Westpoint Tales
by Kiwi
Entangled Tales - 9 - Justin
This is just a story - fantasy and fiction - and has no basis on any reality that I know of. However, this story ventures into places that are deep and dark and shows some of the damage that can be done. It could raise issues that you may prefer not to read about.
If you have things that you need to discuss, or have been affected by the issues raised in the story, please raise them in http://forum.iomfats.org or contact me at by clicking here or both. While we’re none of us professionally trained to help. The simple airing of previously unspoken concerns to a stranger is often the best way to handle things.
At the school, the secretary, Mrs. Burston, was filling in the enrolment forms and the principal, Mrs. Lowry, having nothing better to do and being curious/nosy, was taking an interest.
Mrs. Burston said, "Now, Justin, what was the last school you attended?"
"Northcote Primary Ma'am."
"A primary school? 5 to 12 year olds? But you are 15."
"Yes, Ma'am, I am 15 years old, about that."
Mrs. Lowry asked, "If you're 15 and your last school was a primary school, exactly how long is it since you've been at school, Justin?"
"About 5 or 6 years, Ma'am."
"5 or 6 years since you've been in a school? That happens I suppose, but it shouldn't. Were you home-schooled? Correspondence maybe?"
"No, Ma'am nothing like that."
Mrs. .Burston said, "I'm almost afraid to ask the next question - reason for leaving previous school?"
"That would be because I was expelled. Will that be a problem?"
You were expelled?" asked Mrs. Lowry. "What were you expelled from a primary school for?"
"I was expelled for stealing."
"And what did a 9 or 10 year old boy steal that got you expelled? The crown jewels perhaps?"
"No, Ma'am. It was some woodworking glue. I took it to repair my guitar after my mother's boyfriend broke it over my head. It was only a little glue, but I did steal it."
Kathleen just had to ask, "Is that the same old guitar that you've got now?"
"Yes Ma'am. It was my father's guitar. It was all that he left behind when she threw him out. She put her foot through it then, but I was able to repair it - sort of. And when he smashed it I had to fix it. I just had to. I did not have any money, so I stole some glue."
"To hell with the glue, Boy. That doesn't matter. I'd like to get my hands on the animal who broke a guitar on my grandson's head. What did he do that for?"
"I was playing it in my room. He said that it was too loud. I think he had a hangover. He got angry and he came in, grabbed it from me, and smashed it."
"Bastard! Sorry Mrs. Lowry, Mrs. Burston, but, bugger it - the rotten bastard!"
"Don't worry Mrs. Reynolds, I agree with you. But, Justin, I don't understand why such a petty theft got you expelled at such a young age?"
"That is what she said, Ma'am. My mother, when she came back from the school, said that I was a rotten little thief and that I was expelled. Also that it was time I was earning my living anyway."
"Aah. I think I'm getting the picture now. What did you did you do to earn a living at 9 or 10?"
He blushed and put his head down as he mumbled, "Oh, stuff. This and that, just stuff."
Kathleen said, "He cleans the hotel. Ever since he arrived here he cleans everything - walls, windows, floors, he just won't stop. But that's going to stop now isn't it, Justin?"
"Yes, Ma'am, if I can go to school that is."
Mrs. Lowry smiled, "You can go to school, Justin. You will be very welcome here. You've not been to any other schools at all since then?"
"No Ma'am. I was busy and I did not like school anyway. The bullies made my like a misery."
"Bullies. Well I'm afraid you'll find schoolyard bullies wherever you go. Unfortunately, we've got more than our share of them here too. If you have any trouble you just come straight to the office or go to the nearest staff member."
Kathleen said, "You get their names and come to me. This is a small town. I'll give them bullies!"
Mrs. Lowry said, "I don't think that will be necessary, Mrs. Reynolds. It is a small town though. We've already been hearing about you, Justin. They say that you run like the wind and sing like a angel - Mrs. Lewis was very impressed. One thing though, school policy you know. No jewellery or accessories allowed at school. You won't be able to wear the sunglasses to school."
Justin stood up, "Oh, well that is that then. I am sorry to have wasted everybody's time. I cannot go to school, Grandmother."
