Discovery

by Douglas E Roff

  “That’s all. All we needed here.” He turned to the kid, now in agony. “Don’t you ever fucking show your face to me or my girl ever again. Ever. If you do, I’ll fucking kill you. Understand?”

  With that, Edward broke his arm at the elbow, leaving the upper and lower portions of his arm at the elbow at right angles.

  “Now tell your buddies if they want a piece of me, I go to Excelsior High School and my name is Edward St. James. Now fuck off before I break your other arm.”

  The kid took off running into the forest behind the rec building screaming and cursing at Edward, while Bethy gathered her things off the ground, looking at Edward like he was a space alien.

  “Put that blade in your purse and try not to mess up the finger prints. I may need it later. My Mom’s going to be royally pissed. Too late now. Let’s go. Your Mom will be worried; you’re late.”

  Bethy couldn’t move. Edward said, “C’mon Bethy, we’ve got to get you home. I’ll be late for dinner and my Mom will be wanting to interrogate me as soon as I get there. I’m in Dutch.”

  Bethy struggled with her words, “You just broke that kid’s jaw, then proceeded to break his arm. Do you have any idea what you just did?”

  “Yeah, I do. I know exactly what I did. And I’d do it again. That kid got off easy. Just don’t forget that. Now let’s move. Your Mom will be worried.”

  “No. No, no, no no. We don’t move from this spot. What did you just fucking do, Edward? You coulda killed that kid. As it is, he’ll be at the emergency room in a flash, then the cops are going to get involved, first you then me, then Mom and Dad, and your Mom and Dad and then oh God the school too. This is so totally fucked up and crazy. Why did you do that?”

  “Why did I do what?”

  “OK, this time slowly. Why did you almost kill that kid? Let’s start there.”

  “I did not ‘almost kill that kid’. If I had wanted to do that, he’d be dead on the ground lying in a pool of his own blood. As you can see, no kid, no blood. As to why I did what I did, that should be plain as day. He was attempting to do you harm, as he did once before. I wasn’t waiting for him to hurt you again or discuss the pros and cons before I acted. I could see what he was up to and I stopped him. What else is there?”

  “And this doesn’t upset you? In the least?”

  “No. Should it? I’ve broken my arm, my leg, my jaw twice and my nose more times than I can count. Thing is to not allow yourself to let pain control you. The kid had no skills. Not my fault. Now, Bethy please, let’s go. It’s getting late.”

  Bethy stepped into a steady pace with Edward as he guided her home. Bethy had never seen this kind of physical cruelty before and was having trouble believing what she had just seen.

  Bethy’s folks were home when they arrived and Bethy burst into tears the minute she saw her mother. She ran into her room with her mother in close pursuit. Edward was left with her father, so he said, “There was an incident today on the way home. I think I should explain this to you before the police arrive. Could be tonight, could be tomorrow but it will certainly be soon.”

  “OK, son, tell me what happened.”

  Edward went into great detail and recounted the events as best he could, starting with the tiff at the library and ending with Bethy bursting into tears.

  “You OK son?” Mr. McQueen asked. You don’t seem too shaken up.”

  “No sir, I’m good. I’m a little worried about your daughter but, hell, I’m fine.”

  “Need to see a doctor?”

  “No sir, I don’t. Bethy might need something for sleep but honestly, I don’t think my heart rate elevated more than a few beats. I’ll be fine, don’t worry.”

  “Should we call your folks? Maybe have them stop by and pick you up? What do you think is best? I don’t want you walking home. It’s late and, well I would just feel better if you got a ride.”

  “Really, Mr. McQueen, don’t worry. I’m fine. But we should call my Dad and have him come and collect me. Better that way, at least we can figure out what to tell my Mom. I’m in big trouble for this. Dad’s gonna catch some too. I’ll wait in the living room. You should go see your daughter. It’s been a little rough for her today.”

  Mr. McQueen could hardly believe what he was hearing. He thought Edward was in shock after what he had done, but he wasn’t. He was many things but upset by this episode wasn’t one of them. Edward waited patiently for his father to arrive and when he did the McQueen’s, minus Bethy, convoked with Edward and Fred in the kitchen and to map out a strategy.

