Foundation and Phoenix Chapter 1

Beige.

         That was the color of the walls in Granby Hall, the science building at Jarvis University in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Beige walls, beige and white ceiling tiles and white floor tiles with beige and blue spackles. The evenly-spaced windows in those distressingly beige walls framed the Front Range mountains in Colorado Springs. The scenery in those windows was also mostly beige interspersed with patches of dark green. It was early winter and the cold had faded the glittering gold of the Aspen leaves and the dormant fields of grass to a faded tan, close enough to beige to be its mildly mutated twin. The murals in between the windows tried their best to break the beigeness with their colorful scenes of smiling students conducting lab experiments, but the persistent undertone of beige was just too powerful.

Boring. Bland. Blah! For real though? Couldn’t they have picked a less boring color?

         Laughton Davus, Law for short, had no idea why his mind had drifted to this inane topic at this moment in his life; a dangerous, possibly violence-filled moment. He should be taking the situation more seriously, but for some reason, he couldn't. Maybe because it was high school all over again and he was just over it.

Past is prologue.

         Maybe because fear had become so commonplace as to be irrelevant; just one more reminder that you can’t escape it. Maybe it was because he’d had a belly full and it was time to push back.

Even a worm will turn.

         Or maybe the whole thing was just so laughably out of place in these halls of academia. Maybe that's why all he saw was...

Beige.

         The beigeness, however, wasn’t the right color for the drama happening right then within those bland walls.

Past is prologue.

         Laughton wished his mind would stop dredging up literary memes but it wouldn’t. It had been part of his Dad’s training. Zaben Davus had taught him mental exercises to keep fear and rage at bay -- disciplines to force the logical mind to suppress the animal within. The lessons had been as annoying as hell, but they worked. He was calm, cool and collected just when he needed it most. Sure the fear and the rage were still there, lurking just beneath the surface, but they didn’t control him. He controlled them.

         At that moment past really was prologue because high school had foreshadowed his present, and it wasn’t right. This shouldn’t be happening. It was surreal that after so much time confrontation was simmering, yet again, between him and his hulking high school nemesis, Cliffwood Ozgood.

         Ozgood, six-foot-three and about 295 pounds of hard muscle and bull-headed mean, had given himself the nickname O.Z. in high school. No one ever asked why and no one dared argue with the star linebacker on the football team. Laughton, at five-foot-ten and a solid, fit 195 pounds was not small by any means but he knew he wasn't a physical match for Ozgood. Still, he wouldn't back down, not this time.

         The drama drew nearer to the boiling point while fifteen or so onlookers stood by, including one of Laughton’s closest friends, Fitty-K.

“Why does it always have to come down to a zero-sum game with you Ozgood?”

“Zero what game? What the fuck are you talking about now geek?”

“Zero-sum. You know, plus one, minus one. You win, I lose.”

“That's just the way it goes, Law. I woulda thought you'd of figured that out by now, smart as you're supposed to be.”

         Ozgood and Laughton faced off in the center of the small crowd a pace or two apart from each other. The linebacker wore faded, distressed jeans, a t-shirt and his high school letterman’s jacket with all of his achievements stitched on it for the world to see. Or was it to remind himself of the good old glory days which were now almost three years past?

         Laughton was calm and relaxed in his grey slacks and May the Fourth be with you t-shirt. Even with his training, he found it curious that he felt so non-scared. No flutters in the tum-tum. No nervous tic. No sweaty palms. Calm before the storm, maybe? There I go with the damned memes again.

“You know Ozgood, I read there was a scientist working on a retrovirus that targets the chromosomes that makes people assholes. Be first in line for it.”

         Snickers from the crowd.

“Where do you get this shit from?”

         As he’d done a thousand times before, Laughton spread both hands a bit past shoulder length, then pointed at himself.

“Sci-fi geek!?”

“Dude, you are seriously gettin’ on my nerves.” Ozgood loomed over Laughton and scowled.

