Adaptation of the Chameleon

by Douglas A. Schmitt

  “I don’t know what to think anymore, Luke. I mean, I gave him everything!”

  Luke felt his eyelids becoming very heavy and the combination of booze and cheap cigarettes coming from Audrey’s mouth was enough to have him running towards the toilet.

  Luke continued to sit with Audrey until she felt physical illness rise from within her core. She finally excused herself. The time had passed nine in the morning. She lifted herself from the cold stained concrete and walked to the top of the stairs. Luke stayed and listened as Audrey placed her keys into her deadbolt and listened to her close the door.

  Luke prepared himself for class. While feeling tired and exhausted, he showered and dressed. While driving to campus, Luke couldn’t stop feeling guilt for Audrey. It was bittersweet to him to have something more to focus his attention on other than his issue with Anna’s distance.

  While Luke was preoccupied with the situation with his new friend, he forgot to check his phone to see if Anna had responded to his usual morning greeting. It was easy to get lost in the cluster that was Audrey. Her spontaneous behavior and line of unfortunate relationship disasters depicted her as the poster child for the new generation of not so lucky young adults.

  Luke spotted an old familiar bench and sat down and quickly pulled out his phone, only to see that Anna had not responded to his message. In a moment of desperation, Luke decided to call Anna. It was just before Luke’s ten o’clock class when he dialed her number and patiently waited for her to answer.

  Several moments into the call, just as Luke placed his finger on the button that would end the potential conversation he heard a male voice answer, “Dude, do you know what time it is? What the fuck are you doing calling so damn early?”

  The exhausted tone of the male voice shook Luke to his core. He carefully and without showing his strong urge to be vile responded, “Who in hell is this answering my fiancé’s phone?

  “Fuck you, dickhead. This is Calvin, you fucker! Don’t fucking call this number again!”

  The phone call then ended, leaving Luke pondering the one thing that he felt he needed to avoid. He decided to text Anna to tell her that she needed to call him as soon as she got the message.

  An hour later, Luke decided in his anger and eagerness to find answers to call Stuart to plea for his help in the rough situation. Luke searched for Stuart’s number and patiently waited as Stuart answered, “Hello?”

  “Hey, Stuart, it’s me, Luke. I hate to call you, but I didn’t know who else to talk to.”

  “Yeah, bud, what’s up?”

  Luke fought back the tears and explained to Stuart about what happened when he tried calling his daughter.

  Stuart responded with a heavy tone, “Look, Luke, maybe you should just give her some time. She is happy there and I don’t want her to feel pressured to come home and give up. Just leave her be. When she wants to talk, she will call you.”

  Shocked and surprised at what Stuart had said to him, Luke continued to sit and weep feeling his world begin to crumble.

  Later in the evening, Luke finally arrived home after a tough class session. After thinking further on the situation with Anna, he decided to check in to his social networking site for further investigation. He pulled up the site and breaths deep as he logs into his account. He navigates to Anna’s profile and discovered a new photo she has posted. It was an image of Anna wrapped in the arms of another man.

  Luke felt his heart begin to break. He looked further on Anna’s online profile to see that her relationship status listed her as “in a relationship with Calvin Quigley.” A tear slowly inched its way down Luke’s cheek. Then he noticed a message that was posted by Dana Winchcomb: “I’m so happy for you guys!”

  Luke felt the queasy sensation of shock as it numbed his body. His eyes became maroon red, as the melanin in his skin faded. His stomach felt as though he had just been sucker punched. A slight hint of faintness led the shattered young man to his bed for rest.

  He lay on top of his dark comforter, and discovered the smell of Anna as it seeped up his nostrils. Weeping and weary, Luke finally found a restless slumber.

  After over two hours of tossing and turning, his body and mind in turmoil, Luke rose to see that his phone had received no new messages. Frustrated and hurt, he decided to leave Anna a private message via the social networking site.

