goes. You going to be OK?” he asked, making sure that was it.
“Yeah, I’ll be fine!” She looked at the clock. “Do I have to go back to class?” There were only five minutes left.
“Tell you what. I’ll leave, and you wait here till the bell rings. Then you can split.”
“Cool!”
Sean walked back into the hallway. He may as well talk to Jay, see what he had to say. Wasn’t sure if talking to a football player who peed his pants was such a good idea.
He popped back into the office.
“Hi. One more thing. I need to talk to the custodian; I believe his name is Jay.”
The nameless woman he had spoken to before looked disappointed.
“You just missed him. Normally he stays two hours after the last bell, but he said he had to leave. He said it was an emergency. But if you ask me, I think he left because he saw your car.”
“He go home?” he asked, no smile—only the briefest eye contact.
“I honestly don’t think he’s got anywhere else to go.”
“I’m gonna need his address,” Sean said, his pen and pad ready. It wasn’t a question.
Why would simple Jay be spooked by an unmarked police car?
He was going to find out.
Chapter Fourteen
Jay burst through the front door in a panic. Slammed it behind him. He knew his mom wasn’t home, so he let out a scream. What was happening? He hadn’t thought of that incident in years. Why now? He paced in his living room, too agitated to sit. Everything was going fine. He went to work, did his job, and got paid. No problems. No issues. No confusion.
He could talk to Sheryl once in a while. They even exchanged emails a few times a week. It was fun, and she was nice. He knew she was going out with that policeman, Sean. He didn’t mind. He had tried talking to her back when they were students after she’d been nice to him. He had asked her to sit with him at lunch, and she’d politely refused. That was OK. She was still nice. Or at least, she wasn’t mean to him like the other kids.
Jay had always been a loner. He hadn’t made friends in kindergarten or elementary school. That’s why his dad had left. His mom told him so. That’s why his mom rarely talked to him. That was fine. He didn’t need anybody. He liked reading his comic books. Some of the teachers at school were nice to him, and that was OK. So long as he could make enough money to not have to ask his mom for any, that was perfect. He had a place to stay, a TV to watch, and all the comic books he wanted. Sometimes he even took the bus to San Antonio and went into the shops and bought nice things.
Everything was ruined now. Because of what he did. Or thought he did. He didn’t really know. For some reason, Sheryl stopped coming to work. People said she was gone. Maybe those men took her. The same men that he talked to last month. They were nice. They were all very nice. The doctors and the nurses asked him questions. They took measurements on their machines and wrote things down on paper they wouldn’t show him. They said everything was fine. That everything was going to be fine. Only things weren’t fine. Things were all upside down. Backwards. Messed up.
He never wanted to go back to that school after what had happened today. Those two kids, the boy and the girl, they made him think of that time he was so embarrassed he wanted to die. Forced those thoughts into his head. He could never go back. What if they told the others? What if they told him how easy it was to put those thoughts in his head? They would all start doing it. Then he’d be like those dolls with strings he sees sometimes on those old TV shows. All those kids. Pushing him around and playing with his mind.
But if he never went back, he wouldn’t get any more money. He’d have to ask his mom for money, and that would be terrible. She wouldn’t ever give him enough. She would look at him that way, that way where he knows she is thinking
“Yeah, I’ll be fine!” She looked at the clock. “Do I have to go back to class?” There were only five minutes left.
“Tell you what. I’ll leave, and you wait here till the bell rings. Then you can split.”
“Cool!”
Sean walked back into the hallway. He may as well talk to Jay, see what he had to say. Wasn’t sure if talking to a football player who peed his pants was such a good idea.
He popped back into the office.
“Hi. One more thing. I need to talk to the custodian; I believe his name is Jay.”
The nameless woman he had spoken to before looked disappointed.
“You just missed him. Normally he stays two hours after the last bell, but he said he had to leave. He said it was an emergency. But if you ask me, I think he left because he saw your car.”
“He go home?” he asked, no smile—only the briefest eye contact.
“I honestly don’t think he’s got anywhere else to go.”
“I’m gonna need his address,” Sean said, his pen and pad ready. It wasn’t a question.
Why would simple Jay be spooked by an unmarked police car?
He was going to find out.
Chapter Fourteen
Jay burst through the front door in a panic. Slammed it behind him. He knew his mom wasn’t home, so he let out a scream. What was happening? He hadn’t thought of that incident in years. Why now? He paced in his living room, too agitated to sit. Everything was going fine. He went to work, did his job, and got paid. No problems. No issues. No confusion.
He could talk to Sheryl once in a while. They even exchanged emails a few times a week. It was fun, and she was nice. He knew she was going out with that policeman, Sean. He didn’t mind. He had tried talking to her back when they were students after she’d been nice to him. He had asked her to sit with him at lunch, and she’d politely refused. That was OK. She was still nice. Or at least, she wasn’t mean to him like the other kids.
Jay had always been a loner. He hadn’t made friends in kindergarten or elementary school. That’s why his dad had left. His mom told him so. That’s why his mom rarely talked to him. That was fine. He didn’t need anybody. He liked reading his comic books. Some of the teachers at school were nice to him, and that was OK. So long as he could make enough money to not have to ask his mom for any, that was perfect. He had a place to stay, a TV to watch, and all the comic books he wanted. Sometimes he even took the bus to San Antonio and went into the shops and bought nice things.
Everything was ruined now. Because of what he did. Or thought he did. He didn’t really know. For some reason, Sheryl stopped coming to work. People said she was gone. Maybe those men took her. The same men that he talked to last month. They were nice. They were all very nice. The doctors and the nurses asked him questions. They took measurements on their machines and wrote things down on paper they wouldn’t show him. They said everything was fine. That everything was going to be fine. Only things weren’t fine. Things were all upside down. Backwards. Messed up.
He never wanted to go back to that school after what had happened today. Those two kids, the boy and the girl, they made him think of that time he was so embarrassed he wanted to die. Forced those thoughts into his head. He could never go back. What if they told the others? What if they told him how easy it was to put those thoughts in his head? They would all start doing it. Then he’d be like those dolls with strings he sees sometimes on those old TV shows. All those kids. Pushing him around and playing with his mind.
But if he never went back, he wouldn’t get any more money. He’d have to ask his mom for money, and that would be terrible. She wouldn’t ever give him enough. She would look at him that way, that way where he knows she is thinking
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