Unbreakable Faith - 8. Chapter 8

Unbreakable Faith

Chapter 8

If it hadn’t been for Nathan being there, Ian would not have wanted to go back to school at all. He was still scared of the teachers whom he knew didn’t like him. Was scared he’d have to face the cafeteria at lunch, he’d never stepped foot in the room and wasn’t looking at all forward to being in a room crammed with people.

As they left the house Monday morning, they all got into a large passenger van. It was a deep red. Inside there were two front seats and four back seats. They sat two to a seat, Ian glad to be able to sit with Jeff. The ride to school was only about five minutes. Apparently the high school kids were dropped off first then Mr. Harvey took the junior high kids to their school.

Lots of the kids looked at him as he made his way down the hall to his locker. Apparently with the gossip going around about what could have happened, he was no longer the ‘invisible boy.’ He wasn’t sure he was going to like being stared at any better than he liked being invisible. He made it to his locker. He opened his back pack which had all his books in it then opened his locker and put in the ones he didn’t need until afternoon.

He looked to his right and smiled happily, as Nathan was suddenly there, leaning against the next locker. “How’s it going?”

“Great Nathan. I couldn’t wait to see you. I really need to thank you. You don’t know how much what you did means to me.”

“I didn’t do much Ian. Just made a phone call. You are the one who had to come to the tough decision in the first place. I’m very proud of you by the way.”

His eyes got moist real fast, he’d never heard anyone say that to him and it was something he’d always longed to hear. Not trusting his voice enough to talk he clenched his teeth, managed a smile and nodded all while keeping his tears at bay.

“You want to sit with me at lunch?”

Ian looked up at him. “Really?”

Nathan flashed an endearing grin. “Well, yeah Ian. I mean you’re gonna be all new to the cafeteria thing. Sit with me and my friends. That way you don’t have to worry about anyone else.”

“You’re gay friends?” Ian asked quietly.

Looking a little flushed Nathan nodded slowly. “Is that okay? I mean if you are uncomfortable with it you and I can just sit somewhere else.”

Smiling again that Nathan would do that for him he nodded. “No with your friends is fine. You don’t think they’ll try and beat me up again do you?”

Chuckling Nathan shook his head. “No man, don’t worry about that. I promise you’ll be just fine.”

Putting his book bag over his shoulder Ian nodded. “Okay then, thanks so much for asking me. I was really nervous about going in there. I know I’m not too popular around here.”

“Don’t worry about the other kids. All you need in life is a few good friends. And if you’ll let me I’d like to be your good friend.”

Blushing from his head to his toes, a wide smile spread across Ian’s face. “Are you sure? I’m a rookie you know. I could really louse up the friend situation. You’ll like have to tutor me and everything.”

Nathan laughed as he shook his head. “Well I’m a pretty good teacher, I have patience and some think I’m pretty smart. I’m more than willing if you are.”

“I’m willing. Thank you Nathan, for everything.”

Nathan nodded, patted him on the shoulder and they parted ways. Ian was going to English, where for the first time that year he was not the first one to class.

“Ian I wasn’t sure you’d be here today.” Mr. Bell announced looking up at him in surprise. Ian walked up to his desk and stopped.

“I have the assignments I didn’t turn in Thursday or Friday. Do you want them now?”

“Sure, but hold onto today’s assignment. I won’t collect them until after class.”

He nodded as he pulled out his English notebook. He turned to the back page and pulled out the two neatly folded assignments.

“How are things going?” the teacher asked his voice considerably quieter.

Ian handed the papers over. “Fine sir,” he was a little confused as to why the man was asking and fearful he was asking to report to his mother. He knew his mother was in jail, but that didn’t mean she still didn’t have her spies.

He walked over and took his usual seat in front of the class. He could hear the kids whispering around him and his ears tingled having a darn good feeling they were talking about him.

The teacher stood up and gave his lesson after the bell rang then told them to split off into groups of two. Something he had not done yet that year and something Ian absolutely hated. None of the kids ever wanted to pair up with him. In the past he’d always had to completely take over the assignment, as his father would not allow him to work with another student and informed him to tell the other person he’d take care of it. Resulting in the partner he was given being ticked off and embarrassed when it was time to present the project as it always, of course, had a deeply religious nature.

