It Started With a Coke
by: E Walk
(© 2009-2011 by the Author)
 

The author retains all rights. No reproductions are allowed without the author's consent. Comments are appreciated at...

Chapter 7

Ringing Phones

We arrived back at Doctor Wood and Alex’s house, they helped me get situated at the dining room table, so my leg could be propped on a chair.  Alex handed me his cell phone, “Coach said you were to call Susan Morrow, to get your assignments.”

“Alex, I’d call her if I knew her number.  I’ve never had a reason to call her, and besides, I was never permitted to use the phone at my parents’ house.”

Alex just stood there, “Seth, you’re shitting us, aren’t you.”

“Nope, I wasn’t even allowed to answer the phone, for fear I would say the wrong thing.  I could be standing right next to phone when it was ringing. but I was emphatically told that I should ignore it.  When I was about ten, I answered the phone and got the seat of my pants warmed really good.  Since that day, I just ignore ringing phones.”

Both Doctor Wood and Alex were standing there shaking their heads.  Doctor Wood handed me the phone book, “Do you know Susan Morrow’s father’s name?”

I shook my head, “No, and I don’t have any idea where she lives.  I know she walks to school and that’s about all I know about her.  When we talk in class, it’s mostly about class work.”

Alex suggested, “Call Mark and see if he knows Susan’s number.  Here’s Coach Richmond’s number.”

I looked at the cell phone, “I guess you need to explain how to use this phone.  It’s different from what the parents have at the house.”

I called Mark and got Susan’s number.  When I called her, we talked for half an hour or more.  She was telling me what happened in the classes, “Don’t worry, Seth, I’ll make copies of the notes that I took.  Will you be in school, tomorrow?”

“I’ll be there, after I get my permanent cast put on in the morning.  I’m not sure how long it will take, since I’ll be hobbling around on crutches.  It’s a good thing that Mark sent a backpack, or I’d be out of luck.  Thanks for the assignments.  I’ll see you tomorrow, sometime.”

I was working on my school work when Doctor Wood entered, “Seth, it’s time to go to bed.  You can always finish your work, later.  Surely your teachers aren’t going to grade you off, if it‘s late.  Let me help you to the bedroom where you will be sleeping.  I’ve put out some clean clothes for you to wear, tomorrow.  You’ll be wearing sweat pants, so you can get them on over your hard cast.  They have zippers on the side so you don’t need to cut off any pants that you wouldn’t be able to use later.”

“Won’t a shirt and tie look fine with these sweat pants?”

Doctor Wood patted my shoulder, “Seth, I think you’re days of wearing dress shirts and ties to school are over.  While you’re living here, you will dress in casual clothes, since that is all we wear, except when we are going to a wedding or a funeral.  I sometimes wear jeans to the office, if I feel like it.  It’s not what you wear that’s important, but how you act and treat people.”

I went to bed thinking, ’This is the day that changed my life.’

I was awakened the next morning by Alex, “Shake it and wake Mr. Seth.  Time for your sponge bath.  We can’t waste all day in bed.”

Alex skillfully helped me take a sponge bath without anything erotic happening.  When he had me dressed, I felt like a mutant turtle.  Everyone was going to laugh at me when I arrived at school.  But first, I had to worry about getting the hard cast put on. 

Getting the cast on was probably the easiest thing that happened the entire day.  Getting used to the crutches took me some time.  Finally, Alex took me to school in the office van, so I could get used to maneuvering into the seat with my crutches.  Alex walked me to the office and announced, ”We’ve done all for this young man that we can.  Would you tell Mr. Pierce that Seth Morrison is reporting for duty?”

Mr. Pierce came out of his office, “Thanks for bringing the truant one, Alex.  Seth, do you need help getting to your classes.”

“No, sir, I may be a little late getting to some of them, until I can get the hang of handling these crutches, but I should be fine, since all my classes are on the first floor.”

I walked into the third hour class, late of course.  I handed Mrs. Jensen a tardy slip.  She looked at me, “Are you sure you’re Seth.  Where are the dress shirt and tie?”

I sighed, “I decided that since I have a broken bone in my ankle, I wasn’t one of the chosen few, anymore, and decided to look like all the rest of the students in the high school.  I decided to make them jealous so they’ll all want a cast when they see how much attention I’m getting.”

