Chapter 4
Jonas
I smiled warmly at the teenaged girl sitting on the other side of my desk. “I’m really proud of you, Emma. You’ve worked really hard, and your grades have improved substantially."
She blushed and ducked her head ever so slightly. “Thanks, Mr. B. I’ve been trying my best.”
“I’ve noticed, Emma. We all have." I slid a piece of paper across the desk.
“What’s this?”
“Transfer papers. As of tomorrow, you get to return to your regular school. You can take the rest of today off, if you want. I’ve already called your mother, and she sounded like a celebration was in order.”
Emma stared at me, blinking, then suddenly flew around the side of the desk and hugged me. “Are you serious! I can’t believe it! This is the best Monday ever.”
I chuckled, giving her a quick hug back, letting her calm down for a few moments and return to her seat before I continued. “As Mondays go, this is a pretty great one. Now, I know this is super exciting, but there are a lot of things you need to remember to make this a successful transition.”
She stilled, folded her hands in her lap on impulse, and showed exactly why the weeks of alternative school had been effective for this lovely young lady who had come into my office a cursing, clawing, angry thirteen-year-old. “Yes, sir,” she answered.
“Remember your safety plan, and use the tools you’ve been given here to keep things going in the right direction. If you feel yourself getting angry, remove yourself from the situation and write it down, or talk to an adult."
I took a deep breath, hoping that what I had to say next would go over well. “I’ve talked with a few of your teachers so they can help you succeed. Everyone I talked to thinks that you’re a talented, brilliant young lady, and they’re rooting for you. If you need to, talk to someone.”
She nodded. “I will.”
“I know you will, Emma." I stood, putting out my hand and shaking hers, like I would with an adult. She beamed with pride. “I look forward to never seeing you on this campus again.”
She smiled, tears shimmering in her eyes, bit her lip, then nodded. “I won’t be back." Then she turned, and like so many before her, left my office without looking back.
Emma had just walked out the door when Dave flounced into my cubicle, a wide grin on his face. “Another Jonas Beauchamp success story heads back to their home school,” he said, his tone almost mocking.
I took a breath, looking for the right words to let him know that I wasn’t in the mood for his nonsense, but the phone on my desk rang, cutting us both off. I glared at Dave, but he just stood there. “You clearly need more work to do,” I said as I picked up the phone. “This is Jonas.”
“Mr. Beauchamp, this is Principal Moss.”
“Principal Moss, so glad to hear from you,” I said, leaning back in my chair, a large smile on my face.
“Jonas,” she said, switching to a more familiar tone. “I wish I could say that I’m calling under better circumstances, but I’m going to need you to come pick Eddie up from school.”
I sat up, already retrieving my car keys and wallet from my locked desk drawer. “Is he all right? Should I call an ambulance?”
“It’s nothing like that, Jonas." She took a deep breath. “Eddie got into a fight at lunch. It was only a verbal spat, but things got heated, and he and the other boy had to be separated. It caused quite a mess in the cafeteria.”
I was crushed. “I know Eddie. He wouldn’t just go off on someone without reason.”
“I agree with you, but my hands are tied.”
“I don’t understand.”
“We have a zero-tolerance policy, and Eddie crossed the line. Understandably, but it doesn’t matter. Language like that is not allowed at school, and the only reason the argument didn’t turn physical is because some of the teachers stepped in.”
“When you say ‘understandably,’ what are you saying? Was this other boy bullying my son?”
“Probably, but we have no way of knowing who started it.”
“Obviously the other boy. You know my Eddie. He doesn’t start things.”
“What I know and what I’m allowed to do are two different things. Eddie has in-school suspension for two days. He cannot return to class until Thursday morning.”
“What about tests?”
“He’ll have to make those up at a later date.”
“What about—”
“Jonas, we can go round and round, but the fact is, your son was involved in an altercation, and the school’s policy is clear. You need to come get him as soon as possible.”
“I understand. I’ll be there soon." I hung up, and looked up to see Dave still standing there. “Don’t you have some work you should be doing?” I snapped.
“Whoa, testy!” he said. He put his hands up in mock surrender. “I was just making sure everything was all right.”
I stood and grabbed my jacket, putting it on and hurrying past him as I spoke. “No, you weren’t. You were eavesdropping. I’m taking the rest of the day off.”
I made it to the school in record time, scanning the parking lot as I rushed to the main office, trying to figure out which kid had gone after my boy. But there were dozens of kids coming and going with their parents, and I had no way of knowing which one of them was leaving for an appointment, and which had been involved in the fray.
Penny at the front desk waved me in with an apologetic smile. Principal Moss’s door was open, and as soon as she saw me, she waved me in. “Thank you for coming in so quickly, Mr. Beauchamp,” she said.
Eddie looked at me from the chair in the corner of the room, his face unreadable. “I’m sorry, Dad, but he—”
“Enough, Eddie,” I said. “We’ll talk more at home." I nodded at Principal Moss and left without another word, my hand on Eddie’s back to keep him moving.
