All Children, Except One, Grow Up

I awoke very suddenly the next morning and it took me a second to realize why my heart was racing. Adam. What had happened last night? He probably just stumbled drunkenly home with Nemioy and maybe even managed a couple slurred words of thanks before locking his door and going to bed alone in an otherwise people-less apartment but just to be sure...

He answered on the third ring.

"Adam - are you alright?!"

"That guy...Herold..." His voice didn't sound right. Immediately, I knew that alcohol had won out over good sense. 

I tried to head off any struggle for explanation. "Yeah, he was a criminal. You locked your door after he walked you home, right?"

A pause. "Actually, he came in. And he robbed me fucking blind."

"Shit... Are you okay?!" I squeezed my eyes shut, hoping my stupid reluctance to walk him home myself and thereby avoid any awkward and drunken conversations hadn't gotten him beaten to a pulp.

"No," My heart stopped, but then he continued. "...he took my music! It took me years to make that collection!"I released a breath.

"Jesus Christ, I'm just glad you're not hurt! He murdered people, Adam!"

"I'd rather be dead than without my music."

I shook my head irritably. "You're ridiculous." Then, unable to stifle the disgust I felt at his last words, I hung up.

As my rage towards Adam's apparent lack of value for his own life dried up, I realized that today was one of the first free days I'd had in a while. After working nonstop pretty much since we'd gotten here, I'd finally been given a few days off now that Peter had joined the staff. 

I lay in bed relishing the feeling of freedom and was still there a while later when my phone rang.

Hoping (but doubtful) that it was Adam calling back to apologize, I answered.

"Hey Eliot! It's Finn." Wait. What? "Graham told me you had a couple days off and that you'd probably waste 'em by lying in bed not doing anything. Since I was in the area, I figured I teach you how you're really supposed to spend your days off." 

I nodded, then realized he obviously couldn't see me and managed a slow, "Uhhh hhhuuuuhhh..."

"Eliot? Are you ok? Sorry... I just realized it's kinda early for a day off."

"Oh. Um... no! I mean, it's cool. I'm fine. When do you think you'll be here?"

"Probably about half an hour. That okay?"

"Yup. See you then! Bye!" I said, brightly.

"Bye." And he hung up the phone chuckling.

Immediately, I jumped out of bed and into the shower. Finn and I had hung out when he and Graham were in college together. But since they'd graduated, we'd only hung out periodically whenever Graham had a 'Guys Weekend' and all his college friends were in town. I'd always loved hanging out with him but usually I'd started any interactions between the two of us and it felt kind of nice to be on the receiving end of the attention for once.

When I'd finished my shower, I toweled off and got dressed with care. I pulled on one of my nicer pairs of jeans and a soft comfortable sweater was layered atop a deep purple tank. Just as I finished applying make-up, I heard a knock at the door.

As promised, Finn stood outside the apartment door 30 minutes from when we'd hung up the phone. His hair was short and windswept and he wore clothes that fit him perfectly. "Hey," he said. "Grab some shoes and a jacket. I know the perfect thing for you to do today." At a glimpse of his mischievous smile, I did as he said, locking the door behind me.

Finn brought me to the local grocery store. 

"You're kidding, right?" I turned to him, incredulously. Did he really know me this little - little enough that he thought I'd think that grocery shopping would be what I wanted to do on my day off?

"No. I'm not kidding. We're just no there yet. Follow me." He led me down the ally right before Flannigan's where a produce truck had been parked. It appeared that it had been left alone for hours and, unfortunately for it driver, its freight container had been left unlocked. Besides the evidence of scavenging, it seemed like the entire container was filled with - 

"Pumpkins?" Skeptical, I shot him a look.

"Pumpkins." He confirmed. "Grab a whole bunch of 'em - especially the little tiny ones - and head back to your apartment. I have a surprise."

Now, I was really confused but I simply shrugged and did as I was told. There obviously had to be a reason for this. Right?

On the way back to the apartment I saw Jose across the street. He was this pretty rich guy who lived somewhere around town and was always going around spending wildly large amounts of money on unnecessary things. He tipped well, though, so I wasn't going to complain. Unable to wave at him with my arms full of pumpkins, I did the head nod/jerk that guys sometimes use to acknowledge one another in public and that I'd always found kind of douche-y. He smiled, reciprocated it and continued in the opposite direction down the sidewalk.

When we reached the building Finn told me to go all the way to the roof. Again, I did as he instructed still unsure of what was going on. Upon reaching our destination, however, it all became clear.

On the roof of Maplewood Crest was a skeet launcher.

"No way." I was in awe. "You have got to be kidding me."

"What?" The grin was back.

"We are not launching these pumpkins and shooting at them from the roof of my apartment building."

"Why not?"

"Well, for starters, it would be disruptive to everyone else in town and for another, what happens if we miss and a pumpkin goes falling from the sky and kills someone?"

"That's not going to happen. Plus, I brought silencers so if you want to be lame and not disrupt anyone, we can use them, too."

I looked at him, trying to figure out if he was kidding. Finally I said, "Fine. But only with the silencer."

He nodded. "Here you go then," and handed me a gun, silencer already attached. "Load 'er up then. You get to go first."

I smiled, shaking my head at the whole situation. Checking over the side before giving the first command, I saw Temple Harden, one of the women from my building. Always angry at one thing or another, Temple would probably be the first person to yell at me for what I was about to do. 

A grin already spreading across my face, I gave the command: "Pull!" and Finn let the first pumpkin fly.