As usual, he got paired up with the least popular person in the class. The other person no one wanted to be partnered with. Ian had no problems with the unpopular, he just longed to actually be picked by someone and not stuck with someone or more to the point, have someone stuck with him.

Raymond Carter moved over and occupied the desk next to him. They both looked up to the teacher as he began to explain the assignment.

“I want you to each interview your partner. You can base your interviews on anything as long as it’s something to do with who you’re interviewing. Like their sports career, their school career, their family. I don’t want you to just write about their whole life. I want you to pick something interesting about them and center your report on that. You have the rest of the class to work on it, come up with which subject you want to do. During each class until Friday you can work on this, though I suggest meeting up outside of class because you really need more than three hours to do it correctly. Over the weekend you will write your papers and give them in class on Monday.”

The teacher sat back down and Ian and Raymond looked at each other. Both were shy as hell and neither was looking very forward to the other finding out about their lives. Ian had never worked with Raymond before. Had only seen him in classes and the hallway but never had spoken to the guy.

Since most of the students had congregated to the back of the room he and Raymond were pretty much the only ones up front. “So,” Ian said quietly getting the feeling that Raymond would not speak first. “Think we should pick what we want to do about each other or each pick our own topic?”

“Well,” he dug at the desk with his finger as he spoke. “I kinda know what I want you to write about me. But I don’t want it all religious. I want it to make a point but not a religious one.”

Ian blushed thoroughly embarrassed. “What point do you want to make?”

Raymond looked at him squarely in the eye through his thick glasses. “How much it sucks to be a loser. How these people that always pick on me have no idea how miserable they make me. How miserable I already am.”

Ian nodded his mind really perking up at the idea and praying he could pull it off for Raymond’s sake, for his sake, and for every other loser in the world’s sake. “I think that’s a good idea.”

“And you won’t reference the bible once every sentence?”

Ian blushed again and shook his head, knowing he no longer had to. Knowing he could write his own papers now without his father’s opinions over taking them.

“So what do you want me to do about you?”

Shrugging Ian had no idea about that. He’d never, ever had to come up with a topic of his own and had no idea how to begin to do it. “Do you have any ideas?”

Raymond shook his head, “No don’t you?”

“No not a clue.”

“Well why don’t you think on it tonight. Today we can just work on you interviewing me. Is that okay?”

Ian nodded pulling out his pen and notebook. Writing with his left hand had proved to be an arduous task. He was able to make it legible but it took forever for him to get stuff written down in the first place. He wasn’t quite sure where to begin. He felt freer than a bird as far as the paper was concerned but had no idea how to go about anything himself. “Ah name.”

Raymond laughed beside him. “Come on Ian. I know I’m not Mr. Popularity but you gotta know my name.”

Glancing up at him Ian blushed. “Yeah I guess I do. How old are you?”

“Fifteen.”

He looked back down at the paper and scrawled out the number. “Did you always go to school here? In this town I mean?” He looked up at Raymond, crossed his legs at the ankles and poised his pen.

“Yes,”

Nodding he wrote that down too. “How many friends would you say you’ve had in your life?”

Raymond cocked his head to one side and thought for a minute. “I’d say, as far as good friends, ones that never turned on me. Well none.”

Ian’s mouth dropped open. “Are you serious?”

Thinking Ian was teasing him Raymond retorted. “How many you had Ian? Besides God.” He finished the bitterness in his voice almost palpable.

“I wasn’t meaning anything.” He shook his head feeling bad it had come off that way. “I was just surprised.”

“Why you so surprised? Would you be friends with someone like me?”

“Well not if you keep yelling at me,” he said quite honestly, not sure why he was being verbally attacked. Raymond glared at him for about half a second before a small grin broke out over his face.

“Okay I’m sorry. I’m a little touchy.”

“Well don’t be. I’m not about to pick on you. I think your idea is great and I’m really excited about it.”

