Chapter one:

A chill November breeze blew John Soeder's hair into his face. Mother Nature's reminder to get a haircut in the absence of his actual mother being around to nag him about it. She was back in Ohio where it was safe, and also ten degree's colder than it was here in the Bronx. If Emily Soeder could see her son's shaggy brown hair, she'd make that clicking noise she always made and offer to make the haircutting appointment herself.

John loved attending Fordham University for about a thousand reasons, but it's considerable distance from his mother numbered high on that list.

He and his roommate, Kevin Beyer, were heading back to their off- campus apartment after a long day in the print shop in the basement of the McKinley Center. They were the coeditors of Fordham's alternative paper and had spent most of the day putting the latest bisweekly issue to bed. The files had been e-mailed to the printer, and they would have the issues by Tuesday morning. That was critical, as they had to get it before The Ram, Fordham's stodgy official student newspaper, especially because of the exclusive they got from the dean.

They were walking quickly through the campus, heading towards the exit at Belmont Avenue by Faculty Memorial Hall. From there it was only a flew block's to their battered, cluttered, tiny- but blissfully cheap- apartment on Cambreleng Avenue.

Once they hit the exit, John brushed his hair out of his face and said. C'mon, let's motor. I wanna get home and change for the party.

What party? Asked Kevin.

Amy's party, remember? Said John.

Kevin winced. I got a eight thirty class tomorrow morning, dude I can't.

Shrugging, John said. Blow it off.

No way. Dr. Mendez'll will have my ass. Seriously, she takes attendance. I already missed three classes cause production weekends, I can't miss another one. Replied Kevin.