Author's Notes: Yes, dear readers. You're getting two chapters for the price of one again. What can I say? I don't know when to stop writing. LOL Anyway, as always I want to thank everyone who takes the time to read and/or review my stuff. I am very grateful. I'd like to dedicate this chapter to 2 very nice ladies, judyg and flashymom. I really appreciate their support (They even got a character named after them). Here's the disclaimer: LO:CI and its characters belong to Dick Wolf and company; I'm just borrowing them for a while. Any and all mistakes made are my own. Read, review and enjoy. :o)
Thursday, September 8, 1977
Hudson-Brooklyn High School
Boys' Locker Room
Derek's fist connected with Bobby's face, hitting him in the nose, which started to bleed profusely. He reached up to wipe the blood away. He stared at the blood on his hand for a few seconds, then he looked at Derek. A dark scowl covered his entire face. Bobby narrowed his eyes and said, "My turn." Without any warning, as quick as lightning, Bobby swung his fist, hitting Derek in the eye.
Derek barely had chance to recover before Bobby gave him a couple of hard blows to the body. Derek butted his head into his opponent's stomach, grabbing him by the waist and shoving him in the lockers. A sharp pain ran through Bobby's head as it hit a locker handle. Before too long, he and Derek were exchanging heated punches.
"Break it up, you two!" Coach Harkins yelled as he ran into the locker room. He tried to pry the two teenagers apart by himself, but to no avail. Every time he got between them, they'd knock him out of the way. "Russ! Get over here and help me!" he said.
Russ was Russell Nash, the assistant basketball coach. He rushed over to where Coach Harkins and the 2 combatants were. Despite his 5 foot 8 inch tall stature, Coach Nash managed to pull Bobby away from Derek, holding on with all of his might to the flailing teen.
Coach Harkins grabbed Derek by the shoulders, pushing him into and holding him against the lockers. Derek kept on struggling anyway, determined to get another swing at Bobby. "STOP THIS FIGHTING NOW!" Coach Harkins said in a very loud booming voice. Everyone within the sound of his voice stopped moving instantly. It was so quiet in that locker room that the squeak coming from someone's sneakers sounded like a cannonball being fired. Coach Harkins pointed to a bench and said, "Harper! Sit there!" Derek did as he was told, keeping his eyes on Bobby with a mean glare. "Goren! Sit there!" the coach said, pointing at the other bench. Coach Nash let Bobby go. He sat down opposite of Derek, giving him the same mean glare. They sat there facing each other in stony silence.
Coach Harkins took a deep breath, exhaling noisily. He stood there between the boys, looking back and forth at each of them. Both of them were breathing heavily and had bloody noses, cuts and scrapes on their faces, hands and lips and bruises from where a punch had landed. The cut on Bobby's cheek had re-opened. Derek's eye was starting to swell. The coach took a deep breath, then exhaled. He said, "Which one of you started it?"
Bobby and Derek went from looking at each other to looking at the floor, avoiding Coach Harkins' angry stare. "Apparently, neither one of you heard me," Coach said. "I asked who started it?" He folded his arms across his chest, looking back and forth between them again. "Derek, did you start the fight?" he asked. Derek didn't say anything. He kept looking at the floor. Coach Harkins let out an exasperated breath before turning his attention to Bobby. "Bobby, did you start the fight?" Bobby remained silent as well, preferring to look at his shoes than look Coach Harkins in the eye. "Come on, guys," Coach Nash said. "Speak up and tell us the truth."
After a couple of minutes of silence, Coach Harkins sighed heavily. "I'm tired of this bullshit," he mumbled under his breath. Without turning around, he said, "Thompson! Front and center! Now!" Jake Thompson, the team's co-captain, walked up and stood next to Coach Harkins. "Yeah, Coach?" he asked. "Who started the fight between Goren and Harper?" Jake didn't answer right away. Instead, he shuffled his feet and looked at the floor. Coach Harkins rolled his eyes and sighed. "I haven't got all day, Thompson! Who threw the first punch: Goren or Harper?"