The kid smiled a little bigger.

“So have you had many friends that have turned their back on you?”

“Yes, there were at least four of those.”

“How long were you friends? Before they did that?” He couldn’t believe how easily the questions came once he got started.

“Well two were friends with me since we started school, we were friends all through grade school, but by the time we got to junior high, by the time people started separating off into cliques, and image meant a lot more, they dumped me. They didn’t just dump me they spent the whole year teasing me, putting shit in my locker, hitting me with spit balls in class, tripping me at lunch so my food went flying all over.”

Ian’s heart ached to think that other kids could be so mean. He knew adults could but could not fathom it in someone his own age. “Who were these boys?”

The other boy leaned in and answered very quietly, “Joe Winters and Neil Craven.”

His eyes widening Ian looked to the back of the room where Neil Craven was sitting. It made him angry to see the guy sitting back there without a care in the world while Raymond was up here pouring his heart out.

“Don’t stare.”

Ian looked back at Raymond. “Sorry, what about the other two?”

“The other two were new kids at the school. I guess new kids flock to the loser, they know that’s safe and they won’t get turned away.”

“Wait a minute.” He held up his casted hand. “What do you mean they won’t get turned away? Why wouldn’t they?”

“Cause losers are known as being nice. Known to be desperate for friends so they’ll be nice to anyone.”

Ian nodded as he slowly wrote that down, he liked the way Raymond had put it and wanted to use that exact line in the paper. “So then you didn’t turn them away?”

“No, I was friends with them. One for only about a week, the other for almost four months.”

“And then what?” he asked looking up at the other boy. “Did they just go off and find other friends or were they mean to you like the others?”

“Everyone in our class has teased me at one point or another.” He blushed a little. “Well except you. But you’re so weird.”

Ian looked up at him. “So you would have turned me away? If I had wanted to be your friend?”

Raymond looked down at his desk one hand squeezing the other. “I don’t know. I can only take so much of that ‘praise god’ stuff.”

“Praise God stuff?”

“Yeah, no offense I just don’t like it.”

Ian nodded as he studied him. He wanted to delve more into that but knew they had to stick to the assignment. He wasn’t going to give Raymond a ration of preaching but wanted to know more of his views about God.

“Okay guys, you need to start wrapping it up for today.” They both looked up at Mr. Bell as he spoke then back to each other.

“We should get together after school. To work on this.”

Ian nodded. “Your house?”

“No mine won’t work. My parents aren’t home and I can’t have people over when they aren’t.”

“Well I can ask if you can come to my place.”

“I don’t want to go to your place either. No offense but I can’t stand your mom.”

“Oh,” he was a little happy to hear this as he couldn’t much stand her either. “Well I don’t live with them anymore. So I’ll ask tonight and let you know tomorrow okay?”

“Sure that sounds good.” Ian didn’t miss the questioning look in Raymond’s eyes. Didn’t miss it but didn’t feel like explaining himself anymore.

Nathan met him at his locker at lunch. Ian’s stomach was already roiling not wanting to go to the cafeteria at all but at least glad he’d be able to walk in alongside Nathan.

Walking down between the tables of the full lunchroom he sensed all conversation stopping and every eye looking up at him. It appeared as though they were as shocked to see him there as he was to be there. Perhaps what was even more shocking to them was the fact he was walking in side by side with one of the school’s openly gay people. Here he was ‘super religious guy,’ who’d spoken out against homosexuals more than once, actually walking down the length of tables with one. He imagined how it might be shocking and wished there was some way he could let the school know he was not a bigot.

He believed many things his father had taught him over the years but the one thing he’d never wavered in belief on was that all humans were created equal. Despite their sex, race or orientation. God created everyone therefore in his eyes everyone was equal. They reached the lunch line and he followed Nathan’s lead on getting a tray and silverware. He held his tray up for the same food that Nathan got simply because he was copying his moves so closely so as not to mess up.

While Nathan paid for his food, Ian had no money. He’d been told by his social worker that he now got free lunch. He simply said his name as he’d been instructed. He watched as the lady that took the money looked through a surprisingly long list then checked off his name. “Thank you Ian.”

