For A Bad Time Call ...

It's something probably every guy over 18 has seen, bathroom wall messages about a hot girl. Sometime in the 1990's, I heard about a new twist to the old stunt. Some women in one college were writing warnings on their bathroom walls about guys who couldn't take no for an answer. I thought a story based on a similar concept could be done, but was working on other things at the time, and put it off for a while. In 1996, I was taking a Creative Writing class at O.D.U., and wanted a good idea for my final story. I recalled the college womens' stunt, and decided to do a story based partily on it: a girl's ex-boyfriend tries to sabotage her new love interest by spreading rumors about him via the bathroom wall. It was written in just a few days, making it my fastest work. Despite the rush, the teacher, Evelina Galang (a writer herself), must have been impressed. I got an "A" for it.

So here it is, my departure from the usual sci-fi to do a college-scene story. With the short time taken to write it, it's probably not my best, but it's a new twist on a classic story plot: Girl dumps jerk, girl finds new boyfriend, jerk tries to ruin boyfriend. A story about love in the "Sensitive Nineties," and it's political corectness. Enjoy.

PG Rating: Although I kept the language to a minimum, there are still mature subject matters.

"It's over, Rick." she told him plainly.

"Over?" Rick shrieked, "What do you mean over? We haven't even begun."

"We begun, and now we're finished."

The two argued under the oak tree in front of a parking lot. Behind them were several buildings. Beside the parking lot was a sign: "Westview Community College."

"No! We're not finished. We can't be."

"Deny it all you want." She turned to walk away. But before she could take a step, he reached out and grabbed her shoulder. "Melinda," he spoke quieter, "I need you."

Melinda didn't bother to turn around so he could only hear her tension, "Funny, that's what you told that other girl."

"Wh-what other girl?"

"The one I found out about today."

"I," he hesitated for a moment, "I was trying to say goodbye to her. That's all."

"I found that place where you've been sneaking love notes." She waited for a response, but he was just too stunned to answer yet, so she continued,"But that's not all of it. It's always where you want to go for the date, not me. It's always what you want to do, not me. You always get jumpy every time a guy looks at me. You don't even like it if I go out in a sexy dress, afraid it'll attract attention."

She then noticed a certain car headed her way, and spoke her final words at Rick, "Well, I've had it! Now, good-bye!" She broke free of his grasp, and quickly stormed off towards to car.

"Melinda!" Rick followed her, "Wait!"

A woman about Melinda's age drove the car next to her, and Melinda opened the door and got in next to the driver. As she closed the door, the car drove off, leaving Rick behind.

"Melinda!" Rick could only stare in disbelief as the car drove out of the lot and onto the street.

"Hi, Mel." The driver told her, "You look kind of peeved. What happened?"

Melinda gave a heavy sigh, "Oh, I just broke up with Rick." She told the driver the reasons why over the next few minutes.

"It sounds like this turkey took you for a ride."

"Yeah," she sighed again, "I guess he did."

"Well, give things a few days rest. Do some shopping, hang out with some friends for awhile. Enjoy yourself."

"You're right. I should try to forget that jerk."

"Speaking of jerks, a friend of mine just had a break-up of his own. That rhymes-with-witch took him for a ride too."

"Well, there's a match for Rick."

The driver smiled briefly, "And maybe for you."

"For me?" Melinda paused, "I'm not sure if I want to do any dating for a while."

"Oh, he's a nice guy. I think you and him would get along real good."

"Frieda, I don't want some guy telling me what to do every night."

"He always had an idea of where they could go, but most of the time he left it up to her."

"I don't need some guy telling me what to do."

"He's an open minded guy. That's why he got taken for a ride too."

"I don't want some guy getting jealous every time I wear a pretty dress."

"He won't care what you wear. Well," Frieda grinned, "maybe if you wore a G-string, he'd care."

Melinda's response was to laugh for a couple seconds before calming down, "He sounds like a nice guy, but what does he look like?"

"I think he's nice looking, but you can judge for yourself."

Melinda thought for a moment before deciding, "If you think he's that nice, maybe I will see him."

And so, Frieda arranged for the two to meet at a small restaurant that night. The next day, both girls met at the college cafeteria to discuss things.

"So how did it turn out?" Frieda asked.

