Date: Wed, 22 Aug 2001 17:40:35 -0400
From: Bill Porter <wep363@myexcel.com>
Subject: Tossed Away Kid - Chapter 2

Tossed Away Kid - Chapter 2

This is a work of fiction.  Any similarity to anyone in real life is a
coincidence.

A special thanks to Ed for his editorial help.
Please let me know what you think - wep363@myexcel.com
********

I must warn you though:

This is a story of love, hope, and trust.  It also deals with rejection,
false hope, and mistrust.  It is not a sex story. However, this story deals
with love between two male teenagers. If you are offended by stories
involving love between two teenage boys, please do not read this
story. There may be some sex scenes in this story; however, sex is not the
main theme and will not be graphically described.  If you are under age 18
or 21 or it is illegal to read this story where you live, don't get caught
reading it. Reproducing this story for distribution without the owner's
permission is a violation of that copyright.

From chapter one:

When I went down for dinner my dad had my letter to Danny in his hand.  He
asked me if I was some kind of queer and I told him I was in love with
Danny and he loved me.  He punched me near the left eye as hard as he could
and I flew across the room.  Both my parents then called me names I don't
want to repeat and
 told me to get out of their house.  They said that I was not their son
anymore.  So I left with only what I had on my back and only able to see
out of one eye.

This is where the story begins.  Or should I say, the adventure.

Chapter - 2

I wandered to a park not far from my house to try to think things out.

Why am I so stupid?  Now I have no place to go.  I could try to get to
Lombard, near Chicago, and find Danny, but how do I get there?  There are
John Wayne Gacys and Jeffery Dahmers out there that would love to get their
hands on me.  I have no money for a bus or train.  Who do I trust?  I can't
even trust my own parents!  What will happen if the police pick me up?  My
head hurts.  I can't stay here it will be getting dark soon.  I'm glad my
parents don't want me, but I'm scared too.

I got up and walked to a main road not that far away and sat at a bus stop
bench.  I sat there thinking the same questions I thought at the park over
and over again, when a GEO-Metro pulled up and this great big man got out.
I think it's funny that such a big man is in such a small car.  He is at
least 6'3" and 300 pounds, mostly fat.  What does this guy want from me?
He has a big smile and looks friendly. Can I trust him?

"Hi, there, my name is Fred Kelly but you can call me Mr. Kelly," he says
to me.  "You don't look so good.  That's quite a black eye you have.  Are
you waiting for a bus to go home?  Do you need help?"

"Do you have a daughter, Cindy Kelly?  I know her from school.  She's in my
grade."

"Yes, that's my daughter.  I was on my way home from work when I saw you
sitting here and noticed that you look like you might need some help.  It's
getting late, don't you need to get home?"

I decided to take a chance.  At least he doesn't sound like a serial
killer.  "I don't have a home anymore," I said in a soft voice with my head
down.

He pulled out a cell phone and small address book, then called a cab.

"What is your name, son?"

"Tommy Tucker."

"I have called a cab and I'm going t o have them take you to the emergency
room to look at your eye.  I'll pay for the cab.  I can write it off as a
business expense.  I'm also going to have the police meet us there.  You
know you should never accept a ride from a stranger.  That is why I'm
calling you a cab.  I want the police to be at the hospital so that we have
a record of the damage done to your face.  Also we need to find some place
for you to stay tonight.  You can stay at my house tonight but not without
the police telling you it's okay.  We're not going to embarrass you with a
bunch of questions.  That's not important right now.  You'll tell me when
you're ready.  Tomorrow we can decide together where you can stay.  You're
too young to be homeless.  Does that sound like a plan, Tommy?"

"Don't you need my parents' consent to treat me at a hospital?  What about
insurance - how are you gong to pay for the hospital visit?"

"Just leave that to me, Tommy.  They know me there and we'll get you fixed
right up."

He seems to have all the right answers.  I feel I can trust Mr. Kelly.  I'm
hungry and tired and my head hurts.