  “Anna, I don’t know what is going on. I have been trying to reach you all day. I tried calling you almost four hours ago and that guy, Calvin answered. Besides the fact that he was an ass, he showed me the one thing that I had feared since the moment you told me that you were moving to Oxford. I worried about getting involved with you and then having it all ripped from under me. The idea that you have met someone new is not as harsh as you hiding it from me. For god’s sake, Anna, I asked you to be my wife and I meant it, but now I don’t know what to think or what to feel. I love you Anna.”

  Luke sent the message and logged off of his computer. Eager for a response, Luke continued to sit and stare in front of his desktop and wait.

  The sun descended beyond the horizon, darkness enveloped the earth, and still no response from Anna. He checked his phone once more for the time and for the satisfaction of knowing first hand whether or not he received a missed communication. He noticed that the time was just past eight and decided to go out and have a drink with Charlie and Dan.

  He showered and dressed. He picked up the pack of light cigarettes and headed out the door. He enteeds his car and immediately felt the dropping pressure in his blood. The light-headed feeling caused the young man to feel cold and presented him with the fear of fainting. He took a moment to rest and catch his breath before placing his vehicle in reverse.

  After gathering his thoughts and leveling his body chemistry, he headed towards the bar where he knew his two friends are. He decided to text Charlie as he drives towards the tavern.

  “Shit’s real… pour me a drink… I’m not stopping till they ask me to leave.”

  He pulled up to the old shack and parked in the loose gravel parking lot. He noticed the crowd is moderate as he approached the front entrance. He handed the large black gentleman his identification card for verification and headed into the main hallway. He walked towards the open area and bar. Required to pay a fee of five dollars to enter, he did so and headed in where he saw Charlie and Dan sitting at their usual location and conversing.

  He took a seat next to Dan while signaling down the bartender. He ordered a whiskey and coke. He got comfortable next to his friend joining in with their conversation as Dan continued ranting to Charlie about a shared professor.

  “Dude, it’s not like that! You have to be like the first one to his class in order to have a chance at passing the course. He picks his favorites and lets them get away with anything!”

  “No, bud,” Charlie disagreed, “you just have to pay attention to the material and know what the fuck is going on. Taylor isn’t going to lean on someone because they are late or don’t show up to class as long as they are making the grade.”

  The two agreed to disagree as they focused their attention on Luke. Charlie placed his hand around his cold golden colored beer and said, “Luke, what’s up, man? Where ya been? I was worried about you after I got your last message. Are you okay? You look like you are about to pass out!”

  Luke took a moment to sip at his heavy drink. He felt the strong liquor find a new home in his stomach. He wiped his mouth with his long left sleeve. “Well, shit, guys. I don’t really know what to think or what to say. I do know that I will drink this poison, and then another, and then another, until I can’t feel the heavy thump inside my chest”

  Charlie turned towards Dan. They sat confused, taking a moment to process, before Charlie directed his attention to Luke and said, “So, does that mean you are buying tonight?”

  Luke faced towards his half empty drink. He heard Dan and Charlie laugh with delight. He took another sip from his whiskey glass and responded, “Why the hell not. I mean,
I got nothing to use this money for. It’s not like I have a girlfriend… fiancée anymore.”

  Luke heard his two friends become silent. He felt Charlie’s hand begin to aggressively rub at Luke’s left shoulder. Luke lit a cigarette and began to unload his unbearable saga as his friends sat and listened to his story.

  The following morning brought back the loss of air and will to live for Luke, as well as providing a strong headache. He pulled himself from his bed and crawled to the bathroom to prepare his shower. He took off the clothes he wore the day before and entered the slim fiberglass haven and feels the hot water soothe his aching body.

  It was just after one when Luke left his house for the first time all day. He had decided to take a walk around the apartment complex in hopes of clearing his mind but all he saw was Anna. With every turn he was reminded of the temporary home that he and Anna had made together, and the familiar sights from various walks they had shared. Desperate to get out of his life for a moment, Luke took his phone out to call Audrey. He took a seat on the concrete curb and waited as the phone was almost immediately answered.

