Shane - 7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

On Monday morning Donald Mason walked into his office to find Derek Kirk sitting in one of the chairs in front of his desk. He looked like hell and tears were streaking down his face.

He quickly closed his door behind him and set his briefcase down on the floor. He sat in the chair beside Derek and put his hand on his shoulder. “Son what’s the matter?”

Derek shook his head and sobbed for a good minute. “I did something real bad.” He kept saying the same thing though worded somewhat differently each time for a good three more minutes.

Donald sat patiently rubbing the boys back knowing he had to calm down before he could get any information out of him. After a few more minutes of crying and wiping his eyes he took a deep breath knowing he just had to get it out. “I don’t know where to start.”

“Start at the beginning.” Donald said having grown more and more nervous in the last few minutes.

Derek took another deep breath and leaned over putting his elbows up on his knees and his face in his hands. “I have been going out with Shane Campbell for a couple months now.”

Donald calmed his amazement and wiped at his mouth. “You mean you were a couple?”

Derek nodded not moving his hands and let out another sob. “We kept it a secret for both of our safety but everyone knew Shane was gay anyways, so I guess it was just for my safety. On Saturday we all got drunk after the game.”

“Who all?” Don asked only growing more nervous.

“The team. Bart had a party at his house. Someone I guess had seen me and Shane together and Rodney started hassling me about it. I told them I wasn’t gay and me and Shane weren’t a couple but no one believed me. It started out just joking around but then every one was suddenly real serious.”

Derek lowered his hands but continued to stare at the floor. “They said if I weren’t gay and weren’t in love with Shane that I had to prove it. We all left the house and hid out by the post office. Bart collected all our change and dumped it in the road. We knew Shane would walk by there cause we’d seen him in town on the way through and knew he had to go past the post office to get home. Bart knowing how poor he was knew he would stop and pick up the change so he threw it out like a trap.”

He rubbed at his face and wiped at his tears again then continued. “I drove one of the cars back.”

“Wait a minute.” Don said needing to control his panic to get the whole story. “What happened with Shane?”

“They beat him up and dragged him into the other car. We had two cars with us. We took him back to the house and dragged him into Bart’s father’s game room.” Derek’s shoulders shook with more sobs before he could continue. “We beat on him all night long. They threw pool balls at him and shoved a pool stick up his ass. Fucked him with it for like hours while hitting, and kicking him. They stuffed a sock in his mouth so no one could hear him screaming but after a short while I don’t think he could have screamed he looked half dead.”

Donald who was clutching the arms of his chair so tightly his fingers had gone numb cleared his throat in an attempt to squelch his anger as he knew there were more important things to attend to right then.

“Where’s Shane?” He said keeping his voice even as possible.

“I took him home.” Derek cried heavily again. “I tried to get his pack but they had thrown his stuff all over the place one guy jerked off to the picture of his mother right near Shane’s face then came all over it. When I got him out of there I had to do it fast. I didn’t have time to get his stuff.”

“Is he home now?”

“I guess, he has to be. He’d be in no condition to move. They beat him real bad.” Derek turned his tear covered face to Mr. Mason. “I’m sorry, I should have stuck up for him.”

Rather then tell Derek exactly how low what he’d done was he asked another question. “Have you seen him since Saturday?”

“No, He won’t let me in. He locked the door sometime after I left yesterday morning after dropping him off and now he won’t open it back up. He could be dead in there for all I know, that’s why I’m coming to you. I don’t know what to do. Someone has to see if he’s okay.”

“Where does he live?” Don asked wanting to waste no more time.

“In the trailer park on the edge of town. On the main road the real dumpy one. I can show you.”

“No you go home. You stay there til you hear from me. And believe me you are going to hear from me.”

“He’s the fourth trailer in on the left blue one.”

Don left the room before he could say more of what was on his mind or Derek could say anything more.

He cried the whole drive out to Shane’s house not even able to imagine how horrific what he’d been through on Saturday night was and praying Shane was still alive. He sped into the park and stopped at the fourth trailer.

He jumped out of his car and ran up the steps where he pounded on the door. There was no answer and he studied the door seeing it was barely holding onto it’s hinges Don grabbed onto the knob put his all into it and gave it three hard tugs. The door broke free and Don pried it away from the opening enough to squeeze through. He saw Shane on the couch the minute he walked in and hurried over and knelt in front of him.