The cab showed up and I got in.  Mr. Kelly told the cab driver to take me
to the emergency room and handed him a bill.  Then he got in his car and
followed us to the hospital.  When we got to the hospital, Mr. Kelly got
his change and a receipt from the cab driver and we went through the doors.
We walked up to the receptionist desk and the nurse on duty had a big smile
on her face.

"Hi, Fred, and you must be Tommy.  The judge called and has given you
temporary custody of Tommy so if you just sign the release we can get him
treated."

"I'll come by tomorrow, Mary, and fill out all the other paperwork."

Mr. Kelly signed a form and I was taken into an examining room.  A nurse
came in and handed me a hospital gown and told me to strip and put the gown
on.  A tall man dressed in a plain suit came into my room.

"Hi, I'm Detective Samuels from the state police and I'll be working on
your case."  He showed me his badge and shook my
 hand.  "I'm not going to ask you any questions at this time but I wanted
to introduce myself to you and let you know that it's okay for you to go
home with Mr. Kelly tonight.  My report is mainly based on what the Doctor
finds out and then we'll talk abo ut what caused the damage later."

He shook my hand again and left.  Then a young doctor came in who
introduced himself as a staff resident and asked me a bunch of question
about my medical history.  Then this old doctor came in and looked at the
chart with
 the answers to all the questions I just answered and he checked me out.
It was the most intense examination I've ever had.  I still had some welts
on my backside from a minor infraction a week ago.  He had someone else
take pictures.  It's embarrassing having someone taking a picture of your
butt.  He asked be about some other scars I had but I didn't tell him how I
got them.  He then ordered x-rays and a CAT scan of my head.

After all that was done he came back in and told me that I had a minor
concussion and that I might have a headache for a few days and told me he'd
give me something for that.  I was released to Mr. Kelly and we left for
his house.

The ride to Mr. Kelly's house was quiet.  It was getting dark so it was
after 8:00 PM.  We pulled into his driveway and it's only a mile from my
house.  We walked into his house and a small good-looking women, whom he
introduced to me as his wife, greeted him.  She looked to be about half his
size.

"I have dinner ready for you guys.  I hope you're hungry, Tommy."

I had not thought about my stomach in some time and I realized that I was
in fact very hungry.  She had meatloaf with mashed potatoes and I ate it up
very quickly.  Mr. Kelly's daughter Cindy came into the room and instantly
recognized me.

"Tommy, what are you doing here?  What happened to you?"

"Tommy's had a hard day, sweetheart.  Let's hold off on the questions for
right now.  Okay?"

"Okay.  It's just you're the last person I thought my dad would bring home
with him.  Usually it's kids without family and/or friends.  I know you and
Danny are tight.  If you have a problem I would think you would go to his
house."

"Danny moved to Lombard, near Chicago, a few weeks ago."

"Oh, my God -- I bet you feel just terrible.  He's been your best friend
forever."

"That's enough, Cindy.  Why don't you take Tommy to the guestroom and show
him where he's sleeping tonight.  Then perhaps you two can watch some TV in
the family room if he wants.  AND NO MORE QUESTIONS."

"Okay, Dad."

Cindy showed me the guestroom and I told her instead of watching TV I'd
just like to take a shower and some pain pills and go to sleep.  The shower
was relaxing and all my problems seemed to run down the
 drain.  I went into the guestroom with just a towel wrapped around me.
Mrs. Kelly came in and told me that there was some clean underwear about my
size in the dresser and I could help myself.  She also handed me an ice
pack for my eye, and a glass of wat er to wash down a pill she gave me that
the doctor gave Mr. Kelly.  I took the pill.  I found some shorts to wear
that fit me, and laid down in the twin size bed.  I placed the ice pack on
my eye that had swollen shut and it felt good.  Very quickly the pill took
effect and I fell asleep.

