Lasting Impressions. John Schlarbaum

bit?" Frank said. "You tried to kill me, Jeremy, and I don't even know why! If Susan left you for another guy, it's the first I've heard of it."

      "Frank, I wasn't going to kill you."

      "So I guess the scrapes on my face are imaginary?" he asked, touching a tender area of skin on one of his cheeks.

      "Stop being a baby," Jeremy countered. "As for Susan and I, we haven't broken up because of another guy - not that I know of at least." Jeremy rested his throbbing head in his hands, wishing he could cease to exist.

      The arrogant jerk isn’t the least bit sorry, Frank thought. "Look," he began, "I don't know what happened last night, but right here, right now, you tried to kill me! Don't you have anything to say about that?"

      "If you're looking for an apology, Frank, sorry, okay? I'm still trying to sort out a bunch of stuff from last night and I flipped out." Jeremy stood and picked his sunglasses up off the grass. "If you ever have a real bad night and want to take it out on someone, stop by my place and I'll let you beat the crap out of me," he offered. "Until then, I'm heading to Burt's for some coffee and a plate of greasy bacon and eggs. Are you coming?" Frank stared back at him. "If you don't want to join me, fine - Ed and Mark probably will. From the way they're looking, I figure they're in as bad a shape as I am. Wonder what they were celebrating?"

      Frank turned to see his two adversaries - the ones he'd wanted to warn Jeremy about – walking toward them.

      "Jer. Frank. What's shaking?" Edward said. "You missed a great party last night."

      "I was the host of my own sordid affair," Jeremy said with a forced smile.

      "Oh, right. Your parents were away and you had Susan all to yourself."

      "Sort of," Jeremy replied, looking in Frank's direction. "You could say it was a night I won't forget for a while."

      "Where are you and Frank off to?" Mark asked.

      "To get some coffee at Burt's for my hangover and help Frank with a headache that suddenly hit him."

      "A headache, huh?" Edward said with a smile. "Sure it isn't a stomach ache, Frankie?"

      Frank's blood pressure rose. He now empathized with what Jeremy had gone through moments earlier: the urge to lunge and throttle someone.

      "No, just a headache," Frank replied, clenching his teeth.

      "What were you two celebrating? From your condition, it looks like it was an all-nighter," Jeremy inquired.

      "This and that," Mark said, turning to Edward. "Making plans for the new school year, that's all."

      "Shouldn't I have been invited?" Jeremy began. "If it affects the group, we should all be present."

      "We knew you and Susan had certain strategies of your own to work on, so we theorized a little amongst ourselves."

      Jeremy ignored the comment. "Who's coming with me to Burt's? I can't stand this idle chit-chat any longer."

      Looking to Mark, Edward said, "We were going to the store for some munchies."

      "I'm not going to force you to come with me. If you're coming, come. If you're not, don't." Jeremy walked away, leaving the others behind. "What about you, Frank?" Jeremy asked, stopping momentarily.

      "Actually . . ." Frank began.

      "You better go with him, Frankie, or he'll lose all faith in you," Edward whispered.

      "And he won't love you any longer," Mark added.

      Frank looked to Jeremy who was waiting impatiently for a response. "I have some things to do at home," he finally replied.

      "Fine!" Jeremy turned and stormed up the street.

      "Now you did it. You got Jeremy mad at all of us," Edward said, as he circled Frank. "That was very bad. What kind of punishment do you think he deserves for being such a bad boy, Mark?"

      "Well," Mark said, as he also began to circle Frank. "If it was my call, I think I'd administer a swift—"

      "Punch in the stomach?" Edward interrupted, pulling his hand back and forcing it toward Frank's mid-section. Just before impact, he stopped, as Frank instinctively bent forward to lessen the blow.

      "Nah. He's had enough punishment the last few days," Edward said, stepping away from Frank. "Yesterday he got beat up and today he upset his hero, who will probably stop talking to him altogether."

      "That's if we're lucky," Mark said with a laugh.

      Frank was ready to snap. He'd been physically abused by Jeremy and now had to endure verbal abuse from the two people he loathed the most. As Edward and Mark walked away taunting and teasing him, Frank felt only one emotion: unbridled hatred.

      Now is the time to become my own person - not simply a stick figure in the shadow of Jeremy Atkins and his pompous pals. Frank figured with one bold act he could tarnish the reputations of all three foes.

      Walking back to his house alone, Frank felt like a changed person. He'd no longer have to play others' games to get ahead. He had a few of his own to play . . . games that would be played using only one set of rules: Frank Taylor's.