His face cheek down on the cushion was a mass of bruises his eyes and tops of his cheeks and bridge of his nose seemed covered in the same bruise while other smaller ones ran along his forehead down to his neck. Don’s tears only burned out more ferociously as he studied Shane’s chest for movement. Seeing it slowly rise and fall he breathed a small sigh of relief and slowly began the process of waking him up.

It was on the third nudge Shane jerked back from him his head lifted off the couch. “Don’t you touch me Derek. I don’t want nothing to do with you.” Though his words were strong words his voice was no louder then a whisper and Don figured the many bruises on his neck may have something to do with that.

“Shane it’s me Donald. Mr. Mason.” He croaked it out realizing that Shane’s eyes were swollen shut that he was completely blind to the world here alone after being brutally beaten and raped without even being able to see if there were danger around.

Shane’s hand reached out and touched Don’s face. “Mr. Mason,” he said his weak voice breaking. “Mr. Mason,” He shook his head and tears slipped out between his swollen eye lids. “I’m scared.”

Don let out a sob and pulled himself up onto the couch. He pulled Shane up into his arms and held him close careful to hold him gently as he imagined his whole body looked as bad as his face.

Shane adjusted himself up onto his hip and dissolved into man’s arms. Not caring if he deserved it and not caring if he looked needy. He was real scared, he had spent the last 24 hours thinking he was going to die and praying the people that had attacked him would not come back to finish up the job. For a while he’d not even known where he was as he’d had no recollection of getting back to his house or how he even got there.

He’d even prayed for his father to come home. So that way he’d at least have some normalcy and not feel so much like he was adrift in the middle of the ocean with no life vest.

“Where’s your dad Shane?” Don asked stilling holding Shane’s limp body close to his.

Shane turned his face out of Mr. Mason’s chest and leaned his cheek against his shoulder. “He’s fishing.”

“How long is he gonna be gone?” Don could not believe that the boys father would go off and leave him in such a miserable state.

“I don’t know they are usually gone three or four days.”

“How long has he been gone?”

“Since yesterday morning.”

“Your gonna come home with me then.” he could also not understand how his father could go off three or four days a week and leave his fifteen year old son home completely alone in a trailer that was falling apart.

Shane felt a great relief at this news. Though he still didn’t trust the man fully he had an instinct that the man would not hurt him and hopefully protect him from anyone that would. “I can’t walk.” He said though it shamed him a great deal to say it.

“I’ll help you.” he moved Shane away from him while still supporting his chest and back. “Have you been laying here since yesterday morning?”

“I don’t know how long I’ve been here.” Shane lowered his head not sure why he did since he could not see the man anyways. “Maybe I can walk I just need you to help me.”

Don nodded and stood up from the couch he eased Shane up into a standing position and held him there while Shane steadied himself on his legs. “Does it feel like anything is broken Shane?”

He shook his head not sure what anything broken would feel like. His most severe pain was from his ass up to the lower parts of his stomach which was what kept him hunched over while he grasped onto Mr. Mason’s waist. He felt one of the man’s arms go under his chest and the other go over his back. They hobbled out to the car this way Shane whimpering most of the way.

He heard Mr. Mason open the car door and felt around so he wouldn’t smash into it. Once his hand was on the door he sort of froze. “I gotta get in the back.” He said quietly. “I can’t sit up.”

Don let out a long slow breath knowing Shane should be taken to the hospital he had to get his head straightened out first though. He was not yet sure the route to take in this situation and figured to be safe he’d just take Shane home and have he and Tad’s friend a woman who was a doctor come over and check Shane out.

He opened the back door of the car and Shane felt around and got his bearings then crawled in curling up on his side in the back seat. Don tucked his feet up in the car then closed both the front door and the back door. He looked up at the broken door to the house and figured he’d also better get a handyman out there to fix the door before all the pipes in the trailer froze.

He hurried around the front of the car knowing Shane was of the utmost priority at that moment. On his way home he called Tad who he knew was at work and told him to meet him there. Fifteen minutes after he got Shane settled in a spare bedroom of their home Tad walked in.

“What’s wrong?” he asked the minute he saw Don coming down the stairs.

“It’s Shane.” Don’s tears starting all over again. “The whole fucking basketball team gang raped him on Saturday night. Beat him into oblivion then fucked him with a pool stick.”

Tad gasped and took Don whose crying was real heavy into his arms. “Did you bring him here?”

Don nodded against Tad’s chest. “I didn’t know what else to do. I don’t want to take him to the hospital cause I don’t know yet if this should get out.”

