Date: Fri, 01 Jul 2016 15:53:45 +0100
From: Reickard Masters <succme@zoho.com>
Subject: Juvenile Detention 38

JUVENILE DETENTION


Chapter 38 – The Journey

"Sorry, did you say `boyfriend', as in romantic mate?"

"Yeah. We got together inside, and I know we have a future together. He
gets out in a couple of months. We are going to do what we can to get
together as soon as possible after that."

"Okay, I didn't realise that you were gay. You never came across that way
to me before. But it is not a problem for us. Show me your boyfriend."

Josh held the photograph out for Karl to look at. "I think I have seen that
guy somewhere before. But I am guessing it would have been with hair and
clothes. So it is true that they shave your whole body in there?"

"Yes. Every week Jake comes around and shaves you from head to toe. And you
have seen Sam before. You delivered him to the Academy that time you saw
me."

"I remember now. Joe and I delivered him, and Joe said that he would either
become someone's pet or he would get eaten alive in there. I guess he
became your pet. So how did you get to be naked in the corridors like that
with him?"

"They were short staffed the day you brought Sam in, and Steven had to
process him single handed. He asked me to stay with him instead of leaving
Sam waiting while he escorted me back from seeing you two guys. Anyway Sam
was really stressed, and I offered to get naked with him so he would not be
alone. Then Officer Jake had me help him shave Sam. So I stayed naked until
Sam was being introduced to the others, then he was put into the same cell
as me and we just got on from the start."

"So what about those girls wanting to get you into bed?"

"Well, I was in the female cell block office when one girl was brought in,
naked and shaved, and it did not even make me tingle.  Don't get me wrong,
I did look with interest. I have nothing against girls and like to be
friends with them, but there is no sexual attraction at all. It was that
event which made me fairly certain I was gay, and then when Sam came along
I fell in love even before he had taken his clothes off."

"So how are you about straight guys?"

"No problem. We need straight guys to produce gay guys. The friends I had
before I got locked away are all straight as far as I know, and I think I
would like to try and get in contact with some of them again once I get my
own life a bit better sorted."

"You really are an open and honest person aren't you? You know why I have
asked these questions, don't you?"

"You're trying to judge how I might react to Simon. I promise I will try to
be a friend to him and accept him how he is. We will just have to wait and
see if he'll accept the friendship I offer."

"Thank you. Yes, I don't know if Simon is gay or straight or anything else
for that matter. He does not talk freely with either his mother or me. You
have been freer with me than he ever has. I am very worried for him. I
think there is something that is eating him alive and I can't find out what
it is to even try and help him."

"So what if he is gay, or transgender or something? How will you react to
him?"

"He is my son. Simon is our only child and we both love him very much. When
he was still in nappies I asked Esther how she would feel if our son turned
out to be gay. Esther's answer was exactly the same as mine. He is our
child and we love him unconditionally.  Naturally I would like to see a
grandson to carry on our family name, but if that is not to be then so be
it. It is more important to us to see Simon happy and getting on in his
life, whatever way that goes."

"Are you willing to tell me what sort of trouble he is getting into?"

"I don't know if we know all of it. In fact, I am fairly sure we only know
a little bit of it and that he has been lucky not to have been caught with
whatever he gets up to. We know that he has skipped school a number of
times. We also know that he has been caught shoplifting, because to prevent
the shop from prosecuting him he had to bring his parents to the shop and
admit in front of us that he had done it. We know that he goes out and has
a few drinks some nights and we are fairly sure that when he has a
sleepover at a friend's house they both get really drunk and maybe even do
some pot. He has also got into some fights at school and has been given
detentions for being rude to teachers. But please don't let him know I told
you all this. I normally would not have, but I think you need to know it to
be able to help him."

"It might help me in some way, but I am not sure yet how. I promise you,
Karl, that I will try my best to help him."

"Thank you. That is more than I can really ask. Now there is something else
you need to think about. I have talked to the school that Simon goes to and
explained your situation without mentioning any names. The school would be
willing to take you on at the start of the next term, so you would have the
rest of this term and the holidays to get back into life, so to speak, and
then you would start school again. The other alternative is that I go and
talk to your old school to see what can be done about them taking you
back. Don't give me an answer yet. Think about what you would like to do
and also see how you get on with Simon, as that might make a difference to
what you decide. However, I will need to know in the next couple of weeks
to give us enough time to get it all organised before the start of the new
term."

"Karl, I don't want to sound ungrateful, but I just don't know what to
say. I don't understand why you are doing this for me. Even with your
explanation, I can't get my head around it. I only hope that I can someday
show my appreciation in a real way. And if I fail in that, please forgive
me."

"Josh, you don't have to show me anything more than you already have. Now
let's leave that subject alone. I am going to detour into the next town so
that we can buy you some things. I don't know the town that well, so we
might have to drive around a bit to find the kind of stores we need, but at
least we will not be somewhere that either of us might be recognised. I
think you need to have the rest of today to settle into our home and meet
Esther and Simon. That will probably be a bit of an overload in itself."

