I was not one of the nice kids in school, in fact I was the guy everyone avoided. I had earned that place in the pecking order last year as a Junior when the Varsity football middle-line-backer and the Fullback came after me for being too friendly with the Quarterbacks girl friend. It was in the middle of the season and so the second string offensive backfield got some playing time because broken legs and arms are not conducive to team sports...
My senior year was not really so different than any other year, I was still a lone wolf, so it was with some confusion that people saw me sit down with Jerome, a downs syndrome kid, that always ate his lunch alone in the corner of the common area.
He was a lonely kid even in our senior year. Our school did not have the "woke" kids that voted the retards into homecoming Queens and Kings. But Jerome was a tough kid... bull strong and stubborn... he had a rep for not taking shit from people, so he was left alone and mocked from afar.
For me it was idle curiosity. Any other day and it might not have happened at all, but I was bored and Jerome was staring intently into the screen of his phone and breathing heavy. We had had gym class scheduled together a couple of years before and on some of the few days that I showed up, I found out that he lifted weights in the same upper strength limits as me. He enjoyed it... it was something he could do well and frankly it scared some would be harassers off. We had that in common and a sort grudging respect. Well... he knew my name and I knew his.
He was so intent in his viewing that I got to where I could see what he was looking at before he realized I was there. It was a video of a gorgeous lady, decked out in sexy black bra and panties, and bright red stiletto heals. She was tied hand and foot, arms drawn behind her back, ankles and knees tied together. She was rolling around on the floor, struggling to get free. She was talking but the sound was down so I could not hear what she was saying.
"Hey Jerome. Watch'a got there?" I said as I slumped onto the bench seat he was sitting on.
He was more than surprised... he was caught doing something he was not supposed to be doing. He slammed the phone face down on the table.
"Nothing!" his chin was down and he was glaring at me through his eyebrows... his "intimidating" face. He was scared going quickly to angry. "I ain't got nothin'! What... What do you want Casey?"
"Nothing Jerome... I just saw you sitting here and was wondering what you were looking at... that's all."
"I wasn't lookin' at nothing... ass hole."
"Well, she was an awful pretty nothing... that's all I'm sayin'"
"You can't tell no body Casey. It's my secret. If... if you tell I will have to break you."
There was silence for a couple of heart beats... I knew he was serious... but I don't like to be threatened either."
Without looking away I said, "I got no reason to tell no body nuthin' 'bout your secret... and I got no reason to test you either Jerome. If anyone here could do it you have the best chance, but it would cost you more than you might want to pay... I seen you lift... I know you're strong as a mother fucker... but you know that about me too..."
He calmed down and we sat quiet for a moment.
"Why do you care what these motherfuckers think they know about you anyway... so you like pretty women tied up... who doesn't... that ain't no big secret."
He kept his head down
"That's not the secret Casey... you can't tell anyone because she's... she's my Mom and she does not know that I have the video..." Then he looked sideways at me and smiled... "She doesn't know about any of them."
Wow... it took me a few seconds to process what he had just told me. I am not the brightest bulb, but I can usually figure things out better than most. It didn't take me long to figure a couple of angles and how this might lead to a couple of really good things for me.
"Do you have lots of videos?"
He was quiet for a minute.
"I should not tell you."
"No you're right Jerome, you probably should not. Your mom would not like it if she knew... But you don't have to worry none... I am like you this way... I don't have anyone to tell. So it will just be our secret... Hell Jerome... if we are not careful, we might become friends... you and me... we share lifting really heavy things, and a secret."
"You won't tell because I would hurt you... not because you're my friend."
"Jerome... I am no more afraid of you than you are of me... I know you could hurt me, you know I could hurt you... wait... look't... that's one more thing we share... I think you are the only one around here that isn't afraid of me... and I know everyone else is afraid of you."
Jerome wasn't stupid... but he was naive.
"So... we share those things and we share the secret?"
"Yep... that's how it works."
I left it hanging... letting him come to it on his own.