"Wait a minute, Boy. The glasses are not a fashion accessory Mrs. Lowry. Show them, Justin. Show them your eyes."
He removed the dark glasses and looked at each woman there. Mrs. Lowry nodded
"Thank you Justin. Put them back on. Put a note on his file, Mrs. Burston. He can wear the glasses whenever he chooses."
"He wears them all the time, Mrs. Lowry."
"Okay, he wears them all the time - for medical reasons."
Mrs. Burston continued, "Now, Justin, what do we do with you? You could start in the special education unit perhaps."
Kathleen snorted, "He certainly will not. This boy's not special needs, he is really bright. Dr. Miller agrees too."
"I wasn't saying that he's slow or anything. But if he has missed 5 years schooling, he has a lot of catching up to do. If he can."
Kathleen snorted again, "If he can. He's sharper than me, I'll tell you that. Justin has been educating himself. He reads encyclopedias every night. And he really reads them too. Not just looking at some articles, he reads the whole book, page by page, volume by volume."
Mrs. Lowry said, "Well, maybe we'd better test you then. Mrs. Burston, if you would - one of the year 9 entrance tests please."
While Mrs. Burston was getting a set of papers from her files, Mrs. Lowry explained, "This is the general knowledge examination that we have all new entrants take at 13 when they are entering High School. So that we can tell which 'stream' they belong in - academic, general courses, or whatever. Thank you Mrs. Burston. Now, Justin, in your own time, just complete these papers please."
He sat and read through the papers before him, page 1, 2, 3, 4. Then sat back and looked up at the principal.
"Don't you understand it? Look, the first three pages are multiple choice, you just put a tick in the box by the correct answer. The fourth page is maths, you need to work out the problems, use the calculator there of course. Answer every question, that's important. If you're not sure of the correct answer, just make a guess. Is that clear?"
"Yes, Ma'am, I do not have a pen Ma'am."
"Oh. Sorry. How thick am I? Here you are, in your own time now."
He took the pen and ran down the pages ticking boxes without hesitating, didn't even seem to take the time to re-read the questions. On the maths page the pen ran down rapidly writing answers against each question. In about 40 seconds he was finished and pushed the pages forward to Mrs. Lowry.
"Finished? But you couldn't have. Didn't you understand my instructions? Well let's see how you've done.
She laid the pages side by side and covered them with the answer sheets - pieces of cardboard with holes cut to show the correct answer boxes. "But, but . . I don't . . Have you done this test before Justin?"
"No Ma'am, I have not seen this type of examination before."
"But you . . . Mrs. Burston, can we have another set of papers please. Another test, from a few years ago."
Four different pages were laid down on the desk. He ran down ticking boxes, supplied the maths solutions and was finished again in less than a minute. Mrs. Burston produced the answer sheets and they both leant over the desk looking at the results.
"Mrs. Reynolds, Justin, we owe you an apology. Special needs indeed. I don't think so - two tests completed in record time and both 100% correct. If this is what you are capable of, I'm not sure that our school has anything to offer you. Have you considered going straight to university?"
"No Ma'am, I just want to go to school here in Westpoint, in year 11. I have friends in year 11."
"In year 11 it is then. Welcome to Westpoint High School, Justin."
When Bob Reynolds came out to the kitchen for his evening meal on Friday, it was obvious that something was bothering him. He was very quiet as he sat and concentrated on his meal and his face kept changing from deathly pale to flushed red. His grim mouth showed that he was angry. As he ate he kept glancing at Justin, at Kathleen and at Claire and Dee who were eating with them.
Finally he laid his knife and fork down on his unfinished meal, stood up, and said, "Justin, I need to talk to you. Will you come through to the lounge please? You come too, Kathleen. You girls can wait here, this won't take long."
He strode purposefully through to the TV lounge and when Kathleen and Justin followed, he began, "Close the door please. Justin do you want to tell us what you were doing yesterday afternoon?"
"I went out running Sir."
"Yes, you were out running, but you weren't running all the time were you? You were seen in the Book Exchange down the main street."
Kathleen, protectively, spoke up, "Well, so what, Robert? If he wants books . . "
"Kathleen, don't interrupt please. It wasn't just books. You were seen in the adult section. You were looking through the boxes of 'gay' magazines, and you were there for quite some time."
