Guardian Angel, Chapter 8
Vi and Ward stayed with his parents for nearly two weeks. Given the time on the road back to the Midwest, school had been back in session several days before they returned.
Back at school, Vin was no longer "Mr. Invisible." Instead of trying to blend with the woodwork as he often had in the past, he had suddenly become more conspicuous and outgoing. His teachers were quite pleased with the change, and hoped it would continue. He had always been a decent student, but now, he was on the road to becoming an excellent one.
There was probably a myriad of reasons for his new attitude, and they stemmed from his increase of self-esteem. He had better clothes, a new haircut, several buds, and hope for the future. With all of this, he was no longer afraid of his shadow.
Neither Jeff nor Bob had hassled Vin since the principal had come down hard on them, but that didn't mean they had mended their ways. The season of tranquility was about to end as Jeff found an opportunity to take up where he'd left off in December. It was on a day when the guys had karate club after school, and it was just after gym class.
There was a female subbing for the usual teacher, so the boys were completely without supervision in the locker room. Tom Morgan, the swimming coach, had planned to look in on them, but was sidelined by a phone call from a parent. By the time it ended, most of the boys were gone.
"You seem to have a lot of new things since Christmas, and you're looking well-fed. You need to share with your friends," Jeff said to Vin.
"I don't get lunch money anymore; I have a ticket," Vin replied.
"That's okay, I can use that too."
"No, it's got my ID picture on it."
"You'd better figure out a way to buy my lunch then, you little queer."
"I'm not going to be bullied by you or anyone anymore," Vin stated with a determined look on his face. "I don't want to get into a fight at school and hurt someone, but I'm not going to take it!"
"It won't be much of a fight because you'll be on the floor bleeding before you can hit back, faggot!"
"Please just leave me alone! I've never done anything to you."
"You got Bob and me an in-school suspension by ratting on us. Now it's payback time and payback's a bitch!"
Hearing the heated exchange, two little freshmen boys peeked timidly around the lockers to see what was going on. They didn't want to get too close in case it turned into a brawl, but they were curious.
Caen was nearby also because he'd come into the locker room moments earlier with his phone in hand, trying to text Calvin. He also heard what was going on, and decided to record Jeff's threats. He would intervene if things escalated, but he assumed Jeff would be all mouth and no action. He came around the lockers just in time to video the short fight that ensued.
Jeff intended to land a hard punch to Vin's gut, putting him out of commission immediately, but Vin had anticipated it. He spun out of reach in the nick of time, using Jeff's force to send him head-first into a bench. Jeff landed hard, and was bleeding from his temple.
"I'm gonna sue your fuckin' ass off, asshole!" Jeff howled as he got up to go find a teacher.
"You started it!" Vin yelled.
"Nobody saw me," Jeff replied as he ran from the room.
"Don't worry, I saw most of it, and recorded all of it," Caen said as he put his arms around his trembling friend."
"I saw it too," one of the other boys offered. "I'll back up your story. That kid's a jerk!"
Vin was a mess. He wasn't shaking so much from fright as from the adrenaline surge he'd experienced. Caen held him until he began to settle down.
"Here, I've got an apple left over from lunch. You'd better eat it in case you're having a sugar drop or something."
Vin sat on the bench and began to munch on the piece of fruit. He started to feel better almost immediately. It's hard to say if it was from the food, the kindness, or both, but whatever it was, it was working.
Coach Morgan came looking for Vin.
"What did you do to Jeff? He says you attacked him, but I need to get your side of the story before we go see the principal."
"I defended myself from HIS attack. He's been after me all term, and I decided I'm not taking it anymore!"
"I can understand that, but he's probably going to need stitches and he may have a concussion. It's hard to say who'll get the blame."
"I have the whole thing on my phone," Caen said. "Jeff was the attacker."
Caen had texted Caleb to tell him why they'd be late to karate, and Bret suggested he go to look after Vin.