"At first, it was kind of awkward." Melinda answered, "We hardly knew each other, or how things were going to turn out." Then she smiled, "But after a while, Aaron and I began to see that we had plenty of things in common."

Frieda smiled, "I knew you'd like each other. So what do you plan to do next?"

"He's going to meet me later on, in about ten min- Oh, there he is!" she pointed to the doorway.

A man about Melinda's age walked in. He looked around, and when he saw Melinda he smiled and waved. Melinda waved back, then he walked over.

"So how've you been?" he asked as he sat down next to Melinda.

"Just great. We were just talking about you."

"Something good, I hope." he grinned again.

"Oh yes. Last night went just perfectly."

"I'm glad it did." Both Melinda and Aaron began talking about other things. Nearby, three other college-age men were also just coming into the cafeteria.

"Say, isn't that Rick's girlfriend over there?" one asked.

"Ex-girlfriend," a second answered, "they broke up."

"They did? Boy, he must be taking it hard."

"He is." the third informed, "When I saw him today, he was really in a funk. He didn't want to talk about or do much of anything. And who is that with her?"

"Boy, I'll bet Rick's gonna be mad."

Later in the day, Aaron and a friend were walking down a sidewalk in the college campus grounds. The friend had some class matters on his mind at first, then Aaron brought up his new girlfriend.

"So Frieda introduced you to a friend of hers," Aaron's friend comented, "I'll bet she was a babe."

"You could say that, Larry." Aaron replied, "She was real nice. We just hit it off perfectly. She listened as much as she talked, and she didn't aim for the most expensive thing on the menu."

"Yeah, not like your old girlfriend at all. What's the new girl's name?"

"Melinda."

"Well, I think you and her made a good start. So are you doing anything tonight."

"Oh, we're going to help each other study. It shouldn't be too hard. The classes we take are similar. Tomorrow, I'll take her out to a movie, but then I'll have to be out of town for a few days."

Larry then noticed someone walking their way at a fast pace, "Hey Aaron, we got company and he looks mad."

They stopped as Rick walked up to Aaron. "You!" Rick snapped, "Are you the guy dating Melinda?"

"Yes, why?" Aaron answered calmly.

Rick fumed, "She's my girlfriend! Leave her alone."

Aaron then realized who this was, "But she's not seeing you anymore."

"She'll see me again. Leave her alone!"

"I think she's made up her mind. I suggest -"

"Melinda's mine!! You asked for it, butt-wipe!" Rick assumed a fighting stance, "Let's have it out, right here."

Aaron looked him over, "And why should I fight? I don't have anything to gain."

"C'mon! Right here, right now. Or are you chicken?"

"I don't have time for this." Aaron turned around, and started walking away. He seemed to be looking to the left at something, though.

For a moment, Rick just stood there. He didn't know what to do at first. Then he sprinted forward, fist raised. Aaron didn't seem to see him coming, and Larry could only say "Look out!" Just as Rick was about to strike Aaron from behind, Aaron whipped around in a near-instant and knocked Rick square in the face.

Rick spun out of control as he fell and hit the pavement. He let out a groan. Aaron patted his hands as if shaking off dirt. "Okay, Rick," he spoke, grinning, "there's your fight. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go." He and Larry continued on their way.

Rick glanced angrily at Aaron as he watched the rival walk away. He was angry at him for taking his girlfriend, and almost as angry for getting beaten. And now, he couldn't do anything about it. He grumbled and cursed as he slowly got up and began to walk away, still sore.

He felt an urge to go to the bathroom, and soon found one. He went inside one stall, undid his pants, and sat on the toilet. As he answered his call of nature, he looked at the graffiti on the stall walls. Some were recommendations for sex: "FOR A GOOD TIME, CALL CHAROLETE .....", "For Great Sex, phone Wendy ....." Some were political statements. One line read "I LUV POT." But "LUV" had been circled, and there was a line leading from it to another line: "Another product of outcome-based education."

Someone had written "Patrick Welch is a homo." That gave Rick an idea. He could write the same thing about Aaron. Then he had second thoughts, not that many would believe it. There were too many crack comments like that to take it seriously. He'd have to write something else.

Rick thought about it. He'd have to come up with something really rotten, something that would make its way to Melinda and make her dump Aaron on the spot. But what?

He soon finished his call of nature, and left the stall. As he left the bathroom, he heard two ladies talking nearby:

"So what are you doing tonight?" one asked the other.