"Robert, if the boy is gay, as he says he is, it's only natural . ."
"Kathleen, please! It gets worse. Justin this afternoon you were in the video store, and again you were in the adult section. The owner, John Armstrong, is a friend of mine. He told me that when he challenged you about being in the back room, which is an R18 area, you not only refused to leave but you asked to see other X-rated videos that he might have behind the counter. You asked for illegal, gay, child pornography tapes - and you asked for them by name. Boys in Bondage, Little Inches, Hot Screaming Boys, and so forth. John was shocked. He wouldn't stock filth like that. And so am I, Justin. Shocked, and frankly I'm disgusted! Very disappointed in you. How is it that you are familiar with
that filth? You are not to bring any of that stuff into our home. Ever! And that's final. What do you have to say for yourself?"
Justin's mouth opened and closed. He blushed bright red and huddled back into the big armchair.
"Justin?"
"Kathleen, be quiet! Young man I want some answers please. Now!"
Justin's head came up as he took a deep breath. He wiped tears from his face with his ever-present tissues and began, "I would not bring filth into your home, Sir."
Looking at Kathleen, he continued, "I was not just curious, Ma'am. I was looking for some specific titles. Specific items of child pornography in the magazines and the video tapes. I did not find any that I was looking for, but if I had, my intention was to force them to destroy them, using threats of legal action if they did not. They are filth, and they are illegal. I did not want them to be available for sale or hire here in Westpoint."
Kathleen, totally confused now, asked, "And these books and tapes, what is in them exactly? Children having sex?"
"Yes Ma'am. Children in bondage. Tied up and whipped, tortured, burnt with cigarettes, urinated on, that sort of thing. Children forced to do disgusting things - being raped. Full, graphic and brutal anal intercourse. Adult men raping little boys, and the more screaming and crying, the better show it makes.. The filthiest garbage that you could imagine. That is what I was looking for."
Bob, whitefaced, sank into a chair. "I totally agree that we don't want that stuff in our town. But, how is it that you even know about them? By title even?"
His face set and angry, Justin spat. "I know all about these ones, Sir, because they were starring - Me! When I was a child, that is how they made money from me. By selling my body, selling my childhood. That, Grandmother, was how I earned my living, not by cleaning. I was a porn star, a kiddie porn star."
"Oh, Justin, no!"
"Oh, Justin, yes! That is what your daughter, my mother, and her endless succession of sleazy boyfriends did to me. I had no choice. I was forced, raped. It went on and on for years, until I was too sick and pathetic to be of any value to them. Then they dumped me here. I did not want you to know. You are good people, decent people. I thought that if I could keep it secret from you then I could stay here. But now I am - was - going to go to school, I was afraid that somebody would recognise me. So I thought I would find and destroy any of them that might be around the town. I was stupid. I am pretty sure that some of it is on the internet anyway.
I am sorry. I did not want to shame you. I wish that I was my brother. Even if he is dead, I wish that I was him. I am sorry. I will get my guitar and leave now."
He got up and made a move for the door, but Bob quickly rose and stood in his way. Justin tried to duck around him, but his grandfather grabbed hold of him and wrapped both arms around him. The boy struggled to get free but Bob held him tight with all the strength of his large frame and his ex-sportsman's muscles. "Oh no you don't., my boy. You're not going anywhere."
"Justin, oh Justin," he sighed. "I'm so sorry. Oh my boy, I'm sorry too that we were not there for you. If only we'd known, we would have saved you. Poor little boy. I'm so, so sorry. It's not your fault, Justin. Nothing is your fault. You were just the victim. The shame, the blame is not yours - it was your bitch of a mother and all the other animals that did that to you. It's not your fault."
Kathleen put her arms around both of them and Justin collapsed in a boneless mess, crying in his grandparent's arms. He cried, sobbed, wailed, and keened loudly and shed his bloody tears over them all.
Kathleen cried and crooned, "Cry Justin, cry. Cry it all out. Cry it away my baby. All the hurt, the pain, all your shame. It's over, Justin. It's not your fault, nothing was ever your fault and it's over. I promise you that, Justin, it's over."
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