Chapter 17: In the Heat of the Day

Hellie started tugging at the leash, pulling for the door. Her actions unburied an old memory. Every time I was late taking Nightshade out to relieve herself, she would bring her leash and drop it at my feet.

Crap, Hellie needs to use the restroom.

“Thanks, everyone. Mr. Vaughn, that’s my assignment. Sorry to ask you to duck out, but I need to leave now. As you can see, my Hellie needs to be walked.”

“Interesting, Mr. Bramwell-Gates. You can leave.”

Hellie yanked me even closer to the door. On the way out, I heard Mr. Vaughn’s final words.

“Class dismissed. Watch for an email containing experiment instructions. Also, please complete the attached summary questionnaire and return it by the end of the week.”

Hellie yanked the chain hard again. She was looking out the large pane windows outside the classroom. I could tell she wanted the lush campus grass.

“Outside.” The word sparked Hellie’s excitement, and I had to jog to keep up with her.

Weird Nikki and Jammer greeted me when we got into the hall, still apologetic. But I had no time to hear their explanation for why Hellie was out of our building. Besides, I already knew.

“Guys, she needs to use the restroom. Come on.”

Jammer’s disposition had changed since the last time I saw her. She was strangely cheerful. “That’s why she insisted I put the collar on her.”

“Umm, we can’t take her out to the lawn and let her pop a squat,” Weird Nikki sarcastically piped up.

“I know that! We’re taking her to the girl’s room.”

Throughout our speed walk, I had to redirect Hellie several times with the leash, drawing ire and strange looks from the people walking past us.

“Ballsy, putting your hellhound right out in the open.”

“Not like I had a choice. The room was ready to riot.”

After hustling through the crowded hallway, we finally arrived at the restroom.

“Which one of you is taking her in?” Weird Nikki and Jammer looked genuinely shocked by my question.

“You’re the one with the chain.” They both seemed elated by Weird Nikki’s response.

“Ha, ha. Not funny. I can’t go into the girl’s room, and she can’t go alone. At this point, she’s exhibited more dog behaviors than human ones.”

A girl walking out of the restroom within earshot narrowed her eyes and snarled. I was positive it was a reaction to the pairing of my words and Hellie attached to a chain in my hand.

I immediately softened the volume of my voice. “So one of you has to assist. Look at her; she’s ready to pop that squat.”

“You want us to potty train her? Wipe her? Oh no.”

Weird Nikki snatched the leash from my hand and promptly passed it to Jammer.

“Don’t fight it. You know you’re the best candidate. Didn’t you and your little cute, quirky personality get her to sit still for hair and makeup?”

“You know I did, but that was way different.”

“Focus on ‘sit still.’ It’s a no-brainer. Billy, Jammer’s got this.”

“Alright. Come on, Hellie.”

“Wait.”

Weird Nikki disappeared into the restroom and exited a few seconds later, escorting an annoyed girl out.

“Okay. It’s clear. Yell if there’s a problem.”

Weird Nikki held the door open as Hellie and Jammer stepped inside. I did my best to impart some final wisdom to Jammer. “If she doesn’t know what to do, slowly show her. She’s a fast learner. Hellie, listen to Jammer.”

After the door closed, there was an awkward silence between Weird Nikki and me.

She posted up in front of the entrance, ready to shoo away anyone who tried to enter. I eagerly dug out my cell and read Myles’ text.

???

Myles was probably home freaking out more than the rest of us. A nagging feeling prompted me to send him some relief.

“Texting Myles, right?”

“Yeah.”

“I told Myles not to involve you.”

I finished writing a mini paragraph and sent it before speaking to Weird Nikki.

“So, when were you going to tell me Hellie broke loose?”

“Well, I wouldn’t have if I had gotten her back.”

Facing each other, we locked our eyes and stayed quiet.

After a brief period, we simultaneously shared a smile. Then Weird Nikki leaned forward and whispered, “You’re magical, like, super effing magical.”

“I know.” My eyes glossed over joyfully, and my signature devilish grin spread wide. It was the first time I felt happy about my “real-life” casting skills.