“Of course it should get out Don. Those people can’t get away with this.”

Don drew out of Tad’s arm and shook his head. “Then what’s gonna happen to Shane? He’s stuck in that town Tad. There’s no way out for him if those other kids catch wind that it was him that was attacked and pressed charges they would kill him. They all already hate him and if he brings down the whole sports program they would never let him live. Shane doesn’t want to press any charges anyways I asked him that on the way home.”

Tad let out a long sigh and he rubbed his hands up and down Don’s arms. “I hear what you are saying. He needs to be checked out though, to make sure he’s okay.”

Don nodded knowing Tad would argue further on the subject of pressing charges just that he was nice enough not to do it while Don was so distressed.

“How is he now?”

“He’s real sore, he can’t stand up he can’t sit up. His eyes are swollen shut and he’s covered in bruises. When he found out it was me at the house he told me he was scared. You and I both know him enough to know for him to say that he must really be feeling it.”

Tad nodded and looked worriedly up the stairs. “Why don’t you call Shawna I’m gonna go up and see him.”

Shane tugged the blankets up around his neck feeling only marginally safer as he could not see his surroundings. The smell though was there that homey smell he’d smelt the last time he’d been there that had made the place seem so inviting. His panic was easing enough so that his brain was slowing down not racing as it was with flashes of horrible things being done to him things he did not know whether they actually happened or not as Saturday all seemed like one horrific bad dream that kept replaying in his head. A dream that he knew had to be partly true from the pain he was feeling all over his body.

The pain in his mind was not all from physical pain. Derek’s smiling face had flashed through several times in his dream but the smile had always faded replaced by an angry sneer as he called out insults along with everyone else and laughed at his pain while he’d writhed on the floor even inflicted physical pain of his own. He hadn’t believed Derek had loved him but still had never thought he would ever take part in hurting him so badly.

His body jerked in the bed hearing someone come into the room jarring every aching part of his body.

“It’s okay Shane. It’s just me Tad.”

He un-tensed his body and felt the mattress sag as Tad’s weight was added to it. “I heard you had a rough weekend.” Tad’s hand picked his up and squeezed it gently Shane squeezed back feeling just a bit safer. He felt Tad’s hand stroking his hair and cheek and nestled into the touch pressing Tad’s hand down into the pillow with his cheek.

“She’ll be here in ten minutes.” Don said walking into the room. “Is he asleep?”

“No,” Shane said though he felt well on his way. “Who’s gonna be here?”

“A doctor friend of ours.” Tad answered squeezing his hand a little tighter. “She’s just gonna check you out and get you feeling better.”

“I really don’t want no one looking at me.” his voice was quiet as he did not feel like he was in any position to make requests.

“It’ll be okay Shane. She’s not gonna hurt you. She just needs to make sure you’re okay.” Tad looked at Don sure his eyes were displaying the desperate feeling his heart was full of. Don sat in a chair near the bed and chewed on his nails while Tad stayed where he was holding Shane’s head and hand.

They were still in that position when Shawna walked into the room. “Shane.” She said putting her hand down on the boys forehead. “My name is Shawna I’m just gonna check you over okay?”

Shane did not answer as he did not want to be checked over but didn’t dare speak up and say so. He opted just to stay silent. Shawna looked from Tad to Don. “Maybe it would be best if it was just the two of us in here.”

Shane panicked a bit at this then panicked a little more as Tad’s hands left his body and he heard there footsteps retreating from the room. The mattress sagged again and he turned his face down to the direction of it. Another hand stroked his cheek this one softer then any he’d ever felt he’d heard ‘a women’s touch’ mentioned before but never knew what was so special about it. It was definitely different though. Much softer and maybe a little gentler it immediately reduced his panic and he thought maybe that was all it needed to do to be special.

“What hurts hon?”

“Pretty much everything. My legs and arms don’t hurt much but everything else does.”

“Does anything inside hurt?”

Shane put his hand against his stomach. “I got pretty bad cramps.”

“Have you gone to the bathroom since this happened?”

He felt his face go hot as he had indeed not in the bathroom however. He slowly nodded figuring if she was gonna check him out she’d see that for herself.

“Did you pee or did you poop? Or both?”

Shane’s eyes would have widened at the question had he been able to open them. “Just peed.”

“Have you felt like you had to poop? Like maybe that’s what the cramp is from?”

