Behind The Lies by Mark Beckner (the chimp paradox .txt) 📗

initials are the same. I sometimes wear it to remind me of my Dad.”

“This might be good to give to her, show how sincere you are.” Brad then slips the ring into his coat pocket without Aaron noticing.

They arrive at the school at 5:26 pm. Aaron parks the car on Locust street on the northeast side of the school. Brad tells Aaron to wait in the car while he checks to make sure Wendy shows up.

“Shouldn’t I go with you?” asks Aaron.

“No,” says Brad. “Let me go and make sure she understands what is going on, then I will call you and have you come over. I will show her the scarf, so she knows this is real and that I’m only here to make the introduction. This way, if she backs out, you won’t be embarrassed, as I will be the one making first contact.”

“Oh, well, okay,” Aaron says.

Brad gets out of the car and heads toward the back of the school. This is working out just as I planned, Brad thinks to himself. I can explain to Wendy that the person she fell for was me and not Aaron. I was the one who created those texts. They were my words, not Aaron’s. And I’m the one who found the yellow scarf and am now returning it to her. She will realize her feelings are for me, not Aaron. He will later tell Aaron that Wendy decided she did not want to meet him.

As Brad approaches the path along the creek, he sees Wendy sitting at one of the benches near the bike path. When Wendy sees Brad approaching, she does not quite recognize who it is, as dusk is settling in. As he gets closer, she stands up and realizes it is not Aaron Livingston. It is Brad McGivens.

“What are you doing here?!” she blurts out.

“Wendy, let me explain,” Brad replies.

“I don’t want to talk to you right now, I’m waiting for someone.”

“Yes, you are waiting for me. I’m the one who wrote those texts. Look, I have your scarf to prove it.”

Wendy is puzzled. “Those texts came from Aaron, not you.”

“No Wendy, they came from Aaron’s phone, but they were from me. I have always wanted you to like me Wendy, but you never gave me a chance. Now you can see me in a different light.”

“See you in a different light?” she says. “If this is your idea of a joke, then you are worse than I ever imagined!”

“Wendy, come on,” says Brad, as he grabs Wendy by the shoulders, “just give me a chance. One night out with me will change your mind.”

“Get your hands off me Brad!”

The rejection from Wendy, after Brad worked so hard to show her another side of him is infuriating. “Just go out with me Wendy, you will see.”

“I said get your hands off me. I wouldn’t date you if you were the last guy on earth! You’re a terrible person Brad.”

Brad is now feeling enraged. He has gotten mad before, but this is not only maddening, it is embarrassing. He will be the laughingstock if this level of rejection is ever known. After all the effort he put forth to show his sensitive side, Wendy is having none of it.

Wendy now tries to pry Brad’s hands off her shoulders. It is no use. Brad is so much bigger and stronger than her.

Brad starts to raise his voice, “Wendy, just go out with me one time!”

“You’re hurting me Brad, stop it. I’m going to scream.”

As Wendy starts to open her mouth to let out a scream, she feels Brad release her shoulders, only to place both hands around her neck in a vice-like grip. She can feel the cold leather of his gloves as he pushes her back toward the trees and creek. Wendy quickly starts to gasp as she reaches up and tries to remove Brad’s hands. It is to no avail, as he is just too powerful, and she can no longer breathe. She starts to flail her arms and hands, reaching out to anything at all. Maybe if I gouge out his eyes, she thinks, as she tries to reach out and scratch his eyes. She also starts to kick her feet in defense of her life.

Within seconds, Wendy’s neck feels like it is being crushed. She can only make weak gurgling sounds and cannot breathe at all. It feels like her eyes might pop out of their sockets. She doesn’t want to die. So much to live for and accomplish in her life. How can this be happening to her? Soon, she can’t see at all, as everything goes black. She can feel herself going into an unconscious state. And then, she can feel no more.

Brad continues his vice grip around Wendy’s neck as he pushes her further into the trees and out of sight. The rage inside of him burns like a roaring campfire. He has never been so angry in his life. He squeezes and lifts up so hard Wendy’s feet briefly come off the ground. Her gurgles finally stop, and her body goes limp. Brad continues to hold on and stare into Wendy’s face as though he is in a trance. How can you reject me like that? he thinks.

After a few more seconds, Brad snaps out of his trance-like state and releases his grip. Wendy falls lifelessly to the ground. Brad stares at the lifeless body of Wendy Spire while standing over her and breathing heavily. What have I just done? This was not supposed to have happened. Brad soon realizes he is in trouble and has to think fast. Brad grabs Wendy behind the shoulders and drags her further into the trees and leaves her lying near the edge of the creek.

He realizes no one knows he is here except Aaron, and it is Aaron who set the meetup, not Brad. Brad picks the yellow scarf off the ground and then remembers the ring he had grabbed in Aaron’s car.