Collateral Damage (From the Damage)

by Jasmine Denton

“Let me get this straight…you used to get kicked around at home, then you finally get away from that and come here. Now you’re getting kicked around at school.”

  Bradley nodded, just slightly, his shoulders slouching in that ‘I can’t ever win’ way. “Life sucks.”

  “Sometimes, it really does.” He crossed the room to his closet and searched through one of his duffel bags, coming out with a bottle of Tylenol. He handed Bradley two. “This will help with the pain. And when I get back, I’ll teach you how to handle those punks. Sound good?”

  Bradley smiled as Ryder handed him the pills. “Thanks.”

  “No problem.” Slipping into his jacket, he headed for the door.

  “Oh, wait,” Bradley said. “I almost forgot. You got some mail today.”

  Bradley walked over to the desk they shared and grabbed an envelope. “It came for you while you were in the shower.”

  “Thanks.” Ryder took the envelope without looking at it and started for the door again. “Hang in there, kiddo. Okay?”

  He nodded, and Ryder knew the kid was tougher than he looked.

  After stopping to do the tedious task of signing out, Ryder got into his car and turned the radio on. Then he took a look at the envelope.

  It was from some sort of lawyer’s office, with one of those long names he couldn’t pronounce. When he opened it, a check fell out into his lap.

  “What the hell?” he asked aloud as he picked up the small piece of paper. Turning it over, he almost toppled out of the car. Shocked to find a check for 20,000 dollars. He double checked to make sure the check was made out to him, and it was. Then, perplexed, he stared at the zeros, counting them over and over.

  “What the hell?” he repeated.

  There must’ve been some mistake. Why would some lawyer’s office pay him 20 grand?

  He pulled out his cell phone and dialed the phone number printed at the top of the check. It took a few minutes for him to navigate the automated menu, but he finally managed to get in touch with a secretary.

  She confirmed that the check was supposed to be for him, but was tightlipped about who sent it, saying it fell under the ‘attorney-client privilege’ laws.

  By the time he hung up the phone, he was only more aggravated. He wondered…was this money from one of his parents?

  ***

  Kay

  ***

  As Kay straightened up the counter of the diner, Alex sat on the opposite side of the bar, munching on a plate of cheese fries. They’d spent nearly every afternoon together since their date. On the days she had to work, he’d stop in for a little while. When it wasn’t too busy in the diner, Alex would stay and chat but if there were a lot of customers, he’d eat and then leave a cute note with her tip. It was sweet to have him constantly surprising her, especially with everything she’d been going through at home. Most nights, Kay slept in her car and showered in the locker room before school. It was just easier to do that than to risk going home. But, she wouldn’t have to worry about that for a few days, because her dad was going out of town. She’d have the house all to herself for the first time.

  “Don’t look now,” Alex said, grinning at her. “But I think you might be smiling.”

  Laughing, she poured sugar into a dispenser. “I have reasons to smile, these days. There’s you. And the fact that for three whole days, I’ll have the house to myself.”

  “No wonder you’re so happy.”

  “Yeah, for once my absent parents will be physically absent.” She leaned her elbows on the counter. “My dad’s got a battalion reunion. So…I was thinking you and I could—”

  “Take a road trip,” he finished for her.

  She raised an eyebrow. “A road trip where?”

  “Charlotte.”

  “Okay, I’ll bite. Why are we going to Charlotte?”

  “I didn’t know how to bring this up, but…your mom doesn’t make any sense…tax audits are a seasonal job, right? But she takes off all year around. So, I got a little nosey. Had a Veronica Mars moment and ran a background check on her.”

  “You what?” Kay said, laughing.

  He reached into his back pack and pulled out a couple computer-print-outs, then slid one across the bar. “She has an alias. Melanie Monroe. I wondered why she’d go by a different name, so I cross-referenced it through one of my mom’s real-estate websites, and boom. She owns a house in Charlotte. Now, I’m not positive, but I’m pretty sure that’s where she’s always going—not to work.”