“No,” he hadn’t eaten since Friday morning at school and didn’t figure he had a poop anywhere in him.

“I’m gonna take your shirt off okay?”

Shane didn’t say anything but managed to nod as this lady was not making him nervous at all in fact just her presence had calmed him a great deal. She gently removed his shirt moving his actual body very little in the process. She ran her fingers all over his chest then all over his back. “Doesn’t feel like anything’s broken just good and bruised by the looks.”

She stroked his cheek again and he heard her sigh. “I’m going to need to check out your rectum Shane. I’m worried cause of what they did to you and the fact you have cramps I need to make sure there’s nothing seriously wrong in there.”

“What did they do to me?”

“You don’t remember?”

“I just remember it hurt something really hurt down there.” He said feeling very shamed.

“They put a pool stick inside you.”

“What’s a pool stick?” he asked as more shame raced through his ever awakening mind.

“From the game, pool, where you knock balls into holes.”

Shane thought of other balls and other holes before he realized what she was talking about. “You mean on a green table?” he’d seen that on TV before too.

“Yes,”

He didn’t say anything wishing he hadn’t asked what they did to him though it certainly explained why he was in so much pain. He felt her easing off his pants and though he in no way wanted anyone’s fingers up his ass at that point he was worried something was really wrong and hoped she would be able to ease his fear after checking him out.

He felt her stand up then move to the other side of the bed the mattress sagged again there just below his exposed butt and he heard some other noises he couldn’t decipher. “You ready?” she asked after a moment.

He nodded and gripped the edge of his pillow tightly he cried out the moment her finger went in and continued to cry the whole time it was there feeling around against the whole very sore insides of his ass. The burning continued even after she pulled her finger back out but his crying stopped his deep breaths getting it under control. “I’m sorry about that hon. I didn’t feel any major problems. Just a lot of swelling and bruising. I’d say the cramps are because your lower intestine is swollen causing a lot of pressure in the area. As soon as the swelling goes down the pain will ease up. I’ll give Don and Tad some pain pills to make you more comfortable in the meantime.”

She got up and walked back around the bed. “Your groin is real bruised too, do you know what happened there?”

“I got kicked a lot.” He had got kicked so many times he could not decipher where any of the kicks actually landed.

His head turned in the direction of an unsnapping sound. “I’ve got some Codeine with me. It will put you to sleep and make you pretty numb all over. I imagine you are in a lot of pain. I’ll bring something back that’s not quite so strong tomorrow morning. For now though and tonight I want you to take this.” He heard some more noise up for anything that would make him sleep.

She put her hand under his cheek and eased his head up. “It’s a liquid. I have it in a little cup.”

Shane reached out his hand for it and she placed it between his thumb and forefinger. He put it to his lips and took it back like his father would a shot of whiskey.

“It may make you a little nauseous but don’t worry it won’t make you throw up. You’ll be asleep most of the time anyways.”

“Thank you.” He said truly meaning each word as he wanted nothing more then to sleep and disappear from this world if only for a while. She ran her hand over his hair and cheek again. “I’ll come see you tomorrow.” He felt her leave the mattress and heard her walk over to the door. He adjusted himself just a little on the very comfortable bed and settled in for sleep.

Shawna walked back downstairs and into the dining room where Tad and Don were sitting around the table their hands clasped together and lying between them on the table.

Don looked up at her nervously and watched while she sat down at the table. “I don’t see or feel any life threatening injuries. He’s just gonna be in a lot of pain for a while. He’ll need to stay in bed for at least three days, I don’t imagine he’s gonna feel at all like getting up anyways. I gave him some codeine.” she reached back into her bag and produced a half empty small bottle. “Give him the rest of this say at nine tonight. If he’s asleep let him sleep just give it to him whenever he wakes up.”

She put her hand down on the table and traced her finger along the table’s intricate design. “Something else besides his injuries has got me worried.” She looked up at them and sighed. “He’s awful skinny. His stomach is all caved in. I don’t think he eats anywhere near what he’s supposed to. Do you think maybe he’s anorexic?”

“I think it’s just cause his family’s real poor. I always seeing him eating breakfast at school. We have a free breakfast program.” Don thought for a minute and remembered seeing Shane in the cafeteria at least three times that month at lunchtime with no tray on his table. “He doesn’t eat lunch though I don’t think, I’m not sure why. I’m sure he qualifies for free lunch.”

