Dale went to pick up his no-good son from the correctional facility across town. His son Bill had done his fifth vandalism on university headquarters while a student tour group walked by and then he tried to throw a raccoon at them but failed and the raccoon attacked him instead. While getting attacked, Bill said many slurs which went viral online.
Bill had to get a rabies shot, which put him in a coma for three hours. And then was dumped into juvenile detention for a month. Because of his son’s bullshittery, Dale’s tenure was at risk. His coworkers shot him weird looks for dozens of hours after the incident, which made him all nervous about his safety as he walked to his office every day. His marriage was on the rocks.
“Cut the shit Dad, what do you want,” Bill shoved his way into shotgun. He took the old pine fresh air freshener off the car mirror and shoved it in his mouth, “fuck, that hits the spot. Mind dropping me off at my girlfriend’s place?”
Dale opened his mouth to say no, but remembered the mess he and his wife left the house in with their last fight. Bill couldn’t see his parents like this. “Tell me where to go,” he said instead.
They turned around and around, crossing the brown buildings of campus. Dale made sure to avoid university headquarters. They crossed into some nice-looking suburbs. They stopped at a nice house.
“Thanks Dad,” Bill pulled him into a one-armed hug. Dale blinked back his surprise; when was the last time this had happened? He watched his son knock on the door. It opened and a woman tackled him onto the lawn in a hug.
Dale knew that woman. That long blond hair, creamy skin, delectable body. May Callows, a student in his Monday class. Dale hadn’t had sex with his wife in weeks. He grew hard.
Dammit! His coworker Matt had already gotten in trouble with a student. Another scandal and the board might slash the department’s funding. Dale comforted himself; Matt’s student was a freshman, May was a sophomore.
Writer To Writer Literary Journal 