Trouble (3 page)

She told
him the entire story.

“
I think you’ve been too kind to Russ. Enough is enough and we
have to confront him. Otherwise it’ll get worse,” he paused and
then looked into her eyes. “You Kristen Stewart will have to come
to a decision. Your “Breaking Dawn’ moment will come when he
arrives like clockwork to bring you to school.”

Natalie
made a sound like cynical laugher.

“
You will also need to report his assault. That’s totally
unacceptable.”

Natalie
hugged Byron again. She regretted that her perception of him was of
a brother always looking out for her. If she could get out of that
perception, they could probably develop a friendship,
post-Russ.

“
While I still have your attention, I think you should also
make time to talk to Quentin now and then. He’s a very interesting
guy.”

“
But I’m not gay or bisexual,” Byron chided her
gently.

“
Being nice to Quentin has nothing to do with sexuality. We all
know he has gay parents but that doesn’t mean guys should feel
uneasy with him.” Her tone was friendly but there was a subtle edge
to it. “What makes you think he’s gay?”

That was
a cryptic question and Natalie seemed to know more than she was
showing. He realized that she talked a lot to Quentin and it would
probably help his case if he played along. “Okay, I don’t have any
issues with that. Can I see you more often after the smoke has
cleared?”

“
After Russ?”

“
Yes.”

“
Let me think about it. I might want some space to think
through my life.”

“
I don’t want to get in the way.”

“
I’ll be very honest with you if I feel it won’t work
out.”

“
I like honesty,” he lied. In truth he was not sure if he could
take it well if he was rejected.

Quentin’s
name had come up again and Byron couldn’t help feeling queasy. He
wanted to be friendly with everyone but was wary of being typecast
as being goofy and cuddly. The last thing he wanted was for
facebook and twitter wags to start a firestorm of excited posts and
chatter about him. But if she liked Quentin and wanted him to be
friendly, he’d go along with it because the one thing he wanted in
the world was not the latest tech gadget. He wanted Natalie; all of
her.

It was in
this friendly pose that Matt found them when he was eventually
brought into the Station for driving above the speed
limit.

As he was
brought to the Counter he saw two teens of about his age, 16. The
boy gave the impression of someone who had everything but seemed to
miss something really terribly He wondered what they had done. The
girl he was holding almost with brotherly affection was very
attractive and had intelligent eyes tinged with bitterness. They
looked liked birds plucked from the same nest because they seemed
to mirror each other’s problems. Her tears seemed to give her added
aura. It reminded him of his own tears sometimes at night when he
cried himself to sleep thinking of his dad who did not care for
him. He sensed that this girl was a fighter. She had her own
personal struggles but was resilient enough to come out of her dark
shadows and find dignity in striving for her best.

He had an
overpowering desire to befriend her. “She’s just my kind of girl,”
he thought to himself with a confident smile. She needed him to
complement his sagging spirit and to affirm to him that one could
find meaning in a better life. “She’s going to be good for me.” A
tonic to help him overcome his challenges.

His
biggest challenge however was how he was going to talk to her and
also ensure that he did not antagonize the teen she was with. He
looked quite possessive!

Chapter 3: Matt

Matt was
a newcomer to Santa Monica, LA. He remembered his mum as a short
chubby attractive woman with intense eyes. She died when he was 14
years old. His father a popular doctor with a very busy practice
was too busy to look after him. In fact his birth had been an
accident. He had not wanted children. He remembered his parents
having a fight when he was a child because he wanted to send him to
boarding school and she had resisted. He mixed in high society and
loved the glamour of parties and hobnobbing with the rich and
socially connected. Children were a hindrance to his social
climbing strategies. They “are not needed in our lives,” he had
said in an unguarded moment. This child “was an accident,” he had
said coldly. With the death of his mum, Matt had been sent to
boarding school. It hadn’t worked out well and as a last resort he
had been sent to his maternal grandparents in LA. He had just been
enrolled into Tracey High. His dad sent him money to buy most
things he wanted. His only condition was that he was not seen or
heard in his life. He was just to busy and there was so much money
to make.

His grand
dad stood over him in the dark. He knew that Matt had been crying
in his bedroom. The moonlit night showed a boy so much in
pain.

“
You must let go son,” he said.

“
He never loved me,” Matt said bitterly

“
The world can be a cruel place,” he said gently. “But there
are always good people everywhere who care.”

.”He said
my birth was an accident.”

“
It was a terrible thing to say. But your birth was not an
accident,” his grand dad said fiercely. “You were born with a
purpose in life. Never forget that Matt.”

Matt got
up and faced the window, “I hate him! I hate him!” he
shouted.

“
No Matt, don’t say it.”

“
I wish he’d rot with his money!” He held on to him and burst
into tears.

“
You must forgive your dad.”

“
I can’t.”

“
You’re young Matt. But you must gradually let go. ”

“
I’ll try.”

“
It’s for your own good. Hate and bitterness is never good for
the heart. It eats into you like a cancer. Let go and move on with
your life. We love you very much, Matt. God sent you to us. And
never forget that you’re unique and have a lot of great
qualities.”

Matt felt
much better.

“
Your mum was a great woman and he would have loved for you to
be happy.”

Matt was
so thankful that he had come to stay with them. They were so kind
and in their own way had become the family he never had.

