Sweetie's Diamonds by Raymond Benson

with David.”
    â€œGeez, whose side are you on?”
    â€œCome on, Greg.   She’s a good mother and she has a respectable job and she’s well-liked at school.”
    â€œI want custody of David.”
    Spencer shook his head.   “You’ll never win.   We’ve been through this before.   Courts always favor the mother in custody cases.   There’s nothing that would suggest Diane’s an unfit mother, which is something we’d have to prove.   You can’t win a custody battle, Greg.”
    â€œShe’s so closed up,” Greg said.   “She has secrets and I get the feeling that they’re not pretty.”
    â€œIt’s not a crime to have secrets.”
    â€œWhat if the secrets were crimes?”
    Spencer looked sideways at Greg.   “Come on.   Diane?”
    â€œI don’t know,” Greg said.   “It’s something that she doesn’t talk about.   It must be bad.”
    â€œMaybe it’s just painful for her.   Maybe it has something to do with an old lover or a family member or something.   Who knows?   Greg, it doesn’t matter.   Forget it.”
    â€œIt does matter.   I want David, and I’ll think of something.   Promise me that if I find out anything useful, we’ll file for custody.”
    â€œIt’s your wallet, Greg,” Spencer said as they reached the tee.   “But I reserve the right to refuse the case if I think it’s a no-winner.”
    â€œFine.”
    â€œYou go ahead,” Spencer said, indicating the tee.
    Greg placed the ball and repeated the ritual of choosing a club, getting comfortable in front of the ball, and concentrating.
    This time the ball went straight down the fairway a good three hundred yards.

6
    Â 
    A shiver ran up David’s spine when the school bell rang at 2:45.   It was time to face what some idiot had coined “the music.”
    David glanced across the room at his friend Billy as he gathered his books and stuffed them inside his backpack.   Billy gave him a look that indicated, “I’m glad I’m not in your shoes.”
    The teacher, Mrs. Brownlove, shouted above the clamor, “Don’t forget to do the study questions at the end of chapter seventeen!”
    The students poured out of the room, but David remained in his seat.   Billy made his way for the door and asked, “You coming?”
    David sighed.   It was no use trying to hide.   “I guess.”   He got up and joined his friend.  
    â€œHave a good day, boys,” Mrs. Brownlove said, oblivious to the drama that was unfolding before her.  
    â€œBye,” the boys replied in unison.  
    Billy peeked into the hallway and looked both directions.   “All clear so far,” he said.   David followed him out and went down the hall, straight to his locker.  
    They heard Matt’s voice before he had turned the corner.  
    â€œIt’s clobberin’ time!”
    â€œOh, great,” David mumbled.   He shut his locker and walked in the opposite direction from where the voice had come.  
    â€œIf we hurry maybe we can make it out the side door before he catches up to us,” Billy suggested.
    â€œHey, Boston!”  
    It was too late but they kept walking anyway.
    â€œHey, Boston, I’m talking to you!”
    David winced and stopped.   He turned around to face his number one enemy.
    Matt Shamrock was the school’s biggest and meanest bully.   For some reason, he had it in for David Boston since the beginning of the school year.   Matt apparently didn’t like the fact that David made good grades and it really irked him that David didn’t have to take gym.   On the second day of school, Matt had asked him, “Hey, pussy, why aren’t you in gym?”
    David had replied, “Doctor’s excuse.”
    â€œWhat’s the matter, afraid