I sat down beside Susan.  She whispered, “I’m not sure what that last comment is going to do.  It could either make the rest of the students see you as being one of them, or they could take it as if you were making fun of them.”

“Susan, that’s ridiculous.  They’ve been ignoring or better yet making me feel like an untouchable for over two years.  Why should things change because of something silly I said?”

“Seth, that’s just it.  Not only are you dressed differently than usual, but you actually said something that should have been taken to be humorous.  Let’s see how sophisticated these people are.”

I was frantically working on the work for fourth period, since I had gone ahead in Mrs. Jensen’s class and turned in the assignment for yesterday and the one for today.  I leaned over to Susan, “I got lost in this assignment for Algebra III.  It didn’t make sense.”

Susan put up her hand and whispered, “Don’t feel like the Lone Ranger, even my brother who is in college didn’t understand the assignment.  Tim thinks there is an error in the example in the textbook.  I gave up trying to figure out what was to be done.”

As third period ended, some of the people who had always avoided me stopped by, “Good to have you back, Seth.  Do you want to go for a soda after school?”

“Thanks guys, but I have an appointment with Doctor Wood’s therapist after school. She’s going to show me how to properly use the crutches.  She said something about learning to maneuver them to stop any females from attacking me.”

One of the guys laughed, “Seth, be careful.  I hear she’s into men.   Let us know what happens today, so we can decide if we want to break a bone.”

Susan looked at me and laughed, “Seth, you did good.  These yokels are more sophisticated than I thought.”

When Susan and I arrived in fourth hour Algebra III, Mr. Long was besieged at his desk by students.  He finally stood, “If you will all be seated, I will show you how the authors of this book arrived at the answer in the example.”

Mr. Long wrote the problem on the board and finally went and sat at his desk. “Class, there is no way that the example in the book is correct.  I’ll be right back; until then, keep it to a mild uproar.”

During the period, several people in the class came to talk to me and asked me how I was feeling.

I decided to be straight forward, “It’s not very much fun.  I have the ache in my ankle where they had to break it and reset it.  Using crutches isn’t as easy as it looks.”

Our conversation was interrupted by Mr. Long, “Class, I’m so sorry.  There was an errata sheet that was sent by the textbook company that said the example in the textbook was wrong.  The secretary didn’t know where the sheets were to go, so they’ve been sitting on her desk.  Again, I apologize.  I guess I need to check the examples before I assign the work, from now on.”

I raised my hand.

“Yes, Seth.”

I took a deep breath, “Mr. Long, it would seem to me that you were hired to teach us something, but you are relying on us to be able to learn from the text book.  This is just a blatant example of what you’ve been doing.  I suggest that you make sure that something is right, before you assign us work to do.  Better yet, you might do some practice problems, so we understand the process before we leave class.”

Mr. Long had turned bright red, but the class applauded when I finished my spiel.  Fortunately, the bell saved Mr. Long from saying anything or even giving us an assignment.

I was sitting at a table in the lunch room with a full table.  Doctor Wood had given me the money to buy lunch and Susan was sitting beside me.  I was just starting to eat when there was an announcement, “Seth Morrison, please report to the office.”

I thought, ’Oh no, my parents are taking me to a new psychiatrist or psychologist.’

When I arrived at the office, the receptionist motioned for me to go to Mr. Pierce’s office.

I knocked on the open door and was told to enter.  Mr. Pierce motioned, “Seth, please be seated.  Mr. Long says that you made a fool of him in his Algebra III class.”

I took a deep breath, “Mr. Pierce, Mr. Long made a fool of himself.  First, he gave us an assignment where the example in the book was wrong.  Many of us got frustrated, but I asked for help from Dr. Wood last night and he showed me how to do the problems.  As I told Mr. Long, in front of the class, it seems that’s he’s not doing the job he is being paid to do.  He is relying on a textbook with mistakes, to teach us.  He should have realized before today, that the example in the textbook was wrong, instead of having wasted everyone’s time on trying to do the homework assignment.”

Mr. Pierce looked at Mr. Long, “Bill, what do you have to say, in response.  Do I need to call other witnesses to either substantiate or refute Mr. Morrison’s statement?”

Mr. Long took the offensive, “It’s the secretary’s fault that I hadn’t received the errata pages.”