"I'd better stay to help with the training like I'm supposed to, but I'm sure Mr. Fiala will understand if you're not here. Let me know if you need me."
"I always need you," Caleb grinned. "Thanks!"
When Caleb got to the office, he learned that Jeff's parents had been called and his mom was on her way. He quickly called his mother to see if she could come to school since she was home. Carol told him that she'd be there in a few minutes.
Dr. Dickinson was trying to sort things out in the meantime. Paul Porter, the police officer assigned to the school, was taking notes.
"Do you have something constructive to offer, Caleb?" Ms. Dickinson asked him
"Um, Calvin is living with us currently, and Mom's on her way," he told her. "She has temporary guardianship."
"That's good. I hope this can be settled without charges being filed against anyone, but I'm not sure that will be possible."
"It's not Vin's fault!" Caen insisted. "There are witnesses."
"It is too!" Jeff insisted.
"Gentlemen, we'll wait for the adults to arrive, and then we'll get to the bottom of this. I want everyone present to hear what each of you has to say - without interruption."
Carol arrived next, and took the seat that the principal indicated. She squeezed Calvin's shoulder, but didn't do anything more demonstrative, knowing how easily adolescent boys can be embarrassed by affectionate gestures from well-meaning adults.
Next, Lori Barns swept into the office. She looked livid, but it was not apparent what, or who, was the target of her anger. As she was about to sit down, her face softened.
"Carol, what are you doing here? Don't you have to work tonight?"
"I work later. Right now, Calvin needs my support. There seems to have been trouble between that boy and him."
"That boy is my son, Jeff," Lori told her.
"Oh boy! I hope this isn't going to drive a wedge between us."
"I certainly hope not! We've always been a good team in the ER."
"I see that everyone is assembled," Dr. Dickinson stated. I'm going to ask the two combatants to give their side of the story, and then I'll entertain any corroborating evidence. When one person is speaking, I'll ask all others to keep quiet until I call on them.
"Jeff, since you've made a complaint against another student, I'll ask you to go first."
"It won't do any good; everyone's against me." Jeff complained. "They'll all lie."
"Please give your side, and I'll remain impartial until everything has been brought forth."
"Well, I went into the locker room, and Calvin attacked me with no warning."
"May I ask why you were in there at that time. Did you have gym the last period?"
"No, um, I thought I'd left my phone in a locker earlier."
"Did Calvin and you exchange words before the attack?"
"We might have. I don't remember exactly what was said. It all happened so fast. When can I get out of here to get stitches in my head?"
"This shouldn't take long.
"Calvin, what's your story?"
"He's just gonna lie, and his little boyfriend will lie for him!" Jeff insisted.
"Jeff, you'll have your turn to refute whatever he says when he's finished.
"Now, Calvin go ahead."
"I was getting dressed when Jeff came in and tried to shake me down for money like he did before. I told him I have a lunch ticket and don't get cash now. He said I needed to buy his lunch or I'd be sorry. Then I told him I didn't want to fight at school, but I won't be bullied anymore. He called me names and tried to punch me in the stomach, but I've learned self-defense, and I used his energy against him to send him flying. I didn't intend for him to hit his head on the bench, but he started it!"
"That's not true! See, I told you he'd make something up!"
"Ma'am, I recorded it," Caen said, handing his phone to her.
Jeff made a lunge for it, but Ms. Dickinson jerked it out of his reach. Officer Porter put a hand on his shoulder, warning him to sit down and not interrupt, or risk being handcuffed.
The principal played the video, and everyone could hear the exchange of words, though some were muffled. What Vin had told them was nearly verbatim of what they were hearing on Caen's phone.
"Jeffrey, what is the meaning of this?" his mother yelled.
Instead of answering her, he ran from the room.
"Carol, I'm truly sorry about all this. He's been moody since his father left us last year. You know how hard it is raising a teenager alone and working at the same time. I'm afraid he's gotten in with the wrong crowd. I'll take care of it.
