The rest of the week passed by and Arnold had classes, did his work during the off classes, then worked on modelling the rat specimen for a few hours in the evenings. By Friday morning, he had finished it completely and saved his work, dropped it onto a small USB storage device that was the size of his thumb, and left his dorm room.
Arnold met Janet and Pam, like he did during the mornings they had the same first class, and they went to the biology lab together. They would be physically working on the chickens today and he wanted to pass in his digital model before class. They arrived and the three of them set up their work stations, then he left them to go to the professor's office.
“Ah, Arnold.” Hamil said when Arnold knocked, then he opened the bottom drawer and took out Arnold's wooden case.
“I have something for you.” Arnold said and handed him the USB storage device. “It has models and images, so you need the viewing program that I included.”
“Oh? What is it?”
“A specimen I modelled.” Arnold said and left the office before the professor could ask him any more questions. He went back to the lab and Janet and Pam gasped at the large and expensive tool set he showed them.
“Oh, wow.” Janet said and stroked the outside of the case. She knew better than to touch the tools and utensils directly. “Is that what your mom got you for your birthday?”
Arnold nodded.
“She definitely loves you a lot.” Pam said and put an arm over his shoulders. “A lot.”
The lab workers came into the lab carrying several cases, put them down, then left again to get more. The specimens were quite big, so it took a couple of trips for them to get enough specimens for the entire class. Pam was grateful that she was partners with both Janet and Arnold, because with the three of them, they only needed one specimen.
With only one other set of lab partners at their table, that meant only two specimens were needed. The lab workers distributed them to everyone and the professor came into the lab. He set up his own specimen and didn't notice the intense stares that Amy and Cissily gave Arnold. The class started and Arnold enjoyed working on something he had never seen before in person.
Both Pam and Janet noticed the change in his behavior as they worked with him. They asked a lot of questions and made sure that they weren't getting in his way, since this was something they knew he wouldn't take any carrying on about. He was as serious as they had ever seen him and that made them respect him just a little bit more than they had before.
Any time they were told to make a cut, they whispered to him to ask if it was right. Arnold would nod or assist them in correcting their technique, or the teacher's oversight, then he would let them continue. Pam and Janet were amazed that Arnold wasn't trying to tell the rest of the class, or even their own table assigned lab worker Cissily, about the corrections.
What they didn't know was that Arnold was noting everything in his head and would write a separate report to hand in to the professor, to show why their specimen had slightly different incisions. Cissily didn't notice the slight changes either and didn't mention it.
The long morning lab came to an end and Pam, Janet, and Arnold had one class off before lunch. On his suggestion, they went to an empty classroom and wrote out the required report for the lab. Because Janet and Pam had relied on Arnold and he had told them everything, they easily filled out the reports on their own, almost as quickly as Arnold wrote his out.
“They really messed up by not letting you continue working there, didn't they?” Pam asked and looked at her report. “I don't think I've ever been able to fill one out by myself before.”
Janet laughed. “Nope, you never have.”
“You would know!” Pam countered and laughed, too. She put her report down and put her arms around Arnold's neck. “Thank you for teaching us better than the teacher and his lab assistant.” She said and gave him a kiss.
“Cissily didn't even notice your improvements.” Janet said and looked at Arnold's corrections report. “How could they miss doing it this way? It's much better for the specimen and makes it easier to continue the dissection, considering we had to stop halfway.”
“I'm so glad we're not going to be the ones that have to continue with the other specimens.” Pam said. “When they try to reopen them without fixing those cuts...”
“We should hand our reports in right now.” Janet said, to Pam's surprise. “If they have them now, maybe they'll be able to let the other students know and they won't mangle the other specimens during the next class.”
“Janet.” Arnold said and gave her a look that was much more intense than it usually was.
“I'll block the door!” Pam said and ran over to it, then quickly taped papers over the window and locked the door. She knew what was coming next, because he had reacted the same way to her when she mentioned sharing their passion for hamsters when they were kids.
