Perfectly Good Reasons
By Dagmar Buse
Ch. 3
"Hey Billy!"
Zack greeted the blond boy cheerfully as he caught up with him on the steps to the schoolhouse on Saturday morning.
"Good morning, Zack," was the much more subdued reply, but the shy smile accompanying it was genuine and unforced.
"Another wasted Saturday morning," the dark-skinned youngster babbled as they traversed the hallway to the lockers near the detention classroom. "Man, this isn't doing much for me at all. I think I could stand it better if we at least learned something new, but all ol' Jenkins is doing is recap stuff we've done before. You must be bored out of your skull," he winked at Billy, who was fiddling with his locker. The other glanced at him.
"I must admit that I find the exercises we are being set also somewhat less than intellectually stimulating," Billy replied cautiously, not wanting to be overheard by the Vice Principal and possibly getting into even more trouble. "I could most likely accomplish more if I were to work on my own at home." Which was exactly what had placed him in detention in the first place, he neglected to say.
"Well, I for one still don't get what's so important about all that history stuff, recap or not, " came Kimberly's disgusted voice from behind the two boys, startling them.
"Eek! Don't DO that!" Zack exclaimed in mock horror, pressing his hand melodramatically to his chest and pretending to stagger back with 'shock'. "You're gonna give me a heart attack!" Billy, who would've loved to be able to say something similar – his heart rate had risen significantly with the unexpectedness of Kimberly's appearance – involuntarily chuckled at his antics, which were ignored by the petite girl.
"I mean, who wants to know about guilds and stuff in some medieval European place, anyway? Today is going to be like such a total drag!" She barely caught her locker door from slamming against the wall; Jason had got a severe reprimand for doing just that the previous week.
Billy looked at her earnestly. "But the guilds were instrumental for a lot of the things still important in the modern-day workplace," he explained. "They established a functional apprentice system, exerted quality control, made sure the customers weren't cheated out of their money's worth …"
"Like unions, you mean?" Jason and Trini joined the other three in front of the still-locked classroom door as they waited for the teacher.
"Not precisely. Unions were founded in the late 19th century to mainly defend workers' rights vis-à-vis the employers, to prevent exploitation of the labor force, among other things. But a lot of the guilds' principles are still valid and are applied in a lot of ways, if one knows what to look for."
"Why don't they teach that to us, then?" Kim wanted to know. "All we ever get to learn is dates and names!"
"Because it's easier on the teachers, I suppose," Trini mused as the group of five wandered down the hallway. "After all, evaluations and extrapolations like Billy mentioned can't be as easily tested as numbers anyone can learn by heart."
Elated that his fellow students seemed so interested in what he had to say, Billy very much wanted to continue the discussion, but was prevented from doing so by the arrival of Mr. Jenkins, who herded his charges into the classroom with nary a word of greeting, and proceeded to set them exactly the type of lesson Kimberly had feared. The five children exchanged resigned smiles, careful not to let the ill-tempered man see their amusement, and took out their books, studying more or less half-heartedly until the time for break arrived.
On this morning, they were left inside the classroom while the Vice Principal took off for the teacher's lounge; the weather for once was just too cold to spend time outside. The youngsters made the best out of the situation by gathering around Jason's table near the window, where they at least had the opportunity to look at something beside the blackboard. As they all unpacked their snacks and prepared to eat, Trini noticed that Billy was rubbing his eyes behind his glasses, squinting against the watery fall sunshine.
"Billy? Are you okay?" she asked concernedly, noticing for the first time how red his eyes were once he lowered his hands.
He grinned at her rather bashfully.
"Yes, thank you," he replied. "I am just experiencing slight discomfort from all the chlorinated water irritating my eyes yesterday."
"Oh man, you should've said something," Jason exclaimed. "If you had, we could've gotten out of the water sooner!" While his eyes weren't especially sensitive, he frequented the public pool often enough to know what Billy was going through. "My mom's always getting on my case for staying in the water too long. When I do, I get the same rabbit eyes you have now." The dark eyes twinkled as he poked his tongue in his cheek.