I woke up and the sun was shining through the window.  I needed to pee like
a racehorse and made my way to the bathroom.  As I made my way into the
hall I heard some giggling and saw Cindy looking at my midsection.  I
looked down and saw that I was indeed sporting wood.  I hurried into the
bathroom and as soon as I calmed down some I emptied my bladder.

I went back to the guestroom and got dressed.  I smelled food.  I went
downstairs to investigate.

"Good morning, Tommy, ready for some breakfast?"

"Sure, and thanks, Mrs. Kelly."

"My pleasure.  Fred has gone to the office to do some work.  He said that
he'd be back about lunchtime.  He said that this afternoon he will have
time to sort things out for you.  In the meantime why don't you hang out
with Cindy."

"Okay, Mrs. Kelly."

I had a good time hanging out with Cindy.  She didn't make any rude
comments about my morning wood or ask any embarrassing question that I was
not ready to answer.  We talked
 for the longest time about school and kids we knew and stuff like that.
I'm really starting to like her.  She's pretty cool for a girl.

Mr. Kelly came home for lunch and we had a great meal together.  After
lunch Mr. Kelly had me to go for a ride with him.  We went to the park I
was at yesterday.  We sat down on the bench near a pond.  He had a big cup
of coffee and he sat quietly and drank it.

Why is he being so quiet?  He's not even asking me any questions.  It seems
like we had been sitting here for an hour when it's only been five minutes.
I feel so uncomfortable.

"Mr. Kelly, aren't you going to ask me any questions?"

"No, Tommy, if you would like you can ask me whenever you want.  Also, you
can tell me whenever you want.  I'm not going to pressure you into telling
me anything you don't want to."

"Why are you being so nice to me, Mr. Kelly?"

"That's my job, Tommy."

"What is your job, Mr. Kelly?"

"I'm a social worker, Tommy, I help out boys and girls with problems."

"What's a social worker, Mr. Kelly?"

"A social worker is like a psychiatrist except I don't have a medical
degree.  But I am trained to help with emotional problems.  Just like a
psychiatrist."

"Is that why you didn't have any problems at the hospital yesterday getting
me treated?"

"That is correct, you're not the first person I've had to help, Tommy.
They know me fairly well down there.  I work for the state, helping young
people with problems.  However, I can't help you if I don't know what's
wrong."

"I feel I can trust you, Mr. Kelly, but I'm not sure how much more
rejection I can take at this time."

"You're obviously a very bright young man, Tommy.  You should know that I
am not paid to reject people I'm paid to help them.  You are also obviously
in a lot of trouble right now.  I can't help you until I know what's wrong.
The longer you wait to tell me what's wrong, the worse the problem
becomes."

I decided to trust Mr. Kelly.  So far he'd been very friendly and fair with
me.  He asked if he could record the conversation so that I would not have
to repeat it over and over again.  I spent the next two hours telling him
my story.  I told him about the relationship with my parents, the
relationship with the Smiths, and my relationship with Danny.  He r emained
quiet throughout the entire conversation.  A few times tears came to my
eyes and Mr. Kelly put a reassuring hand on my shoulder.  When I finished
he turned off the recorder.  Then once again he was quiet for about five
minutes.  It seemed like an hour to me.

"This is what I want you to do, Tommy.  I want you to make a list of
everything that belongs to you in your parents' possession.  I'm going to
take you home now and want you to get some rest.  I have to get back up to
work and verify as much as
 I can of your story."

"I can assure you, Mr. Kelly, everything I've told you is true."

"If everything you've told me is true, Tommy, your parents are guilty of
child abuse, neglect, and abandonment.  Also your father is guilty of
felony assault.  Unfort unately, I'm sure your parents aren't stupid.  It's
going to be basically your word against theirs.  It's against the law in
the state of Illinois to kick a 14-year-old out of his house for any
reason.  These are very serious charges.  However, I've dealt

with these kinds of cases before.  If your parents have talked to a lawyer
in the last 24 hours I'm sure they're going to change their tune.  So I
don't want to get your hopes up.  If your parents want you back, based on
the evidence you've given me, there's not much I can do.  More than likely
their story will make this situation entirely your fault.  I'm going to
contact Detective Samuels and have him investigate the case.  In the
meantime, I need to get that list done of everything at your parents' that
also belongs to you.  You need to include your clothes, TV, stereo,
computer, books, CDs, bicycle, and anything else your parents have ever
given you."

