Juvenile Detention

By: Rick Masters
(© 2015-2016 by the author)

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

masters@tickiestories.us

Chapter 47
The Next Few Weeks.

Josh got his bike and a new mobile phone. With the freedom this brought him he was soon able to land a part time job at a local KFC. Simon got a job at the same place, but the two boys ended up on different shifts before the first week was out. This left Josh and Simon with very little time at home together when neither of Simon's parents was there, relieving Josh of most of the pressure to attend to Simon's sexual education.

Josh had not bumped into his mother since the day they had gone to her house, and this helped him to remain his usual helpful, cheerful self. There were times when something that was done or said would bring back a memory and he would get a bit maudlin for a short while, but on the whole he continued to bring a ray of light and happiness into the lives of those he met.

Timothy had come calling a few times too, and the three boys had gone out to the movies or for a bit of a play at the nearby recreation ground. Timothy asked for permission to tell his girlfriend the truth about Josh, because she was the same girl he had taken to the movies on that fateful night. Josh asked Timothy to be sure that she would not talk to anyone else about it, because he did not want it becoming common knowledge that he was around until the trials started, and then the media would do that job for him. With that reasoning, Timothy said that he would not tell her yet as he couldn't guarantee that the news would not spread. "You know how girls think keeping a secret means only telling one person at a time. The first time I got my hand inside her clothes half the class knew by the time I got to school the next morning."

Josh had to make a few more visits to the lawyer's office, and he also met up with the prosecution attorney for the CPS at the lawyer's office on a couple of occasions. During these visits Josh learned that the first step was to have his own case retried on the grounds of a mistrial. The outcome of that trial would then set the scene for the further trials of the defence lawyer and the judge and also for the determination of the state's compensation to Josh. Groggen then hit him with a bit of a bombshell. "The compensation decision is a bit of a tricky matter. If it is awarded to you before you are eighteen years of age, it will have to go into a trust fund. It will require evidence that your legal guardians have in a sense abandoned you for us to get the state to agree that the trust be administered by somebody other than your legal guardian. I know from what you have told me that the evidence is there, but the question is whether or not you want that aired in court. It will be very shaming for your mother especially; I imagine your stepfather's shame is not a concern to you. Since he has not legally adopted you, he has no official claim to managing the trust fund, but we know that he has some influence over your mother, so he could manipulate the fund through her. I need you to think about that carefully and let me know how you want to proceed."

Josh had had to go straight from that meeting to do a late shift at KFC, so he had not had the opportunity to talk to either Karl or Esther about it. Josh had found that he could bounce things off both of them and get an unbiased and honest answer. It was only the following evening, after a restless night's sleep and an unproductive day, that he got to talk them and seek their advice. While Simon usually was not involved in this sort of conversation, he was present in the room, Josh could not hold off any longer as he desperately needed to try and sort out the turmoil in his head. So he had begun talking with Simon present and when Simon had said he felt this was a matter of some privacy Josh had said he was okay with Simon being present because he would find out soon enough anyway.

This time, however, it was Simon who made the most sense. "I think that as your defence presents the evidence it is going to become very clear that your mum and stepdad did bugger all to help you. No doubt the prosecution is going to use your stepdad's refusal to help you as grounds for assuming you were a bad person to begin with. So I would say that before any talk of money gets underway, your parents are going to be shamed, and it would make very good sense that they not have access to your money."

"Simon is right, Josh," Karl said.

"I know he is, and part of me says they deserve it. But another part of me says it is going to hurt me as well as my mother to follow that route."

"Your mother's shame is going to hurt you whether you follow that route or not. I'm afraid there is no escaping that and I feel sorry for you, but I also know that you have the strength to cope with it," Esther told Josh.

"You know, Josh, all this retrial and the following trials and so on are going to be very hard on you and your emotions. I know I suggested a while ago you might benefit from some counseling. I wonder if you would consider that and try and get started on it before the trials begin?" Karl suggested.

"Actually I've been thinking about that, because I seem to get upset much more easily than I used to. The medic in the Academy said I needed it to get over my dad's death, too, and also because of what happened to me. So I have made an appointment with my doctor. I see him the day after tomorrow.

"Okay, you need to impress on him the urgency of getting started before the trials begin. I know we don't yet know when that will be, but the sooner he can get you some help, the better," Karl said.

"And remember, if there is anything you need just ask. We can't promise to solve everything, but we will do what we can," Esther reminded Josh.

"And that is all three of us," Simon said.

"There is something else. Or rather two things. When the trials are all over I want to do something about getting people to change their views on the Academies and young offenders. I know how I felt being taken through the hospital in the prison overalls and the looks I got. And I know what most of the people inside are really like. What most people on the outside think is so far from the truth it creates a stigma and a barrier between them and the young offenders. I would appreciate your thinking about that and giving me some pointers to consider on how to go about achieving that, please."