"I do not have 'rabbit eyes'," Billy protested, but was drowned out by Kim and Zack's appreciative giggles at the comparison.
"Sure you do, my main brain," Zack chortled. "Look into a mirror lately?" Billy had to admit he hadn't.
Kimberly obligingly produced a small compact mirror, and held it up for the boy to look into. "See? All red," she commented, chasing the remark with a stern but well-meant admonition. "Don't rub; you're only making it worse!"
"Yes ma'am," Billy mumbled automatically as he adjusted his glasses, then stopped short, chagrined with himself. Who did this cheerleader think she was, ordering him around like that? She was making a laughing-stock out of him! But a quick glance at the other three showed that quite obviously, they didn't regard it as such; on the contrary, their expressions reflected only concern for him … and respect for the tiny girl.
"Hey, next time we go to the pool, you can have my goggles," Jason offered. "They'll protect your eyes at least a little bit from the chlorine."
"Good idea, Jase," Zack concurred. "I left mine in my bag yesterday; I could've lent them to you easy."
"Just remember to bring them next time," Trini added while Kimberly only nodded, tucking away her mirror again. Neither noticed Billy's rather baffled expression.
"N-next time?" he finally eeped. "You … you're planning to include me into more outings like yesterday's?!?" Only good manners and a barely-acknowledged wish to spend more time with kids his own age who were friendly, not mocking him, had made him accept the invitation in the first place. Billy had not really expected to enjoy the group's activities, being unused to the unstructured nature of aquatic pursuits he had been introduced to. However, once he'd gotten accustomed to all the splashing, yelling, good-natured dunking and energetic games, he'd lost his inhibitions and participated as best he could. He had returned home pleasantly exhausted, determined to cherish the memory of what he believed was a one-time experience. After all, he hadn't been able to contribute much, neither in skill nor in ideas …
"Sure," Jason said easily, dispelling Billy's notion of having been just an adjunct to the group – someone who got to tag along just because he happened to be there and politeness demanded he be included. "It was fun. Wasn't it?" He looked around, searching for and finding instant approval.
Trini finally caught up to at least a little bit of what the shy boy must be feeling.
"Billy, you did have fun at the pool, right?" she asked, suddenly anxious. "We can always find something else to do if you didn't … can't we?" Her almond eyes silently begged the others to agree.
"The more the merrier," Zack intoned casually while Jason and Kim just nodded. "In water, on land and in the air!" He gestured grandly, making the others laugh – even Billy.
"I don't see how we could manage any aerial exercises without incurring the wrath of our parents," he mused, "but if you really want me to take part in your activities despite my lack of physical prowess, I would be amenable to further joint pursuits."
"Huh?" Kim looked beseechingly at Trini. "What was that?"
The slender girl smiled apologetically at Billy, but had her translation ready. "He says, if we don't mind that he's not as athletic as Jason and Zack," – tactfully ignoring the fact that Billy was worse than the girls, even – "he'd love to come with us the next time."
"Oh. Okay. Great!" Seeing how taken aback Billy was by her artless comment, Kim grinned at the blond. "When you're along, I have at least someone to talk to when these jocks get all sweaty and whatnot."
*Not exactly the most glowing endorsement, but a start,* Billy thought to himself, nodding his agreement. *At least Kimberly does not make fun of me like the rest of the cheerleaders.*
~*~
Suddenly, Zack yelped. "Man, look at the time! Break's almost over, and we haven't heard our weekly confession yet. Who's left, anyway?"
"Jason and Billy," Kimberly supplied, her brown eyes alighting with curiosity.
"Right! Fighting and bullying, or playing hooky. So who's going to tell all?" the irrepressible youngster asked, looking from one boy to the other. Both Jason and Billy flushed at the reminder of why they had ended up in detention. But the other three had already explained; it was only fair that they should do so as well.
Resignedly, Billy sighed. "I think that it might be easier if I went first, seeing as there isn't much time left." Questioning grey-green eyes behind slightly smudged glasses met Jason's dark gaze. The burly boy nodded curtly, partly relieved that he could hold back for at least another week, and partly wanting to just get it over with.
