The Crown, Book 1

New York Minute

New York City

1951

It was the end of yet another long day at Colombia University. Exhausted students streamed out of lecture halls, either headed toward the library, the quad, the dining commons or their dorms (or apartments). Temperatures began to cool down as the sun descended, the sky's western portion painted a brilliant fiery hue.

"See ya tomorrow, nerd!" Greg guffawed as he gave Antonio a rough, "playful" slap on the back.

Antonio stumbled, but he quickly recovered his balance. Greg's buddies all burst out laughing.

Glaring levelly at Greg, Antonio responded, "Likewise. Good luck on the exam next week." Stepping closer, he added, "You have been studying, right?"

Greg slightly shifted, but then he regained his bravado. "Of course I have! I'll ace that test with flying colors!"

"Oh, I just bet you will," Antonio said coolly. "You have yourself a nice evening, Greg."

He adjusted his backpack and strode off, leaving Greg and his pals dumbstruck.

Antonio wasn't hungry for whatever the dining commons had to offer tonight, so he headed toward the Coffee House, or the CoHo, for something to eat. Their pizza was always fresh and hot, and their pasta salad was divine. Typically, Antonio would order cold or frozen beverages from the CoHo, other than hot beverages. And because he was a student, their offerings came at a discounted price, with some items free on Fridays.

By the time Antonio arrived at the CoHo, the place was fairly crowded, but there were still a few tables open. The young man found a spot by the windows and then ordered his usual—a slice of pepperoni pizza, a large cranberry juice and an ice cream sundae. Then, he settled down at the table he'd chosen to enjoy his meal.

Antonio still couldn't believe he'd made it into Colombia University, but here he was. All of those years in junior high and senior high, working to keep up his grades, had paid off. As the son of Italian immigrants, he believed firmly in achieving the American Dream and becoming a self-made man. His dad worked as a factory foreman, saving up as much as he could so that he and his mother could get their bambino into a good school. Thanks to Antonio's studious nature, he was able to earn a full academic scholarship. And none of that money was going to waste.

Greg should be lucky to be in this university, Antonio thought with some bitterness as he took another bite of his pizza. He's probably never seen a day of hardship in his life. Why doesn't he take a second to appreciate what he has, rather than spend his waking hours picking on me? He shook his head. Getting angry at Greg wouldn't change anything. Besides, Professor Gadd's class was the only time he had to put up with the guy. It was a small price to pay for beginning to unravel the mysteries of paranormal science.

He finished his pizza, drank half of his cranberry juice and then started in on his sundae before it started to melt. One of these days, he'd get even with Greg. But not yet. Not yet.

By the time Antonio was done eating, the sun had almost set. It was time for him to head back to his apartment before it got too dark or too cold. After clearing away the table, he slung on his backpack and set off across the campus.

As he approached the apartment complex, Antonio was playfully accosted by a small, white puppy. This puppy had huge, brown eyes, and their white fur was enviably soft. Happily, the puppy woofed and licked Antonio's cheek as he knelt down and gave them some attention.

"Hey, puppy," said Antonio as the puppy hopped into his lap. "How've you been?"

The puppy responded by nuzzling against the base of Antonio's chin. Gently, the young man combed his fingers through the puppy's fur, whispering affectionate words in their ear.

Antonio and the puppy first met when the former first moved into his apartment a couple of months ago. The pup had instantly taken a liking to him, and Antonio had always been a puppy person. Once, when he was in fourth grade, he and his parents had come across a lost dog, but they had to take the poor animal to the pound because they couldn't afford to adopt them. Ever since the stressful grind of university life began, Antonio's day began and ended with a visit from this fluffy little ball of energy, receiving licks and doggie kisses and giving cuddles, back rubs and belly rubs. Comfort seemed to emanate from the pup, making the day ahead feel less foreboding and easing the tension once the day came to a close.

Antonio studied the blue collar around the pup's neck. Mysteriously, there was no tag identifying the pup's owner. Which occurred—did the owner just allow the pup to run around the apartment complex? Were they too lazy to bother with an identification tag? Did they even care?

The pup's eyes glazed over as they snuggled against Antonio, the latter holding them close as he talked about his day.

"How about you?" asked Antonio. "Have you been up to any mischief while I was in class?"

The puppy responded by bumping their nose against Antonio's.

"No? You've been a good little puppy?" laughed Antonio. "That's good to know."

He lightly scratched the top of the pup's head as they wagged their tail in enjoyment.

A sharp voice broke the moment.

"Hey, you stupid mutt! If I don't see you indoors in thirty seconds, then you won't see the park for a month!"

Fear flashed across the puppy's eyes, and they gave a little whine. After giving Antonio a goodbye-for-now nuzzle, they headed off in the direction of the voice.

Antonio rose to his feet, frowning. He didn't like nosing around other people's business, but if something was happening to that puppy, then he couldn't just stand around. Silently, he resolved to keep a close eye on the situation.

Once inside his apartment, Antonio locked the door and slung his backpack onto the sofa. He stripped down to his undershirt and pants and changed into a more comfortable pair of shoes before walking over to his record player and perusing the nearby shelf of 45s. Then, he chose a record, turned on the record player and carefully placed the 45 onto it. After dropping the needle onto the record, he turned up the volume and waited for the music to fill the room.

And then he began to dance, letting out the rest of the stress that was bottled up inside him. He'd made his living room as spacious as possible for this exact purpose, so that he wouldn't bump into anything while he danced. His eyes were closed, a smile on his lips as his body followed the music's command, rocking and swaying, the tempo speeding up and slowing down as one song faded into the next. For a brief moment, he could forget about Greg and the exam and everything else. He could let it fade into the back of his mind and let the record emerge into the forefront. Some college students preferred to drive fast cars and cause trouble, but Antonio was content with his records. Dancing to all of his favorite songs kept him from completely losing it, along with writing in a secret diary. Those two things were enough to drain out the day's toxins.

By the time the record was finished playing, Antonio was breathing heavily and sweat-soaked. He put the record back on the shelf, downed a glass of water and jumped into a cool shower.

Drying off, he pulled on his pajamas, retrieved his secret diary and set to work pouring the day's thoughts onto his pages. Thirty minutes later, he finished his latest entry and put the diary away. Then, he set his alarm, turned off his lights and crawled into bed.

Within minutes, he was fast asleep, repairing body and mind for another grueling day.