Your Dangerous Game

Chapter 8. The Punchline

(Alain Elwood’s Perspective)

On Sunday morning, as soon as Alain opened the door, Randall greeted him excitedly as usual. Alain had always been coming to Wharton Boxing Club since his first freshman year in UPenn. He only wanted to waste his free time for good here. He could build his muscle and had a little fun while waiting for his next class schedule to start.

As Randall clapped his hands, he called out for Alain. “It’s good that you have come early. Come on, Son! Come here!”

“Yeah, Randall? What’s up?” He hurriedly approached him. He just got there, first thing in the morning. This place always opened, even during the weekend.

Randall looked kind of nervous. Alain wondered what made him so nervous though.

For a second, Alain chuckled out and said, “What is it? You don’t seem okay. Are you not feeling well today?”

“Ah, no!” Randall immediately shook his head. “It’s not about me, Son. I’m healthy as a horse, I promise you.”

Randall kept grinning widely, although he looked anxious about something. Alain was impatient to find out what was going on with him. And then Alain quickly changed his clothes into a sleeveless shirt while waiting for him to say something.

But when Randall only stared silently at him, Alain finally smacked his shoulder and shouted after, “Hey, man, what’s going on? Is there something you want to say to me?”

Randall rubbed his neck for a second. And he slightly closed his mouth inward.

“You’re weird, Randall. What’s with you today?” Alain muttered as he left him to see the punchbag in the corner of the room.

Randall followed him behind. He was still rubbing his neck a few times. Until then, he finally prepared to say it out to him, “Hey, Alain, I heard there was a party at your frat house.”

While punching the punchbag in front of him, Alain nodded his chin at Randall and said, “Yeah, there was, man. As usual. Every week. Every damn boring week.”

Randall chuckled awkwardly, “Yeah, tell me all about it.”

When Alain glanced at him, he caught Randall kept on narrowing his eyebrows uneasily.

“You can tell me if something is not right. Don’t keep me at bay, man,” Alain muttered.

“Well, I actually want to ask you about my son,” Randall finally blurted it out from his head. He had been feeling uneasy about it.

Alain immediately paused to stare quietly at him. Then he murmured, “What about him?”

“You know, Bryan has a very bad temper, right?” Randall talked carefully.

Alain chuckled lightly as he slightly glanced at him. And then he turned to punch the bag harder, making Randall flinched.

“Yeah, does your son has an issue or what?” Alain wondered.

Randall chuckled awkwardly. And then he asked, “Well, that’s what I’d like to ask you about. Did he pick a fight with you last night?”

Alain stopped punching the bag. And then he slowly turned to see Randall again as he sighed heavily. And then he simply said, “No.”

“Are you sure? Did he say something stupid last night that might embarrass me as his dad?” Randall asked carefully again. He really had to know about his son’s behavior.

Alain glanced at him while grinning widely. And then he said, “Don’t worry, Randall. Nothing happened last night.”

“Yeah? Everything’s under control?” Randall still looked worried though.

Alain nodded his head assuredly and said, “Yeah, don’t worry.”

Randall rested his hand at his waist. Then he spoke again, “You know, I was just a little bit worried since you two are not in such a good term with each other. Since you have always won the competition at the Underground Kiddos, Bryan is—”

Alain turned to see him again. And then he giggled for a second.

Randal nodded his chin. Alain could read his mind almost immediately.

Then Alain said, “I need the money, Randall. I don’t mean to piss off anyone.”

“Yeah, I know. You are all independent and stuff,” Randall chuckled.

“Maybe it’s better for you to persuade Bryan to be a serious athlete,” Alain suggested the idea to him. “You should give the opportunity to him. And you can stop offering me.”

Randall rubbed his temple while grinning. Then he told him, “I can offer you both as my professional athletes. I have the connection to all the important people out there to build your bright future career.”

“You can do that to your son. Because he is your son after all,” Alain reminded him while he returned to punch the bag again. “I am not your son, Randall. You don’t have to do stuff for me.”

“Ain’t I do stuff for you,” Randall chuckled out. “I am loving you as my stepson, well, if that makes sense.”

Alain giggled along with him and said, “Thank you, but I don’t need it.”

“Well, you will one day when you have nothing good to do in life,” Randall teased him.

When Bryan just came at the entrance door, Randall quickly whispered, “And I have to train Bryan harder in the boxing ring.”

After Randall tapped his back shoulder, then he left him to work out alone.

***

The next day, when Mister Saltzman was absent from teaching the Creative Writing class, Alain didn’t have anything to do, except his stomach kept on growling.

On the way to the university’s cafeteria, Alain saw Mindy among the students who waited in line to grab their food and drinks.

He immediately sneaked in as he grabbed a tray. And then he approached Mindy.

“Don’t pout, Mindy. You’ll get there,” Alain teased her.

Mindy quickly glanced at him, hugely surprised. “Wh-what?”

Mindy looked back and forth around her as if she was searching for something. She looked confused at the time.

And then she snapped back to him, “Ho-How did you get here? You’re supposed to wait in line back there.”

Alain grinned at her. And then he looked behind him to smile at the braided hair girl that was wearing big round eyeglasses and lace collar blue dress. The girl smiled happily at him.

“Can I be here?” Alain asked politely at the girl.

“Su-Sure, Alain. You can have my spot all you want,” the girl surrendered. She was being bewitched by his secret charm.

Mindy narrowed her eyebrows in disbelief at how that girl could surrender her rights so easily. She didn’t think this was made so much sense.

And then they both exchanged a glance at each other. Alain smiled handsomely at her.

Mindy shook her head and stepped forward in the waiting line with the others. And Alain followed behind her.

When he saw her grabbing the beef bacon and cheese, he whispered to her, “The carb calories in the beef bacon can make you fat.”

Mindy rolled her eyes as she grabbed the soda can. She tried to ignore him.

Alain followed to grab the same food and drinks as her. And then he whispered again, he was intentionally teasing her, he found it amusing though, “I thought girls these days don’t like gaining extra calories. That’s because they want to look skinny and pretty and—”

“Shut up!” Mindy snapped back finally as she stopped at the end of the waiting line.

Alain immediately closed his mouth inward. He tried not to laugh when seeing her funny pouting face.

And then she confronted him, “What’s your issue?”

Alain shrugged his shoulders and smiled at her. “I don’t have one.”

“And why are you saying those stupid lame things to me?” Mindy asked peevishly.

Alain shook his head while smiling. And then he said, “I just want to share with you some fun facts about girls and their carb calories consumption.”

“Gosh, you’re so pathetic, aren’t you?” Mindy muttered cynically to him.

Alain chuckled quietly. He just found it amusing to see her pouting.

Afterward, Mindy snapped out again, “And FYI, the carb calories are good for health if you can manage what you eat. Just don’t suck the grease in your food.”

And then she left him speechless. She went away to sit with her best friend in the corner of the room.

Alain didn’t see it coming that she could snarl back at his face. She was literally a smarty pants student. And he was excited to hear more of her funny punchline soon enough.