Love Her Madly

By John C. G. Preece

Henry, a Chemistry Grad student/Lab Tech at Benjamin College, is in love with Sabrina, a beautiful blonde Chemistry major (whom he helps with her Chemistry). But he’s insecure and doesn’t think he can get her so he turns to mentor/professor/mad scientist Dr. Rhinestein who tells him about a new experimental, drug he’s developed, Metamorphiso, that has made mice bigger, more muscular, and more attractive to the opposite sex (but in some cases caused deformities and mutations). After trying things on his own ends in disaster, Henry desperately asks for the drug that Dr. Rhinestein reluctantly agrees to administer. The drug turns Henry into a big, green monster with super powers. Unable now to face Sabrina, and trying to make the best of a bad situation, he decides to fight crime and save people as Monster Man, all the while pining for Sabrina. A comical and romantic good time.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Feb 20, 2020
• ISBN: 9781796089455

John C. G. Preece

John C. G. Preece earned a Bachelor’s of Arts degree in Psychology from the University of Michigan-Dearborn.

Book preview

Copyright © 2020 by John C. G. Preece.

Library of Congress Control Number:           2018901182

ISBN:                   Hardcover                 978-1-7960-8894-6

                             Softcover                   978-1-7960-8893-9

                             eBook                         978-1-7960-8945-5

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 02/20/2020

Xlibris

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

809715

CONTENTS

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapter 38

Chapter 39

To Andrea

40477.png

CHAPTER ONE

40482.png

S ABRINA . . . I started, as I sat on a park bench, the mid—afternoon sun touching my dark brown hair (people say I’m nice—looking but I don’t believe them).

I’ve been helping you with your Chemistry for quite some time now, I continued, "and if I can say anything about you, it’s that you’re definitely not a quitter, (I wanted to get that in). I mean no one can say that about you, that’s for sure! But um … that’s not the point. The point is we’ve known each other for quite some time now and I think we get along quite well, quite frankly," (undeniable and absolute truth).

"And um … I think you’re really – really, really – really pretty! (never hurts). And um … well, I was just wondering, you know, if maybe some time, you know, instead of studying we could, I don’t know, maybe go out to dinner instead?"

No.

The blunt, matter-of-fact response came from Melody, a little seven-year-old girl seated next to me on the bench on my left.

Why the hell not?!

I don’t know, Henry! I just didn’t feel it.

I sighed. Melody, you’re supposed to be helping me.

"I am helping you, Henry! Look, I’d go out with you – but that’s me, I’m easy! If I’m too easy on you now, Sabrina’ll chew you up, spit you out, and we’ll both be waiting for the burp! Is that what you want, Henry?"

No, I suppose not.

See, Henry? Now let’s try it again. And this time – really make me feel like you want me!

I sighed again. Alright, marshaling my thoughts.

Sabrina … as you might have already heard, a quick glance at Melody. "I think you’re very, very pretty. And um … I was just wondering if maybe one night we could leave our Chemistry books at home – you know, as kind of a change of pace – and, I don’t know, maybe um … grab a bite to eat?

More passion!!

40477.png

CHAPTER TWO

40482.png

T HE NEXT MORNING found me where mornings usually found me: in my Chemistry Lab room conducting experiments, working as a Chemistry Lab Tech at Benjamin College while earning my Masters– in Chemistry, of course. Benjamin College isn’t bad as colleges go – old red brick buildings covered with ivy, that sort of thing. The piece de resistance, of course, being the towering, nine-story, white brick, cigarette box-like Francis Bacon Science Building (that’s where I work).

On this particular morning I must’ve gotten lost in my work because as I glanced at my watch it was nearly five to eleven.

Oh no, I’m gonna miss her!

Hurriedly, I removed my safety glasses and, still in my lab coat, moved to the cart of beakers.

Where oh where does the time go to? I asked myself. Oh well, you know what they say when you’re having fun – which, of course, sometimes worries me. I rolled my eyes. Oh well …

I pushed the cart of beakers to the door.

Come on, baby. Please baby. Be there, baby.

40477.png

CHAPTER THREE

40482.png

I NAVIGATED THE CART fretfully through the hallway, past various students, hoping I’d get there before she left.

Suddenly I stopped. There she was. Sabrina, a very pretty blonde, twenty-one years old, was just outside her class chatting with friends. I hadn’t missed her. But now I couldn’t make it obvious – that would ruin everything! So, with my hands, I fixed my hair a bit and proceeded to push the cart nonchalantly past her, from right to left – hoping she would notice. She did.