Pleased he’d been thanked and figuring she must be a nice lady he smiled at her. “Thank you.” Nathan led him out of the food line and about halfway down the row of tables to where they sat down at a table with Mark and Jason. He looked at them nervously. They both looked back at him, neither of them looking angry at all that he was sitting there.

Mark spoke up first. “How are you Ian?”

Feeling a rush of relief as the guy sounded genuinely interested Ian answered. “Fine.”

“Look uh...” Jason spoke up looking at Mark briefly then back at Ian. “We are sorry about the incident in the bathroom. We aren’t usually mean people; we just get angry and act before we think things out. Can you forgive us?”

Ian looked to Nathan then back to Mark and Jason more than a little shocked they’d actually apologized to him. “I forgive you.” He said quietly. “Do you forgive me?”

“Sure,” Mark nodded. “Nathan told us that speech was not really your opinion, even if it was, we don’t begrudge people for their opinions. We were just upset cause we thought you were trying to sway others. But after what Nathan said about you not even really writing it we realized it was probably harder on you to read that than it was for anyone else. Right?”

Ian absent mindedly stirred at his macaroni and cheese while he nodded, wondering what else Nathan had told them. Nathan had every right to tell people whatever he wanted he just hoped the guy didn’t tell everyone everything.

“So why is your hand in a cast?” Nathan asked after a few moments.

“It’s broken.” He looked up as the three started chuckling, not understanding why.

“I can see it’s broken. I guess I mean, was it broken already? Before you left your house or was it broken over the weekend?”

Ian looked down at his hand. “Oh, well it’s been broken for a few weeks. Since I’ve had the bandages on them.”

“And you didn’t know?” Jason asked sounding very surprised.

He shook his head. “No, I knew it hurt but didn’t know why.” His head was down so he didn’t notice Nathan studying his other hand, the one that still had a scab in the center of each side. Didn’t notice him swallow hard or rub his stomach as his face turned a shade paler.

About halfway through his meal Ian dared to look up and around the room. He saw Jeff sitting a few tables away on the other side of the cafeteria. He was sitting with five other guys and a couple of girls, all of them talking and laughing and looking like they were having a good time. Jeff, who noticed him looking, looked back at him, smiled and waved.

Very happy and quite surprised that Jeff wasn’t going to ignore him at school, and pretend he didn’t know him Ian smiled and waved back. His eyes moved on further down the room to see Raymond sitting by himself at the table closest to the food line. People filled the other end of the table but the side he was on, he was the only one. The boy kept his head down as he dutifully ate his food. Ian’s heart went out to him, sure after talking to him for so long that morning that the guy was real lonely.

“What are you looking at?” Nathan’s voice spoke up breaking him out of his thoughts.

“Raymond,”

“Raymond?”

Ian looked up at Nathan, “Raymond Carter.”

“Who’s that?” Being a senior Nathan didn’t know the names of too many sophomores.

“That boy, sitting all by himself down there.” He nodded his head in the general direction not really feeling right about pointing him right out.

“The one with the glasses?”

Ian nodded.

“Why you staring at him?”

“I have to do a project with him in English. You know, interview him. I interviewed him some this morning and I just feel bad for him. People tease him and he doesn’t have any friends.”

Nathan looked down at Raymond and nodded not saying anything as he didn’t really know what to say. They all looked up as a guy who looked like he was in Nathan’s grade stepped up to the head of their table. “So who converted who?” The guy asked with a huge grin on his face.

Thinking they were being teased Ian was surprised when the three guys he was sitting with just chuckled.

“Come on,” the person standing pressed. “Everyone’s talking. Give us the scoop.”

Ian looked up at him feeling very small and feeble. “I guess I’d be the one who was converted. But I haven’t fully converted; I just don’t have the small mind you all think I do.”

The guy looked at him and nodded then held out his hand, which initially caused Ian to flinch. After the flinch he held out his hand and shook the guy’s. “Name’s Pete. Nice to officially meet you Ian.”