"I dunno." the second answered, "Do some research at the library, I guess."

"With whom?"

"I dunno. Wanna come?"

"I better. With all those creeps and nut cases in the newspaper, not even campus sidewalks are safe after dark."

Rick heard the two walk away, and an idea slowly materialized in his head at how he could get back at Aaron.

In the late afternoon the next day, Rick was waiting by the campus theater. He was hiding behind some bushes so he wouldn't be seen by people coming out of the building. He had been waiting for several minutes when the audience finally left the building. He saw Aaron and Melinda exit, and they were holding hands as they left. Rick clenched his fist at the sight. He saw the two were talking as they walked his way.

"Do you really have to leave?" Melinda asked Aaron.

"Well, I did promise I'd go." Aaron answered, "It's only for a few days."

Melinda sighed, "I've only known you for a short time, but I'm going to miss you."

"Me too. But I'll be back, and then we can do something really special." Aaron thought for a moment, "What would you like to do?"

Melinda smiled, "Oh, I'll think of something."

Rick watched as the two walked away, still holding hands. "Yeah," he growled, "something, like dumping him." He took a marker out of his pocket, and headed to the nearest men's restroom he could think of.

A few days later, Aaron drove his car into the college parking lot. He was just returning from his trip, and wanted to see how Melinda was doing. He parked and stepped out smiling, thinking of what they would be doing that night.

After getting a bookbag with paper, pens, and pens from the car, he started walking to the library, where she usually hung out at this time of day. He noticed that a few of the people looking at him had some sour looks, but perhaps they were just in a bad mood. Then he saw a friend. "Hello, Barry." Aaron told him with a smile.

"Hi, creatin. " Barry snapped at him and then walked off.

Aaron stood there for a moment, confused. What's bugging him, he wondered. Then he walked on. Then he saw another friend, "Hi, Chris." But Chris just turned and walked away. Aaron wondered what was going on.

Then he saw two ladies talking. He recognized the one not facing him by her voice. He went up and announced "Hello, Sandy. I'm -" Sandy turned around, and on sight slapped him hard across the cheek. She had a look of hatred on her face.

Aaron wasn't mad, but was more confused than ever. "What was that for?" he asked.

"You know, you vermin! " she hissed, "It just happened to come out."

"What?"

"Is that the guy you were talking about?" the other girl asked Sandy.

"It is." Both women gave Aaron hateful glares and walked off. Aaron scratched his head, more baffled than ever, What the hell is going on here?

Then he saw a group of women. They were dressed in unkempt T-shirts and faded jeans. They looked kind of messy. Each wore a button with the letters "WALL." They were walking along casually until one spotted him and yelled something, pointing a finger his way. Then they began walking at a fast pace his way, stern looks on their faces.

Aaron knew that whatever these women were up to, it wasn't good. He began walking just as fast in a direction away from them. Then they started running after him, and he ran too. The women were also yelling things at him. Aaron heard comments about "making the streets safe," and "throwing rapists in jail." But why would they be after him?

He ran into a building with the women a distance behind. He ran through a few hallways, and when they weren't in sight, he ducked into a men's room. Finally, he was safe, at least for the moment.

All of the bathroom stalls were open, and he had a slight urge to go. So he went into one and closed the door behind him. As he turned, he saw some words written down by a marking pen:

"ATTENTION GUYS WITH SISTERS, AARON BAKER CAN'T TAKE NO FOR AN ANSWER."

Aaron stood there in shock, not believing what he was seeing. Then he began to realize what was going on. This was why everyone had been so hostile to him. He wondered why would anyone do this to him. Then he remembered out loud, "Rick."

He took a marker of his own from the bookbag, and began scratching out the message. "That no-good filthy rotten son of a-!" he grumbled, "How could he do this?!" It took him only a few moments to obliterate the message. He still had to relieve himself, but decided to do it in another stall. He didn't want to be reminded of that graffiti directed at him. So he went to another toilet, and to his surprise found something written on the wall there: "Hide your sisters, Aaron Baker beats his girlfriends - a different one every week."

Aaron dropped his bookbag and pen, in shock at the sight of the words. He began to realize that this problem was going to take a while to get over.

