Finals � � Chapter Eleven� One scrap of evidence could send me to the big house, but as weeks turned to months, I began to feel more at ease that the cops were following the investigator’s initial lead, rather than chasing yours truly. � The police believed that a drug dealer or a coke addict was responsible for the murder. I was neither addicted to cocaine nor did I sell it. My size shoe also helped reinforce my current attitude that I was not a prime suspect. � My three Gazette colleagues weren’t close to nabbing me either. Trevor was a hopeless twit, as everyone knew. There was no way that he was ever going to put the pieces together, even if I left him a trail of breadcrumbs linking me to the crime. Once I told Vickie about my interview and about Denzel’s suspicions, she started hunting down Brent’s friends to see if she could unearth anything. She snooped for a week or two but didn’t find much. Brent wasn’t a social butterfly and the few friends he did have were not about to tell Vickie about the giant stash of cocaine underneath his bed. With little to go on, no leads and no motivation, Vickie accepted that the case was in Denzel’s capable, lotion-soft hands. � Nancy Drew was the only one left on the case, but I found it hard to believe she was making any headway. As the semester progressed, Hayley talked about Brent less and less, leading me to believe the blonde bombshell wasn’t having much luck either. Oddly enough, for a pair of ex-lovers our conversations were becoming more cordial, and I no longer detested running into her or I could at least tolerant her. Then again, she also wasn’t dating Brent anymore, which made me secretly warm and fuzzy on the inside. � With the heat off and my professors yet to unload a pile of assignments and projects upon me, I was beginning to unwind. For the first time since junior year, I felt like a normal college student – drinking with my buddies, talking about slutty girls and football. I didn’t have to worry about classes, relationships or covering up homicides. It was fantastic! � Even the ominous murmurs in my head saying, �śYou are emotionally colorblind,” �śYou are void of compassion,” �śYou hide in plain sight, concealed by deception, you vicious killer,” were replaced with pleasant whispers such as, �śYou look ravishing in this sweater vest,” �śThese appletinis are delectable; excellent choice, Wayne,” �śYou’re so hilarious, you make Daniel Tosh look like Rob Schneider.” Evidently, my voices appeared to be on vacation as well, or least they were until my roommate told me about Harvey Cho. � Due to his afternoon clinicals, my roommate, Arthur didn’t arrive to join Scott and I for happy hour at our favorite bar, McMeminins, until about six thirty. Once Scott and I learned that Brent was off to France for a year, we desperately needed to find a third roommate to help with rent and Arthur Cobb was our man. Arthur was a nursing major, who was smart, tidy, and just an overall cool dude. � Happy hour started at five, and I was already on my third drink and my second appetizer by the time Arthur entered. � �śHey big boy,” I said jokingly when Arthur came within earshot. �śWhy don’t you come cuddle up next to me?” � �śI see Princess Sophia’s been pounding the drinks, and how’s the Jewish accountant doing?” Arthur said looking over at Scott, as he joined us at our table. � �śHe’s the accountant you dick,” Scott said, taking a sip from his second beer. �śAnd how do you come up with these retarded nicknames?” � �śI’m a finance major, not an accountant,” I corrected them. �śAccountants are pathetic losers!” � �śWayne is Princess Sophia because he’s drinking lemon drops like some sort of sorority girl bitch, and you’re a Jew because your afro or jewfro I should say, looks like the hair on my testicles. Also, did I mention you’re an extremely cheap fuck.” � �śWho says I’m cheap?” � �śLikely the waitress when she sees the pathetic tip you’re going to give her,” I said in between bites of my bratwurst. � �śOur waitress is kinda cute man, she might deserve something special,” said Scott. � �śOh, so like a two dollar tip then?” � �śNo, like two in the pink and one in the stink.” � �śCan we not talk about the shocker please? I have sausage in my mouth.” � �śThat’s what she said!” � Uproarious laughter continued for several minutes before Arthur settled down, finally beginning his story about Harvey Cho. � �śSpeaking of unwanted sexual experiences, you guys remember my old roommate, Harvey?” Arthur asked. � �śYeah,” we both replied. � Harvey and Arthur lived two doors down from Dewey and me freshman year. Honestly, I did not understand the roommate selection process at St. Elizabeth. I should have gotten Arthur not a drama major still trying to discover his sexuality, and Arthur did not deserve to room with a porn fanatic who filmed himself having sex with the various girls he brought back to the room, most times without their consent. This creepy little biology major did most of his thinking with his little head rather than his big one and until this incident his horny behavior had never been scrutinized. � �śAs I was leaving Franz Hall to go meet Rachel for lunch, I ran into Harvey and he told me this unbelievably story.” � �śDid he tell you about how he hooked up with another Asian chick?” Scott asked. � �śIn a way, yes, but that’s not the whole story. He essentially got away with rape.” � �śNo way!” I stammered. � �śI bet he was fucking proud of himself too, like he was the Asian Kobe Bryant,” Scott said. � �śYeah, the cocky little bitch was sure proud of himself,” Arthur answered. � �śSo dish,” I said. �śI want to hear this juicy gossip.” � �śI’m getting there. Hold your horses, princess,” Arthur said, taking a sip from his whiskey sour that had now arrived. � �śHarvey found this freshman girl living in Andrews Hall. He was visiting