"After hearing how he's acted toward Calvin, I'm relieved that the fire in the trailer was from an electrical short. Much as I hate to admit it, Jeff might have been capable of doing something drastic!"
After Jeff's mother left, Dr. Dickinson drew the meeting to a close.
"It looks like no one is going to blame you for what you did, Calvin. The video clearly exonerates you. You're free to go. I'll keep you posted on how this all goes down.
"Thank you, Caen, for the video. Please forward me a copy.
"Mrs. Barton, thank you for coming in to support Calvin. I'm sorry if it messed up your afternoon."
"It's okay. I had a nap earlier. I always want to be here for my kids."
As they stood, Vin embraced Carol with tears in his eyes.
"Thanks, Mom," he whispered.
Dr. Dickenson had planned for Jeff to serve two days of in-school suspension, but he didn't show up the next day. His mother called in to say that she had placed him in a mental health facility to try to find out why he'd become paranoid, and a pathological liar. He appeared to be living in an alternative universe. It was as if he really believed Calvin had started the fight and that everyone was against him.
The doctors suspected that he'd been using some kind of drugs which had set him off. Their first objective was to wean him off whatever it was, and counsel him at the same time. He would be continuing his classwork with a district tutor.
Without Jeff around, Bob kept a low profile. He knew what Vin had done to his erstwhile buddy, and he didn't want to suffer a similar fate. First Caleb had grown balls, and now this freshman had too. What was the world coming to?
When Vi and Ward came back from their trip to the coast, she was wearing an engagement ring. Since her home had been totally destroyed, Ward thought it would be practical for her to move in with him immediately.
She was hesitant to take him up on the offer because she still felt responsible for Vin. Carol assured her that Vin would be welcome to stay where he was for as long as he wanted to be there.
After Carol shared her suspicions about the identity of Vin's father, Vi was more amenable to it.
A week later, Caleb's family received the results of their DNA tests in Friday's mail. Calvin and Caleb were, indeed, first cousins. Both were elated.
They spent the better part of an hour going over pictures in a family album that Carol pulled out of the closet. They might have looked at them longer, but they needed to take time to call Grandma and Grandpa to share the news before Bret and Caen arrived.
The next to be notified were Vi and Ward. Carol had Calvin break the news to them. She hoped that his enthusiastic response would erase any lingering misgivings that Vi had about not keeping him with her.
When he was finished taking to his aunt, Carol got on the phone and invited Vi and Ward to eat with them that night. They took her up on the offer.
With the help of her husband, Carol cooked a "turf and surf" dinner to celebrate the news. She splurged on shrimp she would cook in olive oil and garlic and T-bone steaks which Hollis agreed to grill outside, despite the cold weather. Baked potatoes and a leafy salad rounded it out.
For dessert, there were brownies and ice cream. Vin felt like the prodigal son in the bible whose father had prepared a feast for his friends and him in honor of his return.
Vin's best friends were included. Bret and Caen had been invited for a sleepover as well as dinner. Life for him was about as good as it could get.
It would take a few months for the official adoption to go through, but he could change his name because it didn't take that long for his birth certificate to be amended to include his father's name.
From then on, he would be Calvin Theodore Mortenson. He wasn't crazy about his middle name, but he kept it to remind him of the father he'd never known.
Caleb joked that they could call him, "Calvin Theodore" or "Vin Ted" if he wanted. Vin said he'd go by "Vin" or "Ted" either one, but not a combination of his names. Also, they weren't allowed to call him, "Teddy" under any circumstances. Naturally, Caleb and Bret "slipped" occasionally and called him that, just to see if they could get a rise out of him. They did notice he let Caen call him "Teddy."
Dr. Dickenson made sure that all his school records were changed to reflect his correct surname. She knew how much it meant to him, and making her students feel good about themselves was high on her list.