  Suddenly, the smile vanished from her face as she looked at the background check and a copy of the deed he handed her. “She bought this place while my dad was in Iraq.”

  “It’s fishy, right?” Alex said. “I mean, why wouldn’t she tell you about it? Why would she go by a different name? I mean, she’s even been lying to you about her line of work. She leases a warehouse in Charlotte. I Googled the address, and it’s an art dealership.”

  “Really?”

  “It’s obvious she’s hiding it from your dad. So I thought... maybe if we showed up and busted her, it’d be enough to get you out of there. Get her to sign an emancipation form or a lease or something.”

  “You really think this will work?”

  “It’s worth a shot, isn’t it?” he asked. Then he leaned forward, lowering his voice. “I’m not saying you tell her everything. That’s your call. All you have to tell her is that you don’t want to live with your dad anymore.”

  Kay thought this over for a minute. Then she decided, blackmail aside, she’d learned enough about her mother’s lies to deserve some answers, at least. “What about your parents? Hasn’t your Mom been in overprotective mode? What’s she going to say?”

  “I think she’ll say ‘have fun camping with Trevor.’” His thumb grazed across her knuckles as he spoke, tempting her into relaxation. Ever charming, he raised an eyebrow in a playful, ‘how about it?’ look.

  “Okay, you sold me on it. When do we leave?”

  “When’s your dad leaving?”

  “Tonight,” she said.

  “Then we’ll head out in the morning. We should get to Charlotte by lunch.”

  ***

  Ryder

  ***

  The waiting room at Social Services was surprisingly empty for a Friday afternoon. The only other people were a mother and crying infant. Ryder waited, tapping his foot against the floor as he tried to figure out where the mystery check had come from and why. The search led him here, hoping Sophia would have an answer.

  Finally, after the half-hour wait, a receptionist buzzed him through the door separating the offices from the waiting room. He walked down three doors and went into her office. She was sitting behind the desk, typing rapidly on the keyboard, glancing down at an open file stacked on top of a few thicker files. “I’ll be with you in just a sec,” she said, her focus still on the computer.

  He took a seat by the door and waiting, noticing a few more folders on the other end of her cluttered desk. All of them belonged to kids in foster care, he assumed, feeling sorry for them.

  “And I’m done,” Sophia announced with the click a two final keys. The printer to her right whirled to life, printing out a stack of paper. She turned her attention to Ryder and folded her hands on top of the desk. “I’m surprised to see you. Is something wrong at Cornerstone?”

  “No, it’s not that. I got something strange in the mail today.”

  She looked surprised. “What was it?”

  He reached into his pocket and pulled out the envelope, then handed it across the desk to her. She read over the address information, her gaze shifting with a hint of recognition. Then she pulled out the check and her eyes bulged, then shrank back down as she shook her head.

  “You know who sent this,” Ryder said, knowing he was reading her accurately. “Who was it?”

  She stood up and walked toward him, shutting the door to her office. She handed the check back and leaned against the front of her desk. “I’m not supposed to say anyth
ing,” she said. “So, until you’re eighteen, we never had this conversation.”

  He nodded. “Understood.”

  She crossed her arms and hesitated to speak, choosing her words carefully. “That check is from your father.”

  “You know where he is?” Ryder asked, coming out of his chair. Realizing, for the first time that he was a few inches taller than Sophia.

  “Not so fast,” she said, holding a hand up to stop him. “I meant your biological father.”

  His gaze cut to meet hers in question, the news sinking in. He fell back into his chair, keeping his eyes on her as she walked around the desk to the filing cabinet.

  “When you first came into our custody, we got our hands on your birth certificate.” She pulled Ryder’s file out of the cabinet, laying it on top to open it. “David Burnett isn’t listed as your father.”

  That’s why he abandoned me, Ryder thought with a sick feeling, because I wasn’t really his son.

  “We tracked down the man who was listed and we told him about you,” Sophia said as she leafed through Ryder’s file. “We ran a paternity test to make sure, and the test confirmed that he was your father.”