“Look. All I want is for you to stop talking smack about Cathay. You do that, I'll help with some of your homework. That's a win-win sitch. Deal?”

“How about I pound your head into the wall?”

“This ain't high school Ozgood. You touch me, you go to jail. Cameras, witnesses, campus police, videos gone viral.” Laughton emphasized the point by sweeping his hand around the hallway. Most of the bystanders did have their phones out pointing at them, cameras undoubtedly recording.

“So.”

“So it doesn't have to be like that. Take my deal and we both win. Besides, your school’s on the other side of town. Why you gotta come here just to dump on Cathay?”

“Why do you care?”

“Cuz she's my bestie and it ain’t right.”

“People need to know what she’s like.”

“Why? Because she's one of the few girls in high school who wouldn't fuck you?”

“Who says she didn’t?”

“She does, and I'll believe her long before I'll believe you. Especially this one time she told me about when you didn't want to take no for an answer. Tell me, did the ice pack down there actually help with the Kickinaballs Syndrome?”

The crowd reacted again.

Damn! Oh Snap! Ooo, burn!

         Laughton knew how far he could push Ozgood. His last comment strained that limit, but he felt he was still within the safety zone. Then he heard his friend Fitty-K pour gasoline all over that.

“You just got owned, beotch!”

Fuckin' hellfire Fitty. Thanks, a lot, buddy.

         Ozgood took a step toward Laughton, who didn't back away an inch. He stood firm and stared the bully directly in the eyes. Ozgood hesitated. Laughton figured it was because he was so used to his size intimidating others he had no idea how to handle someone who didn’t respond with abject fear. Laughton would not be bullied. Not this time. High school was a long time ago and he was a different person now. Still, reason influenced his choices, not emotions. He decided to follow his dad’s advice and remove himself from the conflict instead of escalating, even though he had a pretty good idea it was already too late.

“You know what Ozgood? I'm done with this and you. Time for me to peace-out. Later.” Laughton turned to leave.

“Don't dis me, you fuckin’ nerd.”

         Laughton felt what his dad must have meant by hackles rising. His ear muscles flexed. His neck muscles tensed pulling up his shoulders. The hairs on his arms raised, his hands involuntarily balled into fists and his skin began to tingle as though charged with electricity. A hand gripped his shoulder, spun him around and shoved him into the wall, bouncing his head off of a mural. Laughton’s skin tingled as he struggled to maintain his balance when Ozgood launched a knee to his groin, then left and right hooks to the face.

         Pain flared in Laughton’s abdomen, but not as much as it should have considering where he’d been kicked. He retaliated instinctively. He launched both fists forward at Ozgood’s chest. Unbelievably, the much larger man flew eight feet through the air, into a mural on the other side of the hall, and through the drywall behind it. Ozgood slumped to the floor, dazed as a trickle of blood leaked from the corner of his mouth.

         Laughton, suddenly fatigued, bent over, and put his hands on his knees, slightly out of breath. He shook his head to clear it, rolled his tongue around in his mouth checking for broken or loose teeth. He found nothing but a cut inside his lip and spat a wad of blood-soaked saliva on the tile floor. The shock of the moment drained from him and Laughton cleared his mind of everything except an image of Cathay Harris, his bestie, his anchor, peaceful eye of the storm, and his secret love.

         Most guys would have been fueled by testosterone at that point, thumping their chests in victory, but Laughton Davus wasn't like most guys. For him, it was too dangerous to let loose. He'd lost it once when he was fourteen and almost killed a man pretty much twice his size. He would have if his father hadn’t stopped him. His dad may not have been physically there to stop him this time, but the lessons he’d taught were.

In any conflict, be it physical, psychological or intellectual, if you allow emotion to decide for you, you have already lost no matter the outcome. Keep a cool head and an open mind and your responses will be more efficient, more effective and more lasting.