He was amazed at the amount of people that already knew his name. He knew so few names, especially of those in other classes he didn’t really understand how his just seemed to be known by everyone. “Nice to meet you too.”

As the guy walked off Nathan nudged him with his shoulder. “You’re all set now man, you tell him you aren’t close minded and the rest of the school will know by the final bell.”

Ian looked up at him a grin spread across his face. “School gossip?” He was finding it amazing, learning all these things about his classmates and how the high school community worked. He’d never been a part of it. Had always been on the outside looking in and found everything he was learning intriguing, the good and the bad.

Nathan chuckled as he nodded. “Sure is. He’s a good guy just don’t trust him with any secrets.”

Instead of being ignored like usual in his chemistry class while they were in the lab he was barraged with questions.

“Where’s your mom?” Jessica asked as Ian struggled to hold the beakers with his casted hand and drop in the solutions with his other.

Ian shot her a dirty look, he didn’t like this girl. There were very few people he out and out disliked but she was one of them. “Why don’t you just be quiet for once and help me.” He said it as kindly as his hate for her would allow.

She looked a little shocked but to his surprise she reached out and held the beaker that had been balancing precariously on his cast. “What happened to your hand?”

“We’re not supposed to talk.” He said simply. He saw her roll her eyes over at Megan and saw Megan simply shrug in response.

Jessica lowered her voice considerably. “Come on Ian; please just tell us where your mom is. The whole school is dying to know.”

Ian glanced up from the beaker to look at her briefly. “I don’t know where she is,” he hissed quietly. This was kind of true, as he didn’t have the foggiest idea where the jail was. “If I did I’d tell you, but I don’t so leave me alone.”

“Kate Rivers that goes to your dad’s church, she said church was cancelled Sunday, that they didn’t know until they showed up. There was a police car at your house and that yellow police tape around it. Did you and your mom finally do your father in?”

His eyes snapped up as Rick snickered and anger blazed through him. “You really think that kind of thing is funny Rick?”

Rick quickly closed his mouth and shook his head. He caught Jessica giving Rick a dirty look that surprised him as he was sure the girl would take Rick’s side on anything, she was always hanging off him and he had the feeling they may be a couple. “So if you don’t know where they are, then you must not be living there?” she said looking back at Ian.

“No I’m not.”

“Where are you living?” Megan someone he could tolerate a little more spoke up.

“In a group home.”

“Jeff’s group home?” She asked.

Figuring she must already know he lived in one and wouldn’t be breaking any confidentiality rules he nodded.

“He’s my boyfriend you know.” Megan added.

“No I had no idea.” He didn’t really care either.

“So you can just find out what’s going on from him.” Jessica said excitedly.

Megan shook her head. “No I can’t. He can’t say. He already told me that when I was bugging him about Paul.”

“Paul lives there too?” Rick asked.

Megan put her hand over her mouth knowing she’d made a mistake. “I’m not saying another word.”

Ian chuckled and they all looked at him, none of them ever hearing such a thing come out of him before. “What’s funny?” Jessica asked.

Ian merely shook his head thinking it would be too hard to explain.

When the final bell rang he went to his locker, gathered up his books then walked outside where the van was already parked and waiting. Its side door already open, he climbed up inside and sat in the same seat he and Jeff had sat in that morning. A few minutes later Jeff climbed on and joined him.

“Man,” He grinned as he shook his head. “You gotta tell Megan why you are living with us. She’s gonna drive me nuts.”

Ian looked at him in surprise. “She said she wasn’t gonna ask. That she knew you wouldn’t tell.”

Chuckling Jeff shook his head. “Which means she won’t come out and ask, which means she’s constantly dropping hints and trying to trick it out of me.”

“Oh gee, I’m sorry.”

The sorry got Jeff laughing nearly as hard as he’d laughed the day before. “Don’t be sorry man. It’s her fault not yours. If you don’t want to tell her don’t, it’s totally up to you.”

“But you said when you sat down that I had to.”

“I was joking.” Jeff turned a little in the seat and looked at him. “I would never ask you to do that. I can handle her. I’m sorry if you thought I was serious there, cause really I’m not.”

