Treats in the Basement Chapter 6: VI

This was an unexpected disaster
for Flard, and also for Dion who had committed fully to his role as
co-conspirator. They had to move quickly if they were to get the undergraduate
fired before he left. As the undergraduate rode the elevator up to the first
floor, Rupert Flard, doctoral candidate candidate, and Dion, Ancient of Days,
sprinted up the staircase to cut the undergraduate off. 

(html comment removed: block)Thinking quickly and drawing on
all his ancient wisdom, Dion, had concocted a backup plan, and had simply told
Flard to follow him. Flard did so without question. Dion, primed by the unscrupulous
nature of this undergraduate and the previous conversations regarding whether
harassment had or had not occurred, remembered Angelica Snint, a fellow
graduate student. Angelica Snint hated men, and although it was unclear whether
this was the cause or the effect of that sentiment, often saw harassment where
others did not. Just months ago, Edgar had been officially reprimanded by the
school after complimenting Angelica’s shoes, and Joe Fillmore now had a
restraining order against him after disagreeing with her about the disparity
between representation of the sexes in the sciences. “I’m just saying, we have
43 girls in our program, and only 37 guys,” he had unwisely opined. In fact,
Dion could not remember a single interaction between Snint and a man that had
not ended in near catastrophe. Surely such a dishonorable and inexperienced
man, such as Ben Larmy, would suffer vast repercussions from attempting to
converse with Angelica Snint. 

(html comment removed: block)Breathing heavily, Dion, with
Flard quickly catching up a few yards behind, approached the departing Larmy.
“Hi! Before you go, I think that Angelica Snint wanted to talk to you,” Dion
said. 

(html comment removed: block)Flard immediately saw the genius
in these words. “Yes. Do you know here? I believe she said something about
wanting to know more about your struggles getting into the school of
engineering here,” he suggested to the white-male, Larmy. 

(html comment removed: block)“I don’t know her. But it was
quite the uphill battle. I’d love to help,” generously offered Larmy. 

(html comment removed: block)Flard and Dion took their
positions, like prison guards, on either side of Ben, and escorted him down the
hall. When they arrived at Angelica Snint’s office, they knocked twice, shoved
him inside, and waited eagerly. 

(html comment removed: block)Nothing happened. No yelling;
just a bit of quiet conversational rumbling, and then silence. This silence
continued, and after a few minutes, it occurred to Dion that Snint may have
killed young Benjamin. With the mounting concern, Dion pushed the door open a
crack to investigate. His jaw dropped.

(html comment removed: block)Right there, before his eyes, was
clearly Snint. But rather than berating an injured Larmy, she was making out
with him. His eyes were wide open, looking a bit like a confused fawn, recently
born into the world. In contrast, her face was still contorted in a sort of
deep bitterness and anger. She heard the door creak. 

(html comment removed: block)“What?!?!?!” she asked. “So it’s
fine for the boys to basically have their way with the female undergraduate
women, but not the other way around? Hah. No longer. Let’s see how the boys
like it when the female grads start flexing their power for once. Time’s up.”

(html comment removed: block)Despite his vast confusion and
bewilderment, young Benjamin nonetheless did like it, but began to wonder
whether or not he was supposed to.     

(html comment removed: block)The creaking door, creaked its
way shut again. Dion and Flard looked at each other, utterly defeated. “Well,
I’m sorry my friend,” said Dion. Sometimes these undergraduates are just too
slippery. But maybe that woman in the basement will come around! These
undergraduate flings never last long. Too young. Too immature. You’ll see. Soon
the woman will be returning to you with handfuls of apologetic notes. Mark my
words.” 

(html comment removed: block)Dion shook Flard’s hand and went
back upstairs. Flard left to go back to the basement to see his muse and
perhaps feel some inspiration about how to proceed.

(html comment removed: block)Arriving at the basement, there
was no sign of the nice young woman, but a note was left out, clearly on one of
the work benches. Flard gulped and approached the note cautiously. He picked it
up. It read, “Prof. Bateman went out this afternoon and came back with a
surprise! There are treats upstairs 😉.”