The 'Cousins'

Part Six : Felix Plans a Photo Shoot

Part 6: Felix Plans a Photo Shoot.

Jess  had not slept well during the night.  The courage that had come with the adrenalin rush when he faced Kyler last night had worn off and his fear returned.  Every creak or noise of the building during the night would make him sit bolt upright in bed and shiver at the thought that Kyler and his thugs had returned to torment him.  He couldn’t believe they had given up on him so easily.

He was wide awake when dawn broke and decided to get himself through the bathroom before the rest of the dormitory rose.  He would keep a low profile during the day to stay away from Kyler; anxious to avoid any repercussions from last night.

He rubbed his leg. It was sore and stiff and pained him when he walked. He dragged it behind him  as he limped down to the cafeteria for breakfast. The attendant stood wide-eyed with surprise as Jess walked in.

‘We don’t get to see you down here at this time.’ She said with a good natured smirk.

Jess shrugged and mumbled, ‘Need to get an early start today.’

He ate alone at a corner table in the large room and was nearly finished when a bunch of joking students crowded into the room.  He glanced up anxiously to see if Kyler was with them and exhaled in relief when he saw it was a bunch of Freshmen.  Jess dumped his garbage in the trash can, stacked his plates  and left to hide away and wait for the bell to start the day’s lessons.

At break time he went to his dormitory instead of going outside in the yard with his class mates, just to stay away from Kyler. Jess didn’t want to give him a chance to come back at him and worried that they might come for him again that night? 

He looked out of the window and his heart missed a beat. He saw Felix Gleitner’s old blue Buick draw up to the school gate and Kyler sauntering across the yard towards it. 

Jess pulled back from the window so he couldn’t be seen and stood and watched them with his heart in his mouth.  Felix very rarely came to the school to avoid drawing attention to himself.  It had to be something very important to make him do so today, and Jess guessed he was that reason.

                                                                                  *    *    *

Felix shifted across to the passenger side, wound down the window and scowled. He knew from the expression on Kyler’s face, his stance with his arms opened ready to deliver an excuse that the operation had not gone well last night.

‘What happened,’ he bawled at Kyler?

‘It ain’t no good Felix.  We went to do it like you said and got him stripped down and ... Hell you should see the state of his leg.  It’s got more colours than a goddam rainbow.’

‘What leg?  What colours?  What you talking about?  Tell me what happened? Quickly. You know I can’t hang around here all day.’

Felix looked nervously around him to see if they were being watched.  Kyler bent down to Felix’s face to whisper.

‘He’s been in an accident.  A Limey ran him down off Charmain and he’s hurt- bad. The Limey’s paying his doctor bills, but that leg’s got more colours than Joseph’s coat so help me.  It’ll be no good for you in pictures for a couple of weeks at least’

‘Shit and double shit.’ Felix nibbled his knuckle while he thought.’

‘You and the others, you did the business or not?’

‘No Felix!  Not when we saw that leg.  He told us to go ahead when he knew he had no choice, but he said he didn’t want to do it and the Limey’s fixing him up with paid work to cover his bills.  Do you want us to do anything. To the  Brit I mean?’