| Facing Our Fears Chapter Ten |
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| With Halloween gone and the weekend over, everyone resumed their normal routine. Children hustled through the halls of the dorm in their quest to not be late for school. David hadn�t wanted to see many people over the weekend so he spent most of it in his room. As he headed for the stairs Ricky emerged from his room and joined him. The two boys nodded and descended the stairs together. When they came to the hall that led to class, David grabbed Ricky�s arm. �I�m sorry I got you into so much trouble man!� �Hmmm. I didn�t know it was possible for someone else to get me into trouble. I thought I got myself into trouble, but you can take the blame if you want.� Ricky smiled at David. �You�re not mad at me?� �You didn�t make me do shit David. I did it because I wanted to. I knew the risks, thought I�m not at all happy to go see any judge. When he sees my record, he�s gonna lock me away for a long time.� �I know you�re on probation, but I thought that was mostly for what happened with your mom and step dad.� Ricky shook his head and his face turned dark with sadness. �They don�t give you probation officers for running away or for small shit. I�ve got two felony convictions. I never told anyone before, but that�s why I�m on probation.� David�s eyes widened. �Wow man! I had no idea. What the hell did you do to get felonies?� �Me and a couple of my buddies stole a car and vandalized these new houses that were being built. I wish I hadn�t, but I was just so pissed off at my step dad. I just lost it and went crazy for a couple days. I got arrested and that was it. I spent sixty days in juvenile hall, then I came here.� �Well I was on probation, but I got off a while back. I wanted to be done with all the court shit, but I�ll probably be put back on it. I don�t know if I�ll go to detention or not. Only thing is, Dad said I had to explain all this to Wendy.� Ricky turned and looked around the halls. It had gotten quiet and he knew he was late for class. �I know, I avoided her like the plague this weekend. I mostly hid in my room. I just don�t know if I can face her right now.� �You shouldn�t do that. If you can talk to her before we go to court, then you should. It�s going to be hard for her with you gone and I won�t be here either to help her. I�m not a very good brother.� �I don�t know what to say to her. Having to face her when I mess up is harder than taking a whippen from Mr. Stein. David smiled. �That�s being in love little brother.� �Aren�t you two boys suppose to be in class?� David and Ricky turned around. Mark stood at the end of the hall. �Yes sir, but I�m afraid we�re marked tardy already and Mr. Parker is going to���.� �Come on boys, I�ll get you to your classes.� �Thank Mr. Johnson,� Ricky said. �Thanks Dad.� During lunch, Ricky headed for Wendy�s table, but as he got closer, she was smiling and laughing with her friends. He didn�t want to make her sad, so he found David and sat with him. �Did you talk to her yet?� David asked. �I couldn�t do it. I�m a chicken.� David smiled. As soon as I�m done with lunch, I�m going to go talk to her. You talk to her after school. She shouldn�t want to kill you by then.� Ricky sat at the table and watched Wendy from a distance. He felt terrible for getting into so much trouble. When Ricky looked at her again, David had gone to her and had taken her hand. Ricky�s stomach tightened as he watched them leave the cafeteria. David walked with Wendy through the halls of the school and out the front door. They walked around the building and took a seat on the side steps of the kitchen �I wanted to talk to you about something.� David said. �About Halloween night?� David nodded. �I know you guys are in a lot of trouble and I know Mr. Parker is pretty angry about it and the reputation of the school. �It�s not that Wendy. It�s that we are going to have to go to court because of it.� Wendy stared at David, then looked out into the field beyond the school. �Are you scared?� �I am a little because I know I�m going to have to go away for a while.� �You mean juvenile hall don�t you?� Wendy voice sounded angry. David nodded. �All of you are going?� she asked. �Well I think they probably will get off with a warning because they�ve never been in trouble before. I have.� Wendy sat there for a minute in deep thought, then she quickly turned to David. �You�ve been in trouble before?� David watched Wendy. He knew she was closer to understanding what he was trying to tell her. �I�ve been locked up and been on probation before, so I�m pretty sure I�ll get sent up again.� Wendy�s eyes widened and she jumped up. �If you do time, that means Ricky will. He�s on probation now!� David stood up and reached for Wendy. �I know and I�m sorry,� �How could you! I hate you!� Wendy turned and ran from the steps. David took off after her. For a little girl she sure could run fast. She got almost all the way to the church before David grabbed her. Wendy struggled against her brothers grip �Wendy stop it!� �How could you! Let go of me!,� she yelled. David didn�t let go. �I�m sorry Wendy and I wish I could make it alright but I can�t� Wendy stopped struggling and looked up at David. Tears filled her eyes and ran down her cheeks �What am I going to do without Ricky and my big brother?� She threw her head into his arms and started to weep. David wrapped his arms around her and did his best as a big brother to make his little sister feel better.� When she stopped crying, David wiped her tears away with the sleeve of his shirt. �It�s awful cold out here. We should go back inside, besides I think class has started again. All the kids are gone from the swings.� �Where is Daddy? I don�t feel much like going to school.� As David and Wendy headed back to the school, they saw a car pull into the parking lot. The man that got out and headed for the main door looked like a lawyer. �Who do you think that is?� She asked. �It�s Ricky�s probation officer.� �How do you know?