After checking all of the stalls for any more markings, Aaron left the bathroom. He decided to check the other rest rooms, then he saw Melinda. He called out "Melinda." and she turned to him. She was surprised to see him, bit did not act happy about it. She began to walk away. Aaron called out, "Melinda, wait." and ran up to her, "What's going on?"

Melinda turned to face him. She had a look of disappointment on her face, "What's going on," she told him, "is that a number of rumors have come out about you. I thought I knew who you are, but now I don't."

"Melinda, those aren't true. Rick's been writing messages on the bathroom wall. He's behind this."

Melinda sighed. She had started hearing the first of the rumors just after Aaron left. She had heard them from other women. Most in turn had heard them from other ladies, but one had been told by a guy. Naturally, she found it hard to believe. Still, she had known Aaron only for a short time. "Aaron, maybe we should put a hold on things for a few days."

"I will." she turned and began to walk off. "Good b- " she momentarily paused, "I mean see you later." She was hoping he was right.

Aaron looked at her as she walked off. He was wondering what his next move should be. Then he had an idea: confront the source.

There was a bar near the campus, and in the early evening it would start to fill with students. Rick was there, sitting with a few friends at atable. They drank beer as they chatted, a conversation heavy with dirty jokes and lewd comments about the waitresses and other women.

"So, Rick," one of his friends asked him, "how are things with Jeanie?"

"Just great." Rick smiled a little. Although he wanted to get back with Melinda, he had kept seeing the other lady.

"Did you bang her yet?"

"Oh, yeah." Rick smiled wider, "I banged her so hard, she nearly passed out."

"Is she good?"

"Real good."

"Alright!" Rick's friend took a sip of beer, "Now you won't have to worry about Melinda no more."

Rick's smile faded, "Hey, I want to see her again."

Rick's friend gave him a funny look, "You mean you want bang both of them?"

"Well, yeah."

For a moment, Rick's friends just stared at him. Then one remarked, "All-right Rick!" The others smiled. Rick grinned in response

Just then, Aaron came into the bar. He saw Rick, and stormed over to him. "Okay, Rick!" he yelled as he approached, "What's the big idea?!"

Rick looked at Aaron, snickered for a moment, and answered, "What big idea?"

"You know, scribbling messages on the bathroom wall that I'm some kind of rapist! I oughtta beat your brains out for that!"

Rick smiled again, "It wasn't me."

"The hell it wasn't! I've had no problems with anyone here except you. You're gonna pay for that! I oughta sue you for slander!"

"You got any evidence?"

"Larry's a witness to that fight."

"You'll need more than that, and I can always sue you for assault and battery."

"Ridiculous."

Rick looked at a friend, "Bill's a witness to my bruises."

Aaron was undaunted, "I'm gonna to get you, sonova-! I'll get you!"

"Oooooo, tough talk." Then he had an idea, "A lawsuit for threat to bodily harm."

Aaron stormed out, "I'll find a way; I'll get you!"

Some of Rick's friends were snickering. One who didn't, after Aaron was gone, asked, "Did you really write those messages, Rick?"

Rick looked at him for a moment before speaking, "Nah, he's just looking for someone to pin it on." Rick and his buddies drank and chatted on.

Unknown to them, however, Frieda had been watching from another table. She had overheard every word, and had no plans on just simply ignoring the whole thing.

Later that evening, Frieda went to a certain apartment complex. She went to a certain apartment, and knocked on the door. The door had been recently fitted with a homeowner's peephole. After a few moments, the door was unlocked and Aaron opened it.

"Oh thank God it's you, Frieda!" he sighed, "Please come in. I really need to talk to a friend."

Frieda entered Aaron's apartment. It was kept fairly clean, unlike those of many other students. The door led right into the main room. At the other end of the apartment was the closed door to the bedroom and a small kitchen. In the main room were a few chairs, a table, and a couch. There were also a study desk and a set of bookshelves. On the desk was the phone and an answering machine.

"It's been a living hell since I came back from my trip." Aaron complained sadly, "Friends ignore me, people yell at me, and all because of some bathroom graffiti! That Rick, how could he?!"

"I knew you weren't capable of what those rumors said." Frieda told him.

Aaron went over to the answering machine, "Just listen to this." He pressed a button.

There was a beep, then a male voice, "Hey Aaron, you jerk! I just found out about what you've been doing all this time, you slimeball!"