Ian nodded as Kevin climbed on the van. He waited for the guy to settle into the back seat then leaned in closer to Jeff. “I thought he went to a different school, with Mike.”

“Yeah they do. But that school is right there.” Jeff pointed out the window just across the street from where they were. “So they get picked up right here with us.”

He couldn’t believe he’d been going to this school for over a year and had no idea there was another school right across the street. He couldn’t believe the world that had always gone on around him and he’d had no idea of any of it. Every hour of every day for the past four days he’d learned new things. As exciting as he found it, he also found it a little scary. It also angered him a little that he’d not been able to discover any of this on his own for the first fifteen years of his life.

He was realizing quickly that people did not grow up just like him. That kids didn’t fear their parents, that there was such a thing as a little freedom. He had no idea what to do with his new found freedom, he prayed on it, hoped it was right, and hoped he’d not go overboard and become the bad kid he’d always been told he was.

After picking up the junior high kids they drove home. Kelly greeted them all in the entry hall. “Ian do you want a pill?” she asked after she’d greeted him. A question she’d asked him every four hours of the past few days.

“No ma’am. I feel fine.” He really did feel fine. It was the first time he ever remembered where every step wasn’t painful. Where every movement didn’t jar his aching body.

She looked at him a little disbelievingly, with his four cracked ribs and broken hand she couldn’t imagine him not being in any pain. “Well as long as you’re sure.”

“I am ma’am. Thank you.”

She smiled, she’d told him several times to call her Kelly but he’d done nothing but call her Mrs. Harvey or ma’am in his stay there. She knew he had impeccable manners but wished he would realize he didn’t have to be so proper all the time.

He took his bag up to his room then walked back downstairs and sought out Mr. Harvey who was in his office. He stood in the doorway and cleared his throat.

“Uh sir,”

Kyle looked up at him and smiled. “Yes Ian?”

“Can I talk to you for a minute?”

“Sure son, come on in, have a seat.”

Ian walked in the room, a room he’d not been in yet and took a seat in one of the plush chairs in front of the man’s desk. “I have to do a project for school with someone else. We have to work on it after school, is it possible for him to come over here tomorrow night?”

Kyle sat back in his chair thinking this over. “You can’t go to his house?”

Ian shook his head, “He said his parents work and he can’t have people over when no one’s home.”

Nodding the man leaned forward again and set his elbows up on the desk. “Usually you kids can’t have people over. Not because we don’t trust you guys, just because of the confidentiality thing. You know we don’t want whoever comes over to run and tell everyone at school who exactly lives here.”

Nodding Ian could understand that reasoning. “Are there any other options?”

“Well I could pick you up later tomorrow. You could stay and work at the school library and I could pick you up say around five?”

Ian’s face lit up liking that idea a lot. “You wouldn’t mind?”

“No, of course not. Come basketball season I’ll do it every night for Jeff and Paul.”

“Okay sir, if you’re sure you don’t mind.”

“Not one bit. I’ll plan on getting you at five then right?”

Ian nodded as he stood up. “Right, thanks so much.” He walked out of the office; most of the kids were sitting around the TV in the living room. Not about to go in and watch TV he considered going up to his room but knew if he did he’d only lie on the bed and stare at the ceiling and he didn’t feel like doing that.

He walked through the dining room and into the kitchen where Kelly and Kevin were. Though he didn’t like Kevin he did like Kelly and wanted to help them make dinner. “You want some help?”

Kevin looked up at him his eyes narrowing and his face sneering. “Go away kiss ass.”

Kelly’s head snapped over to him. “Kevin, don’t say that. You apologize.”

Kevin looked from her back to Ian his face still full of hate. “I don’t want him helping Kelly. He’s always butting in where he ain’t wanted. Tell him to go be a goodie, goodie elsewhere.”