his friend, Donna, who’s the RA on the first floor.” � �śIs that the same Donna he banged freshman year?” Scott asked. � �śThe same. Anyways, this freshman girl lived in Donna’s wing, and when Harvey was scouting the floor looking for prospects he happened to notice this girl lived in the same town as he did.” � �śThe creep was looking at the girls’ nametags on their doors and actually found one who lived in Santa Cruz?” � �śNot a bad plan, maybe you should try that, Wayne.” Scott said. � �śOh yeah, like I’d walk into a girl’s room and say �ŚWe live in the same city so let’s go grab a frappuccino while we discuss what suitable names we’d like our children to have,’” I said. � �śGirls think you’re gay because you order frappuccinos and ask for chocolate drizzle, Wayne. But anyways, as we know, Harvey has more game than you do because he managed to get this freshman’s number. As are the majority of Harvey’s girls, this girl was innocent and na�Żve, and she believed Harvey wasn’t a sexist douche, which was wrong obviously. So the last weekend before finals start, Harvey is drunk as fuck at some party and he’s texting and texting this girl, begging like a dog for her to come to this party. Finally, she shows up around midnight, and Harvey is already trashed out of his mind. Harvey tells me he wants to get her on his level, so he fixed her a drink, half cranberry juice, half one fifty one.” � �śDude,” said Scott, shaking his head. � �śYeah, I know, right? Harvey said the girl weighed less than a hundred pounds, so I bet she was sloshed in no time. I’m guessing he probably said some smooth line to get her back to his place or clubbed her on the head and drug her back, regardless the two ended up on his bed. He said they started making out then after a few minutes he started to go down stairs. As he’s going down on this chick she starts saying �ŚDon’t, Don’t,’ but Harvey figured that since she was getting frisky she must be enjoying it. Then after a few more minutes Harvey decides he’s going to pop his eggroll in. The girl starts up again with the �ŚDon’t, Don’t,’ but you know Harvey, once he’s in, he has to finish.” � �śThat sick fuck,” Scott said, taking another pull from his beer. � �śHow does Harvey know he got away with it? The girl still can tell her RA or hall director,” I said. � �śI thought the same thing, but then Harvey tells me, the following day this freshman girl went to talk to Donna, her RA about the whole ordeal. The girl told Donna how she asked him to stop and how Harvey continued anyway. You guys won’t believe what Donna said to this girl.” � �śWhat’d she say?” I asked. � �śDonna tells this girl, that she must have been extremely drunk that night because Harvey respects women and would never in a million years do such a terrible thing. Then she goes off on this poor chick, stating that accusations such as these are very serious, and that she needs to know all the facts before she begins making false allegations that could damage someone’s reputation.” � �śYou’re fucking kidding me!” I hollered. � �śDid the girl go to the hall director or talk to anyone else?” Scott asked. � �śI don’t think so, over winter break the girl told her parents she didn’t want to come back so she doesn’t go to USE anymore,” Arthur said. � �śWow, that little creep did get away with rape,” I said. � �śEssentially, yes,” Arthur agreed. � �śI think he was just lucky. If she would have gone to another RA or her hall director or even Public Safety Harvey would be bragging about his sexual escapades from behind bars,” Scott said. � �śReally, Scott? You’re blaming this timid Asian chick for getting raped?” I said. � �śNo, I’m arguing that she could have prosecuted him further but decided against it, and Harvey is lucky she took that route.” � �śNo doubt the event traumatized her,” I said. � �śOr, Donna created doubt, making this girl believe she was drunk, misconstruing the night’s events,” Arthur said. � �śEither way, he’s off the hook,” said Scott. � �śShe still could go to the police,” I said wistfully. � �śA month later she’d be the scorn former lover, another victim of a typical one-night stand. The cops wouldn’t give her a second thought,” said Scott.� �śYou can’t perform a rape kit that long after the fact. I guess if anybody deserves to pound down a few beers in gratitude, it would be Harvey,” said Arthur. � �śToo bad that girl isn’t twenty-one yet, because she’s the one in dire need of a drink,” I said. � �śI’ll drink for her,” Scott said, waving our waitress over, �śI’ll take another pint.” � �śI’ll take one more as well,” said Arthur, examining his empty glass. � �śWould you care for another drink, too?” asked our waitress far too sweetly, still blissfully unaware of the dismal tip she was going to receive from this bunch. � Did I want another? Yes, I did, but as of late, I was overindulging, feeding my inner desires without disciple. Deep down, I knew I wanted it and the whisperings within only continued to provoke me, �śDon’t deny yourself, this is who you are.” What was one more, really? I could manage. I was in control. People without self-restraint, like addicts, continuously fall off the wagon and the next morning as they look at themselves in dirty mirrors with disgust they vow this will be the last time until it happens again and again and again. � But, I wasn’t that sort of guy. I was an almighty, all-knowing college senior. I was cocky, vain and void of doubt. Most college kids live in the present, disregarding the worries of tomorrow. When tomorrow morning does roll around, you pop a few Advil for the massive headache and plow through the day like a champion. I knew when to say when and this wasn’t the time. I could get away with just one more. I knew I could. � Smiling at the waitress, I finally gave her an answer. �śWhy not? One more isn’t going to kill me.” �