There was a click, then another beep, then a female voice, "You sicko! I hope you rot in Hell!"

Then another click, then another beep, then Larry's voice, "Hey Aaron, say it ain't so! I've done some crazy things with chicks, but I never forced them to do anything they didn't want."

Then another click, then another beep, then a piercing woman's scream, followed by "This is the Women's Advancement and Leadership League, Westview chapter. We have found out about your sick, twisted deeds and have vowed to pursue you until either justice is done or until we push you out of campus! Even if you do flee, we'll find you and expose you so our sisters everywhere know what you are!"

At this point, Aaron turned off the answering machine, "This is the way it's been since I came back from my trip, harassment at every turn. I can't go on like this; what'll I do?"

Frieda thought for a moment before speaking, "Obviously, we have to get rid of this rumor. This kind of thing has happened before. But after people start telling, some start asking. When people start finding out there are no women you harassed, the rumor will collapse. I'll talk to a few friends about the lack of proof. That'll hasten its downfall."

Aaron couldn't help but wonder, "Some people sounded pretty mad, like those WALL girls. Do you think they'll listen?"

"Never mind those WALL turkeys. Hardly anyone takes them seriously. The second thing is that Rick has to be taught a lesson."

"Should I sue him?"

"That's one option. But, I think we could turn the tables on him. Let's discuss what to do."

Frieda and Aaron talked for a while, and they soon worked out a plan of revenge. The next day, during which Rick happened to be absent, Aaron kept a low profile while Frieda went around, sparking up conversations with friends, and turning the talk to Aaron.

"I've known Aaron for several years." she told a group of four women at one point in the day, "I've even dated him a few times. He wasn't like that at all."

"Then why aren't you going steady with him now?" one girl asked.

"We were simply too different, but we're still friends. Back to this rumor, where's the proof? All there is is a bunch of graffiti on the walls of men's bathrooms."

"But who would lie about this kind of thing?" a second lady asked.

"Someone who wanted to hurt someone else. Look at what's happened to the target of these rumors."

"I saw the WALL gang chasing him yesterday." the first woman spoke again.

"You see, whoever did this knew what the response would be. Poor Aaron's become a pariah, all because somebody was willing to do something nasty to get him."

"I remember once I was at an arcade." a third lady spoke up, "Someone and I had an argument, and at one point she went up some guy who was nearby and said 'Hey there, if you give that girl a token she'll make out with you all night long.' Like, I don't know how she could say such a thing."

"And now here it is again. What did the guy do?"

"Nothing, he just walked away."

"He knew that was phony. Can we do any less?"

"You're right." the first woman answered, "We can't believe this horse's butt."

At this point, Frieda saw Melinda walking nearby. "Excuse me, but I need to go now." Frieda went over to Melinda.

Melinda saw her coming over. "Hi, Frieda." she spoke in a tone suggesting mixed emotions, glad to see her but sad about something.

"Hello, Mel, how are you and Aaron doing?"

"Actually, I was looking for you to talk about him. These," she paused momentarily, "stories have come out about him, and I got scared."

"He's not like that at all."

Melinda sighed, "I should have known, but I panicked. Aaron went to me yesterday, and I told him to back off. Now I feel sorry for him."

"I think Rick's behind this."

"Rick." She began to turn from sadness to anger, "Aaron told me, but I wouldn't listen. That Rick, I'll kill him!"

"I have a better idea. Do you have Rick's phone number? I understand when he's at the bar, his roommate forwards calls to there."

"Yes, but what good will that do?"

As the day went on, people began to talk about the rumors differently. More and more began to see them as what they were, rubbish. Later, in the early evening when college was still open but few people were around, Aaron took his bookbag and went to a few bathrooms. In each, he would glance at each stall until he found a certain piece of graffiti. Then he entered, closed the door behind him, and from the bookbag took out a pen and a tiny jar of quick-dry paint the same color as the stall.

By the early afternoon the next day, the rumor about Aaron was falling apart. He was able to go around and not be harassed. A few people went up and apologized to him. While the WALL gang glared at him, they didn't taunt or chase him.

Rick didn't know about this. At this time, he was in his dorm with his roommate. The place hadn't been cleaned much for a while, and it was a mess. Raunchy music from a big radio filled the place. Both students were in a good mood, and Rick was getting ready for class.

