I am fully aware of outlandish this chapter is. This tiny town has some serious anger issues, an inability to move on, and deep-seeded hatred of outsiders. I have nothing against small towns, I'm just trying to show that any form of community can breed overblown hatred.

This might be the meanest non-M thing I have done to Reid yet. You were warned. Things do get better from here.

Chapter Five:

Spencer:

My clothes had been destroyed, my privacy had been violated, and my car had been egged, yet I was the one in the principal's office. Daria Hastings stared me down.

"This has to end," she said. "I can't keep calling in subs when a kid decides to cover you in paint."

"I agree," I said. "We all know Theodore Wells is the ringleader. We need to make an example of him."

"No, I'm talking about you," she said. "You are an easy target for the kids and 'making an example' will not stop kids from going after you. I think you need to step down, effective at the end of the school day."

"What!?" I said. "Principal Hastings, you know about Gracelyn. I still need to put her through college."

"Spencer, you made a grave mistake, years ago, and now Gracelyn is going to pay the price also."

"I'll sue the school for wrongful termination," I said. "I'll take it to the state courts if I have to."

"Who are they going to believe is in the wrong, me or a teacher who failed one of the greatest players come through the halls of Glen High, who happens to now a be respected sheriff?"

"That makes no sense," I said.

"That's because you're not from around here," she said. "My understanding is you've never fit in here."

"I did at one time," I said defensively.

"That time has now passed," she said. "I'm sick of this Spencer. The school is a laughingstock online because you can't take a joke. I'm not going put the school through an anti-bullying session because of one teacher. You're fired."

I stood up.

"This isn't the end of this," I said.

"Is that a threat?" she asked.

I knew she was begging for an excuse to call her sheriff husband and throw me in jail.

"I'll see you in court," I said quietly.

"Get back to class," she said.

I walked out with my head held high.

…

Watching Gracelyn had always been a thing of wonder. She truly loved cheerleading, and was good at it. The way she moved, the way her smile filled her face. This was her element. Even as much as I hated what she put me through, I couldn't help but admire her.

I walked out when I saw a student's impression of me. No one would miss me. Before I left, I saw that even Hastings was laughing. It sickened me.

Without any boxing material for my stuff, I tracked down the janitor for help.

Chris pulled out some boxes for me.

"I don't think it's right," he said sadly. "But no one asks my opinion on anything."

Knowing that he unlocked all the doors to orchestrate the pranks, his consolation meant little to me.

"Thanks," I said and walked away.

The pep rally had ended kids were running through the halls. I opened my door carefully and saw that someone had greased the floors. I couldn't catch a break.

There were only a few posters, books, office supplies for me to collect. I filled exactly two boxes. Not wanting to make a second trip, I carefully carried both boxes to my car.

I heard footsteps as I popped my trunk. I turned to see a group of boys in Felton colors just as they tackled me to the ground.

One covered my face with a rag soaked in chloroform.

"I read online, this stuff works fast," one of the jocks said.

"Gracelyn just texted him," one kid said.

"Use his finger to text back," another kid said.

"I got strongest dosage I could find online with my dad's card," a separate voice said just before I passed out.

…

When I woke up it was dark. I realized something was clamped over my head. I couldn't move my arms or legs. Still feeling fuzzy, took me a while to figure out what the jocks had done to me.

I was in the Felton Bear's mascot costume with a gag over my mouth. They had also taken all my clothes. The hard surface I was tied against was curved. It had to be Glen High's goal posts. This was the ultimate nightmare.

"HELP!" I tried screaming. "HELP!"

Even the strongest dosages of chloroform didn't last long. It must have been the middle of the night. No one would find more for another six hours at least.

I fought the urge to panic. My life had come full circle. The lowest point of my life as a child was tied to a goal post, and now the lowest of point of my adult life was tied to one. Life is cyclical in nature at times.

Trying to shake the head off proved useless. The knots on the post appeared to be of Eagle scout quality. It was going to be a long night.

…

"What's with the bear tied to the goal post?" an adult asked.

I tried screaming through the gag.

"It's part of Felton's annual homecoming prank," another adult said.

"This stuff get's weirder every year," the other adult said.

I tried moving the head, but they had moved on.

The game proceeded as I was tied to the goal post. I could hear my daughter shouting and the band playing.

By a margin of two touch downs, the Glen High Eagles had won. I could hear footsteps approaching me. Two Felton players took the head off and removed the gag. They moved out of the way and everyone looked at me.

The stadium erupted in laughter. A beating in prison would have been preferable to this. The players cut me down and I fell to my knees. There was even more laughter.

Someone unzipped the costume.

"Take it off," a kid said.

"What?" I coughed out. "No."

"You're wearing Felton property," Lionel Hastings said with his badge glinting in the sun.

He was in on it. I knew what was coming next.

I took off the costume and kids pulled out their phones.

"Spencer Estlin, you're under arrest for indecent exposure, you have the right to remain silent."

Handcuffing me behind my back, he walked me down the field.

I locked eyes with my daughter. She laughed in my face.

At that moment, I let out a sob. I had truly failed my daughter. I was a failure.

Selina came running towards me.

"I'll get you out!" she said. "And I'll get you a good lawyer. We'll sue the pants off everyone involved!"

He gave a blanket to sit on in the car. I tucked it around me.

"Satisfied?" I asked bitterly.

"You ruined my chance at the NFL," he said. "I'm going to ruin the rest of your life."

"You wouldn't have cut it in the NFL," I said angrily. "I made those quizzes, so easy for you, a grade schooler could have passed them. You lack discipline and have skated through life without any sense of accountability. You're no better than the jocks who tied me up.

He slammed on the breaks so hard, my head hit the grate.

"You know NOTHING about me!" he yelled. "I'm a better man than you by a mile. And my kid actually respects me."

I stayed silent the rest of the ride.

…

They gave me a prison jumpsuit, while I waited on bail. An hour later, the warden released me.

"Keep the jumpsuit," he said. "We'll bill you for it later."

Two men that I didn't recognize were waiting for me. I felt something on the back of my neck.

"Don't worry, Spencer, Selina sent us," one of them said.

"I'm not going with you," I said.

"Get out of my precinct," Hastings said.

"Deputing Hastings—" I said desperately.

"I don't want to hear it," he said. "Get out."

The men surrounded me as I walked out.

"Please leave Gracelyn out of this," I said.

"Like she's going to even miss you," one of the men said.

I was hit from behind and everything went dark.