"Sure. Go ahead," he muttered, garnering a strange look from Billy and a frown from Trini. He stared at his scuffed sneakers, right now not caring at all what they thought of him. The accusation still smarted; he was not a bully!
Shrugging, Billy gathered his thoughts. What concern of his was Jason's strange mood? He deliberately ignored the mental discomfort his indifference caused him. With a deep breath, he launched into his tale.
"I wasn't deliberately skipping class, as the teachers insisted on seeing it. It's just … I had contracted a cold which kept me at home for a week. Unfortunately, my father forgot to inform the school of that fact, then he had to leave rather abruptly on a business trip. He even neglected to make arrangements for someone to look after our house. So I decided to take it upon myself to see that we weren't burgled, that my pet was cared for and that no other mishap occurred. I had enough provisions at my disposal, I cleaned, I discovered how to work the washer so that my physical well-being was seen to … I even dedicated three hours a day to my school work, so I would not fall behind. As a matter of fact, I believe that studying on my own was more beneficial to me than attending class would have been."
He managed to tell all of that in one breathless rush, to which his fellow students listened with growing amazement. Jason whistled; he couldn't imagine how any parent could be so indifferent towards their only child, but was too well-bred to say anything. Kimberly's mouth hung open with surprise and Trini looked rather thoughtful, nodding slowly to herself as if some things sudenly were beginning to make sense to her. It was left to Zack to express their collective astonishment.
"And your dad never noticed? What is he, the original absent-minded professor?" he blurted. Billy just shrugged. His father had always been like that; it was the way things were in the Cranston house. If his mother were still alive … but she wasn't, and father and son were coping as best they could.
Trini shushed the black boy with a slight nudge, and instead asked a more sensitive question.
"Could you do that? Study all on your own, I mean; I tried reading ahead in some books, but there were too many things that didn't make sense without having someone explain," she wondered.
"Yeah," Kimberly added. "It'd take someone really smart to understand the math problems …"
"Or the science stuff," Jason commented. "I can hardly follow everything in class myself, and I know I'm not stupid."
Billy looked at them. "I graduated from the Accelerated Baby Genius Program before I even entered grade school," he said simply. No boasting, no special declaration, just a plain statement of fact.
"Wow." Zack summed their thoughts up very nicely with his awed exclamation.
Before the children could go deeper into the topic, however, Mr: Jenkins returned and they had to scramble back into their seats, to sit through the rest of the morning's lesson. Afterwards, they went off to their respective homes, Kim and Trini quickly making plans to meet at the mall in the afternoon.
~*~
At four o'clock on that same Saturday, Jason and Zack finished their run in the park and were lounging near the playground, too keyed up to sit still for long and yet at a loss for something interesting to do.
"You wanna work out?" Jason suggested half-heartedly, for once not really in the mood for his beloved karate. Zack shook his head.
"Nah. The run was enough."
"Then what can we do? We can't go to my place; mom's having friends over for tea."
"And my dad's not feeling well; he told me to get lost for a while so he can take a nap in peace," the shorter boy sighed.
"We could go look for the girls …"
The suggestion garnered him an 'Are you KIDDING?!?' look, and Jason shrugged sheepishly. "Sorry."
"You should be," Zack grumbled. "The mall's fun enough, but with those two? Not in this lifetime!" he declared dramatically, making Jason laugh.
"Right. So, what are we gonna do, then? I don't have to be home until seven; that's not for three hours."
"Give the guy an A in math!" Suddenly, Zack sat up straight. "That's it!"
"That's what?"
"Billy!"
"Huh?"
Energetically, Zack jumped up and grabbed Jason's arm, pulling him onto the path. "Let's get over to Billy's place and see if he has any good stuff we can play with or something!"
"Hey, cool idea!"
"I know. It's mine, after all," Zack boasted.
"Yeah, right. Like that is a guarantee." The two grinned at each other, then exchanged high fives. "Let's go!"