  “Hey, Luke, whatcha up to?”

  “Not much, just outside freezing my ass off in this parking lot.”

  Audrey laughed, “Well, then, why don’t you go inside your apartment?”

  “I would, but it doesn’t take away the pain in my chest. Anna and I… aren’t together anymore, I think. I don’t really know. I mean, I think you have to talk to the person first before you can break up with them. I didn’t even get that!”

  “Luke, are you feeling okay?” Audrey asked with caution

  , “Yeah, of course,” Luke quietly responded. “I mean, shit happens, right? Well, I got to go. Got to get back to my apartment and get ready for work tonight. You want to hang out when I get off?

  “Yes, I would love to. I’ll see you tonight, Luke.”

  After the call, Luke stood next to his front door to smoke a cigarette. His mind was focused on questions he wished he had the answers to. Luke could see his relationship with Anna coming down. However, he remained confident that they had not reached the point of no return. He could not allow himself to go there, not yet.

  Later that evening, as Luke prepared for work, he heard his phone start to ring. Luke looked at his phone and discovered Anna’s number flashing on the tiny screen. Nervous but curious, Luke answered the cellular device and sat on the edge of his bed.

  “Hello?”

  “Hey,” Anna responded in a low tone. “What are you doing?”

  Luke took a moment to relax. He sighed slowly and took a deep breath. “I’m about to go to work. What about you?”

  “I’m about to go out with some friends. I just wanted to talk to you and see what’s been going on. I know I have been acting weird the last couple of days. I’ve just been very busy.”

  Luke thought for a moment. “I tried calling you, but your boyfriend Calvin answered your phone the other morning…”

  “What are you talking about?’ Anna’s tone rose as she interrupted, ‘You are my boyfriend! My fiancé! What the hell has been your deal these past couple of days? You have been acting fucking weird. It’s starting to scare me and make me not want to even talk to you anymore!”

  Luke heard Anna end the call, leaving him with more unanswered questions.

  Feeling confused and angry, Luke threw his phone across the room. He heard the plastic device hit the wall, landing on the beige carpet and he breaks into tears. Hysterical and hurt, feeling the loss of control, Luke jumped to his feet and begins walking to his bedroom door.

  He looked over his right shoulder and saw a collage of photos of him an Anna displayed behind a thin layer of glass, next to a photo of him, Nicole, and their mother. He feels the rage build and he rushes towards the picture frame. He clenched his right fist and forced it through the glass picture, hitting the solid stud that held it in place.

  Luke grabbed hold of his fist and clinches as he heard a snap from under his skin. He rushed to the bathroom to rinse the blood that has begun pouring out from between his knuckles. He watches his hand become painfully swollen.

  Luke takes control of the blood, suppressing the heavy flow. He walked out of the bathroom, picking up his phone from the floor and his keys from on top of his dresser and heading out the door, making his way to the hospital.

  He entered through the automatic sliding glass door and approached the triage desk. He noticed his supervisor through the office door and began calling her name. She walked towards the attendant’s desk and said as she looked at Luke’s enlarged hand, “Oh my God, Luke. What happened to you?”

  Luke paused for a moment and while gripping his hand tighter, he fabricated an excuse.

  “I was… in the gym this afternoon and I… tripped over a dumbbell and when I started to fall forward… I put my hand out to catch myself against the wall.”

  His supervisor looked over the hand and urgeed Luke to check into the ER to allow a doctor to see what he had done. She allowed Luke to take the night off if he agreed to see a physician.

  Luke agreed and checked in with the attendant. He waited twenty five minutes before being escorted by the triage nurse to the first floor. He entered room 145 and rested his body on the gurney in the center of the room.

  A young female attendant walked in and immediately referred Luke for an x-ray and a prescription for Lortab. She exited and continued on her route. Luke waited a few more minutes before being escorted for x-ray. He entered and immediately took orders to rotate and lay his painful hand flat on the table.