"Okay, Mr. Kelly, I'll do that this afternoon."

"Okay, Tommy, I'm going to take you back to the house now and I'll be back
later on tonight."

On the ride back to Mr. Kelly's house I asked him how he felt about the
fact that I was gay.  He said that he's dealt with lots of gay kids and he
doesn't have a problem with who somebody likes.  He also said that i t
would make no difference on how he would handle my case.

As soon as I got back to the Kelly house I went into the guestroom and
started to work on my list.  It took me almost an hour to put it all
together.  By the time I finished I was totally exhausted.  The last 48
hours had been very trying and emotional for me.  I went downstairs and
Mr. Kelly came in the door just as I got there.

"Did you get your list done, Tommy?"

"I sure did."

"Very good, I would like you to go to the office with me tomorrow morning."

Just then Mrs. Kelly announced that dinner was ready.  Cindy came bouncing
down the stairs with a big happy grin on her face.  We went into the dining
room and enjoyed a great meal.  Then we went into the family room and
watched TV together.  After about 15 minutes I fell asleep on the couch.
Mr. Kelly waked me up and said I should probably go up to bed.  I stretched
and yawned and went up the guestroom.  I fell asleep almost as soon as my
head hit the pillow.

Mr. Kelly waked me up early the next morning.  I got up, took a shower, and
got dressed.  I realized I've been wearing the same clothes for three days
in a row.  I sure hope I can get my stuff today.  After a light breakfast
 Mr. Kelly and I left for the office.

We parked beside this huge office building downtown.  We took the elevator
up to the 14th floor and got out.  On the door leading to Mr. Kelly's
office was a big sign saying `Department of Social Services'.  When we got
to Mr. Kelly's office the sign on his door said `Director, Department of
Social Services'.  Now I was starting to understand why Mr. Kelly has had
so much influence with the hospital and the police.  There were two men
waiting outside his office as we a rrived.  One I recognized as Detective
Samuels, the other man I did not know.  Mr. Kelly eagerly shook both men's
hands.  Then he introduced me to Capt. Wright of the Chicago police force.
Then we stepped into Mr. Kelly's office and he closed the door.

" Tommy, what I'm about to tell you must stay in this room," said Detective
Samuels.  "We went to visit your parents last night.  Yesterday afternoon
they reported you as a runaway.  I asked your father what possible reason
you can have to run away.  He sai d
 you were upset about your friend Danny leaving and he felt you are trying
to go to Chicago to be with him.  I asked him if he had any idea how you
got a black eye.  He said he had no idea.  I asked him if he wanted you to
come home.  He said he wants not h ing to do with a no-good runaway kid.  I
explained to him that constitutes abandonment, that he has no right to not
support you.  He said he doesn't care.  If you do not want to be there
that's your problem, not his.  I explained to him that he's going to
 have to pay child support until you're 18 and that child abandonment will
be on his police record.  He did not seem real concerned about that."

"When I heard your name over the radio, saying you were being taken to the
hospital, Tommy, I rushed to get there.  You see, we have an ongoing
investigation of your father.  We've already gathered quite a bit of
evidence against him.  There has been some violence at your father's high
school the last several years and we've been able to determine your father
has h ad some knowledge of this.  However, all of our evidence at this
point is circumstantial.  Based on the information you gave us yesterday,
we've been able to put some of the evidence together.  I have a question
for you, Tommy.  Does anyone besides the pe ople in this room, your
parents, or Danny and his parents know you're gay?"

