Have a seat.”
Charles sat at a desk in the front row of the classroom. His face had a moist, doughy look. There were gray smudges under
his eyes. He rubbed his face with both hands.
Ian had noticed it often—how a boy can look so much like a tired old man.
“What seems to be the trouble, Charles?”
“It’s a personal thing. I mean, it hasn’t got to do with grades or anything. It’s just some trouble I’m having.”
“Must be serious, the way you look.” Ian got up from his chair, circled to the front of his desk and sat on its edge. “Is
there some way I can help?” he asked.
“I don’t know, Mr. Collins. My head’s all messed up. I mean, everything was going great until…a couple of days ago.
Now I’m all messed up. I don’t know what’s happening. All of a sudden, everything’s upside-down. I can’t even study any more.
I thought maybe if I talked to somebody about it…”
“Have you spoken to your parents?”
“Are you kidding me? They’d crap if they knew what was going on. But you’re different. I mean, you understand stuff. You listen
to people.”
“What is it I’m supposed to understand?”
“Well.” Charles hesitated. He glanced at the door as if considering whether to leave. Then he met Ian’s eyes. “I’m having
this thing,” he said. “I guess you’d say it’s an affair.”
“Is the girl pregnant?”
“God, I hope not. I guess she could be. I mean, I didn’t use anything. I figured she was taking care of it.”
“That kind of assumption often leads to fatherhood.”
“She must’ve taken care of it. Why wouldn’t she? I mean, she’s married. She’s gotta know about that sort of stuff.”
“She’s married? No wonder you’re afraid to tell your parents.”
“You won’t say anything to them, will you?”
“No, not a chance. How long have you been seeing this woman?”
“Not long.” He fidgeted and looked down at his hands. “I’ve known her for a month or so, but we didn’t…Monday night
was the first time we actually made it. And then last night. Only twice, so far.”
“What about her husband?”
Charles looked up quickly, startled. “What about him?”
“Does he know?”
“Oh, God, I hope not! I mean, he hasn’t caught us at it or anything. She tells him she’s going to meetings…classes and
stuff. And we never do it at her house .”
“I should hope not.”
“I’ve got this camper van. It has beds. That’s where we did it. You know, parked like on side streets.”
“I guess that’s safer than doing it in her house.”
“It was her idea. The whole thing’s been her idea. I don’t even know why she’d want to make it with me. I mean, I’m just a
kid.”
“That might be reason enough. How old is she?”
“I don ’t know. Twenty-five or thirty, I guess.”
“Do you want out of it?”
“I don’t know. Hell, I like it. She’s really hot, you know? But the whole thing has me scared shitless. Excuse me, that just slipped out.”
“I’ve heard worse.”
“She scares me. And I’m really scared her husband might find out.”
“You should be.”
“And hell, Mr. Collins…I even scare myself, I get so involved. I don’t know what I’m doing. I mean, I know .And I know it’s wrong. But it’s like somebody else is doing it and I’m just watching like some dumb-ass jerk. It’s as if
I don’t have any say in things. I just go along with whatever’s happening. It’s making me nuts.”
“What you’d better do is put a stop to it all.”
“How do I do that?”
“Quit seeing the woman.”
“That wouldn’t be easy.” He looked down at his folded hands and shook his head as if thinking about impossible odds.
“Where women are involved,” Ian said, “nothing is easy.” He smiled grimly as he pictured Laura throwing a playful punch at
his shoulder for speaking such blasphemy. “Nothing is easy,” he muttered.
“What should I do?”
“It’s up to you. If I wanted
Charles sat at a desk in the front row of the classroom. His face had a moist, doughy look. There were gray smudges under
his eyes. He rubbed his face with both hands.
Ian had noticed it often—how a boy can look so much like a tired old man.
“What seems to be the trouble, Charles?”
“It’s a personal thing. I mean, it hasn’t got to do with grades or anything. It’s just some trouble I’m having.”
“Must be serious, the way you look.” Ian got up from his chair, circled to the front of his desk and sat on its edge. “Is
there some way I can help?” he asked.
“I don’t know, Mr. Collins. My head’s all messed up. I mean, everything was going great until…a couple of days ago.
Now I’m all messed up. I don’t know what’s happening. All of a sudden, everything’s upside-down. I can’t even study any more.
I thought maybe if I talked to somebody about it…”
“Have you spoken to your parents?”
“Are you kidding me? They’d crap if they knew what was going on. But you’re different. I mean, you understand stuff. You listen
to people.”
“What is it I’m supposed to understand?”
“Well.” Charles hesitated. He glanced at the door as if considering whether to leave. Then he met Ian’s eyes. “I’m having
this thing,” he said. “I guess you’d say it’s an affair.”
“Is the girl pregnant?”
“God, I hope not. I guess she could be. I mean, I didn’t use anything. I figured she was taking care of it.”
“That kind of assumption often leads to fatherhood.”
“She must’ve taken care of it. Why wouldn’t she? I mean, she’s married. She’s gotta know about that sort of stuff.”
“She’s married? No wonder you’re afraid to tell your parents.”
“You won’t say anything to them, will you?”
“No, not a chance. How long have you been seeing this woman?”
“Not long.” He fidgeted and looked down at his hands. “I’ve known her for a month or so, but we didn’t…Monday night
was the first time we actually made it. And then last night. Only twice, so far.”
“What about her husband?”
Charles looked up quickly, startled. “What about him?”
“Does he know?”
“Oh, God, I hope not! I mean, he hasn’t caught us at it or anything. She tells him she’s going to meetings…classes and
stuff. And we never do it at her house .”
“I should hope not.”
“I’ve got this camper van. It has beds. That’s where we did it. You know, parked like on side streets.”
“I guess that’s safer than doing it in her house.”
“It was her idea. The whole thing’s been her idea. I don’t even know why she’d want to make it with me. I mean, I’m just a
kid.”
“That might be reason enough. How old is she?”
“I don ’t know. Twenty-five or thirty, I guess.”
“Do you want out of it?”
“I don’t know. Hell, I like it. She’s really hot, you know? But the whole thing has me scared shitless. Excuse me, that just slipped out.”
“I’ve heard worse.”
“She scares me. And I’m really scared her husband might find out.”
“You should be.”
“And hell, Mr. Collins…I even scare myself, I get so involved. I don’t know what I’m doing. I mean, I know .And I know it’s wrong. But it’s like somebody else is doing it and I’m just watching like some dumb-ass jerk. It’s as if
I don’t have any say in things. I just go along with whatever’s happening. It’s making me nuts.”
“What you’d better do is put a stop to it all.”
“How do I do that?”
“Quit seeing the woman.”
“That wouldn’t be easy.” He looked down at his folded hands and shook his head as if thinking about impossible odds.
“Where women are involved,” Ian said, “nothing is easy.” He smiled grimly as he pictured Laura throwing a playful punch at
his shoulder for speaking such blasphemy. “Nothing is easy,” he muttered.
“What should I do?”
“It’s up to you. If I wanted
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