Walking briskly, the boys marched off towards the park exit. Just before they hit the sidewalk leading back into town, Jason grinned bemusedly at his companion. "Uh, Zack?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you even know where Billy lives?"
~*~
Fifteen minutes later, after having consulted the phone book at a public phone for the right address, they walked up to the one-storey house in a quiet street that actually wasn't all that far away from their own neighborhood. They couldn't see any activity inside or out, but that was only a minor setback. Determinedly, Jason rang the doorbell. He pumped his fist when after a few seconds, steps could be heard approaching. The front door opened, and the boy found himself face-to-face with a slight man not much taller than himself, with thinning sandy hair, glasses dangling from his hand.
"Yes?" he addressed the boys distractedly. "What can I do for you?"
"Hello, Mr. Cranston. I'm Jason Scott, and that's Zack Taylor," Jason politely introduced themselves. "We're, uh, friends of Billy, from school, and we were wondering if he has time …" This was stretching the truth a bit, he knew, but he doubted that 'we're in detention together with your son' would get them anywhere near Billy.
"Time to do what?" the quiet gentleman asked, obviously puzzled. His attention was obviously more on the sheaf of papers he held than on the boys. Jason and Zack exchanged bemused glances. Their parents never asked questions like that!
"Uh, to play?" Zack ventured after a pause. The notion seemed to confound Billy's dad rather a lot, but he rose to the occasion … eventually.
"Of course. Why don't you come in, I'll see whether he's available," the man murmured and wandered off, leaving the children standing in the shady hallway. Just before he disappeared in a room at the far end, he visibly recollected himself, backtracked and turned a corner. They could hear him knock on a door and softly call out his son's name.
The black boy looked at his companion. "Huh. Guess there won't be cookies and milk around here," he commented quietly, referring to his own mother's habit of feeding his friends first, make small talk later.
Jason snorted softly. "Nah. And now I see why Billy got to be left on his own for three weeks … can you imagine my mom being like that?"
Zack suppressed a giggle. He'd already met Mrs. Scott, who was all brisk efficiency and cheerful spirit – just the way a mom should be. Like his own was, too. The boys exchanged a grin of perfect understanding; they might chafe sometimes at their mothers' fussing, but knew they'd miss them terribly if they had to get by without them.
As Billy had to do.
The thought occurred to both at almost the same instant, and sobered them enough to wait for Mr. Cranston with reasonable patience.
~*~
Billy glanced up from his computer manual, startled as he heard the cautious knock on his door.
"Yes?" he called out, wondering what his father – it couldn't possibly be anyone else; to the best of his knowledge, they were alone in the house, and neither was expecting visitors – wanted of him. His irritation at the interruption turned into burning curiosity, however, when his parent informed him that company had arrived for him, Billy.
"Really? Who is it?" the slight boy asked, jumping up from his chair and opening the door fully. His father gave him a sheepish smile.
"I, er, I don't think I quite caught their names, but the bigger one said they're friends of yours from school."
*Meaning Dad forgot the names already,* Billy concluded privately. *As he habitually does.* Any bitterness at that had long disappeared; the half-orphaned child had had to accept his father's limitations early on. It was just the way things were.
"I see."
"So you're home to them, son?" the older Cranston queried, feeling an odd kind of relief despite the uneasy sensation that this should not be such an extraordinary event.
"I guess," Billy decided, too curious now to be overly cautious. He was reasonably sure that the kids bullying him at recess wouldn't come to his house – which posed another question: he hadn't given his address to anybody; who had sought him out, how, and why? Taking a deep breath, he stepped out of his room into the hallway. When he recognized his visitors, his jaw dropped with astonishment.
"Jason, Zack!" He hurried forward. "What's wrong?"
"Hey, Billy," Jason greeted him, blushing slightly now that he was face-to-face with the boy. "Uh, nothing's wrong; Zack and I were just hanging out in the park and were wondering if you'd like to, well, do stuff with us." He desperately wished that Zack would help him out here, but the usually effervescent boy seemed struck mute all of a sudden.
