, either watched Zeke Hillcrest movies or else had long bull sessions speculating on how Zeke would react to various contingencies, and what he would say.
We knew, now, the origin of Bloom's grudge against Zeke Hillcrest. That was a great help with the planning. I thought back to what Bloom had said in his notes.
High school junior Edward Bloom had just begun emerging from a gawky, nerdy, and rather lonely adolescence, his body beginning to solidify into manhood, and with his physical development had come a determination to leave the safe havens of Math Club and Chess Club, to meet more people, make more friends, to be regarded as a normal boy. His pursuit of Real Life had culminated in the decision, unfortunate in retrospect, to try to wriggle his way into the small circle of friends surrounding the most awe-inspiring boy in the school, Edward's classmate Ezekiel Hill — a name Ezekiel disliked, the last name too pedestrian, the first too long and biblical. Ezekiel, soon to call himself Zeke, had already had small parts in a couple of low-budget films. This already made him a star in the eyes of the other students. Nearly every student at the school, male or female, fantasized about somehow finding themselves in bed with the mega-hot lemur. His exalted social status meant that relatively few could picture how to make it happen.
Edward began hanging around and joining conversations in Ezekiel's vicinity, with the goal of getting the movie boy accustomed to seeing his face, and soon was butting into Ezekiel's own conversations with the chosen few whose regular presence Ezekiel allowed. Ezekiel's friends seemed annoyed at first, but Ezekiel himself appeared welcoming. Edward had not yet learned to distinguish a friendly smile from an amused, self-absorbed one.
No one could have been more thrilled than Edward on the day Ezekiel approached him, sans entourage, as he walked toward the cafeteria for lunch. Want to come to a party, Ezekiel had asked? Sure, gasped Edward. The party, Ezekiel explained, would be at the home of Ezekiel's friend Ambrose, whose father was out of town on business. What should I wear, asked Edward. We're all pretending to be burglars, Ezekiel laughed. Can you wear black pants and a black long-sleeved sweatshirt? If it's got a hood, that would be perfect. Oh, and black gloves, of course. Quivering with excitement, Edward memorized the address and the time. I'm in! thought Edward. I'm in with the innest crowd in the whole school!
I guess I'm early, Edward thought as he arrived at Ambrose's house, dressed as required in a black outfit that had almost entirely drained his allowance. Is this the right house? It must be, Ambrose's last name is on the mailbox. But it's dark. And so quiet. No music yet. But the front door is open. I guess I can go right in. Maybe they're all upstairs. To the right of the door, Edward saw, with surprise, that a window was also open, its raised lower pane broken. Seems like Ambrose would put something over that, he thought. Even if his dad's not here.
He nearly tripped over a black backpack just beyond the front door, and the backpack, open, spilled some of its contents on the floor as he kicked it. His puzzlement grew as he tried to stuff the things back into the pack. Household items, some of them expensive-looking, and a small pile of cash. Weird this would just be sitting here in the living room, he thought.
The police arrived hardly a minute after Edward had entered, pointing flashlights and guns, ordering him to freeze, as he still knelt over the backpack. Edward's mind spun as his body shook with fear. Maybe some neighbor thought I looked suspicious, he fretted. But how could the police have got here so fast? But it'll be okay, he told himself, trying to calm down. I'll just explain.
At the police station, an officer told Edward that Ambrose, contacted via his cell phone, was at his friend Ezekiel Hill's house, and had told the officer he knew nothing about a party at his own house. He was staying with Ezekiel while his father was away. But Ezekiel invited me, Edward wailed tearfully. Mister Hill doesn't know anything about it either, he was told. I had to describe you before they even knew who you were.
Edward was charged with breaking and entering with intent to rob. There was a short hearing, in which Ambrose and Ezekiel repeated their denials of any plans for a party, or inviting Edward to come to one, and laughed at the idea that their friends would all come to a party dressed as burglars. If Edward had been eighteen, as a prey-species criminal he would have been executed, his body afterwards sent to a furrier, his anonymous fur to be sold as scarves and patches. At sixteen, a juvenile with no previous arrests, he was merely put on probation, his records to be sealed once he turned eighteen.