“Well he needs to eat more. It’s not healthy for him to be so skinny. I realize you are not his parents but can you see what you can do?”

“Of course.” Tad who’d been staring worriedly at a wall spoke up.

“How long are you gonna keep him here? I need to check on him tomorrow too.”

“He’ll be here tomorrow for sure, I’m not sure how long he’ll be here. His father’s a fisherman and not home right now, Shane said he’s usually out three or four days. I’m not taking him home til someone else will be there.”

“Okay, I’ll see you guys tomorrow say around noon then?”

Don nodded not planning on going to work for the next few days anyways. Shawna left and Tad started in on telling the police.

“I’m not gonna do it Tad.” Don shook his head knowing he had to look out for Shane only in this situation not what was right and what was wrong. “The boy’s been through enough. If he wanted to it would be different but he doesn’t want to.”

“He doesn’t know what’s best for him.” Tad countered.

“No he does.” Don snapped. “He probably knows better then anyone. He’s been taking care of himself for fifteen god damn years. I think he knows how by now.” He took a deep breath knowing he was getting too angry and at the wrong person. “You just don’t know what those kids at that school are like. They’ve bullied him since I’ve been there. They’ve beat on him and teased him mercifulesly. If he could leave there it would be different but he can’t.”

“Why do they tease him so? He’s a nice kid. He’s nice looking what has made him stick out for such abuse?”

“Cause he’s so poor I imagine. He wears old ratty clothes that are way too big for him and often times they are real dirty. He sometimes wears the same clothes for as long as a week and he never takes his jacket off god only knows why. He’s real quiet and it’s recently gotten out that he’s gay. I told you about that damn teacher right?”

Tad nodded his eyes closing momentarily as he clasped his hands together and put them up to his mouth. “You don’t have to stay home with him. It’s easier for me to get time off since I’m the boss. I’ll stay home and take care of him.”

Don nodded glad he offered. “I’m staying home tomorrow though. I can’t face those fucking kids right away.”

Don called Derek later that afternoon not wanting to but needing to ask him a few questions. He told Derek that Shane was in fact alive but was not in very good shape. He didn’t feel as though Derek deserved to hear any of this but was asked so many times he had to relent so he could get his questions asked.

“Do you know when his father will be home?”

“He works on the same boat as my dad.” Derek was crying obviously but still easy to understand. “They won’t be home til Friday. They’re coming in tomorrow morning just to unload but going right back out they won’t even have time to leave the wharf.”

“I broke the door off Shane’s trailer do you suppose you could go over and fix it since you aren’t in school today?”

“Yeah sure, can I come see Shane?”

“No,” Don said abruptly having no intention of letting him anywhere near Shane while Shane was in his house. “What you did was absolutely unforgivable Derek if I had my way you would never see him again.” There was a lot of crying through the phone now but Don did not care Derek deserved the misery he was feeling now that was something he was sure of. He hung up not even wanting to hear it.

Shane woke up only long enough to get more medicine that day and slept until three o’clock in the afternoon the next day. Don had changed him into a pair of his flannel pajamas shortly after Shawna had left the day before. He’d cried while removing his clothes seeing and smelling that Shane had wet his pants some time in the last 24 hours as his heart could not take much more sadness and seeing Shane had done that had only made what he’d been through seem more horrific and real.

Don sat on the edge of the mattress and Shane turned his face over to him. “Do you know where my back pack is Mr. Mason?” he asked his voice a little stronger.

“No son, I’m sorry I don’t. It was taken away from you at the party and I think the contents were probably destroyed.”

Shane’s hand curled up onto his chest and his lip quivered followed shortly by tears streaming out of his eyes. He could not believe all his things were just gone. Gone at the hands of people who he knew could never appreciate their value and would just destroy them to be mean to him.

Don’s eyes smarted as he ran his fingers through Shane’s hair. “We’ll get you a new pack Shane. That one was getting pretty old anyways. And we’ll find some more stuff for you to put in it.”

“It won’t be my stuff.” he was crying even in his voice and he hated himself for it but the loss of his stuff for him was like someone else losing a loved one. Something he did not have so he put his love into the stuff he’d collected.

“We’ll get you another picture of your mom too. I’m sure you dad has more.”

Shane let out a sob a vivid memory flashing in his head of what had happened to his mother’s picture. “Why they gotta do that to my mom?” his voice was pleading and he hated that even more then the crying. “They didn’t even know her.”