  Ryder listened in shock. “Why didn’t I ever know about this?”

  She found the birth certificate and pulled it out, turning to face him again. “First, I just want to say that I think you’re a wonderful young man, Ryder. A real example of triumph over tragedy. Even back then, you were the sweetest kid. And I’m so sorry that all of this has happened to you.”

  Why was she talking to him like that? Why did it feel like she was building him up so he wouldn’t fall too far? Was what she was going to say really that bad?

  “He signed away his parental rights, and you became a ward of the state.”

  “Of course he did,” Ryder said, not meaning to sound as disappointed as he felt. But the emotion was so overwhelming it was hard to hide.

  “He was married,” she explained. “He and your mom had an affair. I guess he didn’t want to get busted. I don’t know.”

  She handed over the document she was holding.

  He was surprised to see the relinquish-of-custody form, filled out and notarized. He held the letterhead up against law-office’s address on the envelope. Sure enough, they matched. “So why is he sending me money now?”

  She shrugged. “Guilty conscience? Maybe he knows your aging out and wants to give you something to start a life with.”

  “But how can he even do that? Is he loaded or something?”

  “He works for a company that designs computer software,” she said. “So he’s doing pretty well for himself. And he’s putting you off to a good start too. So, I suggest you find a nice place to live after you age out, and put the rest into a savings account.”

  He nodded, handing the document back to her, but not until he’d gotten a good look at the signature. Keith Miller. “Thanks, Sophia. You’ve been a lot of help.”

  As he left Social Services, he kept repeating that name inside his head, wondering why it sounded so familiar. Had he seen the name somewhere before? Or had he read the birth certificate during the few weeks he was on his own? Heard his parents argue about it, maybe?

  ***

  “I’ve got road tunes. The cooler’s loaded with drinks and snacks. Anything else we need?” Standing by the open door to Kay’s back seat, Alex reached over and took the duffel bag from her hands.

  “Just need you to call my house and make sure the calls are forwarded to my cell,” Kay said.

  Alex slid Kay’s bag into the backseat, then took out his phone and called Kay’s house like she asked. After the line started ringing, so did her cell phone.

  “Great,” she said with a smile as Alex hung up his phone. “Looks like we’re home-free.”

  Kay climbed behind the steering wheel and shut herself in the car. Though she was nervous about the confrontation ahead, she excited, too. Excited about the time alone with Alex, excited about the possibility of leaving her father’s house for good. Once Alex slid into the seat and buckled up, the two took off to claim the future she deserved.

  ***

  “You’re kidding me,” Meagan explained after Ryder filled her in. “All this time, no one told you?”

  It was Saturday afternoon and they were sitting at a picnic table by the lake, with a takeout bag from Jill’s Grill between them. “I don’t know,” he said, suddenly not craving the burger. He hadn’t slept last night. This crazy, surreal situation was all he could think about.

  Meagan’s broken leg was stretched out across the bench as she ate a cheeseburger. “What are you going to do with the money?”

  He glanced up from his burger, half-way through a bite. In light of the new information, he’d forgotten all about the check. After he swallowed, he said, “I don’t know…I have half a mind to shove it in his face. I mean, he’s just trying to ease his guilty conscience. I’m not going to help him do that.”

  “Maybe he’s trying to say he’s sorry,” Meagan countered, looking at him over the rim of her water bottle.

  “For leaving me alone all these years? I’m not sorry, he shouldn’t be either.” He stopped, shaking his head. After taking a drink of his soda, he cleared his throat. “I’m sorry. I’m a little bitter about the whole thing. Let’s talk about you.” He focused his attention on her, giving her a warm smile. “How’d your day go?”

  She looked hesitant. “Are you sure? We could talk about your—”

  “No, actually. I would much rather talk about you. Anything big?”

  “Well, to be honest, my day sucked.” She reached into her purse and pulled something out. When she handed it to him, he realized it was a picture. Of Meagan sleeping.

