Justified killings, p.12
Justified Killings, page 12
“I’ll take it.” Several minutes passed with Tazz not saying anything else. “Quarter for your thoughts?”
“You mean a penny.”
“Inflation. Plus, I’ll pay more for what you are thinking.”
Tazz turned toward Jess and smiled. “Graduations are all the same. After most of the guests are seated, the music starts, and the graduating class enters. Then there are a few opening remarks, some class awards, a visiting speaker who puts the audience asleep, the valedictorian speech is given, the diplomas are passed out, and finally some concluding remarks. A main speaker will give a speech with the purpose of uplifting and inspiring the graduates; prepping those eager minds of what lies in their future. It’s all a bunch of shit.”
“Wow. Mr. Negativity is in the house. Is that how you feel?”
“It’s not how I feel. It’s just how it is.” Tazz gazed back out the window.
“You have to have some pride in what you accomplished. I know you do. As for all the other dweebs, they will figure it out or they will get swallowed up in whatever swamp they land in. You haven’t told me yet, but I’ll bet you have a plan. Have you made up your mind about Oxfordshire? Is that a go?”
“Yes. I submitted my acceptance response.”
“Watch where you are going you moron!” Jess shouted as she blared her horn, triggering Tazz to grab the handle above the door and the dashboard in a panic. “They obviously didn’t graduate from driving school.”
“You good now? You scared the crap out of me.”
“Sorry. Did you see that idiot cut me off? They almost hit me!”
“No. I was looking out the window.”
“Have you decided what you might study?”
“I was thinking medicine. But Oxfordshire has a doctorate program in infectious diseases and bioterrorism.”
“Working with a substance that could kill you in seconds doesn’t sound like it would be fun.”
“I’ll take a couple classes and see if it grabs me.”
“Last night you mentioned something about family in England. It was hard to concentrate on what you were saying during the video game.”
“Mom said I might have family there, but she’s not sure. I don’t recall ever hearing about any family in England. I think she is mistaken. Can we change the subject?”
“Sure.” Jess turned off the radio. “Do you want to go over your speech?”
“Nope. I’m good. I have it memorized.”
“Have you ever done something like this before? I mean talk in front of a large crowd.”
“Nope.”
“Nervous?”
“Nope.”
“I’ve never known you to be so talkative.”
“Look Jess, I just want to get through this nonsense tonight and move on.”
“I have known you, Tazz, for almost six years now. I don’t know everything about you, or how you tick sometimes, but I know when something is bothering you.”
“Jess! Come on!” Tazz took a deep breath. “Sorry. We’ll talk later.”
“I can live with that. We are almost there. Do you want me to drop you off at the front?”
“No. Just park.”
“Just park it will be. Are you sitting with your mom and your sister, or are you with the other graduating dillweed’s?” Jess pulled into the parking lot and picked a spot.
“I expect I will be with everyone else. Hopefully in the front or on an aisle. I don’t want to climb over a bunch of people when they call my name. Usually everyone sits alphabetically. I’ve never done this before, so I’ll just wait and see.”
Tazz and Jess walked into the arena together. He smiled to himself realizing the roped off area matched his estimation of the number of guests and students who would be attending.
Jess took hold of his hand. “You are going to do great. I see your mom and Katherine near the front, next to an empty seat. Is Edward coming?”
“I hope not.” Tazz slowly let go of Jess’s hand while looking down at it. “Thanks for bringing me here, and for coming. I appreciate it. Really. It’s been a shitty week. I just want to get this over with.”
“I will be sitting near your mom.” Jess turned around and looked toward the opposite end of the arena. “It looks like the graduates are meeting over there,” she said while pointing to the same direction. “I’ll catch up with you when it’s over.”
“Sounds good.” Tazz walked toward the students filtering out one of the side doors and into a hallway.
A teacher, whom Tazz didn’t know, stopped him at the doorway. “Name?”
“Tim Riley.”