"That sounds good. Thank you for thinking of that."

"Here we go." Karl steered the car onto an off ramp and took the first left
off the roundabout to head towards the town which the sign said was two
miles down the road. When they saw a sign directing them to a shopping
village, Karl immediately started to follow the directions. "We should be
able to get everything we need there." Pulling into the shopping village
Karl slowed right down so that they could see where the different shops
were and work out which one to go to first. "I think we should get you some
clothes first and then look at what toiletries you need."

Karl pulled up in a vacant parking bay outside the TK Maxx shop and the two
of them went in. "Right, you need some shirts first." Karl steered Josh
towards the men's section and they began to look at shirts. Josh quickly
began looking at the prices first and pulled out the cheapest ones. Karl
noticed what he was doing and took over. "I don't think that will look so
good on you. Here, hold this one against you so we can judge the size."
Karl held out a more expensive shirt. As Josh held it across his shoulders
to see if it was big enough another teen looked over at them. "Do you think
this shirt will suit my boy?" Karl asked.

"Uhh ... Yeah, it's a cool shirt anyway."

"Thank you." Karl took the shirt back from Josh and checked the
size. "Okay, that's a size sixteen neck. Let's look for some more in that
size and then we can make a choice of which ones to take.  What do you
normally sleep in? Do you need some shorts and shirts for that?"

"Well, I used to sleep in my boxers, but I'm used to using less than that
now," Josh admitted.

"You have your own room so I guess that will work. But you'll need some
lounging clothes for when you are out of the room." Karl looked up to see
the teen he had asked an opinion of looking on rather curiously. "Josh has
come from somewhere else and has had all his clothes taken on the way, so
we need to get him enough to get by with until we can sort out the rest."

"Shit, that's too bad. Did they do that while you were inside?" the teen
responded.

Josh was embarrassed, but he knew he was going to have to face up to it
sometime soon, and a bit of practice would not go amiss. "Yeah, my folks
have kind of turned their backs on me, so I can't get anything more than
what I had when I went in."

"That is crap. At least my parents stood by me. They were not pleased, but
they still helped me as much as they could. What did they do you for?"

"Josh was done by the system on a trumped up charge. He didn't do what he
was accused of, and that is why I am helping him. We are going to get his
name cleared, and the bastards who did not do their jobs are going to be
made to at least admit their wrong."

"Oh. Do you really believe that? Sorry, Josh, but it seems a bit of a tall
story. There must have been some evidence to put you away on. I mean in my
case I still had the goods in my hands when I was caught and there was CCTV
too."

"Actually it is true. I just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong
time, and when my stepfather would not do anything to help me the police
didn't either. Karl here has done some research and got some evidence to
support me and is helping me. You will read about it in the papers before
too long, I hope."

"Whatever; just make sure you pay for the clothes on the way out or you
will be going back. I know I am not going to do something to risk going
back soon. That is for sure. See you." The teen turned and walked away.

"I guess I am going to have to get used to that sort of reaction. It seems
so strange that I got believed by the guys in the Academy and by the
officers too, but this guy didn't."

"Yes, I'm afraid you are right there. Too many people will judge you
without getting to know you first."

Karl and Josh spent another half hour picking out clothes. Eventually they
walked out with four shirts, two pairs of trousers and two pairs of
jeans. A five pack of socks and a four pack of boxers, a jersey and a
waterproof coat along with a pair of trainers and some lounge clothes made
up the full purchase. They dumped that in the boot of the car and then Karl
took Josh into the supermarket. "I guess you are going to need a toothbrush
and paste and probably a comb too. Come on; let's find the right aisle." A
little while later they came out with shaving gear and deodorant in
addition to the comb and toothbrush. "Just remember, if there is anything
else you need just ask. If I am not prepared to get it for you I will say
so. I treat Simon in the same way, so don't go thinking he will feel that I
am doing more for you than for him."

When they got back to the car Karl pointed out a suitcase in the boot. "Put
all your stuff in the case and it will make it easier to take inside when
we get home." Three quarters of an hour later they were heading into their
home town.

For the first time that day Josh began to get butterflies in his
stomach. The last time he had felt like this was when they pulled up at the
Academy six months ago. Once again he was entering a situation where
strangers would have a huge influence on his life. As Karl headed towards
his home, Josh realised it was not that close to where he lived before he
was sentenced. He felt a bit of relief, as it would reduce the possibility
of meeting up with some of the guys from his old school until he was more
ready to do so.

Josh was startled out of his thoughts by Karl pulling the car into a
driveway and stopping. Josh sat in the car for a few moments gathering
himself. Karl had opened his door and got out before Josh managed to undo
his seat belt. Then he shook his head to clear the wool and got out and
moved around to the back. Clutching his parcel from Steven under his arm,
he reached into the boot to lift out his suitcase. He refused Karl's offer
of help and followed behind him as Karl led him towards the front door.


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