Something happened, a few months later, that Vin could scarcely believe. When he opened his school locker on a Friday morning, a manila envelope fell out on the floor. It had evidently been slipped in by prying the top of the door enough to let it pass.
He was almost hesitant to open it. Caen offered to do it, and both were shocked at the contents. Inside there were several twenty-dollar bills. As they counted them out a second time, they verified that it was the sum of $120.
A note with the money explained why it was there.
I know this will sound weird, and you may or may not believe it, but I'm really sorry for what I did to you earlier in the year. My conscience has been bothering me for several weeks, so I recently went back to church and made my first confession. Father Andrew gave me penance to do, and said that if I was truly sorry, the way to show it would be to repay you the money I extorted from you. It took me awhile to scrape it up, but I think this should equal my half. I can't be responsible for Jeff. If he wants to get right with you, that's on him.
This isn't bribery money to buy your forgiveness, it's what I owe you. I hope someday you'll be able to forgive me.
Thanks,
Bob H.
"Wow! Do you think he really means it?" Vin exclaimed.
"I'd say so," Caen answered. "That's a lot of money if he didn't. I've heard the expression, `Put your money where your mouth is,' and I'd say he's done that."
"Do you think I should give some of it back to him?"
"Definitely not! It's part of what he needed to do to make things right!"
"I need to find Caleb and tell him. Then I should look for Bob."
Vin found his cousin a few minutes before homeroom and asked him to guard the money.
"I have gym today, and I don't want this much in my locker. I know you had gym yesterday, so you'll have it on you at all times."
"Okay, but where did you get it? Did you mug some little kid?" Caleb teased.
"Bob's paying restitution!"
"Seriously?"
"Yup, he had some kind of epitaph."
"Um, I think you mean epiphany, but I get your point. This is great!"
It was a spring day, and some of the kids had taken their lunch outside to the picnic tables near the cafeteria doors. That's where Vin, Caen, Caleb, and Bret found Bob sitting alone.
"Mind if we join you?" Vin asked.
"It's a free country," Bob shrugged.
Vin set his tray down and walked around behind Bob. He put his hands on Bob's shoulders and squeezed gently.
"You're forgiven."
"Thanks," Bob said softly, swallowing a lump in his throat.
"You really have changed," Vin continued, as he sat beside him and began to eat his lunch.
"I'm trying. I've been pretty bad."
"Well, you're succeeding. I think I owe you something."
"Like a kick in the head?" Bob asked with a slight grin.
"More like a big hug."
"What for? I was nothing but nasty to you."
"Yeah, but without you and Jeff as a threat, Caleb and Bret wouldn't have had to protect me, and I might not have ever found out that Caleb and I are cousins. It all worked out for good."
"God! You should be a politician. You can put a spin on anything."
"Well, we were wondering if you'd like to join us at karate club. I promise it's not to use you as a punching bag!"
"Okay, I'll come, and I promise not to use what I learn to hurt anyone."
Caleb's life had changed drastically over the course of his junior year, just as Vin's life had as a freshman. Caleb wondered if his uncle Ted had caused all of this from beyond the grave. Was he their guardian angel? Had he saved Caleb from greater injury in the fall, and led his son to find his family? There were no answers for his questions, of course, but it was pleasant to think it had all been planned somehow.
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Author's notes: Well, as promised, this is the final chapter. I won't rule out having the boys show up in some later tale, but for now, this is it. Thanks to all 139 individuals who have emailed about this story. Yes, I counted them. I heard from the following this week: Victor T, Tony C, Walter Sz, Bill T, Jim M, John L, Shawn K, Vinnie, Charles G, Allen, Daz, Marty H, Skip M, J.Micheal, GCD, George D, Bill K, Wayne, Ott H, Paul F, Geoff S, Tom A, Tim T, Randy McC, JW, Stan G, Paul R, Mendy D, Chandra B, Frank K, Jake B, Zero M, and Dick Z.
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David