  Chapter 40

  It took almost an hour before Fred St. James finally arrived at the front door of the big house on Tropicana Street. He had been in the barn tinkering, as he often did with large farm machines, thinking himself an engineer when he was just a simple mathematician. He rang the doorbell and was quickly greeted by Addison McQueen, who greeted him warmly and ushered him into the living room.

  “Hello son.”

  “Hi Dad. Sorry to drag you into this but I’m a little worried about Mom when I get home.”

  “Oh?” Fred smiled at his son as he took a seat next to him.

  “And you, old man. You are in soooo much trouble. Wouldn’t want to be in your shoes.” Edward laughed a cautious laugh. He tried to smile but quickly found that he couldn’t. It had begun to dawn on him that things might get pretty serious pretty quick and he was at the epicenter of it all. Still, he thought, he hadn’t done anything wrong. How much fuss could there be?

  “Addison, I mean Dr. McQueen told me there was an incident today. On the way home from school. Is that true?”

  “Yes, sir it is.”

  “Someone accosted Bethy while she was walking through the Park?”

  “Yes sir.”

  “And you intervened?

  “I did.”

  “And there was a scuffle?”

  “No scuffle Dad. He grabbed Bethy, so I stopped him and told him to quit. He didn’t, so we had words. I told him to apologize and he wouldn’t. He showed me a knife, so I took it away from him. He lipped off a little too much, so I broke his jaw. He threatened me some more and admitted he had attacked Bethy before, which Bethy confirmed, so I broke his arm. In half. He threatened me some more, so I told him who I was, what my name was and watched him scamper off toward the woods behind the rec building.

  “And?”

  “And then I collected Bethy and we came straight home. Bethy went to her room with Mrs. McQueen, and I told Mr. McQueen everything that happened.”

  “That’s everything, son?”

  “Yes, Dad that’s everything.” Edward was a little piqued at his Dad for the third degree. What exactly had he done that was so terrible?

  “OK son. What I’d like you to do is to take us through everything that happened from the time you left the school, until right this instant. I want every detail and every thought, every conversation.”

  “Why Dad?”

  “Because it’s important that we have everything straight and detailed when the police arrive. And the police will arrive, sooner or later.”

  “Is this absolutely necessary right now, Fred? Your boy must be exhausted. Maybe he should get some rest and then we can talk tomorrow.”

  “No. We need to talk right now while everything and every detail is fresh in his mind. That kid, whoever he is, will certainly go to the hospital. Broken arm, broken jaw, missing teeth. He’ll be in some pain and the emergency room will report this as an assault to the cops. The police will arrive, and unless the kid is sedated, he’ll be spilling and spewing Edwards name as fast as he can get it out. He’ll lie and fabricate and blame Edward for his beating. Likely blame Bethy too. I’m sorry, but this is too important to leave until morning. We have to get the facts down right away. Do either of you have a tape recorder? We need one.”

  Addison got up, “I’ll get mine.” He looked at Edward as he rose. “You did a brave thing today Edward. I don’t know h
ow to thank you enough, son, except to say thank you and God Bless.”

  When Addison returned, he had his recorder with him, which he set up on the kitchen table. Fred began asking Edward the questions, as thoroughly as any prosecutor, challenging his son on small details, and asking what he was thinking and why he acted. Edward, for his part answered everything as best he could, though not as thoroughly as Fred had hoped. Fred knew there were some details his son had left out, just not why he would do so.

  “Is that everything son?”

  “Yes, Dad everything. Can’t think of anything else that matters.”

  “And you have that knife you said he had.”

  “Yes.”

  “Where is it?”

  A girl’s voice said, “It’s right here, Mr. St. James.”

  It was Bethy, standing in the doorway, grasping a rather menacing looking four-inch switchblade between her thumb and forefinger, as if she was trying to avoid something detestable on the blade.

  “This is what Edward was talking about. This is what that kid grabbed out of his boot and threatened me and threatened Edward with. He threatened me a lot more before Edward got to him, and I … I was just about no help at all.

