Chuck’s Diner was packed that night. Darren and Donny were sitting in the packed smoking section well past midnight working on their homework assignments. Darren was working on supply and demand curves as Donny bled his mind dry trying to figure out terms for his English class. It didn’t help that the class started in a few hours and he was constantly getting distracted by the drunks staggering in from the bars and the night’s showing of Rocky Horror Picture Show- nothing like guys in drag to distract you from the difference between Socratic irony, dramatic irony and tragic irony.

“I’m never going to get this shit done,” Donny said as he put out his cigarette and pulled out another. “I mean, I’ve never even heard of some of these words! These have to be made up or something.”

“Which word are you having trouble with this time,” Darren asked him, rubbing his aching head. “Hopefully it’s something a little more difficult than the last one you couldn’t understand.”

“Hey! A lot of people have trouble with the word protagonist, alright? Get off my ass about it!”

“Whatever, man. I’m just saying. I learned that in the fifth grade. Which one are you having trouble with?”

“It’s this one that starts with a “q.””

“You mean quixotic?”

“Yeah, what does that mean?”

Just as Darren was about to explain the definition to his friend the front door of the diner crashed open, disrupting every conversation inside. A couple that had just been kicked out of the Irish pub across the street had brought their drunken spat into Chuck’s and the man seemed to be the aggressor in the whole scenario.

Darren could see Donny’s attention drifting to the drunken man yelling at his significant other, verbally berating her, slamming his hand on the table and even being abusive to the waitress.

“I know what you’re thinking Donny,” Darren said. “Don’t do it. It’s not your business. Chuck will handle it.”

“What are you talking about,” Donny said, his eyes and attention still fixed on the couple. “I’m not doing anything.”

“You’re not doing anything yet, but I know how this ends. You’re going to go into a “Women should be treated like queens” speech and go over there. In the process you’re either going to catch an assault case or get you ass embarrassed, so your best bet is to stay here and do your work.”

Unfortunately, Donny hadn’t been listening and before Darren could finish his little speech Donny had left his word list on the table and started across the dirty tile floors. Darren sipped the remaining drops of his coffee and watched Donny approach the two strangers. From the booth he could tell by Donny’s movements that he was telling the inebriated man he didn’t appreciate his woman and needed to treat her better. As the man got into Donny’s face the intensity sky rocketed and in a flash the drunken man decked Donny. Darren sprang from his seat and struck the drunk sending him sprawling to the tile floor.

“You want to know the definition of quixotic,” Darren asked, leaning over a barely conscious Donny. “That stupid shit you just did, that’s quixotic. This young lady and I are going to leave now. Good luck with your class and thanks for paying for the coffee.”