When we got to the car he got in the back seat, his anger clear in his body language. I caught him glaring at me in the rearview mirror and sighed. “Eddie, I’m not mad at you. I’m mad at this zero-tolerance nonsense. I know you, and I know that you would never start something.”
“Then why didn’t you listen?”
“Because the door was open, and I can tell you right now, the entire front office knows what happened. I didn’t want to provide any more fodder for gossip. You know how I feel about that.”
Eddie almost cracked a smile, but he crossed his arms, desperate to keep up the angry façade rather than admit the bigger feelings that lurked beneath the surface. “Quit analyzing me, Dad. I’m not one of your cases. I didn’t start this, and all I did was defend myself.”
“By cursing at him?”
“You wouldn’t understand.”
“Try me." I pulled into our driveway, and before I could say another word, Eddie was unbuckling his seatbelt. I hit the button that engaged the child locks. “I’m not finished.”
“I am.”
“Eddie. I want to hear your side of things and talk this through. There’s always a better way of dealing with these issues when they come up.”
“You don’t want to listen; you want to fix it.”
“I want that, too. But I promise, you have my undivided attention.”
Eddie turned his head away, the corner of his lip quivering, like it had since he was a toddler. I longed to scoop him up and make it all better, like I had then; but Eddie was a young man, and he needed guidance, not someone to kiss his boo-boos.
“How about you spend some time in the rec room, and we’ll chat at dinner?”
“Fine,” he said. “Can you open the doors so I can go?”
I sighed and released the locks, and he was gone in a flash. I took my time and gathered my things after I used my phone to send a quick email to my boss to explain the situation. My email was answered a moment later.
Dave already filled me in. Take the week if you need it.
I responded in thanks, but my I was glad no one could see my face. Dave was overstepping again, and I was starting to get tired of it. But I would have to add that to my list of fires to put out, and deal with Gossiping Dave later.
***
Eddie didn’t come downstairs until I’d started cooking dinner, drawn by the insatiable hunger that plagues all teenage boys. “It smells good.”
“I thought you would enjoy your favorite meal so we can talk." I hand him the wooden spoon and he took his place beside me, stirring the contents that sizzled in the pan. “Are you feeling a little better?”
“Yeah. Sorry I blew up on you.”
“I know you were upset.”
“I still am.”
“What can I do to help you work through that?”
Eddie sighed. “I tried to take the high road with this kid, but it doesn’t matter how I respond; he still harasses me.”
“What’s his name?”
“I don’t want to say.”
“Why not?”
“Look, Dad, it’s not about who it is, what their name is, or what their story is. Sometimes bullies are just assholes.”
“Language,” I warned.
“Sorry, but it’s true. There’s nothing that makes what he said okay.”
“What did he say?”
Eddie was quiet, then he sighed. “That doesn’t matter either. He’s trouble, and I don’t care if he has a rough life, or whatever other reason you think he’s acting out.”
“Eddie, that’s not what I mean when I say that.”
“I know, but maybe I’m tired of trying to figure out what his motivation is. That’s your thing, Dad. I just want him to leave me alone.”
“Maybe he looks up to you,” I offered.
“And maybe he’s just a jerk. I don’t want to talk about it.”
“How badly is he harassing you? Do you want to homeschool for the rest of the semester, until the situation blows over? They have this new online school, and you could—”
“No!” he said, then softened his voice. “Dad, I don’t want to run away, and I don’t want to try and make friends with him. I’m just going to avoid him. Besides, it’s in-school suspension, so I get to work on my schoolwork instead of sitting at home, getting further behind.”
“And what if he corners you?”
Eddie didn’t answer, and then he laughed. “So, is this a father-son date?”
“What?”
“We’re cooking together, like you and the new guy. Is this a date?”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “Is that your nice way of saying let it go?”
Eddie screwed up his face so his lips and cheeks were bunched to one side, like Popeye. “Would I do something like that?”
We finished cooking and sat down together at the table. I let the big stuff go, and just enjoyed having Eddie to myself for a few days. I didn’t know what I was going to do about the bully, but right then, in that moment, the most important thing was that we were together. Everything else would have to wait.
Arthur
The phone rang, and I knew instantly that something was wrong. I answered, but before I could even say hello, the principal started talking. “Leo needs to be picked up right now,” she said without explanation.
“I’m on my way,” I said, but she’d already hung up.
I looked around the store at the patrons milling about, then went to the back. I was pacing around, trying to figure out what I was going to do, when I saw my vape pen sitting on the desk.
I took one hit, then another, letting the calm wash over me. I couldn’t deal with Leo when my life was out of balance. I didn’t parent well that way.
There was only one person left in the store when I came out, and she paid for her things quickly and left with a big smile. I closed the shop and headed to the school.
Principal Moss was outside with Leo beside her, the resource officer standing nearby, just in case. I scowled. “What’s going on?”
“He didn’t even make it past lunch,” she said.
Leo got in the car and slammed the door as I got out. He already had the music blaring before my door shut. Principal Moss gave me a look, but I shook my head. “Don’t you think someone is provoking him? Why else would he keep doing this?”
