Parker

chapter 92

Carson walked out of the conference room feeling as if a heavy weight had been lifted off his shoulders. The guilt and shame that he had felt when he walked into the conference room and was gone and replaced by a feeling of tranquility.

At this moment he felt more at peace then he had the last years of his life.

I did the right thing he thought. I did the right thing and my brother David is going to be safe. He will not spend have to spend another two years in our parent's custody or in the clutches of that pervert Mister Gaines.

He is going to be free Carson thought. We will all be free.

Carson felt himself walking taller at that moment, brimming with a confidence he never felt before. He was actually able to look people in the eye as he greeted them without any trouble.

He felt stronger.

At that moment he felt like a man instead of a little boy.

"Carson." A voice said from behind. He turned to see Kenny walking towards him. "How did it go?"

"It went well." Carson replied. "I told Chris' sister what my parents did to us, what Gaines did to us." He then became choked up as he said "What he did to me."

"I'm proud of you for doing that." Kenny said. "I know it could not have been easy."

"No." Carson shook his head. "No, it wasn't." He took in a deep breath. "But I'm glad I did it."

"I bet you." Kenny said with a look of pride in his eyes. "Have you had lunch yet?"

"No, I havent." Carson said. Lunch had been the last thing on his mind.

"How about we go out for subs." Kenny said. "To celebrate."

"I would like that." Carson said. "I should check with Mister Rodger first make sure its okay with him."

Carson then watched Kenny's forehead crease with disapproval. The pride that was in his friend's eyes vanished.

"Come on Carson you are eighteen not eight." Kenny said battling to keep the frustration out of his voice. "You dont have to ask for permission to go out and eat if you want to go lunch just tell Rodger you are going to lunch."

The thought made Carson mouth go dry. Suddenly he no longer felt like a confident adult. Once again he felt like a little boy. "Just tell him that I'm going to lunch."

"Yeah." Kenny said. "Simple as that."

"Simple as that." Carson said as he swallowed hard.

Kenny saw the tension ripple across his face. He looked as if he was about to be sick.

"Look if this makes you uncomfortable we can always..."

"No." Carson cut him off. He then took in a deep breath steeling himself. "I can do it."

Carson turned around and headed towards Rodger's office once again telling himself thay he can do it.

************************************
After meeting with Spencer Rodger sat at his desk and dialed Linda's number. The phone rang a couple of times and then he heard Grahm's voice over the speaker. "Hey Grahm." Rodger said.

"Hi Mister Rodger." Grahm's voice cracked as he spoke.

"Can I speak to your..." Rodger then stopped himself before the word mother passed his lips. "Can I speak with Linda."

"Sure." Grahm said. "Linda Parker's dad on his on the phone." He then called out.

"I'll take it upstairs." Linda then said.

"She will be with you in a minute sir."
He then heard foot falls as she left his room and walked across the hall to his own.

"I got it."

"Okay." Grahm said. "Bye Mister Rodger."

"Bye Grahm." Rodger said with a smile and then he heard the phone hang up. "He is such a polite kid."

"Yes he is." Linda said with a small smile.

"How is Parker?" Rodger asked.

"As well as can be expected." Linda then said. "He is sleeping right now." She then sat on her bed. "And before that he was tearing me into strips."She then coughed. "Not that I can blame him."

"Yes he's done that to me a couple of times this week." Rodger said with guilt in his voice.  "And I deserved every bit of it."  Guilt swelled up inside of him as he thought how much he had failed his son. How he had hurt him.

"He has been through an emotional ringer because of us." Linda said as shame continued to stab at her. "And because of those awful people who spread those viscous lies about him."

"Yeah that is one of the reasons why I am calling." Rodger said feeling a discomfort in his gut as he thought what he had to tell her. "There is a new rumor."

"What now?" She said grinding her teeth.

"There is a rumor that one of the school prefects." Rodger said. "A boy named Zane."

"The alleged friend who threatened to spank him if he got too many demerits."

"That's the one."

"What are they saying?"

"That Zane took advantage of him."

"What!" She cried out. Her cheeks went warm with anger.  She gripped the phone tightly in her hand. "Did he?"

"He says he didn't." Rodger said. "That it is a messed up lie like all the other ones."

"Do you believe him?"

"I don't know." Rodger said. "I think he is telling the truth but I want to sit down with him tonight and talk to him."

"What kind of sick, twisted minds come up with such a thing." Linda said. "Its bad enough that they have students with the authority to beat other students at a whim but there are other people spreading sick lies about students not caring what those lies do to people."

"Why in the world did you send him ti such a place?" She said in an accusatory tone.

"I thought it was a good school."

"Well its not." Linda said firmly. "Its a horrible, disgusting place and I dont want my son to spend one more moment there Rodger. I want you to pull him out."

"I am." Rodger said. "It was a mistake to send him there and its not safe for him."

"Also I think it would be best if he no longer has anything to do with his friend Zane." Linda said. "His taking advantage of him maybe a lie but he is still a bully who threatened to harm our son." Before Rodger could say anything she then said "And I want him to break up with Christine. From what I saw with her mother he is not safe with her. For his own mental health he needs to put as much distance between himself and those people as possible."

"That may not going over too well." Rodger said. "He loves Christine and Zane is his best friend."

"I don't care." Linda stated. "He can get a new best friend and a new girlfriend. Ones who treat him with dignity and respect."

"Okay we will talk to him tonight." Rodger said. "I get off at five and I will come straight there."

"I will see you then." Linda said.

The two said goodbye to each other and Rodger hung up the phone thinking that conversation will not go well.