Parents, Chapter 2 ~ Casey at Bat

Liseli didn’t feel hungry.  She should, she knew, since she hadn’t eaten since around noon, but her appetite had left her.  Russ was always getting on her about that; he said that she lost her appetite at the drop of a hat.  Even when he wasn’t around she found herself shoving something down her throat just because when he came back he’d tell her she looked too skinny and ask, “Have you been eating?”

“I’m not really hungry, Mindy,” she said to the waitress.  “I’ll just have a little ice cream.  Vanilla.”

Mindy shrugged.  She was used to Liseli’s eating habits and left her business to her.  Casey didn’t press her to eat anything more, because he was used to her inflexibility on the matter.  Russ, Liseli thought, was really the only person she’d ever known who was willing to fight her to make her eat more — “real food.”  She sighed.  Casey looked at her questioningly, but she shook her head and looked away, out the window, at the rain beating down on the outdoor tabletops.

“Liseli,” Casey said, resting his hand on the table a few inches from hers.  “We’re friends, you can talk to me.  But you’ve avoided talking about us, and your boyfriend, all evening.”

“What’s there to talk about?” Liseli looked at him levelly.  Inside she was feeling jumpy, wishing he wasn’t about to say what his eyes were already saying behind his lenses.  He had always assured her, before, that he respected her relationship with Russ and wasn’t interested in going beyond an academic acquaintance . . . not that she’d ever completely believed it, but as long as he behaved himself and didn’t bring the issue up, she hadn’t minded.  She needed someone to talk to and if he was male and good looking, so much the better . . . .  Though she could hardly say that to Russ.

Casey studied the salt and pepper shakers, biting his lips.  “I don’t think he’s good for you.”

“Casey, I really don’t want to talk about this.”  She shook her head.

“No, I know.”  He lifted his hand over hers, but she drew it back and placed it in her lap.  He closed his fingers into a fist.  “But I have an admission to make.”

She was silent, looking impatiently over to the counter, wondering what was taking Mindy so long.

“I looked up the student register for Claymoore University.”

“What?”  Liseli swiveled around in surprise.  “How—”

“Never mind how.”  He lifted his hand and shook his head.  “But I found out that Markson . . . Russ . . . well, he’s not enrolled there.  I double and triple checked.  I’m sure of it — wherever he is when he leaves you, he’s not there.”

“So?”  Liseli said inanely.

He frowned.  “I thought that might concern you.  The fact that he’s lying to you about his whereabouts.”

“Why,” Liseli said darkly, “didn’t you tell me this as soon as you found out, then?”

“I thought . . . .”  He stopped, fidgeting.  “I wondered after a while if he was . . . well, real.  So that’s why I looked him up.  When I saw he wasn’t there I thought it meant he wasn’t anywhere.”

Liseli wrinkled her forehead, staring at him incredulously.  She would never have thought he’d wonder a thing like that.  She had always worried a little about him not buying the Claymoore story, but thinking Russ didn’t exist?  “Why on earth would I lie about that?”  She frowned deeper.

“Well.”  He sat up straighter.  “You seemed very lonely.  I thought perhaps that you were afraid to admit you didn’t have a boyfriend.”

Liseli clenched her fists, clutching the edge of her skirt.  “‘Admit’?  Afraid to admit?  You can’t possibly be serious, Casey.”

“I am.  Why shouldn’t I be?  It seemed obvious . . . you wouldn’t be the first girl with a make-believe boyfriend, after all.”  Casey shrugged, not appearing the least bit concerned about accusing her of being so . . . so pathetic.  Lie about having a boyfriend to save face?  Ha!

“If I had no boyfriend, it would be a situation of my own choosing,” Liseli replied coldly, turning in her seat to face the window.

Casey sighed.  “The issue of him lying to you is more important than my initial reasons for looking into it,” he said.  “I don’t like it that he’s hiding his actions from you, and I don’t think you should stand for it.”

“I can handle my own life, Casey.”

Mindy must, she decided, be eavesdropping and letting the ice cream melt.

“Fine.”  He spread out his hands.  “Do with the information what you will.  I just thought you should know.”

“Thank you.”

“Liseli.”  He leaned in.

“Casey,” she echoed inflexibly.

“You know I value you,” he pressed onward.  “You are a beautiful young woman with an amazing, creative mind and a loyalty that is admirable.  I will say it right out; he doesn’t deserve you.”

