Damien Carmichael leads a double life. By day he's a high school senior at an elite prep school, just trying to get through his last year without any trouble. He has a girlfriend and up until this year, he was the star player of the lacrosse team.
...
Damien was starting to get anxious. It had been nearly two weeks since Oliver had been locked away in the suspension corridor, and Halloween was fast approaching, and with it, his eighteenth birthday. Damien hadn't even told Oliver it was about to be his birthday, he was determined they would celebrate it together if it was the last thing he did!
Dialing his father for the fourth time in as many days, Damien waited patiently.
"Damien Carmichael II's office, this is Janet how can I help you?"
"Janet, it's Three. Please tell me my father has some good news for me," he said, nervously pacing the perimeter of the dormitory. Three had become his nickname at his father's work shortly after he was born, to ease the confusion between the Damien's, especially when his grandfather had been alive.
"Just a second, I'll check," she said, placing him on hold. Damien had never liked the hold music his father's office employed. It was far too depressing, and at the current moment, it was only serving to fuel Damien's frustration which in turn made him pace more fervently.
Fortunately for Damien, his father picked up the phone rather quickly, "Dame, I said I'd call you when I knew anything."
"It's about to be my birthday in a few days. I'd kind of like to see my boyfriend for my birthday," he said.
"I know, I'm trying," he assured his son.
"What the hell is Updike's problem anyway?"
His father sighed, "It's not just Updike. It's the entire school board. Officially the suspension corridor hasn't existed since 1967, which means that by admitting it's there at all, would mean putting themselves in legal jeopardy. As far as I know it hasn't even been utilized since maybe the 50s. The trouble is, Westlake has a massive legal team, and as they and the law see it, they have no obligation to provide the public with transparency as to what is going on in the school. It's a private institution that donates obscene amounts of money to the state to be left alone."
Damien groaned, "Isn't this something we can just throw money at?"
"I was saving that as a last resort," his father admitted.
"What?" Damien asked, incredulous. "Surely we have the money to not even think twice about this?"
"It's not about the money. I mean... I don't even know this boy. You say his parents are..."
"Dead, father. They're dead."
"Right," Damien heard his father sigh on the other end of the line. "I'm sorry. I was hoping I could reason with the school board that they were being absurd locking away a student like they did. For a first offense no less. But Updike claims he was trouble at his last school, so they won't budge. It's his word against ours." For a brief moment, his father said nothing, and Damien merely waited, unsure of what to say next. "I guess there's nothing for it then. If Updike is going to play hardball then I'm going to have to bring out the big guns and throw money at this. As I understand it, the parents' insurance paid out the school for the year, so I'm going to have to offer something else. But I promise he will be out by the 31st."
"Thank you father," Damien said hanging up the phone, he knew his father couldn't really promise such a thing, but he desperately needed to hold out hope all the same.
The rest of the week passed exceedingly slowly and by Wednesday, Oliver still hadn't been released.
Damien was starting to grow even more impatient. What could be taking so bloody long? He wondered furiously. His father said he had offered them nearly an additional student's tuition if they expedited Oliver's release. Damien didn't understand it.
"Patience darling, all hope isn't lost yet," Carrie said.
"Easy for you to say. Honestly I have half a mind to have my father sue Tyler for ruining Oliver's life!"
Carrie shrugged, "I don't blame you to be honest, though I think you'll be hard-pressed getting anyone to actually take that case."
Damien had done his best to be there with his letters, but he could only imagine how difficult it must have been for Oliver to be cooped up all by himself like that. The very thought made Damien's skin crawl, and he vowed to make sure that he did everything he could to never let that happen to Oliver again.
He didn't want to bother his father any more than he already had. He had assured him that they were close to a resolution. Still, it was nearly two days away from Halloween and Oliver was cracking.
His latest letter had been rather concerning. Damien sighed, pacing the better part of the dormitory. He desperately needed a cigarette, or alcohol, or both, he thought.
"You need to calm down," Carrie said with a sigh.
Damien glared teeth bared and Carrie held up her hands in defense. "I'm sorry," he said, shaking his head. "I'm just annoyed. This is so ridiculous!" he shouted running his fingers through his hair.
"If anyone can get Oliver out, your father can," she assured him.
Damien sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.
His father was nothing if not determined and he was not particularly known for loosing. Still, It was terribly stressful and it was all just a little bit too much for his liking. He had just begun to feel as though things were on a better track, he had come out to his parents, he had the start of a relationship, his life had never looked better. Or so he had thought. He groaned, dropping down onto his bed, feeling utterly defeated. Patience, he thought. Easy for her to say.
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