Finally, after a few more seconds of silence, Jake replied, "Derek threw the first punch." "Thank you. Go back to where you were standing," Coach Harkins said. Jake glanced at his teammates briefly before going back to the group. "Well, now that I know WHO started the fight, somebody want to tell me WHAT you were fighting about?" Derek and Bobby looked at each other, trying to see which one of them would break their silence first. Bobby looked away first, casting his gaze towards the lockers.
"Last chance, fellas," Coach Harkins said. "What were you fighting about?" His question was answered with complete silence. "Fine. If you're not going to talk to me, then maybe you'll talk to Principal Clayton." Coach Harkins grabbed Derek firmly by the arm, pulling him up off of the bench. "Russ, grab Goren. We're taking them to the nurse's station, then to Mr. Clayton's office." Coach Harkins dragged Derek towards the locker room exit. Coach Nash grabbed Bobby's arm tightly and pulled him off of his bench as well. Bobby winced slightly in pain as he let himself be dragged away to the principal's office.
Thursday, September 8, 1977
Hudson-Brooklyn High School
Principal Clayton's Office
After school
"So, what do you gentlemen have to say for yourselves?" Principal Clayton asked. He was standing behind Derek and Bobby, who were both sitting down in front of the principal's wooden desk. They cast sideways glances at each other, but neither one of them opened their mouth to answer the question. Derek was holding an ice pack against his eye. Mr. Clayton sighed as he walked around them to take a seat himself. He placed his elbows on the desk top, interlacing his fingers together into a steeple. He contemplated each boy individually as he looked at them.
Patrick Clayton was 6 feet 6 inches tall and weighed 300 pounds. He had a barrel chest, warm medium brown skin, nicely trimmed goatee and a small afro. His appearance alone used to intimidate people when they first met him. But as they got to know him, they realized that he was a kind hearted and gentle person by nature. He had been principal at Hudson-Brooklyn for the past seven years. He made it a point to know everyone personally, students and teachers alike, who walked through the halls of that school. He made sure that he knew the first names of all of his teachers and that they knew they could call him by his first name. He made it his business to at least know everything he could about his students from their home life to what kind of grades they were making to who was dating who.
Principal Clayton looked at Derek first. He knew that Derek was the basketball team's co-captain, made decent grades and was dating Veronica Stewart. He also knew that Derek was being raised by his widowed mother who was a nurse. Then Mr. Clayton looked at Bobby. He knew that Bobby was super smart, intensely private because of his home life, was well liked by everyone in the school and had a temper that could become explosive when unleashed.
When Mr. Clayton looked at both of the teenage boys together, he couldn't understand what in the world they would be fighting about. He un-steepled his fingers and leaned back in his chair. "Who threw the first punch?" Neither teenager said a word. "Harper there swung first," Coach Harkins said, pointing at Derek. He was standing next to the door, leaning against the wall. "Is that true, Derek?" Mr. Clayton asked. "Yes, sir." "Why did you hit Bobby?" Derek's response was to look at the floor. "Bobby, you want to tell me why you and Derek were fighting?" Bobby looked the principal in the eye for a few seconds before shifting his gaze to look out of the window over Mr. Clayton's shoulder.
Coach Harkins snorted and said, "It's obvious why they were fighting. With a father like Goren's, he was bound to act and talk like him someday." One corner of Derek's mouth twitched faintly upward into a smile while Bobby turned around in his chair to look at the coach. "Coach, I didn't say anything to Derek!" he said loudly. 'Then why in the world were the 2 of you fighting, huh?!" he countered back even louder. Bobby turned back around in his chair. He folded his arms across his chest and slouched down in the chair. "It's none of your business," he mumbled angrily.
Mr. Clayton shook his index finger at Coach Harkins. "Coach, cool your heels and calm down," he said, sighing and shaking his head. "There are times I wish he would think before he opens his mouth," he thought. He said aloud, "Whatever started the fight, I'm sure that it's NOT because of some derogatory remarks." Coach Harkins just grunted. "Hmmph! We'll see about that." Mr. Clayton sighed inwardly. He decided he'd deal with the coach's negative attitude in private later. "He's got to stop assuming the worst about the students."