  After the excruciating experience, he was taken back to his room. It took just over an hour before the nurse returned to inform Luke of a positive break. She splinted the snapped digit and wrapped it with a thick white bandage. She handed Luke two large white pills and his first prescription. She then gave him instructions on caring for his hand before leaving the room. Luke checked out of the ER and headed back to his apartment.

  After parking, Luke slowly walked inside and immediately text messaged Audrey of the current news, and invited her to come over. He then consumed two more pain pills, and washes them down with beer. He then walks through the family room. He slid open the door leading to his patio and stepped outside and lights a cigarette.

  Luke heard Audrey knock on the front door. He put out his cigarette and walked to the front. He opened it and greeted Audrey with a hug, showing her his hand. She placed her palms over her mouth in disbelief. He invited her in and took two beers from the refrigerator, declaring, “The doctor called it a boxer’s fracture, saying it was the same kind of injury that a fighter would get. It’s just laymen’s terms for a clean break of the knuckle from the bone. She even suggested that I get surgery with pins and screws and all that to correct it.”

  Audrey sat and listened to Luke explain the doctor visit and the incident that led to it. She then took Luke’s hand and gently massaged just below the white bandage.

  “I can’t believe this. It looks so painful. You shouldn’t let your emotions get to you like that. You could have just called me to talk about it; you didn’t have to go break your hand over this chick.”

  Audrey laughed, reaching for her moisture covered bottle. She took a sip and continued conversing with Luke.

  An hour after Luke took the medicine he began feeling the strong effects. He walked to the kitchen and grabbed another beer. He immediately consumed the entire can. To Audrey’s amazement, she began lecturing Luke on the intake of alcohol with painkillers. Luke just brushed off the information and drank another beer.

  Chapter 18

  The following week, as Luke was leaving class, he felt a slight vibration in his front left pocket. He placed his hand in and removed his phone. He looked at the contact information and noticed “Stuart’s Cell.” Excited, he accepted the call and answered, “Hello?”

  “Hello, Luke? Yeah, this is Stuart Winchcomb. Listen, I just got off the phone with Calvin. He just told Dana and me about the nasty
little phone call you made to my daughter last night. Now, I don’t know what is going on with you two kids, but when I get a call in the middle of the night from my daughter who can’t stop crying long enough to have a conversation with me and that she has to get her boyfriend to talk to me, then it becomes my problem. Do me a favor and leave my daughter alone. Don’t call her, don’t text her, just leave her the hell alone.”

  Luke took a moment to allow Stuart’s information to absorb. He began to sweat as he responded, “Stuart, I don’t know what you are talking about. I haven’t talked to Anna in over two weeks. Every time I call her, Calvin answers and acts like…”

  Stuart interrupted Luke with fire in his tone. “Listen, Luke, you seem like a good guy and I liked you. But now you have me thinking otherwise. You call my daughter a slut and a whore or whatever. Then when she starts crying and hangs up, you text her and tell her that she is a terrible person and that you wished she rot in hell. Calvin told us. Now if I hear that you call her or try to communicate with her anymore, I’m going to get some of my friends in Hattiesburg to come and pick you up. You got that?”

  Stuart hung up the phone, leaving Luke speechless. Luke placed his phone back in his pocket and continued walking to his car.

  Luke decided to call into work that night. He searched for the hospitals number, pressed the button, and waited patiently as the call was answered.

  “Hello, this is Luke Cardellini. Can I speak to the registration supervisor on duty?”

  “Yes, you may, Luke.’ the voice said. “Hold on one sec, sweetie.”

  As Luke continued to wait, he removed the solid white top from the small orange pill bottle and unloads two capsules into his mouth. He swallowed the pills as the line was answered.

  “Yes, this is Luke. I won’t be able to make it this evening. My hand… it hurts just too much. I’m just going to take some medicine and go to sleep for the night.”