Tensions Arise

About four hours later...

As Eric walks into the kitchen, he notices that Annie is sitting at the kitchen table, holding Sam in her arms. As she sips on a cup of morning coffee, she stares looking as if she is a million miles away.

"Good morning sweetheart," Eric says as he leans over to kiss her on the forehead. Startled, Annie jumps, then smiles slightly as she asks, with the far away look returning to her eyes "Do you remember when all we had to do to calm our kids fears, was hold them and kiss their 'boo-boo's away?"

"Lucy, still won't talk?" Eric asked, remembering how Annie had spent the rest of wee hours sitting outside of Lucy's locked bedroom door.

"No, she won't unlock the door and she keeps yelling for me to go away," Annie replied with tears in her eyes. Eric gently squeezed her shoulder.

"Who keeps yelling, Mommy?"

Startled, Eric and Annie turned to see their youngest daughter, standing in the kitchen archway.

"Lucy does, sweetheart," Eric replies.

"Why?" Ruthie asked. "I don't hear her "

"No, she's not yelling now. She's probably tired now and sleeping, hopefully," Eric replied. He then turned to Annie, "Do you want to check on David, and I'll pack the kids lunches?"

Frustrated, Ruthie interrupted, "But why was Lucy yelling?"

"None of your business!" Lucy yelled as she pushed her way past Ruthie. Startled, they watched as Lucy yanked the refrigerator door open and grabbed the Orange juice carton.

With tears in her eyes, Ruthie choked, "I was just asking."

"Well, don't ask, you nosy creep!" Lucy yelled, as she slammed the refrigerator door.

"Lucy!" Eric exclaimed, "that's enough!"

With all of the commotion, Sam woke and started crying. Annie quietly tried to calm her son, by jostling him around as she watched as a tear-stained Ruthie turn and run out of the room. Ruthie bumped into Matt and Simon, who were about to walk into the kitchen. "Whoa kiddo!" Matt said, slowing her down. Noticing the tears running down her cheeks, Simon asked, "what's wrong?"

"Nothing! Just leave me alone!" Ruthie cried as she fled down the hall and up the stairs.

Matt and Simon looked at each other puzzled. As they stepped into the kitchen, they heard their father say, "Luce, if you don't want to go to school today, you don't have to."

Walking to the Kitchen Island, Simon asked, "Why doesn't Lucy have to go to school?" As Matt leaned against the archway, Simon faced his sister and asked, "Are you sick, Luce?"

"Just shut up!" Lucy yelled as she slammed the juice carton on the kitchen island counter. "You don't know what you're talking about!" Lucy glared at Simon.

Stunned by her sister's angry outburst and angered, Simon fired back, "Oh yeah, well I might be a lousy freshman, but I'm not stupid. I know that along with half of the students at Kennedy High, you're not happy that Mr. Koper's back to teaching!"

Angered more, she screamed, "That's what you know, dummy!"

"Lucy, Simon Camden!" Eric yelled. "That's enough!"

"Fine!" Lucy whipped around, shoved past Matt and ran back to the solitary of her room.

Standing still for a moment, no one spoke. There was not a sound, except for Sam's crying. Tension still thick in the room. Suddenly Annie broke the silence by asking Simon, "What did you say about Mr. Koper?"

"Nothing, except that Mr. Koper is back to teaching English at Kennedy High," Simon replied, grabbing a banana from the fruit bowl on the kitchen table.

"What!" exclaimed Annie and Matt. Annie glanced over at Eric with a surprised look upon her face. Noticing that Eric didn't seem upset or surprised, she asked, "Eric, do you know something?"

Simon turned, "Dad?"

Eric took a deep breath, "Yes, I knew that Mr. Koper was teaching again." A look of surprise came over the Annie, Matt and Simon's faces.

"You knew! How and why don't you seem upset?" Annie asked flabbergasted that Eric had kept this kind of information from her.

When Eric did not respond, but instead turned toward the kitchen sink window. With a look of realization upon his face, Simon turned to his mother and shouted, "Because he's probably counseling 'the creep', as Lucy calls him!" He then ran past his father, grabbed his jacket from the dryer. Eric reached out "Son, wait!"

"No thanks, I'll walk to school, thank you!" Simon replied angrily, as shook himself free and ran out the door, slamming the door behind him.

"Simon!" Eric called out. As Eric turned, Annie asked, "Eric, is it true are you counseling him? Is that why you didn't say anything!" Her words getting louder as she spoke. "Do you remember what he did to Mary, which means he's probably done it to God only knows how many other girls! We're talking about our kids with a guy who sexually harasses girls and God only knows what else!"

"Honey, I can't explain everything, but I think the guy deserves another chance." Eric said, walking toward his wife.

"Another chance for what? To hurt someone?" Matt yelled. As he grabbed an apple, Matt continued, "Dad, have you lost your mind?"

"Matt, I..."

Interrupting his father, Matt yelled, "I've heard enough! I'm going to class!" Matt also ran out the door, slamming it behind him.

Exasperated, Eric tried unsuccessfully to explain to Annie, "Ann, you know that things that are said in my office are to be kept in confidence."

With anger flashing in her eyes, Annie coolly replied, "Fine, what else will I have to find out, some other way, instead of through my own husband?" Holding Sam closer to her, Annie briskly walked out of the kitchen, leaving Eric standing alone.