All about love : Part VI

Lisa pushed all that out of her mind as she walked up to Jason. Handsome, intelligent, funny and generous to a fault. She had decided that this was the man who was going to be waiting for her at the other end of the aisle. She walked up to him and placed a kiss on his cheek.

“Hi sweetie,” he beamed. “As you can see the boss has me protecting the school today.”
“Are you protecting the whole school or just someone in particular?” Her eyes twinkled.
“You little minx. What’s that you’re holding?”
“I was going to meet you after school today and ask you to keep this safe for me but since you’re here you can take it now.”
“What is it?”
“It’s actually a video that Zach took of the family when nobody was aware.”
“Why do you need to keep it safe?”
She pulled him aside for a little privacy. “Todd is in it and I think that we can use it to our advantage.” She glanced quickly at the reporters snapping pictures of her. “Especially in light of your bosses press conference last night.”

Jason looked gravely at the tape and his eyes narrowed slightly. He trusted Lisas intuition completely. He took the tape from her and held it firmly.
“Say no more gorgeous,” he smiled gently. “I’ll put it somewhere safe.”
She smiled at him and his knees fairly weakend. Oh yeah…he had it bad.
“I’ll pick you up tonight around 7:00.”
“Nope! Mom said for you to come to dinner around 6:00. Then we’ll go to the movie.”
“You got it little lady but, there’s something I want you to do for me today too. It involves not going to school.”
“Well…I’m being asked to skip school by my boyfriend who is always going on about how important an education is….I’m intrigued….what is it?”

He leaned forward and started whispering in her ear. When he was done, she nodded knowingly, kissed him quickly and walked through the door. She did not go to her locker. Instead, she walked to the other exit on the other end of the hall and slipped quietly out the door.

He watched her as she walked away and shook his head in amazement. How he ever landed her he would never know. Glancing in his hand he spied the tape. There was something written on the top of it. One word: PROOF. Okay Lisa, he thought to himself. What have you got cooking in that pretty little head of yours?

****

Natalie Burns walked around to the back of Sheriff Hamiltons house. She had gone to the front door first but for some reason Elizabeth Hamilton tried to pretend she wasn’t home. But, Natalie had heard her on the other side of the door. 

She walked up to the back door, placed her hand on the knob and twisted it right before someone on the other side tried to lock it. Whoever it was wasn’t fast enough because Natalie forced the door open knocking the person on the other side back.

“Who the hell do you think you are?”
“Mrs. Hamilton?” Natalie asked cautiously. 
She took her sunglasses off so her eyes could adjust to the light in the house. What little light there was. All the shades were drawn and the house was kind’ve dark.

“Who are you?” Mrs. Hamilton asked sharply. “I’m calling my husband. He’s the…”
“I know who your husband is Mrs. Hamilton,” Natalie answered just as sharply. “I’m not impressed. Please…step into the light so I can at least see who I’m talking to.”
“What do you want?”
“I need to talk to you about your son.”
That did the trick. Mrs. Hamilton stepped into the light coming through the back door and Natalie recoiled in horror but, just as quickly, recovered.
“My God,” she breathed quietly. “What has that monster done to you?”
“Please…whoever you are…”
“Burns…Natalie Burns.”
“Please Miss Burns shut the door.”

Natalie closed the door and locked it behind her. She watched as Mrs. Hamilton retreated to the wall and flicked on the light switch. She sported two black eyes. Natalie swallowed hard and continued.
“So, I see that children aren’t the only ones on your husbands hit list.”
“You have no right…”

“I have plenty of right Mrs. Hamilton. Your husband went on televsion last night and told some horrible lies. Lies I’m sure will come to light soon enough. But, forget that for now. It’s just us here. Woman to woman…tell me…why don’t you leave him?”
For a minute Mrs. Hamilton said nothing. Then she started crying hysterically. Natalie stood there quietly and waited for her crying to subside. When it didn’t she walked to the woman and put an arm around her shoulders.

“I know you don’t want to hear this Mrs. Hamilton but, your husband is determined to ruin the future of some very special kids. I am of the mind that your son would be one of them. You may think that it’s to late for you and if that’s the case then consider this; Are you going to let it be to late for your child?”
She reached inside her purse and pulled out her business card and placed it on the table. 

“My home phone number is also on this card. When you are ready to help your child…our children…call me.”

She turned to leave then turned back again. “Just remember one thing Mrs. Hamilton…you can’t help your son or anybody else until you decide to help yourself.”
Natalie Burns left without another word. Mrs. Hamilton picked up the card, read it and clutched it tightly to her chest. Then she sat down at her kitchen table and cried her heart out.

****

Deputy Robinson smiled to himself as he watched Natalie Burns leave the sheriffs house. This would not go well for his wife. But he should have been a little bit more observant…he was also being watched. And Lisa Osgood was somebody he definitely should have been looking out for.

****

“I’ll handle this Robbie.”
As soon as the boys pulled into the school parking lot they were surrounded by a horde of reporters shouting questions at them all at once. They had purposely arrived at school late in the hopes of avoiding something like this but, to no avail. Jack saw a uniformed cop trying to push his way through but he kept getting pushed back.