“Tim Riley, Tim Riley,” she repeated scanning the typed list in front of her. “There is no Tim Riley on the list. Are you sure you’re a student at Forrest Park High?”
“Really?” Tim shook his head and leered.
The teacher continued with a little attitude in her voice. “I think you need to find your parents. The students coming through this doorway are for the graduating class. You don’t appear to me to be old enough to be a graduating student.”
“My name is Edward Timothy Riley. Please check your list again.” Tazz looked up and away in frustration.
“Oh. Here it is. It shows you are the…” The teachers words became slower and drawn out. “…the valedictorian. Congratulations Edward.”
“My name is Timothy or Tim. Is this the list which will be used to call the students across the stage?”
“I believe it is.”
“Great.” Tazz took the pen from the teachers hand. “May I? Thanks.” Tazz spun the list around on the tabletop.
“What are you doing? You can’t…”
“Sure I can.” Tazz took the pen and crossed out Edward and wrote Tazz above it. “Perfect. I prefer to be introduced as Tazz. Here’s your pen.” Tazz spun the list back around to the teacher. “Do you have the diploma’s?”
“No. Those are in a box up on the stage.”
“I had requested that my name on the diploma be Timothy. Given the list here has me as Edward, I’ll bet they screwed it up.”
Bryan purposely bumped into Tazz from behind almost knocking him over the table. The unclipped list fell to the floor scattering papers in different directions. “Oh, sorry Riley. I didn’t see you standing there. Move out of my way.”
Tazz bent down and helped the teacher gather the papers. “Sorry about that.”
“It’s my fault,” the teacher said. “I should have had it clipped.”
As Tazz stood up, Bryan took a step closer, so his face was right in front of Tazz’s. “Can you hurry it up? Some of us deserve to be here.”
“Yes, some of us do deserve to be here.” Tazz reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a box of breath mints. He opened it and pulled one out. “Here. You need this. Your breath smells like beer piss.” Tazz took Bryan’s palm and put the mint in it. Bryan cupped his other hand and breathed into it. Tazz slipped by Bryan and entered the hall.
“Does not,” Bryan yelled, but Tazz just ignored him.
The graduation proceeded like every other graduation. The guests all turned around and observed and clapped as the graduating class entered the arena to Promp Circumstance by Edward Elgar. The principal, Henry Mayfield, opened the ceremony, and gave a short speech about how proud he was of all the students. Of course, that couldn’t really be true since there were at least three who Tazz knew of without the grades to graduate. He also mentioned the name of one of the seniors who passed away from a car accident, asking everyone for a moment of silence. Tazz thought about his brother Patrick. He looked over in the direction of his mom. Maryanne had her head bowed. Katherine was looking back at Tazz. She gave him a nod and smiled, and mouthed the words, love you.
The invited key speaker was David Nemerow, a relatively unknown actor who turned into a popular state senator, spoke of how high school was just a steppingstone toward independence. He shared how physical challenges and disabilities can have an impact on what you may be able to do in life, but they should not be the sole reason not to try. His voice resonated with the graduates with a loud and echoing applause when he was done talking. Tazz thought it was nice that David didn’t put everyone to sleep, especially since he was up next.
Principal Mayfield introduced Darryl Johnson to the podium. He adjusted the microphone to his mouth. “Thank you Senator Nemerow. That was very inspiring. Before we pass out the diplomas, I would like to invite your valedictorian, Timothy Riley, to the stage. I had the privilege of being Tim’s teacher several times. He is the brightest student I have ever taught. He was offered a full scholarship from all eight Ivy League universities, as well as Cambridge and Oxfordshire. He was awarded the President’s Educational Excellence award. He is currently rated as one of the top three students in the entire country. Ladies and gentlemen, please give a warm welcome to this year’s Prince William Park High School valedictorian, Timothy Riley.