"Don't you think skipping for a day and oversleeping all morning will affect your grades?" the roommate asked.

"Nah," Rick answered, "I'll pass those classes anyway. Besides, all that time with Jeanie yesterday and last night was worth it."

"Didn't you try to call Melinda?"

"I did, and guess what?" he grinned widely, "She says she wants to see me again!"

"That's great. She did call over here at one point. I think she dialed here first before you called her. She said she wanted to talk to you. I dunno, but she sounded like she was up to something."

Rick grinned wider than ever, "All right! She wants to get down and dirty!" He then grabbed his books and rushed out the door, "Ya-hoo!"

The roommate then went back to his business. After a few moments, the phone rang. He turned the radio off, and answered the phone, "Hello?"

"Hi, is Rick there?" answered an effeminate-sounding man with a lisp.

"No." the roommate answered, thinking Where did this homo come from? "He's not here."

"Do you know where he might be?"

"He's got a couple classes, then he'll be at the bar."

"What time at the bar?"

After his classes, Rick ran all the way to the bar. When he stepped in, he noticed that the place had more people than it usually did at this time. The bartender happened to be near the door.

"Hey Chip, did Melinda walk in?" Rick asked him.

"Yep," Chip answered, "right over there." He pointed to a table. Rick looked at it, smiling, and then the smile vanished. Melinda was there, but right next to her was Aaron! Both looked back at him and grinned. Frieda was at a nearby table with a radio-like machine with speakers and headphones.

Confused, Rick walked over, "What is he doing here?" he asked Melinda.

"To show you that you can't split us apart." Aaron answered.

"But, but you know what a creep he is." Rick told Melinda, unable to believe this.

"If there's any creep around here, it's you!" Melinda snapped.

"But, But, -"

"No buts about it."

"Well, there is that one on top of his neck." someone remarked. Everyone but Rick started laughing and snickering. Rick just stood there, completely dumbfounded, his expectations completely shattered.

At this point, the bartender's phone at the bar counter rang and Chip answered it, "Hello?" After a moment, he told the person on the line "Just a moment." He walked over to Rick and told him "Hey bud, telephone."

Rick walked over to the phone. As he did, Frieda turned on her machine and put on her headphones.

Rick got to the phone, picked up the receiver and answered, "Hello?"

"Hello, hot pants." the effeminate, male, lisping voice who called Rick's roommate spoke, "I got your message. I thought we could meet at my place for some hot sex."

"WHAT?! " Naturally Rick could not believe this, "Is this some kind of a joke?"

"No joke, hot stuff. I got your message, and I got your number. Your roommate gave me the number to the bar. Is he your lover?"

"Who?" Rick paused momentarily, "You must have the wrong number. I didn't leave a message like that."

"Sure you did, hot buns. It was on the bathroom wall in the john near the cafeteria."

"In the -" Rick began to realize what had happened, "in the bathroom?"

"Sure, hot rod, ....." Rick gasped as the man read his dorm phone number over the phone. Someone nearby had been looking at him. "What's going on?" the onlooker asked.

"Nothing! Nothing's wrong."

"Nothing's wrong with the number? Oh, goody. Want to make it tonight, hot and hotter?"

"No, I -"

"Okay. I'll call some other time then, hot stuff. In the meantime, I'll put your number and juicy message on the computer gay bulletin board."

"No! NO!! NOOOO!! " But it was too late, the man had hung up. He just stared at the phone receiver, not knowing what to do.

Then Melinda spoke up, "What's the matter?" she asked, "Did your other love interest turn you down?"

Rick put the phone down, "No, I, uh, I mean -"

"Hello?" it was a recording of Rick's voice.

"Hello, darling." This was a recording of an effeminate male voice with a lisp, but it was a different voice from what Rick heard. It did sound kind of sad, "I'm afraid I have some bad news. I've found another."

"WHAT?!" Went the recording of Rick, "Is this some kind of a joke?"

The people in the bar began staring at Rick, who could only say, "W-what's going on?"

The voice continued, "I'm afraid it isn't. Anyway, perhaps it's for the best. It seems one is not enough for you. You left your name and a lurid message in that bathroom near the cafeteria. That message had a pretty lusty description of what you wanted."

"Who?" there was the momentary pause, "You must have the wrong number. I didn't leave a message like that."

