The Play
B. Benedict Braddock
Lazer swept past my door and ran full force toward the end of the hallway. He passed by nympho Alexis's room without even a quick glance, almost slamming into suicide Tony who was innocently moving to the lunch room for a snack. Probably an apple or peanut butter on crackers.
He crashed into the wall just as I got to my door frame to watch, splitting his head on the block like a rotten log, sending fragments of skin and spurts of blood all over the bleached walls. It made me hurt. Someone hit the alarm.
Alexis came out into the hallway, naked save for her hot pink panties, rubbing her thigh with one hand and pretending to cover her breasts with the other. Suicide Tony stared at her open mouthed, completely forgetting about the crackers or whatever his food fantasy was for the afternoon.
The white coats made their way down the hall like a special olympics event, tripping over themselves and gasping for air like small dogs in water. Some of the others came to their doors and watched, looking at me as though I magically knew more than they. Which, of course, I did.
Lazer kicked and screamed from the floor, catching the head white coat straight in the jaw and loosening teeth from the gums. I eyed Alexis and thought about doing her right there in the hallway, knowing the white coats were too busy to notice or at least to stop it on time. She smiled at me as if she could read my mind.
Someone called for a lockdown over the speaker, and the goody two shoes all went back into their rooms. I saw my opportunity and made it into Alexis' room just before the door slammed and locked shut. She looked at me with those dark beautiful eyes and then turned away as if she had something better to do. I put my ear to the door and listened.
You fucking scum bags! Lazer screamed. It made me laugh 'cause it was true.
Take off you underwear, I called back to Alexis.
Fuck you, she mumbled.
I put my ear back to the door. Damb right fuck me.
More footsteps pounded down the hallway and I tried to make out the source of the sounds I heard. I knew they were kicking the shit out of him. It wasn't like they had any choice in the matter.
Take off your underwear, I told her again.
Make me.
I ran for her and pulled her hair back. Then I tore them off of her. I began to suck on her neck just as Lazer screamed.
My man . . . my man, where you at homeboy?
I turned toward the door for one moment and that's all it took. Alexis drove her knee up into my balls, dropping me like a coin into the collection basket. I howled for Lazer as he screamed for me.
We needed to break out, that's all. To take somebody's Chevy station wagon and fill it with beer and rip down the highway until we saw God.
I watched Alexis walk to her dresser and take out a new pair of panties. She slipped them on and smiled at me. Try again, asshole?
I crawled to the door and heard Lazer. He was giving them a hell of a time, and I was cheering for him like a blonde haired, horny teenage girl in a short skirt and lettered sweater.
Fuck you, morons! he screamed and I repeated the cheer. It was as good as any I could come up with. I remembered Alexis and turned back to face her. It was never a good idea to turn your back on that crazy bitch for too long. She was sitting on the end of the bed now, twirling her hair and smiling like a drunken sailor. She started playing with her tits and I ran for her again, catching her off guard and landing fully on top of her on the bed. I had my belt undone and my fly loose when she reached back for the lamp and caught me full force over the head.
I rolled off onto the floor and tasted my own blood as it rolled down my face and into my mouth. It wasn't that bad really, not bad at all. Better than stale crackers and fucking peanut butter.
I crawled back to the door. Lazer! I shouted. No reply. They shut your freak friend up for good this time, Alexis said.
Shut your mouth, I told her.
Make me. I knew better now than to try.
Then I heard his sobbing through the door. The white coats were dragging him up the hall. That meant the needle. I'd never see him again. I began to cry too.
I was down there for a few minutes, I can't say how long, tasting blood and ignoring the throbbing in my head and balls.
Hey, Alexis called to me softly.
I turned and she pulled down her panties, lying back on the bed and spreading her legs with beauty like I'd never seen. What the hell, she said, do it quickly.
It was as if there was no pain at all. I was on my feet and standing at the end of her bed. I pulled out my penis and waited. Nothing. Alexis pulled herself up and tried to help, touching me softly and saying she loved me.
Then I heard the white coats. Where the hell is number six?
Alexis pulled me harder. They're looking for you, baby. Hurry up.
I tried and tried, and then . . . I was a gladiator, poised and ready and hungry as hell. Alexis lied back and I opened her again, just as the door popped.
The white coats were on me before I could get on her. They dragged me into the hallway, past all of Lazer's blood and suicide Tony who was munching on a banana near the lunch room. Down the hallway and into the elevator to the needle room.
They stuck my ass with the needle and tossed me roughly into the padded room to sleep. I heard soft sobbing from the corner.
Lazer?
Yeah?
Didn't work.
No?
No.
I rubbed my balls. I felt it now. It was all right, though, I'd be asleep soon.
Homeboy? Lazer said.
Yeah?
Next time you run interference and I'll make the play.