Billy hesitated, barely noticing that his father retreated back into his study with a murmured farewell. "Did you have anything specific in mind?"
"Not really. Why?"
Now it was Billy's turn to color up. Even someone as socially inept as he knew that he was about to commit a serious gaffe. But his innate honesty wouldn't let him prevaricate.
"I, um, I was busy studying the operating instructions for my new computer," he stammered, "I only got it this week, and …" Here, he was interrupted by a suddenly excited Zack.
"You have your own computer? Way cool! What model? My cousin in St. Louis got an Atari 2000 for Christmas, and it's awesome for playing games!"
"Uh, no games," Billy said apologetically. "I opted for a 468; it's faster, has greater memory capacity and is generally more suited to writing programs than other types …"
"You write your own programs? Wow," Jason commented, awed. He didn't know much about computers per se, just enough to vaguely want one of his own, one of these days. If he ever managed to save up enough money. But he was very willing to be introduced to one. "Can you show us?"
Perplexed, Billy looked at them. He'd never once considered that two athletes like Jason and Zack would show the least bit of interest in one of his favorite pastimes. But as they seemed genuinely eager, he wasn't about to look the proverbial gift horse in the mouth. With a pleased blush and shy smile, he invited them into his sanctum. "Sure. Come have a look."
Once inside the well-lit room, -- MUCH neater than either Jason or Zack's could ever hope to be – the two boys looked around curiously. Knowing better than to touch things not their own without permission, they took a quick visual circuit, noting the scientific literature, technical journals and whatnot arranged carefully on several bookshelves. There was also a microscope, several models of engine parts and other things speaking of an inqusitive mind.
"You're really into science and stuff, right?" Jason asked, running a finger down the creased back of Volume 3 of the Encyclopedia Britannica.
"I … yes. I like to exercise my mind," his host admitted modestly, not finding any trace of censure in the already-deepening voice.
"Duh," the dark-haired youngster grinned at him. "I see that. Isn't there anything you do just for fun, though?"
Billy gulped, but there was no malice in Jason's observation – nor in Zack's corresponding chuckle. It enabled him to reply with some aplomb.
"But science IS fun!"
He had to laugh at their dubious expressions. "No, really. It is just a matter of choosing the right venue. Come, let me show you," he invited, reaching for the microscope and putting it on his desk. "Have you ever looked at a drop of water? Or at a single hair?" Neither boy had, so Billy quickly and efficiently set up the simple experiment. Dashing outside momentarily to the kitchen, he commandeered a willing Zack to help him carry in two chairs, then reached for his own head. Plucking out a single hair, he directed his visitors to do the same, then placed all three filaments under the lens. Adjusting the focus with a deft move, he then let each boy have a turn, finding delight in their good-natured interest that soon changed to true enthusiasm as they came up with ever more objects to study.
In good time, the three boys even got around to trying out Billy's computer setup, with Zack and Jason appropriately awed at what the blond youngster could do with the machine. Up until then, they had viewed a PC as either a fancy typewriter or a too-expensive games console; having other things demonstrated by someone who really knew what he was doing was an eye-opening experience for them.
"This is too cool," Jason exclaimed after Billy 'drew' up a chart they had to do for History class with a few keystrokes. "Man, I wish I could do that!"
"Yeah, me too," Zack agreed. "Of course, I'd have to have a computer in the first place …"
Billy looked at his companions. *Should I?* Hesitantly, he cleared his throat.
"I … I could teach you, if you'd like," he offered shyly. At their surprised looks, he blushed. "Just so y-you already knew h-how to operate a PC in case you obtained one at a f-future date," he stammered.
"Would you? That'd be great. Because I've heard that Angel Grove High will get a computer room, and once we're there …"
"Yeah," Zack interrupted Jason. "That way, we'd already know how to do stuff. Slammin' idea, Billy!" He thumped the startled boy on his back with unfeigned enthusiasm.
"Oomph!" Billy had to cough.
"Oops. Sorry," Zack grinned.
