Chapter 1 #3
“Mrs. Manchester, boys will be boys. They just had a little scuffle on the playground, and one of them took it too far.” She asked how Toby was. “We’ve not heard anything. The last time we spoke to Mrs. Warfield was when we called her to tell her to meet the ambulance at the hospital.”
“You never thought to see if the little boy was all right?” She said that they assumed he was because the medics had said he’d be in the hospital for a couple of days.
“My god, he’s seven years old. You should have called to tell her that you’re taking care of the bully at least. You are, aren’t you?
Making sure that he’s been punished for what he’d done, correct? ”
“Like I said to you before, boys will be boys, and things like this happen on the school yard all the time. He’ll be fine and back to school before too much longer.
” She wanted to scream at the woman that wasn’t the point, but she hung up on her instead.
Calling Toby’s mother, she was glad when she answered.
Her voice was so solemn that she almost didn’t ask how her son was.
“He has a broken wrist and leg. Plus, he has seven broken ribs.” She sat down, she felt so guilty by feeling glad that it hadn’t been her own son that had been hurt.
“His face got the worst of it. He has to have several surgeries to repair the damage done to his cheeks. You should see him. My little boy is a mess, and they have him on all kinds of tubes running into his body to keep him out of pain.”
“I’m so sorry. I had no idea it was so bad.
Davy told me that there had been a great deal of blood, but I didn’t know what had happened.
” She told her that she was suing the school as soon as she found an attorney who would take her on.
“I’m so very sorry about this. If I can do anything, let me know. ”
“I will. They said that Davy was the one who was in trouble with the boy. I’m so happy for their friendship, but upset that this had to happen.
Toby will be in the hospital for weeks now, they told me.
I don’t have any kind of insurance for anything like this.
I just don’t know what to do but to sue the school.
” She didn’t agree or disagree with the mom.
“Do you know of a good attorney? I sure could use all the help I can get with this.”
“I don’t know any attorneys at all. I’ve never had the use for one before.
” When Mrs. Warfield started to cry, it broke her heart that she couldn’t do anything for her.
“I’ll ask around to see what I can figure out for you.
I’m not making any promises, but I will keep my ear out to find one for you.
I’m so sorry this happened to you. And with you just moving here and all. ”
“We came here because we were told that they had a good school system. So far, I’m not seeing it.
My husband is fit to be tied.” She would bet that he was.
She was, and it wasn’t even her child. “I have to get off here now. Thank you for calling. If it’s all right, I might call you sometime.
It’s done me a world of good just to be able to vent right now.
I just don’t know what we’re going to do.
This wasn’t his fault, and now we’re going to be up to our eyes in debt because some kid decided to knock the shit out of my son like he was nothing but a rag doll. ”
After getting off the phone, she decided that she was going to keep Davy home for the day.
She didn’t want him going to school upset and hearing what had happened to young Toby.
She was going to tell him that he’d been hurt really badly, but that’s about all.
She didn’t want him to be upset anymore than he needed to be.
As soon as she woke him up to go to daycare, he said that he wanted to go to school.
No amount of persuading would keep him from going.
He wanted to talk to his other friends about it and be together.
She supposed she could understand that. She didn’t want to take him, but he needed to go he told her.
Going to work after dropping him off at school, she was nervous all day.
When the party of four came in that had stayed so late the other time for lunch, they asked for her.
It was all she could do not to beg them to stay late as they had before, because she had an upset child at school and she might have to go get him.
But she didn’t. When it turned into a party of six, she was glad that she’d stay busy for the afternoon when the school didn’t call her.
They were big men and ordered a great deal of food. She was always ready with a smile when she had a big table and got them their food in record time. As soon as all their drinks were refilled, she called the school to see how her son was doing.
“I would have thought that you’d have kept him home today, Mrs. Manchester.
” She felt like they were shaming her and decided to ignore them for now.
“He’s with his other little friends, and they’ve been hanging out together.
He still seems to be upset, but not like he had been yesterday.
” She asked about the bully. “Tommy? He’s fine.
He’s in class right now. Why would you ask? ”
“Because he beat a little boy nearly to death yesterday. Aren’t you going to do anything about him?
” She said that again. That boys will be boys, and there was no harm done.
“He’s going to be in the hospital for weeks now.
He has broken ribs and a wrist, and a leg.
His mother told me that he’s going to need more surgeries on his little face because of what Tommy did.
You think that’s normal for boys to be?”
“I don’t know what it is you’re upset about.
Nothing happened to your boy. Just stay out of it before we have to make sure that Davy doesn’t go to school here anymore.
” She said that she couldn’t do that. “We have ways of getting rid of the bad apples. You just keep your opinion to yourself and not call here again, making accusations that you can’t cover. ” Then the line went dead.
Going outside so that she could breathe, Lisa thought about what was just said to her.
Her son was considered a bad apple, and this Tommy boy was getting away with almost murder.
She wanted to hurt someone now, but knew that she’d only be causing Davy more trouble.
Plastering a smile on her face, she went back in to finish her job for the day.
Good thing she didn’t have to work tonight, or she might just get fired for taking her frustrations out on a patron.
Just as she entered the dining room again, one of the men from the table came to find her.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to neglect you. What is it you need?” He just stared at her. “Sir? Is there something wrong? I assure you that I can fix it if you have found something wrong with things.”
“What’s your name?” She told him her name was Lisa, and that was all. “Hello, Lisa. I’m sorry for this, but I belong to you.”
“I don’t understand.” He then explained how he’d heard her on the phone and was worried about her. “It’s something to do with an incident yesterday. One of the little boys at my son’s school was badly injured.”
“You have a son, too? That’s wonderful.” She was sort of being creeped out by the man and asked him again what she could do for him. “Nothing yet. I mean, this is all still new to me, and I don’t want to frighten you. What do you know about shifters?”
“Nothing much. Is there anything I can do for you at the table?” He shook his head and smiled at her. “I’m having a really bad day, sir. If you could just tell me what’s going on, I can help you with it. Otherwise, I’m going to have to ask you to back off.”
“I can do that.” He took several steps back, only to take two forward. “I’m your mate. Do you know what that is?”
“Something about you owning me.” He said it was nothing like that at all, but that she owned him. Heart and soul. “You’re beginning to make me feel uncomfortable. I’m going to have to ask you to go back to your seat.”
“All right. But we should talk. I want to tell you that if you’re having trouble with the school, I can help you out with that.
I used to be an attorney at one time. I don’t want anything to happen to you or your boy.
” She just nodded to him and wondered what was wrong with him.
“I’ll stay after you get off so that we can talk. I know you must have questions.”
“What I have is a creepy feeling that you’re stalking me. I want you to go and sit down.” He said that he would and went to the table. She knew she was blowing her tip by not being extra nice to the man, but she was genuinely freaked out by him and didn’t know what to do. “Go have a seat, please.”
He went back to his seat, and she noticed that all the men were now staring at her with an odd smile.
She could handle them if she wanted to and decided that she was going to give them the best service that she could.
Even if all six were making her feel a little uncomfortable by the way they were staring at her.