Our quiet acknowledgment vanished when Weird Nikki’s eyes shifted beyond me.

“Uh oh. Turn around, Billy. We got company.”

Someone touched my shoulder before I could respond to Weird Nikki’s comment.

“Excuse me.”

I turned to see two of the building’s security guards standing side by side. They were dressed in their official school-branded uniforms, physically imposing, muscular, and tall.

These guys were part of the recent increase in security due to the overreaction to the Campus Slugger. Despite the lack of evidence of any attacks and the wild descriptions of a person with a bat stalking and chasing that leaned into the supernatural, the administration threw tons of money into “beefing up” security.

The ordeal had spread like wildfire in a couple months; following it was like seeing the birth of a campus legend, and we already had enough of those.

Even though I imagined the goon squad had approached me, I treated them respectfully. “Yes. How can I help you?”

When the lead security guard recognized me, his whole demeanor shifted.

“Oh, Mr. Bramwell-Gates.” Shaken a bit, he looked over to his partner but continued. “Sorry for the interruption. But we had three young ladies reporting that you had a girl on a leash and were yanking her in an abusive manner.”

I quickly scanned the crowd. I knew those girls were watching. No one turns you into the authorities without sticking around to see the reward of causing trouble or, in their minds, fixing it.

Over in the distance by a stairwell, I saw them acting inconspicuous but never taking an eye off us.

I don’t even remember seeing them.

Weird Nikki kicked my heel to jog me out of my zone.

“No abuse, sir. I just walked her to the restroom.”

“On a dog’s leash?”

“Yes, sir.”

After seeing a hilarious, puzzled look of disbelief on the security guard’s face, Weird Nikki and I glanced away from one another, afraid we were going to burst out in laughter.

“Is the young lady in there?”

“Yeah, she had to pee. We’re waiting on her and our other friend to come out.”

Then the other guard stepped toward the door and spoke up.

“So, you seriously walked her here on a leash?”

“Yes.”

Weird Nikki immediately jumped to my defense.

“I’m not sure if you realize it, but you’re working at an art institute. We all have the right to be as performative as we like.”

“Not if, um, Mr. Bramwell-Gates here is endangering someone as the girls described.”

“I assure you, those girls are full of shit.” Weird Nikki moved in close to the guard and read his name tag. “No one is in danger, Bob.”

“Hey, Weird Nikki. It’s cool. These guys are just doing their jobs.”

After I calmed the situation, several girls walked past us and entered the restroom. They successfully entered since Weird Nikki had scooted closer to the wall and no longer blocked the door.

I received another little soft tap on the heel. I knew it pertained to the girls that had just entered the restroom. Of course, I didn’t expect any trouble, but we hadn’t checked on Jammer and Hellie.

A tad bit of nervous energy swelled, and it showed.

“I hate doing this, but I need to speak with the girl and verify she’s okay—for the incident report.”

“Sure, but just to let you know, she’s not from here and doesn’t speak our language.”

“AAAAH!” A panicked scream from the restroom jolted me and ignited my fears. Springing into action, Bob, who was close to the door, pushed the door askew. Suddenly, three girls rushed out.

I looked over at Weird Nikki, and she gave me a slight head tilt and rolled her eyes downward—a silent who knows what the eff happened.

Stopping the girls, Bob asked why they were panicking, and two replied in unison—something to the effect of, “It’s disgusting in there.” Then they hurried off.

Weird Nikki took advantage of the distraction and yelled to Jammer and Hellie inside the restroom. “Are you two done yet? Some friendly security guards out here want to talk to Hellie.” Unfortunately, her emphasis on friendly wasn’t exactly pleasant.

“Okay, wrapping up,” Jammer’s voice echoed from inside the room.

After a couple minutes, Jammer and Hellie emerged from the restroom. Hellie’s leash was still attached, and Jammer was holding onto it. I moved in and took it from her hand.

Excitedly, the security officer named Bob asked, “Miss, are you alright? Do you feel threatened or unsafe?”

Hellie stood with a blank stare, circulating her eye contact between everyone standing around her.