"Not to my knowledge.  The Smiths said they would not tell anybody but I do
not know who my dad or mom might have told."

"We do have a plan, Tommy, to get enough evidence to stop your father from
hurting others.  Last year a boy was killed in your father's school.  You
know anything about that?"

"All my dad said was that guy deserved it for being a queer little faggot."

"We have some evidence that suggests your father not only encouraged this
guy getting beaten to death but actually helped plan it.  This brings us to
our plan, Tommy.  Capt. Wright of the Chicago police force is working on a
program to stop violence in the schools in Chicago.  This summer he's
having a training pr ogram to train students to be acting Chicago police
officers among their peers.  There are two boys, 16 and 17, who are
assisting us in the training and preparation of the students.  I'm going to
let Capt. Wright explain the rest to you."

"In Michigan last year a young man got beaten up.  He was told that if he
returned to school he would get beaten up every day.  Sheriff Brown along
with Greg Stevens, the father of the boy that got beat up, developed a plan
to get the boy back in school.  They hired Sheri f f Brown's nephew, Mark
Adams, to protect Greg's son.  Mark had already worked for his uncle as a
deputy sheriff.  The program proved to be very successful.  It also came to
the attention of Mayor Daley.  Mayor Daley decided to try this program in
our schools.  It consists of two-person teams of students who are acting
police officers.  This summer we are having a training session for the
students to become acting police officers in the Chicago public schools.
Mike Stevens and Mark Adams are assisting us in the training of the
students.  I will let Detective Samuels explain the rest to you, Tommy."

"This is our game plan, Tommy.  We've set Mike and Mark up in an apartment
in Chicago.  We want to place you in Mark's protective custody.  We have
reason to believe at this time that your father might be out to get you.
We want you to go through the training program along with the other
students.  At the end of the training program you will come back down here
to Springfield.  Mark and Michael will also come along with you.  Next year
you are a freshman in high school and we plan on putting you in your
father's high school.  We feel confident that your father is going to try
something, but have no concern for your safety. You will be protected.
After we have the necessary evidence to put your father away for a long
time then Mr. Kelly's plan comes into play.  I'll let him explain that to
you."

"I've talked to the Smiths, Tommy, and they'd be more than happy to have
you as a permanent foster child in their home.  We have some paperwork and
other things that need to be done before that can happen.  In the meantime
by you going to Chicago this summer you will have time to spend with Danny.
And you will be able to visit with the Smiths.  When you come back down
here we don't feel it's going to take very long for your father to make a
move.  At that point we will be able to place you in a permanent foster
home with the Smiths.  I know you've been through a lot, Tommy, and we've
giving you a lot more to think about today.  But we have more to do.  We
need to go to your house and pick up your things.  We have a court order
allowing us access to your parents' house.  Before we go to your house your
parents will be picked up for questioning.  They will not be there when we
are collecting your belongings.  After we have all your things I have a bus
ticket that will take you to Chicago.  What we need to know is, are you
willing to help us with our plan?"

"I very much love my parents despite what I've endured for the last 14
years.  However, if my father is involved with other kids being beaten and
even killed we have to put a stop to it.  I'm willing to do whatever it
takes to help you.  Of course being able to spend time with Danny this
summer definitely helps my decision."

"I hope you understand, Tommy, the commitment you're making," said
Detective Samuels.  "This is very serious.  It's extremely important that
you don't talk about what we discussed here today except with Mike and
Mark.  Capt. Wright explained the situation to them last night.  However,
he did not tell them the reason why you got kicked out of the house.  We
will leave that up to you."


"I appreciate your concern, Detective Samuels.  I promise too I will not
talk with anybody about what we discussed today and I'm totally committed
to helping you in any way I can."

"Very well, Tommy, let's go get your things," said Mr. Kelly.

****

You can read Mark's and Mike's story:
http://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/highschool/my-bodyguard/
Or on my web site:
http://wpstories.tripod.com/
*******

To be continued...