He was lucky the police and courts were discreet about juvenile records. His father knew, but no one at school did. Except for...
Edward never approached Ezekiel Hill nor any of his circle again. Seething with fury, he promised himself he would get Ezekiel back one day.
His social networking site, which grew out of a freshman class project in college, had been inspired by his motivation to help shy teens with few social skills meet people with whom they shared common interests — and avoid the potential disaster of trying to bond with people who were entirely out of their league.
The sale of his site made him wealthy, able to pursue his heart's desire. His heart had just one real desire.
I shook my head. I didn't want to think about the depth of the anger Bloom must have experienced — still experienced. "Are you sure this fake hanging is really going to be enough for him, Larry? Won't he go after the real Zeke eventually?" I was amazed that that hadn't happened yet.
Larry smiled. "That's why I really want to make this as real as I can. Edward is going to have this memory of killing Zeke Hillcrest. He'll really feel like he did! If I do my part right, anyway. I don't mean he'll actually believe it. He's not crazy. But the satisfaction will be there! That's what I want to give him. The feeling. The memory! He'll remember killing Zeke, the rest of his life. And who knows — maybe I'll be saving Zeke's life!" Larry's smile spread into a grin. "If you ever meet Zeke, tell him for me."
I rolled my eyes. "Oh yeah, like that's likely."
Larry was about to start up the movie again, but stopped at the sound of a knock on the door. After I called, "In!" the door opened and Marcus peeked around it tentatively. "Wynn? You really busy? Hi," he said, nodding and smiling at the others in the room.
"A little, right now. We're helping Larry get ready for his hanging."
Marcus gasped, his eyes alight. "Really? That's great! I hadn't heard, Larry!"
We had decided to keep the details a secret from the rest of the students, though we did plan to host a party for Larry after Leo's hanging — before Larry's surgery. I asked, "Did you need something, hon?"
"Oh, I was just hoping you could help me a little with the sex moves. I'm still having a hard time breathing while I'm doing it."
I nodded. "Everybody does, at first. Want to come by around..." I looked at the clock. "Eight? We're leaving in the morning for a few days for Leo's hanging, but tonight is okay." I wrapped my arms more tightly around Leo and gave him a kiss on the neck, where the noose would be in a few days. Leo giggled in response.
Marcus smiled. "That one I knew about. Eight is okay. I'll see you then, Wynn." He gave a little wave and backed out the door.
I shrugged. "Funny he never asks Maverick for help."
Leo laughed. "Don't be dense, Wynn."
"What?"
"You know he's got a big crush on you, right?"
I blinked. "On me? What makes you say that?"
Larry groaned in exasperation. "You really are dense about this. Do you think he's really having trouble with the moves? He was in those classes you and Maverick did, and we've all seen him practice. You've seen how good he is. He just wants to be with you!"
I frowned, looking down. "I just... can't picture Marshall having a crush on somebody. He was so..."
Leo interrupted me. "A, Marcus isn't Marshall. And B... Wynn, you really need to take Marshall off that pedestal and get face to face with him sometime. Marshall was a boy, not God, not even Superman! Years ago he was just a scared First Year boy, and probably had crushes on some older boys, and thought he could never be as good as them — the same stuff we've all been through. I agree he was special. We all admired him. But he was a real boy, too! You met him when he was a graduate of the Academy, and you know now what that means, the kind of training he'd had. You're expecting Marcus to be like that already. He can't be. But I'll bet anything he will be!"
I sighed again. "Yeah, okay. It's just... really confusing." I rested my chin on Leo's shoulder and rubbed my head against his.
Larry suddenly bubbled over in laughter. "You think you're confused now? Wait till I'm Zeke!"
I stood wide-eyed in the front entrance to the Academy, looking up and down along the street as Maverick and I waited for Larry and Leo, seeing the outside world for the first time in over two years. Even the sunlight looked different, somehow, from what was available in the Academy's inner courtyard, where we did our tanning and running. I took a deep breath. Yes, the air tasted different too.