Principal Clayton looked at Bobby and said, "Unfortunately, Bobby, this fight between you and Derek is our business. One of you is going to have to tell us what the problem is so that we can help resolve it." Bobby and Derek looked at each other out of the corners of their eyes. Bobby rolled his eyes and stared out the window; Derek did the same thing.
Mr. Clayton threw up his hands. "Fine. If neither one of you wants to talk to me and Coach Harkins, perhaps you'll talk in front of your parents." He pushed a button on his telephone and said, "Judy, could you come in here for a minute please?" "On my way, Mr. Clayton," a female voice replied. A big smile covered Coach Harkins' face when the door opened and in walked Judy Williams, Mr. Clayton's secretary. The pretty medium sized brunette with hazel eyes flashed him a brief smile before turning her attention to the principal. "You need something, Mr. Clayton?" she asked.
Mr. Clayton raised his index finger. "This is your final opportunity, gentlemen," he said to Derek and Bobby. "You want to tell me what the fight was about?" Derek squirmed in his seat more than Bobby did. "I don't give damn if they call Mama. I'll make them all see what a mean and hateful person Bobby is," Derek thought to himself. When he didn't get an answer out of either boy, Mr. Clayton said to Judy, "Would please call their parents and have them come in tomorrow morning at 10 a.m.?" She nodded her head. "Yes, sir." Judy turned around and walked out of the office, flashing Coach Harkins another smile as she closed the door.
"Can I have your attention for a few more minutes, Coach Harkins?" Mr. Clayton said with a teasing undertone in his voice. Coach Harkins' face turned beet red as he caught a brief glimpse of the principal's small knowing smile. "Damn! Didn't think he'd see that." Mr. Clayton's smile disappeared as he focused his attention on Bobby and Derek. "Right now, both of you have earned one day of after school detention for refusing to tell Coach Harkins and me why you were fighting. After we talk to you and your parents tomorrow, I'll decide how many more days of detention you'll get."
"I'd like to add on to that punishment, if you don't mind, Mr. Clayton," Coach Harkins said as he walked around to stand next to the principal. He leaned against the wall next to the window. He said, "I'm suspending you from practice for 2 weeks." Derek was the first to react in protest. "Two weeks?! Coach, that's not fair!" Coach Harkins pointed his finger at Derek. "When you joined the team, do you remember what I said about my rule of unsportsmanlike conduct?" he asked sternly. "Yes, sir, I do. But come on, Coach. There's scouts coming to see me in practice."
Coach Harkins said, "I don't care if scouts are coming to see you, Harper! You and Goren both broke my rule by fighting. In my book, that's unsportsmanlike conduct. Just because you're team co-captain and going to college on a basketball scholarship doesn't exempt you from following the rules like everyone else on the team. Hell, Harper! You're supposed to be setting a good example for the fellas coming up behind you!" Derek threw himself back into his chair. He put the ice pack back against his eye and sulked.
Coach Harkins regarded Bobby and asked, "You got anything to say, Goren?" Bobby looked at him with an apparent ticked off look in his eyes. He was mad about Coach's statement comparing him to his father. He silently shook his head, then looked away. The coach was going to say something about Bobby's attitude, but thought better of it. He decided to let him slide this time.
A soft, but firm knock was heard coming from the door. "Come in," said Mr. Clayton. Judy walked in with a steno pad in one hand; a pencil in the other. "I spoke with Mrs. Harper. She said she'll be here," she said as she stood behind the boys' chairs. "I spoke with Mr. Goren. He said he'll have to come since Mrs. Goren can't make it." Bobby jumped up out of his chair, spinning around to look at her. A look mixed with fear and disgust covered his face. "You talked to my dad?!" he asked in disbelief. Miss Williams nodded her head. "Yes, I did." "Oh my God," he muttered as he ran his fingers through his hair and walked towards the other side of the room. He paced back and forth furiously, talking softly to himself.
Derek had a smug smile on his lips. "Bobby's scared of his daddy! Getting in trouble was worth seeing this!" Mr. Clayton and Coach Harkins were very surprised to say the least. They looked at each other, then at Judy and asked at the same time, "You talked to Richard Goren?" She nodded her head again, puzzled by their reaction. Mr. Clayton opened and closed his mouth a couple of times. He could tell by Bobby's reaction that Frances must be in a mental ward again. He was trying to figure out the best way of acknowledging that fact without letting any of the others know Bobby's closely guarded secret.
