When Dan woke up that morning he had no intention of dying. He stopped by his favorite coffee shop on his way to class. A caramel mocha with sprinkles, this last month he had discovered coffee and liked it. Dan knew the sprinkles didn’t change the taste at all, but they looked cool. That’s the kind of guy Dan was, he was spontaneous, easily distracted and he loved psychological experiments. His whole life was an experiment now. He had come from a very close nit family, a very conservative family. His father and mother had met at college, and they had secured Dan a spot there as well. And as the obedient oldest child he had gone there. So he made his way to his class that morning hoping no one would notice his coffee. If asked he was going to have to answer that it was coffee, which didn't bode to well. You see coffee was taboo at this college, and that was Dan’s experiment this month. Taboology as he called it. He wanted to see just how far he could push the bubble in the very conservative and very republican school, well the whole town was as a matter of fact. His dark blond hair was longer then he liked, but that was all part of the act. As was his new wardrobe, black and gray…gray and black. Now the affect he was going for wasn’t to appear gothic, but rather to appear more liberal. That was Dan’s favorite word for doing taboo things here. Being liberal. So with his now cooling coffee he sat in the back of his poetry class. Today was the culmination of a month’s preparation and of acting a part. He was about to shove dynamite down his classmate’s throats and laugh at their reaction. Well that’s what he had envisioned doing. He had even thought to write an article about it.
Entitled “Taboo”, this poem was the ultimate form of rebellion that an English student had. He smirked to himself when the teacher asked for volunteers to have their poems read aloud. Dan raised his hand, the clear polished nails glittered a little in the light making Dan cringe. Not even he liked that, but alas it was part of the liberal character that he was playing.
“Dan. Great, who do you want to read your poem?” The teacher asked happy to see someone putting himself out there to be critiqued by the class.
Dan scanned the room, then seeing his target he selected the most uptight girl in the class, whom he was actually quite fond of. “Shelley? Would you?” He asked politely.
From behind him and to the left he heard a whispered scoff. “Of course he picks a girl…queer.” It made Dan smile to himself, so his acting was paying off. His girlfriend Samantha would like that one.
Shelley arose and smiled softly at Dan and took his poem from his outstretched hand. His heart started to race. Here it comes.
Shelley started, “Taboo…” She read the title. Then with a sharp intake of breath she glanced up at Dan, who nodded to reassure her. “Umm…” her cheeks became a crimson color. “Taboo…In the dark absence of light/My heart takes flight…” then red faced and stuttering she read poetry that seemed more the creation of Anne Rice then that of a conservative religious student. With every line the descriptions became more crude and disgusting. Taboo as described in graphic detail. Sex, drugs, atheism and just about everything else that Dan could think of to piss off everyone in the class was included. He laughed at himself when the teacher stood before the poem was finished and ripped the paper out of Shelley’s hands.
“That is quite enough!” He protested like a catholic nun. Then there was silence…utter silence in the class.
Now it was time for Dan to observe the effect his poem and his month of acting would have. He felt eyes on him. Angry eyes. He smiled to himself. “And so it begins…” he whispered to closed ears.
Ten o’clock that night Samantha and Dan made their way to a party. Dan had hoped he could leave the act at home that night, today was Samantha’s birthday and they were going to have a great time. But when Dan had heard who was going to be at the party he had stopped by the store to pick up a 6-pack of Budweiser. He didn’t drink the stuff, wasn’t much of a beer guy. Samantha had chuckled and asked, “So when is this experiment going to end?”
“Well, I had the poem read this morning…well most of it. Dr. Thatch wouldn’t let Shelley finish it! I had thought to end it then, but this is just too good to ask for. Don’t worry babe come morning I will go get a haircut and I will be the old me again.”
She laughed again “Good! I’ve missed you babe… I bet the poem was good.”
“After tonight it’s all just observe and laugh.” Dan paid for the beer and they made their way to the party.
They walked into the party and the music almost stopped. Everyone stared at Dan. He leaned and said to Samantha, “Looks like the rumors are spreading already. Amazing how that happens at a school with over thirty thousand students!”
She just laughed; her long brown hair fell into her line of sight. Dan brushed it away and gave her a quick peck on the lips. She would get her birthday kiss later. She smiled softly.
“Oh he’s just doing that so we think he’s not gay!” a religious jock yelled from the crowd. Religious jocks are what Dan referred to as mindless bible heads that wore shirts like they were in a pride parade. Closed-minded folk. He was sure they were a little confused about their own sexuality.
The real Dan came through the act a little, “Fuck you!” then he laid a big wet kiss on Samantha and there was a nervous laugh from half the crowd.
“What did you just say you little A-hole?” the clearly stronger man shot back. So there was going to be more to this. Dan liked how this was unfolding, perfect for an essay. It showed the ignorance and hatred that taboo caused.
“A-hole? I believe its ass hole…or wait do you not swear?” Dan asked in a mocking voice. He turned from Samantha’s beautiful but disapproving smile and towards the guy who would be the focal point of his write up about this whole experiment. He turned right into a large fist that knocked him on his back.
A little dazed he tried to get up, but the other man was on him with flying fist. Dan tried to bring his hands up block the punches but others grabbed them. He was pulled to his feet. Samantha was screaming at them to stop. They didn’t.
“Lets show this little rebel what happens to those who rebel against what’s right!” Dan looked forward at the crowd and saw that he was in deep shit.
“Woa guys! Lets just calm down a little bit. I brought some beer, I’m sure we can share it!” Dan wasn’t quite sure why he added the beer jibe – he knew no one there drank. It seemed like it would loosen the tension a little. It didn’t.
Five minutes later Samantha held Dan’s limp body screaming for someone to call the cops. Nobody moved. They had just killed him and they didn’t know what to do. They began to rationalize what had happened. She heard someone say, “He was asking for it being that way.”
Samantha cried into his lifeless chest and a word came to her racing mind. Taboo.