He had
been getting into a lot of trouble in Indiana, especially his
penchant for driving at breakneck speed. (Matt had a Warrior Y
motorbike and a Nissan 370z.) He did this because he was starved
for the attention that he desperately wanted his dad to give him.
He was unwilling to provide this and as far as he was concerned
Matt was a wayward ungrateful son who was complicating his immense
professional reputation.

His grand
dad, Stan, had been an ex Marine and his grandmother Ruth had
worked as a nurse. They were kind folks who doted on him and
showered him with the love he had never received from his high
flying dad. They understood that he had had an unhappy childhood
and it would take time for him to process his painful life. They
were however determined to bring him up in a healthy way so he
could become a well adjusted motivated teen. Marines who went on
missions never gave up on their targets easily, Stan said. With
Matt they’d work to help him process his issues even if they had to
die trying.

They
understood that from time to time he’d need to go for a fast spin.
But they always warned him in a firm and friendly way not to drink
or drive over the speed limit.

However,
exorcising his dad’s shadows took a bit longer than usual. Matt
forgot that in this highly techno enhanced state with roving
drones, CCTV, helicopters and other forms of surveillance, driving
recklessly was bound to get noticed sooner rather than
later.

In a
moment of gay abandon he had driven at breakneck speed through the
freeway. A Police car zoomed after him.

He was
bought to the Station.

Chapter 4: The Precinct Police Station

Matt was
bought to the counter where the Duty Sergeant looked inquiringly at
the Officer who bought him in.

“
Driving excessively over the speed limit. Probably thought he
was driving in the Grand Prix. Lucky for him he was not
drunk.”

“
Live fast. Die young,” the Sergeant said.

“
James Dean,” Matt said.

The
Officer glared at Matt, “You think you’re smart.”

“
They’re all like that. Drink hard, have sex with girls in
tights, drive fast and die a legend,” the Sergeant said
wearily.

“
I don’t drink and I don’t do that stuff.” People seemed to
assume by the way he looked and dressed that he was flirty, that he
was a hard drinker and was a serial sex dater. He hated these
assumptions especially from adults, especially his dad.

“
James Dean,” the Duty Sergeant and the Officer said almost in
unison, in derision.

“
Rebel with a cause.”

“
You think you’re smart,” the Officer said
sarcastically.

After the
processing, he was brought back to the bench where Natalie and
Byron sat.

Remaining
standing, he took out his Iphone and fiddled with it. The music
group Cover Drive’s hit song Twilight came on. They both almost
literally jumped. Quickly Matt put on his ear phones.

The song
was a favorite of Russ!

Matt
noticed that she had since recovered and they were exchanging
pleasantries.

He was
attired in a Lakers vest and seemed very cold. He was trying very
hard to control his shivering.

“
I demand my rights!” a middle aged drunkard screamed as he was
brought in struggling by two officers. “I want to speak to Mitt
Romney.” He kept screaming in this vein.

“
Calm down,” one of the officers said unsuccessfully. With what
seemed like dry humor he said, “Mitt is busy. I’m sure he’ll want
to meet you later.”

Above the
commotion, Matt did not hear Natalie talking to him.

“
Please sit down,” she said gently.

He smiled
awkwardly as Byron regarded him distrustfully.

“
Drove too fast on the freeway. I’m from Indiana. Just moved
here recently. Am with my grandparents.”

“
You found a school yet?”

“
Tracey High.”

“
You’re joking,” Natalie said pleasantly.

Byron
looked up in surprise for the first time, “Coincidence.”

“
Small town huh?”

Byron
looked suspiciously at Matt and then smiled uneasily.

Natalie
and Matt exchanged pleasantries. “We’ll give you our numbers in
case you need directions or something.”

He
couldn’t believe his good fortune. It was as if he was dreaming.
“I’d like that very much.”

An
officer came up to Natalie and eyed Matt suspiciously. “You seem to
get around fast,” he said in an amused tone.

“
I don’t get around,” Matt retorted.

“
Now don’t give me that tone. Can’t you take a joke?” he asked
still looking amused.

He had a
file and also a tablet which he consulted quickly.

“
Natalie, is it?” Without waiting for a reply he motioned her
to a glass cubicle.”Your mum is on her way.”

“
Will be with you in a jiffy,” a female officer shouted to
them.

Byron
continued to shiver. He walked slowly to the bathroom.

After
hesitating for a moment, Matt who was in a sweater followed
him.

+++++

“
You looked dazed when we saw you,”

“
And that neighborhood is quite dangerous,” the female officer
chimed in.

“
What happened?”

“
He left us,” she said in a flat tone. ”I was lost.”

“
So you walked around to gather your thoughts?”

“
Something like that.”

“
Are there other things we need to know? You looked like you
had been assaulted.”

“
That neighborhood is quite a distance from your home,” she
chimed in like a Bonny and Clyde routine. ”That was some walking
you did.”

“
I want to talk to my mum first before I tell you
everything.”

“
That’s very reasonable,” the woman officer said.

Her mum
came in and spoke quietly to the officers while Natalie sat
silently and teary eyed.

They
hugged each other and she confided that she had spoken to her dad.
They were trying to work out something. She gave her the phone and
she spoke to him. He said he was concerned for what she had gone
through. She brightened up considerably after that.

+++++

Byron
hovered over a hand basin and seemed to be crying and shivering at
the same time. He was all alone and no one seemed to care about
him. That made him feel quite depressed.