“Oh, she doesn’t speak. Did you tell them about your project?” Jammer comically volleyed to me.

“Didn’t have a chance to.”

The lead officer inquired, “Project?”

“Yeah, a social experiment mapping people’s reaction to Hellie’s decision to be a dog and have me as her master.”

As we were talking, Hellie started to drift toward something that caught her attention. I smiled big and clumsily, and then I tugged on Hellie’s chain several times to move her to my side. The guards stood stunned, not knowing what to make of things.

“For real? Is Mr. Vaughn your professor? He can verify this?”

“Yup. Yup. And yup.”

“Okay. The girl looks fine. It seems like both your female friends are backing you. Sorry, Mr. Bramwell-Gates. Have a good day.”

“As I said, I understand. You’re just doing your job.”

The lead officer turned to leave, but Bob lingered a little longer, gazing at us for a short time and then moving on. With the guards back turned, neither Weird Nikki nor I missed the opportunity to flip the bird to the trio of run tell that.

“Alright, let’s get away from here.” On Jammer’s somewhat pushy suggestion, we started walking toward the exit. “So what was that all about?”

“Oh, that? Billy’s new everyday campus life until his project wraps.”

“I think you’re right, Weird Nikki. I’ll probably get hassled daily by the goon squad, possibly teachers. I guess I need to try and pull some strings.”

“Are you tapping your ‘oji‘ again to save you?”

“Come on, Weird Nikki. I told you that we are not related. John—Mr. Shulenmeyers was my guardian for a few years, a close friend of my mother’s. Anyways, I can get the staff and guards off my back with his sign-off.”

As we left the building, I told the girls my plan to walk Hellie and take her to the dean’s office with me. I could tell by their body language that they were more than relieved.

Right before we parted, I asked Jammer, “So what the hell were those girls screaming at, and why were they running away?”

Jammer clenched her lips, making an ugly face, and replied, “I don’t want to talk about it.” And she didn’t. Weird Nikki shrugged, and they walked off.

I guess whatever it was, Jammer handled it.

No matter. Hellie looked happy.

I felt happy. I had so much to rejoice about. Both Shellie, my childhood nanny, and Nightshade, the best dog ever, were magically back from the dead with me as Hellie. I aced my sociology presentation. And I had magic—real magic—thanks to Rules of the Black Arts for Advanced Users.

I led Hellie to the nearest bench and sat. Well, I sat, and Hellie jumped up next to me and squatted. I just let it go. It was a beautiful blue-sky day, and I just wanted us to soak it in a little before grifting John.

“Do you remember the campus? Shellie graduated from here.”

Hellie stared out into the distance, rotating her head from side to side, as if—maybe…she was remembering or at the very least saw something interesting.

“What about our runs?” Hellie jostled with a bit of excitement when she heard ‘runs’. “Yeah, you like that. Nightshade loved our runs.”

That second time, I spoke the word “runs” Hellie’s excitement kicked into overdrive. She bolted off the bench into a sprint, pulling me behind her on the leash. Her movement felt so familiar. It transported me into mirroring activities of Nightshade and me sprinting across the campus, darting up steps, jumping from stairs, leaping over small shrubbery, and ending our journey in the commons field with me taking off the leash for a session of fetch.

“Good girl. Drop it.”

“What’s he doing?”

The stray question broke my trance, and I was back in the now.

Hellie spit the stick from her mouth that I had thrown, and it fell to the ground. She then joyously shuffled around, wanting me to throw it again.

I didn’t move, now fully aware of how our run-and-play session must have looked to everyone who had seen us.

Trying to continue our game, Hellie bent down on all fours and nudged the stick with her nose, pushing it my way. In her excitement, she raised her butt into the air, wiggling it. I watched in fright as her miniskirt jostled down, revealing her fuchsia-outlined white panties, emblazoned with a cartoon kitty. I was frozen, and I was positive I had a stupid expression beaming from my face as my eyes darted across the people watching.

I quickly stood her up and reattached her leash, then we made a beeline straight to the dean’s office.