Liseli stared at her lap.  Casey had been a good friend to her so far.  She really didn’t like having to hurt him.  But.  She allowed herself to steam, thinking about his detective work on Russ while all the time claiming to respect and support her relationship . . . .  Ha!  It didn’t matter that she had lied about Claymoore and a few other select things about Russ . . . .  Casey had no right to think of her as the delusional girl with the make believe boyfriend!

“Liseli,” he started again when she refused to answer, “I want to see you with someone who actually cares enough to be around.  Where is Markson now?  At home watching your television, eating your food, waiting for you to come back and . . . I can’t even say it.  I don’t like to think about it.  You’re throwing yourself away if this is who you choose to love!”  He grasped her arm.  “Please Liseli.  I’ve been here all along, waiting patiently, waiting for you to understand.”

She removed his hand without looking at him.  “If you really thought that I had made Russ up, I’m surprised you didn’t try to have me committed.”

“I . . . Liseli, I respect and admire you no matter what your problems are.”

“Oh shit.”  She stood up and finally looked at him.  “You’re not the friend I thought you were.  I don’t need your pity or your concern or your damn psychoanalysis.  I’m going home.”

“Wait!”  He jumped up, blocking her path.  “I’m sorry that I doubted you.  But look at what I uncovered about your boyfriend!  You can’t disregard that just because you’re mad at me.”

“I’m going home.  I’m feeling very disillusioned right now.”  Liseli brushed past him and headed for the door.  Forget Mindy and her lousy service.  She opened the door and the umbrella almost simultaneously, shaking her head.

He still followed her.  “You can’t possibly count me as guilty as him.  I only did what I did because I care about you!  Do you honestly think he does, after what I told you?”

Liseli rolled her eyes, walking down the sidewalk past the tables.

“I am worried about you whether you like it or not!”

She stopped and turned around.  “I am going home, and what goes on between me and my boyfriend when I get there is none of your business!  I’m a big girl, Casey, I can handle this myself!”

“None of my business?”  He stood in the pouring rain, his glasses obscured by drops.  “I’ve spent the last month making you my business!  Don’t you think I could have been dating single girls all this time?  Instead I’ve been spending all my evenings with you!  It’s not charity, Liseli, I never thought you needed a make believe boyfriend.”

“Oh God!  A whole month out of your precious social life!  And charity?  Is that what you call friendship without expectations of sex?”  Liseli sneered in disgust, gripping the umbrella with one hand and waving the other at him accusingly.

“No, but I do find you attractive and I’m not afraid to admit it.”  Casey stood with his shoulders out and head up, even in the rain.  There was, she realized, no convincing him that she could seriously prefer Russ to him.

“Gah.”  She turned again.  “I’m not talking to you anymore tonight.”

He reached out and grabbed her arm, spinning her around.  “You’re just being stubborn and prideful,” he said.  “Don’t blame me because I had to be the one to tell you that your boyfriend’s a loser.”

“Russ is not a loser!”  She yanked her arm away.

“Forget about him!” Casey yelled, then grabbed both her shoulders and pulled her to him, kissing her insistently.  His glasses, cold and wet, pressed up against her face.  She kicked him in the shin.

Casey suddenly let go, pulling back with a jerk.  Or no, she realized, he had been yanked away.  Someone in a hooded windbreaker held him by the shoulders, for a moment, then shoved him down into the rain washed gutter.  After recovering from her momentary shock, she recognized Russ.  Even with the hood up, there was no mistaking him.

He yanked the hood off as Casey scrambled to his feet.  “What the fuck was that?” Russ yelled, surprising Liseli with the force of his voice.  She couldn’t remember hearing him yell like that . . . well, ever.  She stood transfixed.

Casey was defiant.  “Don’t cross me, Markson!” he shot back with a swing of his fist.  He slipped in the gutter and the blow glanced off Russ’s right shoulder.  Russ landed a punch in his gut, but he drove forward again, slugging Russ in the jaw.  Russ fell back against a table and Liseli cried out.

Casey roared and drove Russ into the table edge again as he tried to regain his balance.  “You asked for it, now!” he wound up for another strike.

Russ shoved him away and Casey stumbled back.  Russ pushed himself off of the table and body slammed Casey, sending them both flailing into the gutter.

“Stop it!” Liseli managed weakly, clutching the umbrella.

