Hand Picked

Chapter Four: Two Guys, One Girl, a Million Ways to Go Wrong

Chapter Four: Two Guys, One Girl, a Million Ways to Go Wrong

I call Mr. Poulson the next day after I've had a chance to gather my thoughts. He answers the phone on the second ring, out of breath after having clearly ran to answer it. 

"Hello? Allison?" he gasps.

"Yes, Hi. I was just calling to let you know about my decision. To date your son Carter?"

"Of course!" He pauses. "How did it go?"

I sigh and plop down at my desk. "Not great. He wasn't happy that you 'ditched' him, and I was not exactly my super charming self on the date. Did he mention anything to you about it?"

"No, but he did call to scream at me for an hour about how he made him wait, waste his valuable time, blah blah blah. I swear, all that boy does is whine."

"Oh. So, he didn't mention me at all? Nothing about meeting me or going out to eat?"

"No. But that's no surprise, he never mentions when he meets girls. So have you made a decision?"

Now I pause and take a deep breath. I have to make sure this decision is one I can live with. If I say yes to this, there's no going back: I have to be fully comitted. But if I say no, I can't get that offer back: the chance to make double the money right before college is gone. After a minute of silence, I answer him. "Sure, I'll try to date him. But I'm still not clear on what you want me to fix. The only thing I saw that was, um, off was his relationship with you; not to offend you, or anything."

"I understand, of course. Ever since the divorce it's been a bit strained. He chose to live with his mother over me, which stung a little and caused some resentment, which led to me feeling guilty about all the fights we'd had over it, so I sent him extravagent gifts. He thought I was trying to buy him off, which I partly was, and he hasn't truly talked to me since. I can't tell you the last time we had a real conversation. It's possible he may have thought our meeting in the park was going to be some sort of reconciliation."

I don't answer after he finishes his speech. This isn't making me feel very good about accepting his offer. "Well, what can I do to help?"

"Just talk to him. See what he's so mad about, try to get him to talk to me for once. And make him stop getting into trouble, that's all. I hope you'll be a good distraction as well as a good influence."

"I'm sorry, a distraction from what?"

He clears his throat. "Well, as I mentioned before, he goes to Marian, which is a school for... well, troubled boys. He started committing some minor crimes here in town, like shoplifting and breaking curfew to do drugs, so we sent him there to straighten him out. But his mother seems to doubt that his drug use is done with and that he's making any better friends. Clearly there aren't very many trust-worthy boys at that school."

I stand and pace around the room. Crimes? Stealing? Drug use? None of this was mentioned before, and I feel like I'm been blind-sided. He can't just spring this on me now, right after I've agreed to help! "Well, I can't guaruntee that I can make him stop doing drugs. Usually, addicts use because they want to escape their world, meaning they're not very happy."

"MY SON IS NOT AN ADDICT!" I pull the phone away from my ear and stand shaking. I"ve never heard him riase his voice past his normal jolly tone. After a moment of dead air, he sighs a deep, exhaused sigh. "I'm sorry, I didn't meant to do that. I've just been under a lot of pressure lately, and you're my only hope of getting my son back. Please, I'm begging you. Just help him in any way you can. Any progress would be great, and you'll be sure to get a special bonus if I see remarkable improvements, alright?"