Mr. Pierce stood, “Thanks for coming, Seth.  Sorry to have bothered your lunch period.  Mr. Cox you’ll remain seated.  I would like to talk to you.”

As I was leaving the office, I was thinking, ‘Oh well, what’s another day without lunch?’

As the final bell rang, Susan’s cell phone rang, “This is Susan. … What do you want, jerk? … Okay, I have him out front in fifteen minutes.  Don’t be late.”

Susan closed her cell phone, “That was my jerk brother, Tim, who is home from college for the week.  He’s going to pick us up and take you to Doctor Wood’s office.”

“Susan, why would he be picking me up and taking me to Doctor Wood’s office?”

“Don’t ask me what’s happening.  I never understand why Tim does anything.  He’s gay, but he never brings anyone home.  It’s like he’s confused and isn’t sure if he’s gay.  The parents have told him repeatedly that it’s okay if he’s gay, but he’s either too embarrassed to bring his friends home or he’s not as gay as he claims to be.  I personally think it’s the later and he’s too cheap to spring for a date.”

“Susan, I still don’t understand why he’s picking us up.”

“Seth, Tim is good friends with Doctor Wood and Alex.  He has been, ever since he broke his leg playing football.  Come on, let’s go, or he’ll start yelling at me.”

I was conjuring up all sorts of ideas about Tim as we walked to the pickup area.  ‘Okay, Susan says he’s gay, and broke his leg playing football.  Gay people don’t play football, do they?  How come he's such good friends with Doctor Wood and Alex?’

We arrived at the pickup area and there was only Doctor Wood‘s van there.   A very good looking guy jumped out of the van when he saw us.  “Susan, how come you always make me wait?”
 

“Timmy pooh, I usually walk home.  You wouldn’t be here if you weren’t playing footsies with Doctor Wood and Alex.”

“Look, sis, I’m trying to make a few bucks while I’m home on break.  Introduce me to your friend.”

Susan introduced us and when I shook Tim’s hand, he held it longer than normal.  “Come on, we have to get this invalid to Doctor Wood’s office, so the therapist can show him how to properly use his crutches.  Sis, we’ll drop you off on the way, so you won’t be bored.”

Susan giggled, “Don’t kid me, Tim.  You just want Seth to yourself.  I’ll expect a full report when you get home.”

We dropped Susan off at the Morrow’s house.  As she was getting out of the van, she reminded Tim, “Tim, I saw Seth first.”

After we pulled away and started for Doctor Wood’s office, Tim threw the first punch, “Seth, I get the feeling that no matter how much Susan complains, there is nothing going on between the two of you.”

“Tim, Susan I and are friends.  I’m just finding out who my friends are.  I have been isolated from having associations with people, by my parents for so long that I felt as if I was doomed to a life without anyone to care for me.”

Tim stopped the van in an empty parking space, “Seth, if you need someone to talk to, please call me.  My parents and Susan know that I think I’m gay, but I’ve been too afraid to do anything about it.  Don’t do like I did when I was in high school, and hide in a closet and not do anything other than go to school.”

“Tim, our situations are very different.  My parents refuse to accept the fact that I might be gay and have kept me isolated from society.  Last night was the first time that I have ever had pizza and that was at Doctor Wood and Alex’s house.  As long as I’m in this cast, I won’t be living at home.  I’ll either be living with Doctor Wood and Alex or Mrs. Martz.”

“I know Doctor Wood and Alex, but I don’t know Mrs. Martz.  Would she have a problem with me coming to see you at her house?”

“Tim, Mrs. Martz lives next door to my parents and they would probably come to visit her if you were there.  They are so afraid that I might do something that might shed a bad light on the Reverend Bill Morrison.”

Tim started to laugh, “Now I know why Susan is babysitting you.  If I had parents like yours, I would have done more than break my ankle.  I’ll be over to talk to you at Doctor Wood’s house, later tonight.  He and Alex have been a great help to me.” 

To be continued...

Editor's Notes:  Things are continuing to look up for Seth.  The thing that really makes me sad is that there really are parents that act the way Seth's parents act. 

When I was young, which was a very long time ago, people never really talked about sex of any kind, let alone, gay sex.  I am very glad that most people at least acknowledge the fact that it exists, now days.

Thank you, E Walk, for bringing us this important story.

Darryl AKA The Radio Rancher

Posted: 02/04/11