His tears now falling freely Don took a deep breath. “I’m sorry son, they were just being real mean. They were trying to hurt you in every way possible and apparently felt that would be a good way.”

Shane moved his hand down off his chest and felt around for Mr. Mason’s hand he wanted human contact now, he’d craved it in his few conscious moments very strongly in the past two days and figured it may have something to do with not being able to see.

Don met his hand in it’s search with his own and squeezed it tightly. “You can’t ask my dad for another picture.” Shane said quietly knowing he had to try and word this carefully but knowing Don could not ask his father or he would find out just how his father was for himself.

“Why not?”

“He didn’t know I had that one.” oh he wasn’t starting out to well he thought angrily. “He doesn’t like having any memory of her around it’s too painful for him.” yeah that was a little better. “And Mr. Mason?” he turned his face in the direction he could feel him sitting in and where he guessed his face would be.

“What is it son?”

“You can’t tell him what happened either. He would just get real mad and he’s already got a lot on his mind.”

“Shane he needs to know, it’s not right not to tell him.”

“He doesn’t need to know,” his mind was thinking desperately knowing his father would never let him live it down if he found out he did not want his father ever finding out. “I’ll be okay soon as I can see again. It’s not fair to worry him over nothing.” he thought it was far from nothing as he felt as violated as he was feeling physical pain though the codeine had helped in that area a lot.

“Alright Shane.” Don relented going on his needing to think of Shane first instinct. “I won’t tell him. He’s not gonna be back til Friday. I think you should stay here at least til Monday if you don’t want him to know then he’s not gonna be able to take care of you. I’ll just tell him you are staying here for a few days.”

“You don’t gotta tell him. I go out all the time and don’t tell him.”

“Okay,” Don said this just to appease Shane as he had to tell his father where he was before the man called the police out to hunt for him and he and Tad were brought up on child abduction charges or something.

He went to the docks the next day to ask around about when Nick Kirk’s boat was due in. The harbor master was in his little glassed in house and he knocked on the window.

“Yuh?” the man with a cigar hanging out of his mouth asked after yarning open the window.

“I need to know when Nick Kirk’s boat is due back in.”

“It’s already in.” the man pointed to the far end of the dock to an old boat that was just tying onto the dock. “Got here two minutes ago.”

Don nodded and thanked the man then walked down past several other boats to the end of the dock where Nick’s boat that was named by red peeling letters ‘the morning star’ was now all tied up. He walked up to Shane’s father whom he’d met a couple months earlier in his office. “Mr. Campbell.”

“What?” He snarled from his bent over position not even looking to see who it was. “I’m Mr. Mason, Shane’s principal.”

Roger Campbell stood up and swung around with fire in his eyes. “What the fuck did that boy do now?”

“Nothing sir, nothing at all.”

“Why in hell you bugging me then, cain’t you see I’m working?” He pulled his nearly gone cigarette out of his mouth and flung it in the water where it fizzed and died out.

“I just wanted to let you know sir,” Don said trying not to sound as nervous as this man was making him. “That Shane is gonna be spending the weekend with me. So he won’t be home when you get back. If of course that’s okay.”

“I don’t give a fuck.” Roger let out a sharp laugh then a hacking cough. “He didn’t come begging to you or nuthin’ did he?”

“No of course not I offered.”

Roger nodded and heaved a crate. “Good for him. I’d give him a good hiding if I caught him out begging. We don’t do that in my family.”

Don narrowed his eyes in confusion thinking a hiding was only a word used in shows like little house on the prairie. “Well okay then. I’ll bring him home on Monday then.”

Roger only snorted then walked off with the crate.

Don walked back up to his car only much more sure of his feeling that Shane got very little, if any, love at home.

“Mr. Mason wait.”

He turned from his car to see Derek hurrying over to him. “What is it Derek?” he asked coldly.

“How is Shane?”

“He’s doing a little better.”

“Can you please let me see him? I’m leaving town and I need to apologize to him before I do.”

“Why are you leaving town?”

“Well that’s why I’m here to tell my dad. I talked to my mother last night and told her all that was going on and that I was gay. She said I could come down there and live til things calmed down here.”

A shot of rage ran through Don and he gripped his door handle tightly. “Oh that’s real nice Derek. You personally get your supposed boyfriend beaten and raped even help them along then you get to tuck your tail between your legs and get away from here while Shane is gonna have to stay and face all those people that attacked him all alone. You are one hell of a great catch. You god damn fuck.”