"That is very admirable. Of course we will try to help."

"You too, Simon. I would like to get some ideas from a younger person's viewpoint as well."

"Sure thing. But you said there were two things. What's the other thing?"

"Oh, yes. Next week I have three days when I don't have any work, so I thought I might try and get up to see my friends at the Academy. I was wondering if I could get a lift to the bus station and if you could pick me up again when I come back. I don't want to leave my bike chained up there that long."

"Josh, of course we will give you a lift. But why don't you take the train? It will be quicker," Esther said.

"The train is quicker, but I can only afford the coach ticket."

"So why don't you let us give you the train ticket?" Esther asked.

"Because this is something just for me, and I can't ask you to pay for everything for me. I am already getting so much from you. Some time down the line I might be able to repay some of the financial costs, but I will forever owe you guys for what you have done for me."

"Right, that's it. I am having no more talk on this as I have made an executive decision. Josh you might not have our DNA but you are as much a son to us now as Simon is. We would pay for Simon to have a train ticket and not expect a penny back. We will pay for you to have a train ticket and again not expect a penny back. This time it is our treat to say that we love you and are so glad you have come into our lives," Karl said in a tone that brooked no argument.

Simon, smiling, stood up and said, "Come on, bruv. It's time for bed."

Once again Josh was rather choked up. He quietly stood and went over to Karl. Bending down he put his arms around Karl's shoulders and said, "Thank you and good night." Then he moved over to Esther and after hugging her he kissed her on the cheek, repeating his words of thanks and wishes for a good night. Simon had stood waiting for him, and the two teens moved out of the room and down the passage. At the door to Josh's room they stopped and were about to hug when Josh pulled Simon into the room to give him a rather tighter hug than would normally have been expected between two teen boys. "Are you not jealous that your parents are doing so much for me when I am not related to you?"

"I was at first. That was why I was being such a shit those first couple of days. But then I saw that you were not a threat, and you showed me that being a jerk was the wrong way to go about trying to get what I wanted. I hated being a jerk anyway, which made me even more of a jerk and worse to be with. That is why I don't have any real friends. But I do have some mates at school that I am getting closer to, now that I'm behaving better towards them. I haven't asked them to come and visit, because they know we have someone staying with us who has been in jail and I am not sure how they would react. I'm sorry, but I told them the day after you arrived. Then going on what you asked of Timothy the other day I don't want to screw things up that way either. So no, I am not jealous. I am happy you are living with us. For the first time since I hit puberty I have someone I am comfortable with and who I can share things with. I even told mum and dad the other day that they did the right thing in bringing you home to live with us."

"I'm glad you changed your mind, I really would hate it if we were fighting all the time. I don't know what I have done to deserve you guys but I am glad that I have somewhere that I can call home and people I love as family. You are very special to me."

"Right and you are very special to me too. Now if I don't get to bed I will not make it to school tomorrow. I just wish I could come with you next week and meet some of these jailbirds you like so much."

"I would be happy to have you come with me. Maybe during the holidays we can plan another visit and you can come with me. I will make some enquiries about what they will allow on that score."

The day before Josh left for his visit to the Academy he went in to see David Groggen and told him that he was willing for him to do what he needed to ensure that neither his mother nor his stepfather had any way of getting their hands on his compensation. Groggen told Josh that he was glad he had come to that decision and that he had already talked to his partners. They had agreed that if they were appointed trustees they would waive their administration fee for the short period the trust would last.

As the train pulled into the station Josh saw Steven waiting on the platform. He was in his prison officer's uniform, which had gained him access past the ticket barriers to meet Josh. The two hugged in a greeting and then moved out of the station to Steven's personal car. They did not head straight to the Academy though as it was lunch time. Steven had made plans and took Josh to a little pub where they had fish and chips and a couple of cokes each while Steven got filled in on all that was happening with Josh and also filled Josh in on what was going on at the Academy. "One thing, Josh, there will not be an opportunity for you to get any more intimate than a kiss and a hug. Clothes will have to stay on the whole visit. Both days!"

"Yeah, I had guessed as much and that is going to be so hard; but I also have to see my friends and let them know that I have not forgotten them."

"They are going to be so surprised too. We have not told them you are coming. I think Sam would have got so excited he would have wet himself. He might still do so as soon as he sees you. Tomorrow morning you can't visit, because they still have to attend their lessons, so Abigail will bring you to the Academy later, and then the next day she will take you to the station to go home. I am so glad you took our offer to come and stay in our home. We feel quite honoured."

"I am the one who is quite honoured. If I could not stay with you I would have to sleep on the streets; I can't afford a hotel or anything like that."

"No, I don't suppose you could. At least not yet anyway. Are you ready to go now?"

"Very. I can't wait to see the guys again."

To be continued...
 

Posted: 09/09/16