         Zaben’s words completed his calming exercise. Laughton felt a surge of strength course through him, causing his skin to tingle again. He felt powerful as he stood up straight. It was as though he'd grown in both height and girth as his arms and legs seemed to fill his once-loose shirt and pants, stretching them tight. He began a slow walk toward Ozgood.

“If that's all you got Ozgood,” even his voice had seemed to change. It had grown deeper and more gravelly, “you better run, right the fuck NOW.”

Laughton watched as Ozgood shook his head and looked up at him. The bigger man’s eyes grew large and Law thought he even saw fear in them.

“You hear me boy! RUN!”

         Ozgood did something Laughton had never seen him do in high school. He ran. When he disappeared around the corner, the crowd began to surge forward to congratulate him on his victory. His friend Fitty-K held them back, saying something about giving the Bro-Hulk a second to recover, but he wasn't sure. Things were beginning to get fuzzy again.

         A few seconds after Ozgood had fled around the corner of the hallway, all of the energy drained from Laughton. Intense pain and fatigue flooded in and drove him to one knee. Sweat dotted his forehead as what felt like a giant’s fist gripped his lower abdomen then squeezed. His stomach lurched threatening to add some excitement to the boring floor tiles, but Laughton held it back. He heard voices all around him but they were muted and echoey, like he was underwater, in a tunnel, or both. His vision was blurred and was ringed by a slowly encroaching darkness.

         Laughton felt a soft touch on his arm, then another on his back. He felt the warmth of body heat as curly, copper-red hair fell across his right shoulder. A melodic, soothing feminine voice spoke softly from a place so close to his ear her breath tickled it.

“Are you okay Law?”

         Laughton immediately recognized the voice, another one from high school, though it had never been so kind and considerate to him back then. Penelope Martin. Ms. Redhotness they had called her. The fictional, red-headed love child of Angelina Jolie and Charlize Theron.

“Uh. Yeah. I'll be fine in a sec Penelope. Thanks.”

“Penny. Call me Penny.”

“O-okay. Uh. Penny.”

         Laughton was stunned that Penny was being nice to him. He turned his head to look her in the eyes. Her beautiful, unreal, emerald green eyes met his. His vision began to clear and the fatigue waned just a little. She smiled after he said her name and he felt even better.

“Can you stand?”

“I-I think so.”

“Let me help you.”

         The whole situation felt surreal. Penelope had been one of the rich bitch girls from high school. She had terrorized him more than any of the others and now she was being nice? A mean girls prank? Or was she really trying to help? Laughton didn't know.

“Naw, but thanks. I'm a little heavier than I look.”

         The smile again and those big, round, beautiful green eyes reflected the humor in that smile.

“And I’m a lot stronger than I look. Let me help you Law.”

Help you Law, Help you Law…

         The words reverberated in his mind. Laughton heard himself agree to her assistance, but as though it was from a distance. How could he deny help from Ms. Redhotness when she offered? How could he deny her anything she wanted? She was so mesmerizingly beautiful.

         The soft touch on Laughton’s arm transformed into an iron grip around his wrist. Penny lifted his arm and rested it across her shoulders. The touch on his back drifted down and around his waist, seeming to caress him as it moved. A rush of excitement energized Laughton as her left breast brushed across his side, then gravity seemed to reverse and suddenly he was standing.

Lord, she IS strong!

         Laughton tried to remove his arm but Penny held fast.

“You don’t have to Law. I gotchu.”

         Laughton heard that echo in his mind again along with the need to agree with Penny. She turned toward him slightly, moving the hand from his waist to the middle of his lower back. It felt warm and tingly where she touched him. The iron grip on his wrist loosened, then she interlaced her fingers with his, arm still across her shoulders, her left breast still pressed against him. Laughton tried to inch away a bit so as not to offend her, but she wouldn’t let him escape. The left side of her mouth drifted up slightly into a smile he’d seen a thousand times in high school, just never directed at him. She wanted him close and it was as though he should have always been there. It was where he belonged.

