Soooo....
I was walking to the bar last night. Approaching the bar, I was almost about to toss my cigarette when I see this 'couple' arguing on the street. I say/do nothing and keep walking past them but my ears prick up. My gut told me something wasn't right. So instead of going in, I decided to hang out. I pretend to fish for my lighter as I lit another cigarette and just stood outside the bar.
The arugment is getting louder and louder - actually by now I can tell that it's a very one sided argument. The girl isn't saying anything at all but the guy is getting more and more foul and louder by the minute. Finally, I think she said that she was just leaving but the guy kinda grabbed her and told her to wait till he could pick up the tab from the bar.
Normally, I'm not one to poke my silly nose where it don't belong. But by now my suspicions were kinda confirmed - so as this dude walks past me into the bar (I'm standing right at the door smoking. We can't smoke indoors in establishments in NY State), I just lean into the door and quietly signal one of my buddies inside to come out. He was in the Navy and I just wanted company incase something stupid happened.
As it turned out, that was a smart thing to do.
He came outside and asked what was up as I wasn't acting 'normal'. I quitely told him to shut up and light up and just stick around. As he's lighting his cigarette, the dude walks past us. I quickly tell my buddy my suspicions and he raises his eyebrows, says nothing and just observes with me.
By this time, the girl has decided that she's had enough and has already crossed the road heading towards the dorms. Dude runs to catch up with her and blocks her path. Argument resumes - it is so loud, I can hear it over traffic!
It is plain by now that the girl wants nothing to do with him and tries to walk away but dude won't let her go.
And then it starts. He grabs her. She tries to break free. He is shaking her. She kinda screamed out and I could hear the word "... GO!".
And then she slapped him - hard. Maybe surprised him or not but he lets her go for a minute and she makes a break for it across the vast empty parking lot. He almost starts running after her but then I yell "Hey! You! STOP!" and before I can think, I'm out crossing the road at a full run, dodging traffic.
He takes one look at me, turns around and races behind her. I can hear footsteps behind me as my buddy tries to catch up. The girl has gone a good distance but dude is catching up to her but I'm catching up to the dude as well.
My buddy is more observant than I and spots a cop cruiser - takes off in that direction and hails him down. By this time I've almost caught up with the dude - am hurling epithets at him, telling him to stop chasing the girl and let her go. He either can't hear me, is too drunk to understand or couldn't care less.
Before I could say or do anything - I hear this HUGE squeal of tires as the cop cruiser screeches to a halt almost right behind us. I'm running comepletely on instinct now and I hit the deck, roll and come up crounched on my knees just as the police officer jumps out and screams "FREEZE! This is the POLICE!". The officer takes off at a run and in 6 steps collars the guy.
By this time, backup from campus police has arrived and stuff has quitened down somewhat. I didn't stay to find out what happened - the officer asked why I was chasing the dude, I told him why, my buddy backed me up. Officer nodded his head, thanked me for the call and let me go.
We both walk back, me gulping huge lungfulls of air as my heart rate is probably beating at a 120, trying to dust off my jacket from the parking lot crud I got from my dive-and-roll.
That beer sure tasted good that night