  “That was taken last night,” she said. “I just bought those pajamas for the sleepover. I wore them for the second time last night. It was taped to my mirror this morning.”

  “Seriously?” he asked, although he wasn’t surprised. But he was angry. “Why didn’t you tell me this sooner?”

  “Because, you were actually talking to me for a change. And this is just more Seth drama.” She sighed and shook her head, looking embarrassed. “I just want it to go away, but it won’t. And the police refuse to do anything, even though I’ve taken them proof that, over the last six months, Seth has been stalking me and harassing me, and even assaulting me. I mean…it was my fault I didn’t go to the police after the rape, so I can’t expect them to arrest him for that. But what about everything else? My rights are being violated, here and no one will listen.”

  Shaking his head, he set the picture down. Wishing there was something he could do to help, but when the legal system wouldn’t help, what was there for him to do? Then he remembered Seth’s challenge, and the fighting game, taking place in just a couple hours. “Can I keep this?” he asked. Then he laughed nervously, “Not for creepy reasons or anything.”

  She shrugged. “Why would I want it?” then her eyes narrowed on him. “Why would you want it?”

  He took a drink of his soda to avoid answering, but she still knew.

  “You’re going to confront him, aren’t you?”

  “Don’t worry about it,” he said, knowing it wouldn’t help.

  “Ryder, it’s just going to fuel the fire,” she said. “It’s like Seth gets off on bragging about getting away with everything. If you confront him, he’s just going to love it.”

  “You’re sitting here with a broken leg, alright? One he gave you. And the jerk was in your room last night, while you were sleeping, taking pictures. Leaving them for you so you would know that you’re powerless against him.” He held eye contact with her, showing her he wasn’t going to support sweeping this under the rug anymore. “Meagan, you’re not powerless, okay? And I don’t know what we have to do to get him to back off, but we’ll figure it out.”

  “I know. He’s really starting to scare me. It’s like he just won’t stop,” she said. “Trevor’s having all the locks and security codes changed, b
ut I don’t know how much good it’ll do.”

  “Someone’s gotta knock some sense into Seth,” Ryder said. “Maybe that’ll stop him.”

  “I don’t want anyone to get hurt here. And the last thing I want is you or Trevor getting arrested for hurting Seth before he gets arrested for hurting me. Okay?”

  He understood that. But he didn’t know if he would listen to her or not. Sometimes, to protect somebody, you have to go against their wishes.

  She shook her head, resigning the argument. “I know one thing for sure. As soon as this cast comes off, I’m doing whatever it takes to dance again. That’s one thing he’s never going to take from me.”

  Chapter 8

  Kay

  Driving Kay’s Jeep, Alex pulled up outside of a large, two-story house. A chain-link fence ran all the way around it, and, in the corner of the yard, a Golden retriever slept lazily under the morning sun.

  Kay looked down at the copy of the deed with her mother’s alias on it, double checking the address. “This is the place,” she said, looking nervously over at Alex. Then she looked back toward the driveway. “I don’t see her car, though.”

  “Maybe she’s not here,” he offered.

  “I just thought of something,” Kay said, feeling silly for not thinking of it before. “What if she just rents this place out?”

  They burst into a fit of laughter.

  “Then,” Alex said, trying to suppress a laugh, “We just drove a long way for nothing.”

  Kay chuckled as she pulled down the visor mirror, checking her reflection. Stalling.

  As if sensing this, Alex reached over and squeezed her knee. “You can take your time. We can go back to the hotel room and go over the game plan one more time.”

  But she shook her head again. “I think we’ve practiced it enough,” she said. “I just want to get this over with.”

  He gave her an encouraging smile. “Good luck.”

  She pushed open the car door and climbed out, stepping out onto the sidewalk. Dread and anticipation filling her with every step, she walked up to the front door and rang the doorbell.

  To her surprise, a little boy answered. Looking to be around five years old, he had blond hair, blue eyes and pudgy cheeks, and gave her a goofy grin. “Are you one of those mermans?”