“A-Arnold...” Janet managed to say, just before Arnold kissed her passionately. She moaned as her skirt was lifted up and her underwear disappeared, then Arnold was on top of her and holding her mouth closed to muffle her screams of pleasure.
“Good god, that's so fucking hot.” Pam whispered and walked over to them. “Look at how cute she is, trying to keep quiet.” She said and put an arm under Janet's head to help soften the pounding Arnold was giving her, then she took over holding Janet's mouth closed. “I've got this part, Arnold. Show your best friend how much you like that she cares about the other specimens.”
Arnold kissed Pam just as passionately, then he really got to work on Janet, whose moans couldn't be contained so easily, despite Pam's best efforts.
*
Halfway through lunch, Professor Hamil Crenslav stopped eating when a knock interrupted him. He opened his office door to see two very giddy young women and Arnold. He was handed four reports, which was a little odd, since there were only three of them, then the trio left without a word. Hamil shrugged and didn't bother commenting that the reports weren't due until Monday's class, then he saw the title on the top report.
Modifications to Standard Dissection Procedure: Fowl Specifications, Organ Displacement and Properly Angled Cuts for Contents Retention.
What in the world? Hamil asked himself and went back to his desk. He sat down and kept eating, then started to read the short report. By the time he was done with it, his mind was slightly blown away. Arnold had detected the potential problems with the dissection procedure and the damage that a paused follow-up procedure could cause, if the procedure wasn't corrected beforehand.
Hamil read it through again and then he looked at the three reports under it. In them, they described how much easier it was to manipulate the specimen with the slightly altered cuts during the dissection.
It's no wonder why they spent so much time whispering. Hamil shook his head. I thought they were goofing off and I didn't say anything, since Arnold was such a great assistant. Now I feel like a fool, because they were discussing why it wasn't done another way instead and then mapped out how it could be better.
He picked up his pen and marked all three reports, graded them all As, then he picked up the first report. He thought about cleaning it up and adding in a few technical terms, then he chuckled and took the report out of his office and over to the main administration building. He had the secretary make two copies, then he submitted one copy to the review board to adopt it into the curriculum.
If Arnold's lucky, they'll approve it and he'll get some official recognition. Hamil thought and asked for an envelope. He put in the second copy and told the secretary to send it to the biology department of the Board of Education. Just in case someone tries to steal his ideas. He smiled at the secretary and left the office. He was sure that he had an old frame somewhere in his office to put the original report in.
*
“I wish we could go home with you.” Janet said in the dorm room, after their shared shower, and kissed Arnold goodbye. “I've got these damn English essays to write and that's going to suck up most of my weekend.”
“I've got work and a new movie's opening tonight.” Pam said and kissed him goodbye. “The boss wants me to be there early and I quote, 'bring that bubbly smile with you'.”
Janet laughed. “You? Bubbly? Is Mike blind?”
“Hey, I can be bubbly.” Pam said with a stern expression, held it for a second, then they both laughed.
“We'll see you again on Monday morning.” Janet said, gave Pam a sly grin, then kissed Arnold again.
“You're gonna make him miss the buuuus.” Pam said exaggeratedly and Janet broke the kiss.
“All right, all right. Goodbye, Arnold.” Janet said and gave him another kiss.
Pam shook her head and laughed. “Two can play that game.” She said. “Good...” She gave him a kiss. “...bye.” She said and kissed him again. “Now run before we keep going.”
Arnold nodded and ran down the dorm hallway with his bag. He dashed down the stairs and out of sight.
“He's so lucky to have Friday afternoons off.” Janet said and picked up her books for their afternoon classes. “Grab your things and let's go.”
Pam did and they left their room and walked down the hallway. “I think he planned it.” She said as they went to the elevator. “He gets to leave the college half a day before anyone else and doesn't come back until late Sunday night. It's like he gets three day weekends every week.”
Janet thought about it as they stepped onto the elevator. “You're right. That would be both smart and nice to have.”