"Hey, I've got an idea!" Jason's dark eyes lit up. "In exchange for Billy teaching us about computers, why don't we give him some coaching in sports?"
"YEAH!"
Billy looked alarmed. Two talented athletes like Jason and Zack coaching him, the quintessential klutz? "That … uh … that's really not necessary," he hedged. "Really – I DO appreciate the offer, but …"
Jason draped a muscular arm around the slight shoulders and waited until the apprehensive grey-green eyes met his. "Hey, are you afraid we're gonna run you to death, or something?" he asked, with more astuteness than Billy had given him credit for. Mutely, he nodded, embarrassed about his own temerity. But Jason just laughed, in a friendly fashion. "Don't worry, buddy. My sensei has taught us how to build someone's strength up; I won't hurt you."
"And you're gonna need the practice, Billy," Zack interjected. "Haven't you heard that come spring, team sports will be compulsory for everybody?"
"No," Billy groaned, dismayed. "Really?"
"Yep. Football, basketball, volleyball … the least Jase and I can do is teach you the basics – rules, and stuff."
Resignedly, Billy gazed at his grinning yet unapologetic visitors. "In that case, I accept. Thank you," he sighed.
"A fate worse than death awaits you," Zack intoned, in an exaggerated fashion.
"Right," Jason nodded, stifling his giggles with an effort. "The terror of the training field."
"Gloom and doom in the afternoon!"
"Martyrs of P.E. class!"
Billy had to laugh at their antics. "I can just picture a sign over the gym door," he supplied. "Abandon all hope, all ye who enter here!"
"Sounds like Coach Rodriguez, allright," Zack said drily. "He can be the drillmaster from Hell."
"Actually, that quote referred to Dante's Inferno," Billy couldn't help but correct. "Purgatory. The outer court of Hell, if you will."
"But it's indoors!"
From there on in, their conversation devolved into increasing silliness, until Jason caught sight of Billy's alarm clock.
"Oh man! It's five to seven already, and even if I run, it'll take me ten minutes at LEAST to get home! I gotta go, or I'll be grounded until Christmas!"
"Me, too!"
Quickly, the boys said their goodbyes. As Billy escorted his guests to the front door, Mr. Cranston reappeared from his study. Jason and Zack exchanged a glance, then the taller boy asked politely if he might make a phone call. "We didn't watch the time, and my folks will worry if I'm late; I'll get into less trouble if I at least tell them where I am and why I'll be a bit late," he said candidly. Zack's hopeful look expressed much the same thing.
With a fleeting smile, Mr. Cranston picked up a key ring. He'd heard the laughter from Billy's room and despite his customary absentmindedness, couldn't help but notice the animated expression on his only son's face.
"Why don't I drive you home instead? That way, you'll only be late by a couple of minutes; I believe that is considered an acceptable margin by most parents?" he suggested gently, and was rewarded with two brilliant smiles.
"That'd be fantastic; thank you, sir," both boys chorused. As they climbed into the modest sedan, they waved to Billy. "See you at school on Monday," Jason called.
"We had a great time," Zack added, and then the car backed out of the driveway, leaving a bemused but happy boy behind. He set his room back in order and started dinner preparations. When his father returned and reported that both Jason and Zack had made it home without undue delay, he looked up with shining eyes.
"Thanks, Dad," he said simply, the words conveying a world of meaning not even the lonely widower could miss. He ruffled Billy's hair fondly as he turned to open a can of soup and directed Billy to set out sandwich makings.
"You're welcome, son. They're nice boys," was his only comment, though. Hank Cranston had to smile when Billy's stomach growled loudly. "And the next time your friends come over … we'll have to make sure there's a supply of cookies and milk on hand, don't you think?"
"Yes, please."
With a contented sigh, Billy took the flatware from the drawer. It wouldn't be the home-baked snack his mother used to make and which he still remembered, but it was a start – maybe he and his father could have a more normal life, after all, even though she was irrevocably gone.
*Who knew being sent to dentention would turn out to
bring beneficial results for me, after all?*
To Be Continued …