The audience stood and applauded as Tazz walked up to the podium wearing one of the three graduate gold robes and gold stole around his neck. The other gold robes went to the salutatorian and the president of the student body. All the other students wore a black robe, and maybe a colored sash depending on their grade point average, sports achievements, or community involvement. Tazz had no paperwork to read from. He looked at the audience. “Thank you Dr. Johnson for that kind introduction. I would also like to recognize and thank principal Mayfield. Welcome honored guests, ladies and gentlemen, and my fellow graduates. It is an honor to be standing before you tonight. I have been…”
The doors at the side of the arena violently thrusted open so hard, one of them broke off the metal arm swing, banging a hole into the inner wall from the door rail. The audience gasped and spun around in their seats. Edward, in his military fatigues, paused at the door, then continued down the main aisle, holding a can of beer. “That boy at the podium should not be honored” Edward screamed. “He murdered my son. He shot Patrick in the head with a pistol, then hid the evidence!” Edward was obviously drunk. He waivered down the aisle between stunned onlookers.
Darryl stood up and stepped in front of Tazz and spoke into the microphone. “Security! We need security.”
“No security guard is going to save that boy. He’s a murderer. He killed Patrick! It’s time for him to face justice! I have proof!” Edward threw his half-full beer can toward the stage hitting one of the female teachers in the shoulder, knocking her out of her folded chair. A man seated on the aisle stepped in front of Edward, putting his hands up as if to tell him to stop. Edward shoved him so hard he fell backwards into another row knocking several people out of their seats.
Detective James White lunged at Edward from behind, knocking him to the ground. “Get off me! Get the fuck off me!” Edward screamed. James put his knee into Edward’s back and attempted to grab his arm, but Edward rolled to the side and spun out of James’s grip. Edward swung his elbow backward ramming it into James’s nose. Blood spewed from his nostril like a red river flowing from a cave.
Without hesitating, James grabbed Edward’s legs as he tried to stand up, knocking him back onto the carpet. Edward tried to kick James again, but James blocked it with his forearm. James grabbed Edward’s right arm and jerked it hard behind his back. A security guard, fighting his way through the crowd, finally arrived where James was and slapped a handcuff on Edward’s wrist. “Oh no you don’t,” Edward screamed. As Edward thrashed about in the aisle, several other men in the audience jumped on him, pinning him to the ground. James grabbed hold of Edward’s left arm and fastened the other end of the handcuff to his wrist. Guests closest to the mayhem were recording the pandemonium.
Two other security guards arrived and helped hold Edward on the ground. “What are you assholes doing? You should be arresting that kid on the stage, not me.” Edward squirmed under the weight of the guards. “Get the fuck off me!”
Tazz looked at his mom and Katherine trying to get to the aisle toward Edward. He turned and looked at Darryl. Tazz threw his diploma on the ground and ran off the stage. Jessica tried to scramble and find passage, but the commotion was too overwhelming. She could see Tazz tearing off his graduation robe and hurling it into the air. “Tazz!” she shouted. “Tazz. Wait!” The volume of the crowd was so loud it would drown out any one specific voice.
“Ladies and gentlemen, please remain in your seats.” Principal Mayfield tried to get the crowd under some sort of control. “People. Everyone, please take your seats. Please…” No one was paying much attention to him. The aisles were packed so rapidly with people, James could hardly stand up. His hands were stepped on multiple times as more people tried to get a better video angle with their phones.
“Move back people. Move back!” one of the security guards shouted. Four other policemen struggled to get through the crowd, pushing people into the side rows, and demanding to make a path. Numerous people had their phones knocked from their loose grip and trampled.
“The police are here people,” Mayfield said into the microphone. “Please step back and allow them to take care of this situation. Please return to your seats. We still need to pass out the graduation diplomas.” Some of the guests began to heed the request. Other guests grabbed their son or daughter and left the ceremony. A few crossed the boundary tape which was supposed to prevent people from sitting in the outer areas of the auditorium, to a different seat further away from the disturbance. Wherever people landed, it was apparent, the ceremony was over. Darryl reached down and picked up Tazz’s diploma.
Mayfield turned toward Darryl Johnson. “What a mess.”
