The 'Cousins'

Part Eighty: Felix The Nice Guy?

Part Eighty: Felix the Nice Guy!

Background: -

The College Principal has forbidden Jess from having anything more to do with Greg Mitchell on pain of expulsion.  Jess must also report back to the Principal next Monday morning with a credible plan for settling his outstanding debt before the end of the semester.  

Jess is unaware that Dr. Armstrong had since withdrawn the restrictions he placed on him after taking advice from Sheriff Donovan.  Armstrong told Leon, one of Felix’s boys, to inform Jess, but Felix prevented him from doing so, as it better suited his purposes for the coming Sunday shoot if Jess believed he was still under restriction.

Under pressure to settle his debt, believing any income through trading with Greg was now denied him and trusting in Felix’s promise to clear his debt immediately afterwards, Jess agreed to the  studio photographic shoot on Sunday. 

This was contrary to his better judgement, but Jess has no other means of clearing the debt. Once he cleared the debt he would leave the College and Bamptonville for home.

Felix told Kyler and his crew to ‘wet-nurse’ Jess to keep him sweet. Charlie Vaughn of In-Between Films, who will be directing the shoot, has told Felix that a very profitable new opportunity in the Far East is arising in October. If Jess has a successful shoot on Sunday he could be the one chosen to go forward for this opportunity that will make them all rich. Felix wants to make sure Jess will not renege and is waiting in his car outside the school gates. Felix needs to hear from Jess directly that he will go through with the session.

Jess, meanwhile, has had second thoughts since telling Kyler he will do the shoot. He planned to abscond from school and run away home before the meeting, however, Kyler positioned himself close to Jess as his bodyguard preventing Jess from getting  away. 

Kyler waited for Jess to shower after basketball practise and is now ‘frog marching’ him to the meeting place with Felix outside the school gates.

 Now read on: -

Timeline: 17:50, Friday 20th April, Outside the College Gates

“We’d better move! Felix called to say he’d be here in ten minutes. That was ten minutes ago and he’s in a hurry tonight.”

Jess picked up the anxiety in Kyler’s voice as the older boy’s grip on his arm strengthened to push him towards the College gates at a faster pace.

He felt detached from reality, as if he wasn’t there, but looking on from somewhere else.  It had all happened so quickly from being alone with his plan to defect under the comfort of the showers to this moment when his plan had been wrecked. Kyler had dragged him out of the shower, harassed him into a hurried towelling and dressing and was now propelling him to a frightful meeting with Felix. The discomforting dampness about his body from insufficient drying told him this was reality. What he hoped to escape was actually happening. His grand plan thwarted by Kyler.  Jess’s brain locked onto that fact. 

‘What do I do now?’ He wondered as Kyler pushed him through the gates and roughly turned him right to walk the thirty yards to where Felix waited for him in his car. It had all been talk until this moment. Jess looked up and saw the outline of the Buick standing in the dense shade beneath the lime trees, a dirty, black, menacing monster waiting to devour its prey. He shuddered as his heart missed a beat and he involuntarily emitted a short, sharp cry of despair.

It made Kyler chuckle and offer his unhelpful reassurance. “Don’t worry porn star. He won’t eat yer.” He laughed as he pushed Jess roughly forwards.