Guardian Angel, Chapter 5
There weren't many more weeks until Christmas break, and the days passed rapidly. With the fall sports season over, Bret and Caleb had a little time to relax. However, they didn't like to be idle, and so they signed on at Fareway to earn money sacking groceries and loading them into customers' cars.
They didn't get a lot of hours, but they felt good about doing something constructive. Now that Caleb's father was back at his job full-time, money wasn't the issue it had been in recent months. Still, Caleb liked the security of having a little extra cash of his own. He felt he needed to give Bret gas money for hauling him around so much.
On the next Monday, Bret and Caleb were heading for homeroom when a boy who was texting on his phone bumped into Caleb, nearly knocking him on the floor.
"Um, I'm sorry, please don't hurt me!" the boy said, quickly moving out of range.
"Dude, you shouldn't try to text, walk, and chew gum at the same time," Caleb joked, "but it was an accident. Why would you think I'd hurt you?"
"Um, everybody knows how you took down Don Harkin when you were mad. Some say you got him killed. Um, sorry, I hope I didn't upset you by saying that."
"So, what's your name? I don't think we've met," Caleb asked, trying to move the focus away from his undeserved reputation.
"Vin Cross. It's actually Calvin, but I think that's kinda wimpy."
"Well Vin, which lunch do you have?"
"A."
"We do too; please join us and let me put those rumors to rest. I'm a pretty gentle guy when you get to know me."
"Okay, I might not eat though, but I'll be there if you insist."
"What do you make of Vin?" Bret asked. "He's a skinny kid, and he might not eat? I hope he's not anorexic or something."
"I hear you! I'm often so hungry by lunch time that even the cafeteria gruel looks good."
"Maybe he's poor and can't afford a ticket."
"There's help for kids like that. At one point, I think I would have qualified for free or reduced lunch, but Mom's too proud to take charity."
"Let's see if we can find out what's going on."
At 11:45, Vin was standing by the door of the cafeteria, looking around nervously when the guys arrived.
"Hey Vin, relax, we're not going to eat YOU for lunch," Caleb grinned.
"Can we sit somewhere in the back?" Vin asked.
"I guess," Bret said. "The football table has kinda broken up since the season's over. Lots of guys are sitting with the chicks they hope will do them."
"Are you sure you don't want something to eat?" Caleb asked.
"I'm fine," Vin insisted, but his growling stomach belied his words.
"Okay, save us some spots where you think you want to sit."
As the guys stood in line, Bret voiced a plan he'd been formulating.
"Let's get extra food for Vin, and put some of it on your tray and some on mine. We can afford it with our `huge' paychecks from the store."
"I was thinking the same thing. I wonder what he'd like."
"After listening to his stomach, I'm sure about anything would do."
The guys came to the table a few minutes later with extra things on their trays and put them in front of Vin.
"Um, what's this?"
"They call it food here, but whether it really is remains to be seen," Caleb joked. "Please have lunch on us, but don't sue us if you get food poisoning."
"Thanks!" Vin said, biting his lower lip in an attempt not to show his emotion.
Despite his efforts, a couple of tears rolled down his cheeks.
"You want to talk about it? Are you `food insecure?' I think that's the current jargon," Caleb said. "It was lean for Mom and me while Dad was in Afghanistan. It's no shame to be in need."
"Not exactly, I have to give my lunch money to some guys for protection."
"In other words, you're being shaken down. We need to talk to Dr. Dickenson about this!"
"No, please don't. It'll just get worse."
"Bret, isn't that what I said to you about calling the cops when I got beaten up?"
"Yup."
"Vin, you're being bullied like I was. I know exactly how you feel, but we can take care of this. Just give us the names, and we'll do the rest."
Vin shook his head, and then got a scared look on his face as two boys approached the table.
"Calvin, what are you doing eating with strangers? You're OUR bud," the bigger of the two remarked in a menacing way. "Where did you get the money for all this food?"
Caleb pulled out his phone and took their pictures, causing them to beat a hasty retreat.
"Shit! My life is over now," Vin cried.
"Nope, it's just beginning!" Caleb asserted. "We've got your back."
"But you can't protect me all the time. They'll get me on the way to school tomorrow."
"We'll pick you up on our way," Bret offered.
"I'm sure the trailer park isn't on your route."
"It will be from now on," Bret insisted. "Now, let's eat before this stuff congeals."
By the time lunch was over, the color was coming back to Vin's cheeks. He was grateful when his new acquaintances walked him to his next class.
On the way to the store after school, Bret drove Vin to his place. They agreed on a time to pick him up the following morning. Then they went on.