Ian blushed, filling with shame. He muttered a ‘sorry’ and turned from the room hearing Kelly admonishing Kevin thoroughly as he walked out. He wished she wouldn’t do that as it would only make the guy hate him even more but he was not about to go back in there and stick his neck out again. Though he liked his new world he didn’t like how he seemed to be either ticking off most of the kids in the house or being the brunt of their jokes. He figured he just didn’t know how to act, and hoped that someday before too long he’d be able to figure it out.

He walked up the stairs and into his room where he laid down on the bed. He’d been there no more than five minutes when a knock came on the door. He propped himself up on his elbows wondering who in hell would be knocking. Half a minute later he heard Kelly’s voice say, “Can I come in Ian?”

He called out a ‘yeah’ wondering why she’d felt the need to knock in her own house. “You okay?” she asked once she’d walked into the room.

He sat up and smiled at her. “Yes ma’am I’m fine.”

“You sure? What Kevin said was pretty mean.”

Ian shrugged as he picked at his blanket and crossed his legs in front of him. “I’ve been called a goodie, goodie before.”

She nodded as she sat down on the other end of his bed. “That doesn’t make it not hurt though does it?”

Still staring at his blanket he shook his head. “It’s okay though. I know I must get on people’s nerves. Just this is all so new to me. I guess I don’t know how to interact with people too well.”

“That’s totally understandable Ian; you’ve never had the chance to interact before. These guys, they’ve had their whole lives to learn how to deal with people. You’ve had four days. Don’t let them get you down. You’ll get it. It doesn’t happen overnight.”

“I’m not really down, I just feel bad that I annoy everyone, I don’t want to be annoying,” he paused and looked up at her. “I’m actually quite happy, very confused,” he stopped to grin, “but quite happy.”

She chuckled and rubbed his arm. “You’re a good kid Ian. The people who get to know you will see that, those people you won’t have problems with. Kevin is a hard guy for just about everyone to get along with, he’s very picky about whom he likes and is a little too vocal about those he doesn’t. That doesn’t mean he won’t ever like you. He’s just got to stop being a jerk long enough to see the real you.”

He nodded.

“You want to talk about what you are confused about?”

He shrugged but talked anyway, needing to get it off his chest. “There’s just so much I don’t know anything about. I can’t believe I’ve been on this earth for fifteen years and had no idea what was going on around me.”

“Well that’s not exactly your fault hon.”

“I know and I’m not mad at myself. I’m just very overwhelmed I guess. I feel almost like a new born in a fifteen year old’s body.”

Kelly chuckled having discovered over the past four days that Ian was very witty and quite funny though he didn’t always mean to be. “So would you say you are more excited about this new venture or more scared?”

“More excited but still scared. I’m afraid with all these choices and all this freedom I’ll make bad decisions. That it will all go to my head and I’ll forget my place in this world.”

Doing her best to hide her shock at him actually thinking he had freedom, she nodded. She imagined, comparatively, he was experiencing a lot more freedom but the other kids constantly complained the place was like a jail and it was definitely a new thing for her to hear he felt free. “You ever just want to talk about it; about anything you know I’m always here right?”

“Yes ma’am. And I really appreciate it.”

She patted his knee. “You want to talk about anything else right now?”

“No I’m set for the moment,” he chuckled a bit and grinned at her. “I may see you in five minutes.”

She laughed heartily at that. “You are funny Ian. You’ve got a good sense of humor. You’ll make friends I have no doubt about it.”

Her compliment left him feeling a little better. He figured it was okay if Kevin and a few of the other guys didn’t like him. Mr. and Mrs. Harvey seemed to plus Jeff. He would be more than happy with just that. He stayed on the bed until he was called down to dinner.

The next day in English they got into their groups within the first two minutes of class. “Did you ask about tonight?” Raymond asked once he’d pulled his desk up close to Ian’s.

“Well I got someone to pick me up here at five. We can work in the library.”

“But I don’t have a ride home.”

Ian scrunched up his face in confusion. “Well how would you have gotten home if you’d come to where I live?”

Raymond shrugged. “I just figured whoever you lived with would give me a ride.”

Thinking that was a bit presumptuous perhaps even rude he hid his feelings. “Well where do you live?”

“Benton Ave.”