“That’s up to you to figure out, Mr. Reed. This is not a babysitting service.”
“Maybe if you didn’t treat him like a criminal." I gestured toward the officer. “Is all this really necessary?”
“He has in-school suspension until we get this sorted out. We can’t have him disrupting everything all the time." She huffed out a breath, making her bangs float up, then flutter down to her forehead.
I got lost in the motion for a moment before her angry voice snapped me back to reality. “This is getting ridiculous. I’m going to be putting in a call to the alternative school to see if they have a spot for him.”
“Please don’t do this.”
“I don’t have a choice. He’s only been in school for three hours. He couldn’t handle three hours, Mr. Reed. This is more than just a simple issue. He needs you to take him to a counselor. That’s the only thing that’s going to help this.”
“I will, but please, don’t send him away. That’s a big trigger for him.”
Her mouth dropped open, but she recovered herself quickly. “I am sure the kids he’s been bullying are triggered by his presence. Who is more important—one, or many?”
“That’s not fair.”
“We’ve been trying to do what we can for him. It’s his choice to act out.”
“And what about the other kids? Do they have consequences for engaging?”
“We have a zero-tolerance policy. Every kid your son has fought with, verbally or physically, has also been punished.”
My stomach dropped. “I didn’t know that.”
“Of course you didn’t. I’m not in the habit of sharing other students’ information with everyone, but I think it’s important that you understand the full scope of this. Leo’s issues are spilling out and affecting other kids. You’ve got to get him handled.”
“And if I do?” I said as she started to turn away.
She paused, looking at me with pity. “You have until Friday to get him in to see a therapist. Until then, he has in-school suspension, which starts promptly at seven.”
“In the morning?”
She rolled her eyes. “Good day, Mr. Reed.”
I stood there for a long time, watching her walk away. Then I got in the car and looked at Leo. “What is going on with you?”
“The school is lame,” he said. “I don’t want to be there.”
“Then tell me that. Don’t keep getting in trouble. And what happened? What is setting you off?”
“Nothing,” he insisted arms crossed. “He’s just a lame, stupid kid who pissed me off.”
“So, what? You yelled at him? Why?”
Leo scoffed. “I hit him, but he’s too sissy to even tell the teachers that.”
“You hit him? Leo, you know that I don’t approve of violence of any kind, but especially not physical violence.”
Leo rolled his eyes. “Whatever, Arthur." He turned the radio up.
I turned it back down. “You know what? I am going to take you to a counselor. This is beyond unacceptable. You can’t lay hands on other people. That’s not how I raised you.”
“I’m not going to some woo-woo doctor. There’s no way.”
“It’s not a choice. I’m putting my foot down.”
Leo laughed in my face. “Are you high right now? God, you’re such a loser.”
“Your words hurt, Leo.”
“Oh, well,” he said.
“I’m not doing this right now. You’re going home, and tomorrow, you have to be at the school really early. I have to get back to work, so I guess you can figure out dinner.”
“Whatever.”
That was the last word he said to me. We drove home in silence, then I drove to the shop, the emptiness in the car like a weight on my chest.
I didn’t know how to reach Leo, and if I didn’t figure it out soon, I was going to lose him.
As I was pulling into the parking lot, my phone went off, and a new text came across the screen. “Oh boy,” I said, reading the simple message from Jonas.
I had the best time with you. Any plans this weekend?
I stared at the phone for a long time after unlocking the door and letting myself into the shop. Plans? Oh, just hanging out with a kid who hated me and was lashing out at anyone without earshot.
“Those are some deep thoughts, man.”
I jumped. “I’m sorry, I didn’t hear you come in. Is there something I can help you find?”
“Naw,” the man said, putting his purchases on the counter. “But it looks like you could use a little help.”
I smiled. “I’m fine. Rough day parenting, and now a guy I’ve been on one date with is texting me." I sighed. “I just need a nice way to say that my plate is too full right now.”
“Do you like him?”
“I do. He’s amazing, and funny, but he also has this way about him that—” I stopped, a short laugh escaping my lips. “I know that sounds silly after just one date.”
“Actually, it sounds like your souls are vibrating at the same frequency. That’s hard to find. I wouldn’t let that go if I were you.”
“What about my son? He’s really struggling.”
“And so are you. You’re there for him, but who’s there for you?”
“I don’t have an answer for that.”
“Yes, you do. Does he make you happy? Can you see yourself with him down the road? Would he make a good father?”
“Yes. Yes, he does. Maybe, and he’s already a good father. His son is the same age as my son.”
The man laughed. “Well, there you go. Wouldn’t it be nice for your son to have a brother and another man to look up to?”
“You’re right,” I said, putting his things in a bag without ringing them up. “It’s on the house. I think you just saved my sanity.”
“Always happy to help.”
I replied to Jonas’s text before the man even made it through the door. Leo was my priority, but the man was right. I needed someone to be in my corner for a change. And something told me that Jonas was exactly the right man.