They rolled into the street, kicking and punching each other, swearing out threats.  But after the tangle, Russ had Casey under him, and started slapping his head side to side.  “Don’t.  Ever.  Touch.  Her.  Again!” was punctuated with each blow.  Liseli looked over her shoulder, through the Café window at Mindy, who was standing there holding Casey’s dinner and her ice cream on a tray.  The waitress’ mouth hung open.

“Russ . . . stop it!  What on earth . . . !”  Liseli stomped her foot, looking around the street nervously.

Russ didn’t seem to notice, sitting on Casey and holding him by the collar.  He lifted him up and pounded him back down with a splash.  Casey’s glasses had already flown off and were lost in the street.

“Listen to me, you arrogant bastard,” Russ yelled inches from Casey’s battered face, “stay away from my girl, stay away from my house, stay away from me or I will bash your fucking head in!”  He landed a blow on the left side of Casey’s face, snapping his head to the right.

“Russell Markson!”  Liseli stepped forward and tried to pull him away with one hand.  “Stop it!  Now!”

“I,” he glanced at her briefly, rain drenching his hair and running over his face, reddening.  He looked at Casey, then returned to her.  “Stay out of this, Liseli.”

The wild look in his eyes did not stop her from shooting back, “No!  Get up now before someone calls the police on you!  He’s unconscious!”

He looked down, noticing the inertness of the body underneath him for the first time.  Liseli tugged at his arm again, peering out from under her umbrella at the street.  Not many people were out in the rain at ten thirty at night, and the ones that were, were too absorbed with getting out of the rain to notice what was going on near the gutter.  “Get up.  Please.  You’ve done enough.”

Russ got to his feet, pushing on Casey as he did so.  Casey groaned slightly and Russ kicked him.  “Stop it!” Liseli nearly shrieked, trying to pull him away.  She stepped in between him and Casey, feeling the rain fall on her face as she looked up into Russ’s eyes.

Russ seemed to calm a little bit, looking at her instead of Casey.  His shoulders slumped slightly and he touched his jaw, mouthing a silent, “Ow.”

Liseli twisted around, watching in consternation as Casey struggled to a sitting position.  Russ, scenting more opportunity for blood, moved forward, but Liseli blocked him with the umbrella.  She bent over Casey as he pushed himself up.

“Stay down!” she ordered, keeping her hand behind her on Russ’s arm.  “You are both a pair of idiots!  I am not a piece of . . . of meat to fight over!”

“I saw what he did!” Russ protested.  “I was protecting you!”

“I,” Casey glared wrathfully around her at Russ, “I’m gonna preth chargeth!”

“No you are not,” Liseli glowered.  “If you even think about that I will tell the police that you . . . you . . . you tried to rape me.  Don’t think I won’t, and don’t think Mindy won’t back me up if I tell her to.  Do you understand me?”

“I—”

“Shut the hell up,” Russ snapped.  “Come on,” he took Liseli by the arm and turned her around.  “Let’s get out of here.”

“That’s what I was saying,” she huffed, but let him pull her along down the sidewalk.  One glance back at Casey showed him sitting in the gutter with his head in his hands, and she felt a rush of pity, satisfaction, and fear all at once.  Mindy would, perhaps, back her up if she pleaded with the girl, but there were other witnesses, though perhaps they hadn’t seen enough to be able to say what started it.

She shook her head, lifting the umbrella over Russ.  He was stonily silent, mouth pressed into a line, and his fingers were starting to dig into her arm.  “I can’t believe you did that,” she said shakily, staring at him as if she wasn’t sure who she was looking at.  She wasn’t.

“I told you not to go out with him,” he said, not looking at her.

“He didn’t deserve to be beaten to a pulp like that,” she flared angrily, jerking her arm away.

He snorted, not letting go.  “That’s what I’ll do to every guy who even looks at you wrong, from now on.”

“Oh for the love of God, you . . . you are . . . .”  She stopped with a sigh.  “I do not like the way you are acting, at all, I . . . .”  She stopped again, when he answered her by abruptly dropping her arm.  She knew that what she’d just said wasn’t entirely true.

Finally she settled on; “You’re back home now you can’t be all wild and crazy.”

“Fine.”  He pushed the umbrella away.  He blinked into the rain and shoved his hands into the soaking windbreaker.  She sighed.

They didn’t say another word to each other until they got home.