Henry! she exclaimed as she hurried towards me. Hi! she said. How ya doin’?

Oh, hi Sabrina, I replied, trying to contain my elation that she not only noticed me but hurried over to see me as well.

I didn’t even see you there. So how’s it going?

Great! How’s it going with you? she replied cheerfully.

Oh, not too bad. How’s Chemistry going?

Oh, not too bad, she smiled. I think we’ll get through It somehow, she laughed. I mean, if you don’t get sick of me.

You mean like violently? Sabrina laughed at this. No, I don’t think you have to worry about that, I added.

Well, that’s good to hear, she said smiling. Hey, um … listen, you wouldn’t have any time tonight, by any chance, would you?

You mean for Chemistry? I replied, vacantly.

Yeah, she said with a smile.

Oh … um … (recovering) yeah, sure. Why not? What time?

I was thinking about maybe seven, around there, she replied.

Yeah, alright. At the Library? I asked, already knowing the answer.

No, we always go to the Library. How ’bout someplace different this time? she asked beguilingly. This was a surprise.

Okay, well, where would you like to go?

How ’bout your apartment? (Shock!)

My apartment? I asked, taken off-guard.

Yeah, silly, she said with a smile.

Well, okay – if that’s what you’d like, I said, trying to conceal the excitement rising up inside me.

Alright, I’ll be there around seven. Thanks Henry. I’ll see you then. Bye-bye. She gave me a little wave. I returned it. Bye-bye. She left.

I smiled, happily, snapped the fingers of my right hand, and turned around to my left to leave – only to be stopped dead in my tracks by a stiff right hand to my left shoulder. Reggie, a big, brutish, dull-witted individual in a football jersey, kept pushing on my shoulder, walking me backward to the wall of the hallway perpendicular to the hallway in which Sabrina and I had just been talking. He was flanked by his two buddies, known as Bip and Bop – two big, brutish, and even duller-witted individuals also wearing football jerseys.

Hey geek! What’s up? Where ya been keepin’ yourself?

Reggie extorted.

Oh you know, here and there. And right now I have to be there, I pointed past him, down the hallway. "Way over there.

So if you’ll excuse me." Reggie pinned me against the wall.

Yer not goin’ anywhere, geek!

Oh well, on second thought, I suppose there’d be no harm in chatting for a little while, I said. So tell me, Reggie, how ya doin’? You look good. The extra chromosome keepin’ ya busy?

Reggie pressed harder on my shoulder. Shut up, geek! He turned to Bip and Bop. You know what we got here, boys? They shook their heads and answered together, No. I did a double—take and looked at them curiously.

What we got here, Reggie continued. Is a genuine, A—number one, dyed-in-the-wool, ninety-nine-and-a-half-percent geek.

I smiled cordially at Bip and Bop. Pleased to meet you.

They stared coldly back.

But ya know what? He’s better than us, Reggie continued.

Yeah, that’s right, he’s better than us. You know why? ’Cause he’s so smart and we’re so stupid.

No, I wouldn’t say that. Not at the moment, I put in.

Reggie squeezed harder on my shoulder.

Well, tell me, Mr. Egghead Geek – how are all your brains gonna keep me from beatin’ the shit outta you right now?

You know, you really should wear a bell around your neck on steroid days.

Meanwhile, in the classroom across the hall, Dr. Rhinestein– late fifties, distinguished, and a genius – was scratching feverishly on the blackboard with a piece of chalk, working out a particularly complicated exercise in Physical Chemistry for his class.

And then you have this, more scratching. Then this, more scratching. And then this, he underscored the answer and looked at the class. You see, it’s really not so difficult once you get the hang of it. The class stared blankly back.

Splendid. Now moving right along to exercise seven, he said as he picked up the eraser and, moving to the left side of the blackboard – towards the door – started erasing the previous exercise. I believe this one might’ve given some of you a bit of trouble. At that moment, he glanced out the door and saw me being roughed up by Reggie. He turned to the class.

"If you’ll excuse me, I have to step out for just a second.

I’ll be right back. Myron, take over. Myron, a classic geek, stepped forward and turned to the class with his hands behind his back and an air of authority. Any questions?" he asked.

Once in the hallway, Dr. Rhinestein paused for a moment to sum up the situation. He saw Reggie becoming more aggressive towards me.

"What are your brains gonna do for ya now, geek? Reggie snarled.

Take it easy, Reggie, I coaxed.

Hit ’im! Bip exclaimed.

Having seen enough, Dr. Rhinestein looked down and adjusted the large ring on the ring finger of his right hand. This caused a small needle to project from it from