Not having a clue where that was or even which street he currently lived on he wondered why he even asked. “How far from here?”

“Like five miles.”

“In which direction?”

“Down past the grocery store.”

“Well that’s the same direction as me. Maybe he could give you a ride home too. I mean we gotta work on this.” He absolutely hated to ask such a thing but didn’t need to go fail his first assignment that his father didn’t oversee. “I’ll call him before lunch and let you know either way.” They spent the class with Ian continuing his interview on Raymond. Still having much more to ask when the bell rang he hoped Mr. Harvey would be able to take Raymond home. He still had no idea what he could be interviewed about.

At lunch Nathan again met him at his locker. “How you doing today?”

“Real good, you here to escort me to lunch?” he said grinning.

Nathan grinned back. “Your carriage awaits.”

“Can we stop at the phones first?” He looked down at his feet. “Oh no.”

“What’s the matter?”

“I need to make a call but I don’t have any money.”

“Oh I got some.”

Ian looked up at him. “You don’t gotta give me your money.”

“I want to Ian. If you have to call someone you need it. If it makes you feel better you can pay me back.”

“With what?” he said with a short laugh.

“Your looks will do.” Nathan said grinning even wider.

Blushing Ian chuckled, he was feeling like he was being flirted with and wasn’t minding it one bit. He couldn’t deny he found the guy incredibly attractive, just never even fathomed Nathan would be thinking of anything but friendship with him. He figured he was getting excited for nothing and quickly vanquished his run away thoughts. “Well if you’re sure you don’t mind. And I’ll find a way to pay you back.”

“Three smiles a day.”

Ian looked up at him and smiled.

“That’s one.”

Laughing and blushing Ian shook his head while Nathan plopped a quarter into his hand. They walked downstairs past the cafeteria and to the phones. Ian stepped in front of the phone then smacked the palm of his hand into his forehead. “I’m such an idiot.”

Nathan chuckled. “Why do you say that?”

Ian turned and looked at him while rolling his eyes. “I don’t know the number.”

Laughing harder Nathan shook his head “Well do you know their names?”

“Well yah!” He chuckled himself realizing it was pretty ridiculous.

Reaching to the shelf under the phone Nathan pulled out a phone book. “Know how to use one of these?”

Ian looked down at it and blushed. “Ah no.”

Nathan blushed as well having meant it as a joke, “Well who you want to call?”

“Kyle Harvey.”

Ian watched closely as Nathan worked his way through the book. He could see that the names were in alphabetical order by last name and put it to memory so he’d know where to look in the future.

He picked up the hand piece and put it to his ear. As Nathan read off the numbers he punched them into the phone. “Nuthin’s happening,” he said a second later holding the phone away from his ear.

“You gotta put the money in Ian.”

He blushed. “Oh,” he giggled as he put the money into the phone. Nathan read the number again and he dialed it. Now he was nervous about what he had to ask and hoping he wasn’t imposing too much.

“Hello?”

“Mrs. Harvey?”

“Yes, Ian?”

“Yeah it’s me, how did you know?”

“Well because you are like the only one that calls me Mrs. Harvey dear.”

He chuckled despite his nervousness. “Is Mr. Harvey there?”

“Well no actually, he had to go into town for a few things. Can I help you with something?”

“Well did he tell you, about having to pick me up late tonight?”

“Yes,”

“Well I was calling,” he paused and took a deep breath. “Well maybe if it’s not too much trouble,” he paused again. “Only if you’re sure he won’t mind.” He stopped as she laughed into the phone.

“Honey spit it out. This could take all day.”

He chuckled again. “Sorry, it’s just, the guy that I’m doing the project with, well he needs a ride home.”

“That’s no problem Ian. I’m absolutely sure Kyle won’t mind one bit.”

“You sure?”

“Sure I’m sure. Don’t you worry about it. He won’t mind at all.”

“Okay ma’am. Thanks so much. I’m sorry to be a burden.”

“You’re no burden hon. Don’t ever think that.”

He grinned into the phone feeling a lot better. “Okay ma’am. Thank you.”