         An image of Cathay appeared in his mind breaking whatever spell he'd been under. Laughton’s mind cleared. He felt more in control. He figured he’d been more affected by those blows to the head than he’d originally thought.

“Why’d you do it Law? Why’d you go up against the O.Z. like that?”

“B-because Cathay’s my bestie.” He felt more clear-headed after saying her name. “He had no right to trash talk her like that.”

“Just besties? I thought you two were goin’ out.”

“Naw. We’re besties. No just to it though.”

“I never had anyone stick up for me like that. Not a friend. Not even a boyfriend. I wish I had someone like you in my life.”

         Penny’s eyes locked onto his again with a look that seemed to offer much more than just holding hands. The hand on his back began caressing him. Her voice started to echo in his mind again but whatever effect it had on him before was mostly gone. Mostly.

“There’s parties tonight and tomorrow night, Law and I don’t have a date. Since you and Cathay aren't going out, you want to hang out with me this weekend?” She held him even tighter. Her breast pressed more firmly into his chest. Her lips were so close. Her breath smelled sweet. Penny felt wonderful and her voice once again echoed in his mind.

Hang out with me, hang out with me…

         The echoes died more quickly that time when he thought he'd caught a glimpse of Cathay at the corner Ozgood had run around. The echoes silenced even more when memories of how she had treated him in high school flooded his mind. Laughton noticed that though the crowd had thinned a bit, most of them had stuck around for the post-fight drama. The part where the hero just might get the girl.

“Uh. Lemme get back to you on that. Don’t know how I‘ll be feeling later.”

“I know what you’re thinking, Law. I was a real bitch to you in high school and this is one of those mean girl tricks. You know, invite the nerd to a party and punk him. I’m not like that anymore. I’m trying to be a better person. I’d like your help with that.”

“I feel you, but why me?”

“Cuz no matter how bad we treated you… I treated you, you were always kind -- always respectful. You didn’t even dog us behind our backs like most guys did.” Penny chuckled, “We should’ve listened to Cathay. She always said you weren’t like other guys.”

“For real?”

“For real. I think Cathay was into you even back then. She just didn’t want to admit it.” The hand on his back drifted down then under his belt just a couple of inches. It felt good. “I’m not the same person, Law. I’m not trying to punk you. I really do want to go out with you. I'll show you just how much.”

         Penny let go of his hand, laid it on his neck, faced Law and pulled him in for a kiss. One hell of a kiss. The kind of kiss that offered much more than just friendship. It told Law exactly what kind of weekend he would have if he agreed to go out with her. Penny held him so tightly he could feel all the curves of her body and he was sure she could feel his too. The hand under his belt had drifted down even further, cupping his butt. The kiss ended but she apparently wasn’t ready to let him go just yet. He didn’t have a problem with that. He needed a minute to recover anyway -- get himself back under control physically. Wouldn't want a stiffie to damage his image. Laughton heard the crowd’s reaction. It sounded like his rep just increased by a lot.

“Damn.” Penny cooed breathlessly. “I guess I should have listened to Sarah too.” She kissed him again. “I'm beginning to see why she couldn’t get enough of you.”

“You talked to Sarah too?” Sarah had been Laughton’s girlfriend in high school. They had been pretty serious in their senior year, then shortly after school ended, she had dumped him without warning or reason. He hadn’t even so much as talked to her since then, though he had tried many times. Sarah would never answer.

“More like she couldn’t stop talking about you. What’re your digits?”

“Huh?”

“Your digits, Sweetness.” Penny pulled out her phone, somehow maintaining her tight grip on him at the same time. The hand on his butt had moved higher, but just slightly. And damn if her body didn't feel good pressed against his. High school seemed a long time ago.

         Laughton gave her his phone number. He heard the chirp from his phone telling him he had just gotten a text.

