Chapter 31
Thirty-One
We stopped by Simone’s Drive-In on the way to the church. The hickory burgers worked their magic, and we appeared almost normal as we walked into Pastor Bron’s office.
He was at his desk. This time, he wasn’t reading comic books. It seemed today wasn’t a day for levity for anyone. He looked tense with stress, and I could tell he’d had his hands in his hair as the normally perfectly arranged silver was tousled and stuck up at odd angles.
“Thanks for coming in, boys.” He looked up at us as we entered, but didn’t smile. So much for nothing being wrong.
“What’s going on, Tyler?”
He didn’t answer Donnie and looked at him with raised eyebrows. “Have you talked to Mandy this morning?”
A glimpse of panic washed over Donnie’s face. “Not since first thing. I’ve been with Brooke all morning. Why? What’s wrong?”
“I just wondered if she told you already. I asked her to let me talk to you first, but I thought maybe she couldn’t hold it in since you wanted to wait till now to meet.”
“No, we haven’t talked. What’s wrong with her?” I couldn’t tell from his voice if he was worried that something had happened to her or if she had told her father about the pregnancy already.
“Nothing’s wrong with her. I told her what I’m about to tell you, and she was just really upset.”
“Tyler, come on. Tell us what’s going on.”
“Okay, Brooke. Just have a seat, and I’ll fill you in.”
We sat in the chairs in front of his desk, and he began talking in a rush, as if saying it quickly would make it better.
“I got a call from Mr. Michaels yesterday morning, but I wasn’t able to call him back until the afternoon.
I had to go to the hospital first to visit Brother Bland.
I should have called him back first. He didn’t say what was wrong, but I could tell he was furious about something.
I thought giving him a little time would help him cool off.
Apparently, it had the opposite effect.”
“Oh no.” Donnie’s voice sounded defeated, and he slouched in his chair.
I looked from him to Tyler in confusion. “I must be missing something. I don’t know who Mr. Michaels is.”
“Oh, sorry, Brooke.” Tyler turned to me. “Mr. Michaels is Darwin’s dad. I forgot you don’t know their family. They moved here a couple years ago. He’s a permanent consultant for the shirt factory.”
My heart sunk. “Darwin’s dad.”
“Yes.” Tyler took a long breath and then began again.
“It seems he was upset at Darwin for being late after youth group on Wednesday. He’s fairly controlling.
Poor little Darwin told him everything. That he was staying to talk to you.
When he pressed Darwin on why he would wait ’til everyone was gone to talk to you instead of during group, Darwin completely broke down.
Mr. Michaels said he was hysterical, saying he wanted to talk to you because he was gay and you told the kids that you were too.
” He looked back and forth between Donnie and me. “Did Darwin stay afterward?”
“Yes, he was waiting for me out by my car. Nothing happened. He was hurting and scared and wanted to talk about it.”
Donnie jumped in, “I watched from the window. All they did was talk. I don’t care what Mr. Michaels is trying to say.”
“He’s not accusing Brooke of anything like that. At least not yet. I’m glad you were watching, Donnie. That will protect Brooke if Darwin’s family chooses to go that route. I don’t think they will, though.”
He turned to me. “He is, however, saying that you put the notion of being gay into Darwin’s head.”
I felt my face get red, and I couldn’t get my voice to not sound defensive. “I did not! Even Mandy and Donnie thought he was gay! Before I even moved down here!”
Tyler held up his hands. “Slow down, Brooke. I wasn’t saying that you were.
I was just repeating what he said. I suspect they have been afraid of Darwin being gay for some time.
They are very intelligent people who are very cultured.
I’m sure they have had enough exposure to other gay people that they could see it in Darwin.
You just happened to be a convenient object to place the blame on so they don’t have to deal with it. ”
“So, what happens next? What about the youth group?” Donnie looked pale and tired. First Mandy, now this. I wasn’t sure how much more he could take.
Tyler looked defeated. “We can’t do the youth group.
” He held up his hand to stop Donnie before he could object.
“I should have known better. I’m sorry. For both of you.
The way things should be and the way things are are two different things, and I’m afraid we’d be doing more harm than good.
Mr. Michaels is threatening to address the congregation about it this Sunday if I don’t stop things right now.
Pastor Thomas was right about that part. It would rip the church in two.”
“But it’s the right thing to do! Brooke will be good for these kids.”
“Donnie, I know he would be, and maybe at a later time we can figure something out—”
“What about Darwin?”
It was Tyler’s turn to sound frustrated. “What about Darwin, Donnie? What do you think is going to happen if Brooke stays in the youth group? That his parents are suddenly going to be okay with him being gay and let him attend?”
“Well, at least he wouldn’t see it as God saying that a gay person isn’t good enough to be a Christian!”
I put my hand on Donnie’s arm in an effort to calm him. “Well, this happened a lot sooner than I thought it would. One service.” I laughed and found Tyler’s gaze. “All that worry and talk about me joining the youth group. For months! All the stress and arguing. What a joke! All for nothing.”
“I’m so sorry, Brooke. I guess I was na?ve.
I shouldn’t have been. This isn’t my first church to pastor.
Not even my first small town church. I never meant for it to hurt you.
I thought maybe it would be different since everyone knew you and you grew up here.
” His eyes fell. “Maybe that made it even worse.”
I sighed and returned to my slouched position. “Maybe it’s better now, before I fall in love with the kids, before it had time to hurt worse. All that happens now is things go back to how they were a week ago.”
Tyler brought his eyes back to mine again. “Unfortunately, Brooke, there’s more.”
My eyes froze, locked with his. I felt my heart hit my stomach. I knew what was coming. Unconsciously, my left hand moved to cover my right forearm.
Donnie, however, didn’t. “More? How could there be more?”
Tyler didn’t look at Donnie. He never took his eyes off mine. “You know they say everything happens at once; when it rains, it pours.”
I couldn’t force any words out of my mouth. I could feel tears already burning.
“I got another call, this one first thing this morning, after I asked Donnie to come in with you.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Donnie sit up straight, looking back and forth between Tyler and me, looking like he was about to spring through the roof.
“I got a call from Iris.” I tried to look away from Tyler’s gaze, but I couldn’t. “As you might know, she has family in Denver. I don’t know why it came up now and not before. I don’t know if she asked them to look into things or what, but regardless….”
I could barely hear my own voice. I doubt that Tyler did. “Don’t….”
“It seems they told Iris about a newspaper article about you. They are sending it to her in the mail.”
Before I realized what I was doing, I was out of the office, out of the church, and running as fast as I could away from both of them, away from everything. I didn’t even slip on the ice.