Rick began to speak up, "What the hell is this? I wasn't asked those kinds of questions."

"The heck you didn't" someone remarked.

"In the -" the recording of Rick continued, "in the bathroom?"

Rick glared at Aaron, who with Melinda was grinning, "You! You did this!"

"Did what?" Aaron asked.

"You put some message on the bathroom wall about me!"

"I didn't write a single word."

"Liar!"

"It's the truth, not a single word."

The recording of the effeminate voice had been speaking a sad farewell line. "..... Goodbye forever." it ended.

"No! NO!! NOOOO!! " went the recording of Rick.

The students in the bar stared at Rick. Some look stunned, others grinned. "All this time," one finally spoke, "Rick a homosexual."

"It's not true!" Rick insisted.

"Rick the rump-ranger." another taunted. Several students laughed.

"No!"

"Rick Ranger." another threw in. That got even more laughs.

"It's not true!!" He pointed at Aaron, "He did this!"

"But he wasn't the guy on the other end of the line." someone reminded.

"Rick Ranger, Rick Ranger, Rick Ranger, ....." some students chanted.

"It's not truuueeee!" Rick wailed.

"..... Rick Ranger, Rick Ranger, Rick Ranger, ....."

"SHUT UP!!"

"..... Rick Ranger, Rick Ranger, Rick Ranger, ....."

"AAAUUGH!!! " Rick fled the bar, running. A few male students followed him, continuing the taunt, "..... Rick Ranger, Rick Ranger, Rick Ranger, ....." Gradually, the noise faded from the bar patrons' ears.

Later that evening, Frieda met with two male friends of hers. "Thanks for helping me out earlier." she told them.

"Hey, don't mention it." one man assured. It was the same as the voice on the phone. Then he laughed, "I guess I do a pretty good impression," he spoke normally, "don't I."

"You sure do." the other man commented. His voice was similar to the one on Frieda's machine, but it was also now normal.

"Our little radio and phone job was tricky, but we did it." Frieda grinned, "Now that turkey can't go anywhere without being called 'Rick Ranger.'" All three laughed.

Meanwhile, Aaron was walking Melinda to her dorm, holding her hand. "We sure put one over on Rick, didn't we." he commented with a grin, "Not only was there a phone number and message, but also witnesses thanks to Frieda."

"We sure did." Melinda threw in, "One question, why did you paint over the old number and write Rick's instead of just doing the whole thing yourself."

"Well, I wanted to say that I didn't write a word with a straight face; I'm the worst liar."

At this point, they reached the door to Melinda's dorm. "Aaron, I'm really sorry for not taking your word earlier."

"I understand." he decided to change the subject, "So what should we do tomorrow?"

"Let's do that something 'really special' you promised. Tomorrow's a Saturday. Let's meet at eight, drive to the Woodland State Park, and camp there the whole weekend."

"So you like camping?"

"We'll do that," Aaron then felt Melinda squeeze his hand slightly, and she looked him in the eye with a mischievous look on her face, "and a few other things."

It took a few seconds for Aaron to get the meaning of what she told him. For a moment, he didn't know what to say. Then he grinned, "Looking forward to it." Both found themselves moving toward each other, then they kissed. Melinda then went to her door, opened it, gave Aaron a last smile for the evening, then closed the door.

Elsewhere, Rick was dialing his dorm phone. His roommate was not there, and neither was half of the furniture. What hit Rick the most about the student's departure was that the radio had belonged to him too. While the loss of half of the rent money was a potential disaster, he had an idea that would take care of both that problem and the one Aaron and Frieda had tagged onto him.

He finished dialing, waited as the other end rang a few times then, "Hello, Jeanie? It's been a long day." he sighed, "I was wondering, do you think we could - "

At her next words, he panicked, "Whadya mean you're not seeing me again?" He was interupted breifly by her response, then, "Jeanie, that's not true at all!" He was interupted again, then, "No! I am not bi! Jeanie, listen to reas-"

Then she hung up, and his expression went blank. The phone dropped from his hand. For a few moments, he just stood there, Then he screamed, "AAAUUUGH!!! ". Then he broke down sobbing.

His fight with Aaron over Melinda had cost him dearly. His reputation on campus had been completely trashed, nobody to share his room to split his rent, nobody to brag about himself to, and -

"Oh God, no more girls to bang!"

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