“And now you have mine.” Penny kissed him again, but briefly. “Call me”, she breathed as she locked her eyes onto his. It echoed in his mind again. A few seconds must have passed because by the time the echoing had stopped and Law’s senses returned, because she was no longer holding him. He watched Penny’s shapely behind as it twisted down the hallway.

         Laughton had little time to recover before his friend Fitty-K, who was nothing if not loud about practically everything he did, pounced on him.

“What da fuck was dat shit, my brutha?” Hands and body language flamboyant as ever, “ First, you fuckin’ Bro-Hulk out on da mutherfu-” Fitty-K stopped in mid-word. Laughton hated that word and had flashed what Fitty-K called the gaze. “o-on da O.Z., then you mac-out with Ms. Redhotness in fronta half the school? Damn son. I want summa dat mojo you got. Where da hell did you pull dat from?”

“I don’t know, Fitty. Just got tired of his shit.”

“I seen yo eyes turn light brown and almost black befow, but I ain’t never seen em turn green.”

“Green? For Real?”

“Straight up dark green. Dat’s why I called you Bro-Hulk. So. You goin out with Ms. Redhotness now?”

         Laughton didn’t answer.

“You did say yeah, right?”

“I didn’t say no.”

“Dude, what da fuck is wrong witcha? Ain’t no brother been within a country mile of dat shit and you tryin’ to front? After what she just laid on you? You KNOW what that means. You done lost yo damn mind son. You cain’t turn down five-foot-nine, 42F-26-36 of pure sex all weekend long.” Fitty-K was in full force with arms flailing, hips pumping, and head gyrating the whole time.

“I don’t trust her.”

“Bruh. You don’t have to trust her to fu… Wait. It’s Cathay, ain’t it?”

         Laughton nodded his head.

“Law. You know I love Cathay, right?”

         Another nod from Laughton.

“But y’all are just friends, no benefits, right?”

         Laughton nodded again.

“While you waitin’ on Cathay, why not get some from Penny? Most guys would kill for dat shit and you know it.”

“I’m not…” Law didn’t get to finish.

“...most guys. Yeah, yeah, I know. But you laid it down on Sarah in high school. Why not Penny now?”

“I have my reasons.”

“You even made a move on Cathay?”

“No.”

“Why?”

“Cuz I made a promise.”

“Fuck dat. Break dat shit.”

         Laughton’s look must have shaved a few hairs off of Fitty-K’s threadbare goatee because his face changed and he backed off a half step.

“Chill, bruh. Don’t want you Bro-Hulkin’ out on me like you did on da O.Z.”

“It’s all good.”

“Just sayin’, why not? Especially with Ms. Redhotness, dawg. It don’t get much better than that.”

“Because this ain’t high school, and I have a chance with Cathay and I ain’t gone do nothing to fuck it up Fitty.”

“Might be too late for that, my brutha.” Laughton noticed that Fitty-K’s speech pattern changed slightly. He mostly talked like he was a gangsta just for show.

“What do you mean?”

“She saw you and Penny.”

“What?”

“Yeah. She came around the corner after the white boy jetted. She saw the whole thing.”

“Shit.”

“Sorry to bring da shit bruh, but I thought you should know. Gotta bounce, late.

“Late.”

         Laughton watched Fitty-K walk down the hall toward the lobby. Law was going in the opposite direction as his next class was only two doors away from where the incident happened. Bro-Hulking and dark green eyes took a distant second place to the fact that Cathay had seen him with Penny. He would have to do some damage control. It was true that their relationship had always been platonic, but he’d always wanted more. He looked at his watch. It was too late to call her. She was probably already in class. He’d call after classes were done. He hoped she wouldn’t cancel on their movie night that night. He wanted and needed that time with her.

         Laughton rushed down the hall to his final class of the day, so lost in thought about everything that just went down he didn’t even notice the color beige anymore.