“Which one of you is Jack?”
“Is it true you tried to pick up the Sheriffs son?”
“How long have you been gay?”
“Who is this boy?”
“Do you get into a lot of fights?”
“Are you and the Mayor in cahoots?”
Jack tried to fight his way through the reporters while keeping a tight grip on Robbies arm but, it was proving more and more difficult. Then someone asked another question.

“Is this boy your lover?”
Jack stopped short. “This boy is my friend…”
Robbie tore himself from Jacks grasp. His friend? He ran blindly through the crowd away from the direction of the school. He could hear Jack shouting his name above the noise but he couldn’t think clearly. As the tears streamed down his face the only thing he could hear was Jacks voice ringing in his ear….this boy is my friend…this boy is my friend…this boy is my….”

Now why the hell did Robbie run off Jack thought to himself?
“You were saying something about the kid who just ran off?” A reporter shouted to him.

Jack stopped right in front of the police barrier. The crowd of reporters grew silent as did all the kids who were trying to get by. Jack squared his shoulders, raised his head high and said in a loud and clear voice. “That other kid is my friend, my confidant, my companion and my partner…yes! He’s my boyfriend. Hopefully for the rest of our lives. I saw parts of the sheriffs press conference on the news this morning and I can tell you that there is no love lost between his son and myself. As for the mayor and myself…I’ve never met the man before but, I feel bad about all the lies that was said about him last night. Now I have to get to class.”
He turned around, nodded at the smiling black deputy and walked past the barrier and into the school.

****

“I asked you a question young man! Are you in love with my son?”

Jack stared into the icy blue eyes boring holes into him. At first he was intimidated but, he’d come here to let Robbie know how he felt. He wasn’t sure how Robbies mom knew but, she did. He squared his shoulders, stood up straight and in a firm voice he replied, “Yes Miss Burns. I am in love with Robbie.”
There! He said it and there was no going back. But, it would be just fine. Natalies eyes softened and a beautiful smile filled her face. She was a very striking woman with long, soft black hair, beautiful blue eyes and a smile that lit up a room. No wonder Robbie was so incredibly cute.

“You’ll find him just behind the barn,” she smiled warmly. “He has his own private spot a little ways down the hill. It leads to a small pond on our property. He goes down there to be alone when something is troubling him. He’s been doing that ever since he was seven. Even though he’s hurt and upset right now, I’m sure he’ll be thrilled to see you.”

“Thank you ma’am,” Jack smiled back brightly. He turned to hurry out the door when he felt an unusually strong grip on his shoulder stop him cold. He turned back around to face her again.

“Know this Jack Parsons; Somehow I don’t think you will but, if you harm my son in anyway, shape or form you and I will be taking a walk to the wood shed and I guarantee you I will be leaving it by myself.”

She released her hold, smiled warmly again, turned and walked away. How the hell does she do that?? He didn’t want to know so, he hurried out the door and raced around the back, making his way through the dark Atlanta night. 

****
Natalie smiled at Jacks retreating back. She’d caught his little speech on the afternoon news. Usually a one-horse town like Junctionville didn’t have anything to say about anything! However, lately it was almost as if the whole country were focused on this town. 

She’d come home from visiting Mrs. Hamilton just as Robbie ran blindly up the driveway. She rushed after him and cornerd him in his room. For a while he wouldn’t tell her anything and he flat out refused to go back to school. But, finally he came around and told her what Jack had said.
“Honey,” she said gently. “Are you sure you heard the whole thing? I mean…you told me yourself that you got out of there pretty quickly.”
“I heard all I needed to hear mom,” he replied miserably.

She stared at him with affection, kissed his forehead and left him alone in his room. God, she thought to herself. The kid is always saying how he hates dramatics but sometimes he can be the biggest drama-queen going! Must’ve gotten it from his father. Oh well. She smiled because she knew at least this part of the drama would turn out just fine. 

****

Jack quietly crept down the darkened path until he spotted a lone figure sitting on a log. He could barely make out his outline and that was because the moon was reflecting off the water but still partially hidden behind the trees. Robbie was tossing stones into the pond. He took a few more steps forward and stopped. It was picture perfect. The trees surrounding the pond. The water shimmering under the moonlight and Robbies form against this magnificent back drop. He took another step and then was startled to hear Robbie speak.

“There’s no sense in trying to sneak up on me Jack. I can smell your cologne. The breeze is at our backs and it drifted down to me before you even got on the path. What are you doing here? Worried about your friend?”

Jack stared with disbelief at Robbies back. The little shit still hadn’t turned around either and now he was getting pissed off.
“What the fuck is your problem Robbie? Huh? What is this ‘friend’ shit anyway?”

And then it dawned on him. This morning at the school. The reporters question. In his minds eye he could hear the question and he could see himself answering it. He would have finished the answer right then and there but someone had run off! Robbie thought he was ashamed to call him anything else but friend! Now he was furious!