“Tell me about it.” Pam said as they rode the elevator. “I don't remember the last time I had a day off.”
“You don't?” Janet asked. “I could have sworn we spent like all day in bed with Arnold.”
Pam chuckled. “Oh, yeah. We did.” She said as the elevator doors opened. “When was that?”
“I have no idea.” Janet said, then they exchanged looks and laughed.
*
“I can't believe I'm doing this with you.” Amy said with a sigh.
“We're just hanging out together.” Cissily said and took out her new cell phone. 'He's getting the bus to go home. ETA 2 hours.' She typed out and sent the message.
“We're keeping an eye on a potential serial murderer, Sis.” Amy said and watched the bus drive away.
“Weren't you all hot and bothered that you missed having him?” Cissily asked.
“I was.” Amy said, sadness in her voice. “His appeal is... well...”
“He's fucking gross.” Cissily said. “Did you hear the rumors that he slept in his dorm with his mom?”
“You really shouldn't have told the detective that.” Amy said.
“It definitely makes her anger at him dating someone else more believable.” Cissily said. “That bitch was jealous of all the pussy he was going to get and she cock-blocked him.”
“He got your pussy.” Amy said.
“Yeah, and he's a mother-fucker. Literally.” Cissily spat. “How could I have been so stupid to let that murdering bastard fuck me?”
Amy did not point out that it was her idea. She was never reminding her friend of that. Ever. “Who else has he done in his dorm?”
“The two girls he hangs out with, and people have seen him making out with the southern chick and the rich bitch.” Cissily said. “Hot and heavy, too. He's definitely doing the both of them.”
“What about the new roommate?” Amy asked.
“Ma says no, because that tall bitch is always cool when Ma talks and mentions him.” Cissily said. “The maid, though...”
“She blushes a lot.” Amy said. She heard the story about Arnold taking the maid by the hand out of a class last week and them leaving for a while. In a van. With a bed in the back.
“I'd say he's either doing her or is about to.” Cissily said. “I can barely mention his name and her face goes red.”
Amy chuckled. “He could just be waving his dick around the dorm room.”
Cissily shrugged. “He's definitely not shy about it.” She said and saw her friend's face change from humor to contemplation. “Don't you dare think about asking him to see it.”
“Well...”
“He's a suspect in his own father's accident!” Cissily exclaimed, as if she was personally affronted by the crime. “What would you give to have your dad back right now?”
Amy didn't say anything and shook her head.
“He threw away his dad, Fareena.” Cissily said. “Even if he wasn't involved, the video of him in the morgue showed you what Arnold thought of him, just by the way he acted.”
Amy sighed. “I... I still think it's wrong to spy on him.”
“You're not doing anything except keeping me company.” Cissily said. “Let's go. We have to get our things before we head to class.” She started to walk away. “Don't you think it's suspicious that nearly all of the guys that wrecked their home are dead?”
“The paper said...”
“Oh, come on.” Cissily said. “You don't really think that a cop would go criminal and do Arnold's dirty work, do you?”
“They haven't found him yet, so they can't find out the truth.” Amy said.
“We could ask Arnold all about it, now that we know a lot of the details.” Cissily said with a smile. “I doubt he'll deny it, especially if we prove that we know more than the paper revealed.”
“Nuh uh. If you're going to confront him directly, I'm going to tackle you and beat some sense into you.” Amy said. “If he really is this horrible serial killer, then telling him you know he is, will only get you dead.”
“Why do you think I want a witness?” Cissily asked.
“Witness? I'd just be another victim.” Amy said, wisely. “If he can handle three football players and three of their friends, what are we going to be able to do against him?”
“Team up and strike first, of course.” Cissily responded with a gleam in her eyes.
“Ohhhh, fuck.” Amy sighed, resigned to actual helping her friend in whatever scheme she had come up with.
Cissily put her arm over her shoulders and gave them a squeeze. “Stick with me, bitch! We'll get this asshole to confess and he'll be behind bars for the rest of his life!”