  “Edward left out some details. I think he’s trying to protect me somehow. He shouldn’t; he has every right to be angry with me. I know I’m angry at myself. My behavior was appalling. This never would have happened if I had just listened to your son.

  “To start with, I was mad at Edward for no reason because I was invited to a party, but Edward wasn’t. The boys, all friends of mine, asked me to come alone, or don’t come at all. I wanted to go to that party, I really, really wanted to go. All my friends would be there; the cool kids you know. But they said don’t bring the dweeb. ‘Leave your pet at home’ they said. Instead of me getting mad at them, I blamed Edward. I got mad at him and huffed off ahead of him. I don’t know what I was thinking.

  “The next thing I knew that kid came outta nowhere; that nightmare of a kid was back breathing his sweaty stinky breath on me. He boxed me in, wouldn’t let me leave. He grabbed me just like Edward said and said terrible things, mean, awful things and called me names. Horrible filthy names. But Edward didn’t care. He told the kid I was his girl and that the kid had to apologize to me. To me. When he wouldn’t, he pulled that knife and I froze. Like the coward I was, I froze. I couldn’t move, couldn’t think, couldn’t act, I didn’t help. If Edward hadn’t been there I would have … he would have …”

  Bethy started crying. She composed herself, then she said, “I heard everything Edward just said and every word of it was true. Edward did nothing wrong, not one single thing. What Edward didn’t tell you, because he wouldn’t, is how I treated him after the kid took off.

  “I was horrible, just horrible. I yelled at him and wouldn’t listen to him. I wouldn’t move, even when he told me to. Even when he said that my Mom and Dad would be worried. Even when he said it was time to go and get away from that horrible place. Even when he said he had to get home before he got in trouble, I still wouldn’t move and made him explain what he did and why. I am ashamed of myself, ashamed of being such a coward and ashamed of being such a bully to a boy who only wants to be my friend. I am so sorry Edward and I am so sorry this will turn out to be more attention than you ever wanted. I’m just so sorry for so many things. I hope you’ll still walk me to school and still be my friend. It seems until now, I never knew what friendship was. Now I do.

  “Please come and say goodbye before you leave. I have a couple of things I need to say. Privately.”

  Edward was tongue tied, and all he could get out was “Sure. In a minute. Just need a few more minutes with your folks.”

  Bethy smiled a sad smile, a pleasant smile as she turned slowly, now fully dressed in her flannel jammies and walked in silence back to her room. The door shut quietly, as if any noise was an unwelcome commodity in that household that night.

  The adults in the room sat back in their chairs and were silent for a moment. Janie spoke first, “What’s going to happen now?”

  Fred spoke up. “What would happen if Edward was at the U? Same here probably.”

  “I’m gonna get suspended, aren’t I?” Edward asked, disconsolate at the notion.

  “Probably, son. The police will want to speak to you and get your side of the story. And talk to Bethy, I’m sure. This is all going to come out sooner or later. I just don’t see any way around it.”

  “Even though Edward saved our little girl?” asked Addison. “Hardly seems fair. It would be outrageous, that’s what it would be. Outrageous.”

  Fred said, “Zero tolerance for fighting, on or off premises. I bet we all voted in favor of that as a policy, when it seemed like such a good idea. I’ll bet there’s not one whiff of difference between their school’s policy and the U. Edward will be suspended. It’ll go on his permanent record and follow him through college. There’ll be a police report too. I’m sure of that.”

  Edward jumped up. “OK, grownups, don’t be so glum. Cops, schools, and social ostracism aside, it’s late and the real trouble starts when we get home. Dad, I’m goin’ to bed as soon as we get home. I’ll let you talk to Mom. Good luck with that.”

  He turned to the McQueens.

  “Don’t look so unhappy Mr. McQueen, it really wasn’t all that bad. The rest of this stuff, well I can live with all of it. If you guys are good with me, my Mom and Dad still love me, then it was worth every second of the adventure. And, I learned something about myself today too, so all in all, the day didn’t completely suck. And I made a friend. Who’s complaining?”