I squeezed Maverick's hand. "Seems weird, doesn't it?"
Maverick shrugged. "It's been here the whole time."
I laughed and kissed him. "I knew you'd say something like that." I watched the limo pull up in the circular drive in front of the building, and looked back. "Where are they — oh, here they are!" Larry and Leo came running into the foyer, laughing, holding hands, each gripping an overnight bag in his free hand, just like Maverick and me. I recognized the signs that Larry was bursting to tell me something. I gave him a look and said, "What?"
"Tell you in the car! You ready?"
"We've been waiting for you."
"Oh, sorry. Leo was having a hard time getting out of the room."
Leo laughed. "Come on. I'll never see it again." He turned slowly, looking at the building. "And now I won't see this again."
Larry giggled. "Parts of you will." The fraternity boys had promised to send back nearly half of Leo's fur to be shared with the students, not just the one foot square swatch of fur that the contract required.
Leo took a deep breath. "I just can't believe it. This is it, Larry! I'm going to my own hanging! My show!"
Orson, a huge grizzly bear who would be our driver/bodyguard, stood silently by the limo doors, his hands in front of him. He had no doubt seen the same scene many times. He knew to be patient.
At last Leo grabbed Larry's hand again. "Let's go! I can't wait to see the gallows!" He nearly yanked Larry off his feet as he ran down the steps to the car. He and Larry threw their bags into the open trunk and piled into the first seat behind the driver, buckling their seat belts as Maverick and I settled into the seat behind them. Leo giggled and pointed ahead, saying, "Onward, Orson!" as Orson opened the driver's-side door and sat down.
I leaned over the back of the seat and slapped Larry on the shoulder. "Okay, give. I know you've got news." I hadn't seen Larry or Leo since last night. They'd wanted to spend one last night alone together in the Academy, though there still remained today and all of tomorrow before Leo was hanged the day after.
Larry clasped his hands together, to stop them fluttering around as if they had minds of their own. "Well, the plastic surgeon came by last night..."
I gave him a puzzled look. "At night...?" Then it sank in, and I gasped. "Oh!! And he says it'll work?"
Larry pumped his fist. "Yes! Yes! That was the last thing I was worried about! I know he thought my pic looked okay, but he had to see me in three dimensions to make sure. He said he can do it!! I'm sure he must have told Ted... Edward, by now. So now Edward will get the contractor working on the dungeon, and... It's all going to happen, Wynn!"
I reached over the back of the seat and gave Larry as much of a hug as I could. Leo, who already had known the news but couldn't help getting caught up in Larry's excitement, pressed against his roommate and kissed him.
Even Maverick was staring at Larry in admiration. "So you know for sure how you're going to hang. That is so great." As soon as I let go, Maverick gave Larry an awkward hug over the seatback.
I wanted to know everything instantly, even though we would be with Larry constantly over the next two days. "Did he say what he'll have to do?"
Larry rolled his eyes. "Well, it's going to be pretty elaborate. He's going to give me a little bit more of a barrel chest, but of course mostly it'll be my face. I need a little bit wider chin, and higher cheekbones, of course. And obviously, the nose." Larry's nose was not overly large, but was fairly straight, where Zeke's was smaller with a gentle inward curve, a cute button nose. "Oh, he'll make my lips a little fuller too, and make them kind of upcurve into dimples at the end. I mean, you know what Zeke looks like, but it's funny thinking about all the things he'll do to me. He'll even do a little bit of electrolysis to give me Zeke's hairline, but the Academy's hairdresser will do the rest of that — bleach all the color out of my headfur, then henna, and cut it like Zeke does. And color my eyebrows, and fur — all of my fur." He chuckled, then grimaced. "After the surgery I'll need about four weeks to really recover. The Dean says I can stay in the infirmary after I'm brought back to the school, post-surgery. Oh!" He chuckled again. "Once my face is healed enough, then he'll do that cute little birthmark."
I gaped at him, grinning. "He's doing that too?"