� �You can just tell,� he replied. After school let out for the day, Ricky looked for Wendy. He asked Alex to go check her room, but Alex came back and told him Wendy wasn�t upstairs. Ricky walked through the building looking then around by the swings, but didn�t see her. He walked through the courtyard, but still she wasn�t there. When he asked one of the girls, they pointed to the other side of the building. Ricky peeked around the corner. Wendy was sitting underneath an old maple tree reading a book. Wendy paused mid way through the sentence when she heard the crunching of leaves that lay on the ground all around her. When the crunching stopped, she looked over to the ground beside her at two oxfords she knew belonged to Ricky. She placed her book mark inside her book and closed it. She leaned sideways and looked up. Her eyes showed pain and Ricky�s heart ached. He never intended to ever hurt her and he didn�t want her to worry about him either. Wendy never spoke, she turned and looked at the ground. Ricky took a seat under the tree beside her. He reached out and touched her hand. Ricky spoke softly. �I�m sorry Wendy.� �I�m so mad at you! How could you get into so much trouble if you knew you would be put back in juvenile hall. How could you Ricky!� Wendy pulled her hand away. �I know I hurt you and I�m so sorry. Please, I don�t know how much time I have here and I don�t want to go with you mad at me.� �Was that your probation officer I saw earlier today?� Ricky nodded. �He was pretty mad and told me he should take me to detention right now for violating my probation, but your dad was in the meeting and they talked. He let me stay but I have court tomorrow morning at nine.� �So soon?� Ricky nodded. � I want to get it over with,� he replied. �How could you be so stupid!� she shouted. Wendy jumped up and ran back to the school. Ricky sat under the tree holding the book that Wendy had dropped on the ground. Wendy ran through the school, up the stairs and down the long hall to her room. Wendy threw herself onto her bed and burst into tears. Jessica jumped up and went to Wendy�s side. �What�s wrong?� she asked. Wendy wouldn�t answer. Finally Jessica went to find her father. A few short minutes later, Mark entered the room. He took a seat on Wendy�s bed. He had a pretty good idea why she was crying. When he touched her on the back, Wendy turned over, sat up and threw herself into her fathers arms. �It�s ok sweetheart. It will all be ok.� Wendy cried for several minutes before she could get herself to calm down. Mark continued to wipe her tear filled eyes with one of his Kleenex that he carried in his shirt pocket. �Do you think you can talk now?� he asked. �Wendy shook her head. Mark wrapped his arm around her again and just continued to sit next to her. Finally after several minutes, Wendy spoke. �I called him stupid Daddy and now I wish I hadn�t.� �Who did you call stupid sweetheart?� �I told Ricky he was stupid, then I ran away from him. I�m so sorry I said mean things but I was mad and hurt. If they make him go to juvenile tomorrow I might never see him again.� �Ohh honey. You shouldn�t get yourself so upset. We don�t know what�s going to happen tomorrow.� Wendy looked up at her father. �Dad, I know his probation officer wanted to take him today so I know he�s going tomorrow.� Mark took his arms from around Wendy and looked down at her. �You�re old enough to deal with this. What your brothers and Ricky did, was against the law and the law has a right to punish them however they see fit. If they have to go to detention, then they have to go sweetheart. There isn�t anything I can do about it. I think I saw Ricky sitting outside on that big rock by the corner of the building. I think you should go and talk to him before it�s to late.� Mark took Wendy by the arm and pulled her from the bed. �If you don�t, you will be unhappy the whole time he is gone.� Wendy nodded, then headed down stairs to look for Ricky. She exited the building by the front, walked down the stairs and around to the side of the building. Ricky was right where her father said he was. �Ricky?� Wendy whispered. Ricky turned and looked over. He hopped off the rock and went to her. Wendy stood with red face and puffed eyes as Ricky stood staring at her waiting for her to yell at him again. �I�m sorry I said you were dumb. I love you and I don�t want you to go.� Wendy fell forward and Ricky caught her. She burst into tears again. Ricky stood there holding her until her tears softened. �I�m sorry too Wendy. Can you find it in your heart to forgive me for being so dumb?� �My heart is breaking,� she replied. Ricky opened his mouth, but he changed his mind. He just stood there holding her. He knew there was nothing he could say to take away Wendy�s pain. When the dinner bell rang, Wendy and Ricky decided they had best go inside. Besides, Wendy was shivering from the nippy November air. They sat together through supper under Mr. Stein�s watchful eye. After dinner was over, Mark invited Ricky to sit with him and his kids for a movie. Popcorn was made and Mark purchased some soda to go along with it as a treat. Wendy sat on the couch next to Ricky, but she couldn�t overcome her sadness enough to enjoy the movie. She kept looking over at him not believing this could be their last day together for a long time. She scanned the faces of her brothers as well. They all looked a little worried about court, especially David. When the movie ended, Mark lifted Nadia and placed her in Jessica�s arms. As David passed by, Mark pulled him aside. He then did the same as Ricky and Wendy passed. He gave Sarah a hug and sent her out the door. �It�s just a little after nine. The three of you have 30 minutes, then it�s time for bed.� Wendy smiled at Mark, then gave him a big hug. Mark closed the door behind him. Wendy, Ricky and David took a seat on the sofa and started watching tv. When Wendy looked up at the clock it was already 15 minutes later. She felt like crying but she wanted to be brave in front of her brother and Ricky. Wendy reached over and placed her hand in Ricky�s, then placed her other hand in David�s. �I�m going to miss both of you.� she whispered. �I�m going to miss you too baby sister but try not to worry. Chances are, we won�t be gone but a few days.� Ricky leaned over and whispered in Wendy�s ear. �I will think about you every day.� David and Ricky wrapped their arms around Wendy and held her close. When Mark returned just after nine thirty, Wendy had fallen asleep. |