  “No one”, said Janie McQueen. “Although you have every right to. You’re a good son, Edward. If Addison and had been any luckier than we already are and had been blessed with a boy, I wish it could have been a boy like you. And you Mr. Frederick Vincent St. James, you deserve a hug from a grateful Mom.” They hugged and started to leave.

  A voice whispered Edward’s name. “You, you big lug, get over here this instant. We need to talk.”

  Chapter 41

  “Alright Princess, what have I done?”

  “Stop with the ‘Princess’ stuff right now. Don’t ever call me that again. That whole thing is over and in my past.”

  “Am I too?”

  “No, you dope. You are not. You are in my future, as if …”

  “As if … as if what?”

  “What? What? I never know whether you’re acting dopey or whether you really are that dopey. Since I don’t really think you know how to ‘act’, I conclude you really are just that dopey. Aren’t you?”

  “No clue what you’re rattling on about girl. Just say what’s on your mind and get it over with. I’m in trouble with you for something. Right?”

  “Wrong. You are so very fucking dense when it comes to girls, aren’t you?”

  “Dense would be several steps up from where I am. You girls are just a mystery to me. A nice mystery, and one I like a lot, but a real mystery.”

  “Yeah, I know. Will you come over tomorrow morning and stay with me? I don’t feel like going to school and I think it’s better if you’re here with me. Mom says it’s OK.”

  “And your Dad?”

  “Dad does what Mom wants. Rules of the house. Poor man never gets his way with two women around.”

  “How horrible!” Edward laughed.

  “Horrible? Horrible nothing, we treat my Dad like a god. We spoil him rotten and he knows it. He adores the attention, though he complains a lot when he doesn’t think he’s getting enough. He knows he’s got it good and only complains for effect. He’s a big teddy bear, like you. Not smart like Mom and I, but adorable.”

  “So, yes, I will come over tomorrow at regular time, if I can. I haven’t heard from my Mom yet and I may well be grounded. She decides things like that, so if I’m here, I’m here. If not, call me in a week.”

  “Give me your hand,” demanded Bethy.

&
nbsp; “What?”

  “I said, give me your hand right this instant.” He did. “This is my other phone number. My phone in my room; it’s a separate line. Call me any time. Any time, understand.”

  “OK then, I think I should be off. See you tomorrow, maybe.”

  Bethy’s voice and tone suddenly shifted, as only she could do, with the eddies and currents of her pendulous emotions. She was serious and sad, and it was immediately apparent she had something else on her mind. Edward stopped and gave her his full attention.

  “Before you go, I just need to share a few things with you. Been bothering me a lot lately and I haven’t had the courage until now to tell you how I feel. So, it’s long overdue.”

  “OK.” Edward said cautiously, knowing the mercurial Bethy could slice a guy either way.

  “I meant every word I said in the kitchen. I’ve treated you badly and I am very, very sorry for that. I have ridiculed you and made fun of you; I’ve ignored you and been rude to you in front of my friends; I have been a brat and said cruel things. I didn’t mean any of it; you have been nothing but the best kind of friend and wonderful. You listen, and we talk. You laugh at my stupid jokes and tolerate my petulant moods and general snotiness. Mostly I feel smart when we’re walking and talking. I feel like you’re smart and you think I am too and that makes me feel better than being told how pretty I am, or how cute my dress is. I did nothing to achieve any of that but with you I feel special, appreciated. Please say you forgive me and will always be my friend.”

  “We… e…lll”, Edward drawled, “I guess I could …”

  “Stop it this instant. I’m being serious, and I want you to be serious too. I mean it, I can take you down any time I want, for sure.”

  “OK. Seriously, I never noticed any of the stuff you just said. Never. So, there’s nothing to forgive and yes, I will always be your friend. It is nice that you are so beautiful but it’s what you are inside here,” he touched his heart, “that I really care about. And right there, in your heart, you’re the most beautiful girl I know. I’m glad I got to know you and I’m sorry for all the pain these problems have caused you; you don’t deserve it. But I’ll always be around, watching over you …”