Larry nodded eagerly. "I guess I hadn't thought much about how that part would get done, but as a plastic surgeon, he knows a lot about skin. In fact, he gave me a shot..." He absently rubbed his upper arm.
I blinked. "A shot? For what?"
"To get started lightening my skin tone, underneath my fur. You know how pale Zeke's under-skin is. Do I look any different?" He turned his head in various ways to give me a look.
I frowned. "To be honest, no."
Larry laughed. "It's okay. You wouldn't see it yet. He'll have to keep giving me treatments over the next few weeks for that, but he says gradually it'll get lighter. All over, of course, not just my face. I mean, obviously Edward's going to see me naked."
"How does he do the birthmark?"
"Tattooing, he's quite an artist. That's the part that's going to take longest. Probably several days. He says I should have only one color added at a time for best results."
Maverick squinted at him, his jaw agape in amazement. "Does he... know what he's doing it for? It must seem really weird to him. I mean, he can't get requests like this very often."
"Well, you'd be surprised, according to him. But yeah, Edward told him the whole story. Same with the voice coach. They both think it's really cool that he's doing it this way."
I shook my head. "All those movies of Zeke we've been watching, and the bios... I'm getting to feel like I know him, and pretty soon you'll be walking around looking and sounding like him!"
Larry bounced in his seat. "Isn't it a trip? Oh!" He suddenly looked, for almost the first time during the ride, at the scenery outside the van. "We're on campus already! Orson, can we see the building yet from here?"
Orson's deep voice rumbled, "According to the directions I got, it should be down that street." He pointed.
Larry suddenly looked serious. He held up his hands, looking over the seat at Maverick and me. "Okay. I knew you'd ask about the surgery once I told you I'd seen the surgeon. And I wanted us to talk about it with Leo here. But that's it, now. We're here now, so no more talk about me, and my surgery, and my show, and Zeke... any of that." He turned back to look at Leo, reaching out to take both of his hands. "From the time we get out of the car, it's all about Leo. This is his time, what he's been working toward all his life." His voice grew softer, yet somehow more intense. "Babe, you are going to have the best show ever. And we'll do everything we need to do to make sure they always, always remember when they saw a real Hanging Boy."
Leo looked back at his roommate, his eyes suddenly moist. His voice was a tremulous whisper. "Thank you for... Well, I've only got two days left with you, so I can't possibly say all the things I want to thank you for."
Larry said in a husky voice, "Just watching them when they see you hang. That's all I need." He rubbed his eyes with his shoulder, not letting go of Leo's hands.
We felt the limo slowing, and looked out the window. A large residential structure with the capital letters Delta and Rho came into view, several boys standing in front of the huge front door. Larry saw them first, withdrew his hand and pointed excitedly. "Look, there's Grover and the rest of them, out front waiting! We're here!"
Leo turned to look, his mouth open in an expression of awed delight, his fingers reaching up absently to brush the soft fabric of his choker. I could clearly see the stitching on the front of the choker: "Leo — Property of Delta Rho." I smiled, knowing what Leo must be thinking.
Moments later the limo had stopped in front of Delta Rho house, and Orson was opening the door next to me. As I emerged, with Maverick behind me, I was suddenly overwhelmed by the memory of seeing another limo, in what felt like a previous lifetime, stopping at my own house, and Bailey emerging from it, followed moments later by Marshall. And now I'm one of those Hanging Boys. Wow!
I waited as Orson opened the other door, and Larry pulled himself through the doorway and stood. The three of us, now, stood back respectfully as the star of the show, Leo, emerged and stood in the sunlight, swung his gaze slowly around the landscape of the campus, and at last faced the fraternity house, with a smile brighter than the sunlight. He walked toward his welcoming committee, the three of us trailing behind him, and gave each of the fraternity boys a warm hug. He giggled. "I guess I'm in the right place."
Grover, as usual, spoke for the others. "We've got rooms ready for you, if you want to see those first."
Leo nodded. "Sure. Oh, let us get our bags first. Then we'll be right with you."
A minute later, Leo entered his final home, flanked by his closest friends.