Caleb reached over to squeeze Bret's hand.
"You're my hero!"
"How so?"
"For going the extra mile, or I should say three miles, for Vin. Do you have a thing for cute, vulnerable boys?"
"Actually, I have more of a thing for one guy who used to fit into that category but is still cute, like the one I love. Besides, you're the one who got this started."
"But you're the one with the wheels who's making it happen. I think, as a team, we can make a difference. I'm going to make an appointment with Dr. Dickenson tomorrow to show her the pictures of those kids who've been harassing Vin. I would have today if I'd had the time."
"I know; we didn't have a minute to spare and it was more important to see Vin safe at home than for you to see her and leave him on his own."
Vin beamed when he opened the door to find Caleb on the step the next morning.
"Aunt Vi, this is Caleb, one of the guys who's giving me a ride."
"Hello Caleb. How is it that you're chauffeuring my nephew around? Usually upper classmen don't want anything to do with freshmen. I'm wondering about your motives."
"We just wanted to make sure he's safe on the way."
"I thought a couple of other boys were doing that. What's up?"
"Um, well, they were charging me my lunch money for their services," Vin bowed his head in shame.
"Oh Sweetie, why didn't you tell me?"
"I was embarrassed to tell anyone. Caleb and Bret got it out of me yesterday when they bought my lunch."
"You bought his lunch? Let me reimburse you," Vi said, reaching for her purse.
"No way! Bret saved my butt from bullies earlier in the fall, and I'm paying it ahead."
"Well, thank you! It's nice to know there are still good people in the world."
Caleb went to the main office to see Dr. Dickenson as soon as they got to school. She had a few minutes to spare and worked him in. He told her Vin's story and showed her the pix on his phone.
"I know these two, Jeff Barns and Bob Hanover. We've had a couple of run-ins already this term. I'll call them in and lay down the law. Do you think Calvin will confirm that they're the ones harassing him?"
"I'm not sure. He's about as frightened as I was after I got beaten up. He's in the outer office with Bret. You could ask him."
Vin looked as pale as he had in the presence of his nemeses at lunch yesterday. He wasn't sure if it was wise to rat on them. Finally, he sighed deeply and admitted that they'd been demanding his lunch money if he wanted to stay healthy.
"I'll bet they try to take it out on me for telling."
"I'll do what I can to keep you safe when you're at school," the principal promised. "I'll alert the security guard to keep an eye on them. Do you have any classes together?"
"Nope, and these guys walked me to class yesterday," he gestured toward the pair.
"I wish I could keep you safe to and from school," she shook her head.
"Oh, these guys are driving me too. I hope this all gets over soon!"
"I hope so too. I suspect Bret could put the word out to his football buddies to watch out for you. They're a pretty nice group without Mark and Don and a few others. It's going to get better."
Neither Jeff nor Bob showed up to school that day. While being absent wasn't unusual for the pair, the principal suspected they were lying low, hoping that everyone would forget about them if Calvin had the temerity to turn them in. If he did, they'd try to find a way to get even.
In the meantime, Bret and Caleb stuck close when they could. They managed to enlist the help of other kids as well. Some of Bret's teammates had younger brothers in Calvin's classes who agreed look out for him. He was a likeable boy, so others didn't mind helping him.
On the next Tuesday, Bret reminded Vin that he'd have to stay later at school because Caleb and he had karate club instead of going to work. Vin could study in the library or was welcome to observe their training if he wanted to sit in the corner.
"I've already cleared it with Mr. Fiala. You'd even be welcome to join the beginners if you bring gym clothes or something that isn't too restricting."
"Um, I might be out of place without a gi."
"Ah, you know some of the terms, I see," Bret grinned. "Not everyone has the official clothes yet, so you wouldn't stand out."
"I won't have much homework, so I guess I'd rather get punched around than sit."
"You'd be learning forms and how to properly punch and kick, and you wouldn't have any physical contact. Why don't you give it a try?"
"Thanks, I might."
Vin did opt to attend karate club with the two boys who'd recently befriended him. It might be safer than being in the library where someone else could find him, not that the bullies tended to hang out there. Then too, he might learn something useful for self-defense.
Mr. Fiala welcomed him, and said that he could join the beginners if he wished. Seeing Caen Pearson in that group, he decided he would. Caen, and several others, were also dressed in gym shorts and T's. Therefore, he wouldn't feel out of place. Besides, Caen was a good guy who didn't make fun of others.