Mr. Clayton asked, "Mr. Goren said he was definitely coming tomorrow?" "Yes, he did," Judy replied. "He said that Mrs. Goren was out of town visiting relatives." "I see. Well, Bobby usually stays with Jedidiah Lewis and his family when his mother is out of town. Would you please call them to let them know they need to be here tomorrow?" Miss Williams was even more confused. "I don't understand. Mr. Goren is listed as Bobby's legal guardian in the records." A soft smile spread over Mr. Clayton's lips. "I know that, but I'd like to have them here, too, so they can all agree upon what type of punishment to implement at home," he said. She shrugged her shoulders slightly and said, "Okay," before walking out.
Bobby stopped pacing to look at Mr. Clayton. When the principal turned his head to look back at him, Bobby's mouth quickly twitched into a brief smile. Then he turned his head away in shame. Mr. Clayton felt pity for him. He thought, "Such a heavy burden for a young person to have on his shoulders." He cleared his throat before speaking. "Derek, Bobby, you can go home now. I'll see you and your parents here in my office tomorrow at 10 a.m." Derek got up and headed to the door. He rolled his eyes and grunted as he gave Bobby a disgusted look over his shoulder. "I can't wait to see your dad rip you apart." Bobby waited a few seconds before he exited out of the principal's office. He could feel his anger towards Derek beginning to come back. He wanted to give him a chance to get down the hall and out of the building before the opportunity to pummel him into the ground presented itself. He closed the door behind him.
Coach Harkins shook his head as he watched the boys leave. He let out a heavy sigh and said, "Unbelievable." He pushed himself off the wall, getting ready to leave. "I'm going to see if Russ needs any help putting the equipment away," he said. "Then I'm going home. You need me in here tomorrow?" Mr. Clayton shook his head. "I'll fill you in afterwards," he replied. "Alright. Good night, Patrick." "Good night, Karl."
Just as Coach's hand touched the doorknob, Mr. Clayton said, "You're wrong, you know." He turned around. "I'm wrong about what?" "About Bobby. And about him provoking Derek." Coach Harkins chuckled. "I'm going to have to disagree with you on that, Patrick. I know I'm right." Mr. Clayton leaned back in his chair. "Really? Why?" he asked. Coach Harkins exhaled as he walked back and sat down. "Richard Goren and I have known each other since we were little kids. There are 2 things about him I'm very certain about: his temper and his disdain of others who are different from him. I've seen him verbally and physically crush anyone who he thinks is beneath him."
"But you're assuming that Bobby is hateful towards others like his father," Mr. Clayton said. "He's nothing like that. If anything, he's the exact opposite." Coach Harkins shook his head. He said, "If Richard gave him anything, he gave him that fiery temper. With that temper comes the mindset to think of and speak out loud the most cruel, vile and hurtful words imaginable. Sure, Bobby gets along with anyone regardless of what they look like or their skin color. But if he's provoked, he's got the potential to be like Richard. It was just a matter of time before something happened."
Mr. Clayton said, "I still say you're wrong about him. I don't think Bobby said something to Derek. I think there may be another reason they were fighting." "No disrespect to you, Patrick, but I think you're wrong," Coach Harkins said. "How about we agree to disagree?" Mr. Clayton asked with a smile. The coach stood up, returning the smile. "Agreed. I'll see you in the morning. Good night." "Good night, " the principal said to Coach Harkins' retreating back.
Mr. Clayton sat there, staring at the closed door for a couple of minutes. He shook his head and sighed as he picked up a stack of papers out of his inbox. He picked up a pen, thinking to himself, "When will people learn not to judge a book by its cover or teenage boys by their father?"