Derek’s eyes widened and tears burned down his cheeks. “I love Shane. I just can’t stay here.”

“You have no idea what love even is Derek. I don’t want you anywhere near him. You leave go where your safe. I’m sure he doesn’t want to see your face ever again anyways.” Before he could say more he opened his car door got in then slammed it behind him. He backed out of the parking space and sped off leaving Derek staring after him.

He went to work and stayed in his office the entire day ringing his hands together and fuming at the rapists he knew were wandering the halls without a care in the world. He knew if he wandered out among the students he would have taught them all a lesson himself and ultimately lose his job which he suddenly hated very much but knew he had to keep.

When he got home that night he was very pleased to see Shane lying on the couch down in the livingroom his swollen eyes partially open and watching TV. He walked over and sat down in front of his stomach and put his hand on his shoulder. “Can I talk to you for a minute Shane?”

Shane held out the remote and flicked off the TV. “This cable business is really cool I had no idea there were so many channels.” He half smiled as he’d spent the whole afternoon just flipping channels and not stopping to watch a single show.

“You don’t get cable at your place?”

“No we just get channel two and that’s doesn’t come in well. I don’t watch much TV.” He gingerly rolled onto his back and looked up at his principal who he was growing to like very much and wished he hadn’t pushed him away so much over the past two months. “What do you want to talk to me about?”

“I want to talk to you about your father. I want to know how you two get along.”

“You didn’t talk to him did you? I asked you not to tell him.” Shane’s voice was panicky and on the edge of anger.

“I didn’t tell him anything that happened to you. I only told him you were staying with me. He didn’t care and that’s got me concerned.”

“Well there’s nothing to be concerned about Mr. Mason. He’s just real busy like I said.” Though he was trying hard to be convincing he knew he could never convince himself. His father didn’t care one bit and he was painfully aware of that.

“You don’t have to call me Mr. Mason while you are at my house Shane. Here you can call me Don.”

Shane sort of grinned. “I never knew your first name.”

“Most kids don’t.” Don grinned back at him wondering how in hell the kid could grin at this point in his life. “Does your father spank you Shane?”

“Oh my God why are you asking me that?” Shane was alarmed so alarmed he did not realize the abruptness of his question.

“Cause he said if you had asked to stay here he was gonna give you a hiding.”

“You said I didn’t ask though right?” he was panicking now at the threat of a hiding and not paying attention to his cover.

“He does then?”

Shane regained his thoughts. “Well no he just threatens it sometimes. He’s never really hit me ‘cept when I was little. I guess maybe I’m too old now for him to throw me over his knee.” His father had never thrown him over his knee at all, his father was always the strap ‘em to the bed type even the Buzz had been gotten a few hiding’s when he was younger Shane had sat in his room smiling from ear to ear hearing his brothers screams coming from the bedroom. It was such a rare occasion compared to his frequent visits to the room he totally reveled in each and every few that the buzz got.

“So you are happy living at home then?”

Shane shrugged and nodded. “No one’s real happy at their home are they?”

“Well there are different degrees of happiness.”

“Well I just wish we had more money. Other then that I guess I’m doing okay.”

“How come you haven’t been eating lunch lately?”

Shane turned his head to one side and ran his hand along the back of the couch. “They changed the lunch program. I always used to get free lunch but then one day about a month ago they said I wasn’t on the list. That I couldn’t get it if I wasn’t on it. They gave me some papers for me to have my dad sign but as you saw today he doesn’t like me begging so he didn’t sign them.”

“It’s not begging Shane, it’s a program put together just to help families out.”

“Well my dad doesn’t see it that way.” Shane looked back at him and shrugged. “It’s alright though I still get to have the free breakfasts.”

That weekend was by far Shane’s best weekend ever now that the ones with Derek did not count anymore. He felt very lonely knowing he would never be with Derek again and still very hurt at what Derek had done to him. But by Saturday morning most of his physical pain was gone and he spent most of the day playing card games with Tad and Don while they ate all kinds of good food and drank hot chocolate. Don had broached the subject of Derek a few times but Shane had only shaken his head and apparently that was all the hint needed to let Don know he did not want to talk about him.

The news that Derek had left town left him feeling somewhat relieved cause he had a good feeling that if he’d seen Derek and Derek had apologized like he always did he would have gone running right back into his arms. He didn’t want to do that but knew his will power was not too good and his need to feel wanted and cared for too great.