Caleb was advancing rapidly. Some of it could be attributed to the self-confidence he'd gained in taking down Don, but most was due to the extra workouts which Bret put him through. In any case, he felt very different from the kid he'd been at the beginning of the term.
When Caleb learned that Calvin's aunt had to work that night, and wouldn't be home at dinnertime, he texted his mom to see if they could invite him to eat supper with them and keep him until Aunt Vi got home. He offered to chip in some of his pay from the store to help with the grocery bill.
Carol answered immediately, saying that he was welcome to bring the boy home. She was already planning on Bret, so one more wouldn't matter that much. She also thanked him for his concern about their finances but assured him all was well now that his father had a good paycheck coming in every week.
"Bret and I are going to shower when we get to my house. You can have one too if you want. I'm not sure how sweaty you got doing forms, but it's up to you," Caleb offered.
"Nah, I had a shower after gym, and I didn't perspire much doing karate," Vin declined.
Vin sat in Caleb's room while the other two showered. It didn't seem to faze him that they were in the bathroom together and came back to the bedroom in nothing but their underwear before dressing again.
Carol had a curious expression on her face when she got a good look at Calvin, as Caleb officially introduced him at dinnertime.
"Have I met you somewhere before, Calvin? You seem vaguely familiar."
"I doubt it," Vin said. I'm just a freshman, so I haven't been around school a lot."
"Hmm, well, perhaps you just remind me of someone else, or maybe you have a doppelganger."
"I'm not sure what that is," Vin grinned. "If I had one, they probably removed it when I was born."
"Oh Calvin, you have a quirky sense of humor like Caleb. I think I'll adopt you," Carol laughed. "It means you could have a double, or someone who looks like your twin."
"Thanks for teaching me a new word, and you probably could adopt me if you really wanted to. There are times when Aunt Vi doesn't know what to do with me."
"Well, if she needs a break from a teenager, you can come and visit me."
Bret and Caleb had a little homework to do, so Vin offered to hang around the kitchen and help Carol clean up while the other two studied. Caleb thought it a little unusual that a kid would rather be with an adult than other guys, but he wasn't jealous of how his mother and the boy had connected. He figured that, given his home situation, Vin could use all the motherly support he could get.
Carol was careful not to pry, but she did learn a lot about Vin's state of affairs. He seemed to need a listening, non-judgmental ear to share his burdens. Once he got started, he couldn't seem to stop, and he told her a lot more than he'd intended to.
The gist of his story was as follows. His mother had given birth to him out of wedlock, and he had never known his father. He'd never seen a copy of his birth certificate, and he wasn't even sure the man's name was it, since he'd always gone by his mom's maiden name.
His mother had been in and out of rehab for meth. Her parental rights had been terminated, and he'd been given to his Uncle Bill and Aunt Vi to raise. Bill had bailed on them, and Vi had divorced him. She was the only relative he had, and she wasn't even blood-kin.
"I appreciate everything she's done for me, but I feel like I'm a burden. I know the guy she's dating would probably marry her if I wasn't in the picture. I'm sorry I dumped all this on you!" he said tearfully.
Caleb came into the kitchen when it was time to take Vin home, and found him weeping in Carol's arms. He was glad that his mother had a tender heart. No doubt, Vin needed someone like her in his life. Maybe the whole family could help him feel like someone valued and cared for him.
Calvin was clearly embarrassed that the older boys had seen him crying. He couldn't look at either of them.
"Hey, Vin, are you feeling better?" Caleb asked, trying to cheer him up. "Mom hasn't been beating you has she?"
"How can you say that?" Vin gasped.
"Well, you were in here with her, and obviously you've been crying. So, I had to make a smart-ass remark. Mom and I tease like that a lot."
"You're lucky!"
"Yes, I am."
"Do you guys have time for a bowl of popcorn before you take Vin home?" Carol asked."
"Sure," Bret agreed.
"Okay, go find Hollis and see if he'll join us."
Author's notes: Thanks to Allan M, Tony C, Steve C, Bill T, James M, Mendy D, Chandra B, John L, Allen, Walter Sz, Joe W, Vinnie, Charles G, Geoff S, Daz, Bill K, Max P, Greg W, John McD, Skip M, Randy McM, Henry, Avid R, Jim W, Wayne, Paul R, Rick M, Zero M. JLF, Steen J, and Paul F who emailed since the last posting. If you're enjoying this tale, I'd love to hear from you at, dlee169@hotmail.commailto:dlee169@hotmail.com .
Thanks to my faithful editor, David and to Nifty for making this free site available. I know several of you have donated.
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Hoping for better days to come in this poor old world,
David