Thursday, September 8, 1977
Home of Bill and Susannah Lewis
Early evening/Dinnertime
Susannah Lewis was standing in the kitchen, poking holes with a fork in the crusts of some chicken pot pies. "Hey, Mom," Lewis said as he came in from the garage. By the time she turned her head to say hi, her son was a blue blur whizzing by her and heading upstairs. "Hey, Susie," Bill said. "Hey," she replied. He kissed her on the cheek, then leaned against kitchen sink. "Where's Bobby?" he asked. "Upstairs," she replied as she resumed poking holes. "He's locked himself in Cara's room." "What does he have to say for himself?" Susannah shook her head and said, "All he's done is come into the house, said hi and went straight upstairs. By the time I could get up there, he was already in Cara's room. I want to talk to him in person, not through a door."
Bill sighed heavily. "I know. I'll get my toolbox and take the door down," he said, pushing himself away from the sink. Susannah grabbed his arm to stop him. "Bill, you don't have to do that," she said. "Leave him alone for now. We'll get him out of there without resorting to taking doors off the hinges." He took up his position against the sink again. He watched his wife as he silently counted the pot pies. There were 12 pies altogether; 6 each on 2 flat sheet pans. "Um, Susie, you expecting a lot of company?" "No, I'm not. Doreen and Calvin are coming over to discuss what we're going to do about punishing Bobby. Mr. Graham is coming over to check up on Bobby. And your son will eat whatever is leftover by himself."
"Wait a minute," Bill said. "Back up for a second. Did you just say that the social worker is coming here?" "Yes," Susannah answered. "Did you call and tell him what happened at the school?" "No, I didn't!" she snapped. "He was coming here anyway." "Easy, Susie Q. Sorry." She inhaled deeply, holding her breath for 10 seconds before exhaling. "There's something else I need to tell you that I didn't want to say over the phone," she said quietly. "What?" he asked warily. "Richard is coming to the school tomorrow."
Bill frowned slightly. "Richard who? Richard Goren?" "Yes, Richard Goren, Bobby's father," Susannah said. Bill's mouth dropped open. "Why in the world is he coming to the school?!" "Miss Williams, the school secretary, called Bobby's home. Richard answered the phone. He told her that Frances was out of town visiting relatives, so he'd come instead." Bill threw up his arms. "Richard has never shown an interest in anything that Bobby does! Why the sudden change now?!"
Susannah shrugged and said, "It could be because of Miss Williams' voice. He heard it and decided that he should meet her in person. You know how he is." "Richard's coming to the school to fulfill some sexual need of his?!" Bill exclaimed. "He needs to be more concerned about his son than chasing some piece of tail!" Susannah glared at him. "I'm sorry, Susie. I know that's a bad choice of words, but it's the truth! God! Richard's presence at the school will cause more chaos and trouble than help to solve the situation!"
Susannah laid the fork down, then wrapped her arms around Bill's waist. She squeezed him as tightly as she could. He wrapped his arms around her, returning the hug. She looked up at him and said, "You're cute when you're being indignant. But you've got to calm down." "I am calm," Bill said. "I'm just ticked off at Richard for his ulterior motives. Doesn't this bother you at all?" "Yes, sweetheart, it does bother me. But you're so worked up over this for the both of us, I think I should be the one with the cool head." He relaxed his body a little bit. "Am I making too big a deal out of this?" he asked. She smiled and shook her head, saying. "You're doing exactly what any concerned parent would do about their child."
Susannah got up on her tiptoes and kissed Bill's lips. "Now, I want you to go upstairs and get changed before our guests arrive," she said. "Yes, ma'am," Bill said. He let go of her and headed upstairs. When he reached the top, he saw Lewis had changed out of his coveralls into a t-shirt, jeans and socks. He was standing outside of Cara's room, knocking on and talking to the closed door. "Come on, Bobby. Let me in, man." Bill walked up and stood next to his son. "Any response?" he asked. Lewis shook his head. "He opened the door a little bit the first time I knocked. He said he was fine and then he closed the door before I could get my foot in there."
Bill took Lewis by the shoulders, turning him around and guiding him to his bedroom. He said, "Go do your homework. Your mom and I will deal with Bobby later." "But, Dad!" Lewis groaned in protest. " 'But, Dad' nothing, Jedidiah. Do your homework." Lewis groaned some more as he walked into his room and closed the door. Bill walked towards his own bedroom, pausing briefly in front of Cara's room. He started to knock on the door, but didn't. Instead, he shook his head and continued on to his room, wondering what in the world was going on with Bobby.