“Maybe you should end the meeting. Announce that every student can pick up their diploma tomorrow or have it mailed to them.”
“Good idea.” Mayfield stepped up to the microphone. “Ladies and gentlemen, please, people, quiet down please. If anyone has been injured, please see one of the paramedics at the back of the room. On behalf of Prince William Park, I would like to apologize to everyone for this very unfortunate incident. But it is over. Let’s give the officers some time to do what they have to do outside before we adjourn this graduation. I would like to thank our senator for…” Mayfield looked around the stage. The senator was gone. “Senator Nemerow, wherever you may be, thank you for your words. A special thanks goes out to our local police and the security staff. I wish it had been different for you, Prince William Park graduates.”
A teacher walked up to Mayfield and whispered in his ear. Mayfield nodded. “We will have the school open tomorrow if you would like to pick up your graduation diploma, or you may contact the office, and we will mail it to you. We are going to commence excusing the graduates now, beginning with the back row. Students, please exit the graduation ceremony through the back door,” he said pointing to the rear of the arena. “Parents, please join your children outside by exiting through the doors to your right.” Some of the staff of the arena came on the stage to break down the chairs and tables. Mayfield sat next to Darryl. “I have never been so embarrassed in my life.”
“Really? This was it? This was the most embarrassing time of your life?”
“You’re not embarrassed, Darryl?”
“No. Not really. Don’t misunderstand me; I didn’t like what occurred, but I can’t imagine how Tim Riley is doing right now. He is the one that was humiliated tonight. That poor kid has been through so much, and then this happens to him. This should have been the one moment this week where he could get some acclamation. But no. It is so unfortunate.” Darryl looked at Tim’s diploma. “All this kid wants is to have a normal life. Unfortunately, that will never happen for him.”
“Why do you think that?” Mayfield asked.
Darryl chuckled to himself. “Because he is such an extraordinary human to begin with.” Darryl looked around the room as people were leaving. “I’ll call you tomorrow, Henry. I will make sure Tim gets his diploma.”
Mayfield stood back up to the microphone. “Thank you all for exiting in an orderly…” The power to the microphone was cut off. “fashion.”
One of the emergency personnel from the fire station handed James a warm damp towel. “Here, Detective.” James took the towel and wiped some of the blood off his swollen nose. “Let me take a look at that.” James moved the towel. The paramedic put his blue gloved hand on James’s chin and moved his face from side to side. “It’s broken all right. We’ll meet you outside and take care of it.”
James’s wife, Naomi, James junior, Antonne, Jason and Cherise all joined James in the aisle. “Daddy! Daddy! You okay?” Cherise asked.
“I’m fine baby girl. Where’s your sister?”
“Jada is with her friends,” John junior responded.
“Take the kids home, Naomi. I’ll be home as soon as I can.” James’s family left.
Edward finally realized it was Detective White. “I didn’t do that Detective. If I did, it was an accident. You shouldn’t have…”
“Shut up, Major!” James interrupted. “Just shut up.”
“But it wasn’t my…”
“That’s an order, Major!”
Roy came barging through the crowd. “Clear a path! Clear a path! Are you okay Detective?”
“Roy. Good. You’re here. Get that piece of shit out of here. Read him his rights. Charge him with resisting arrest, assault, and disturbing the peace. I will be out in a few.” James took the towel and put it back on his nose.
“You two. With me.” Roy had two of the cops guide the handcuffed Edward through the thinning crowd to the exit door and out of the arena.
Mayfield’s personal administrator approached him. “Tonight has gone viral and is all over social media. What do you want me to do? Should we make a statement?”
“Sure. Post that tonight was a freaking disaster.”
“Sir?” The administrator looked confused.
“I’m kidding. We’ll make an official statement in the morning.”
“Very good sir.”
Mayfield grabbed his notes from the podium and exited the stage.
Jess ran out of the school yelling. “Tazz! Tazz! Where are you?” She paused and looked around the parking lot. Where would I go, if I were him? She grinned to herself when she knew she had figured it out.
