Get Into James Shorts - 14. A Local Youth

“I have to have a talk with your mother.”

Nine words. Nine despicable words that I wished that I had never heard.

"But why? I'll just leave scouting."

I didn't know that the scoutmaster was a Mormon, and he really had a stick up his ass about homosexuality. Hell, I didn't even know what homosexuality was until he told us. "Legally, I have to tell her. You and David are underage. You've been having homosexual sex."

I said, "But Jesus Mr. Raines. We didn't know that is what homosexual was."

He looked at me crossly and said, "Well that's what it is; it is criminal and seriously immoral. I know about it, so I am legally obligated to tell your parent or guardian."

"Can't we just promise not to do it anymore?"

"I'm sorry, it just doesn't work that way. You and David need special counseling before I would even want you in school with my kids. It's like you have a disease and the other kids could catch it."

Soundless tears were running down my face now. "Please Mr. Raines. Please don't tell her. I'm not supposed to know this, but that's why my Mom and Dad split up. If you tell her, she won't want me either. I'm thirteen, I don't have anyone else."

The bastard wasn't listening. He wasn't even looking at me. He said, "I'm sorry, Jimmy..."

The thunderous roar of the .45 caught even me by surprise. A red hole appeared on the side of Mr. Raine's head and his blood, bone and brains splattered the wall behind him like a grotesque piece of abstract art. He turned toward me looking surprised and pretty stupid with a third of his head missing. The awareness left his eyes and then collapsed.

"No. You aren't going to tell her a damned thing."

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In tonight's top story, a local youth was arrested for the murder of Thomas Raines, a local businessman and scoutmaster of Troop 22 sponsored by Oak Street Methodist Church. The youth was arrested at his home without incident. Police say there is no motive at this time and the suspect's name is being withheld because he is a minor. Be sure to stay with Eye Witness News as we follow this story as it develops...