The Sins of the Father
by N Fourbois
Chapter 28
Finally the bell for the end of Tuesday afternoon school rang. Rufus, Toby and William were in no hurry to leave. They could make themselves toast and tea or coffee in the Sixth Form Centre and since they cycled, they didn't have to rush to catch a bus or a train; they didn't have to suffer the impatience of a parent parked on double yellow lines outside the school gates. Mrs McLarney wouldn't be home from work yet, nor would Mr and Mrs Lindstrom, and Oliver Cholmondeley, like his brother, cycled and would get home when he did and re-assure Mrs Cholmondeley that Toby was on his way.
So eventually our three sauntered towards the bike sheds and when they reached them they could hear a soft sobbing. They looked around. No one about and then following his custom Rufus walked behind them and saw crouching on the ground, his back to the shed, a small boy. He had tousled blond hair. Rufus went up to him, took him by the arm and lifted him up, asking him what the matter was. The poor little wretch couldn't speak for weeping, but what Rufus did notice was that it was the third former that had attracted his attention on the first day and another time when they had passed while walking round the fields. Furthermore he noticed that the boy's belt and zip were undone. Rufus put his arm round him and walked him towards William and Toby, who were shocked to see the young man in such a sorry state. At first they didn't know what to do. The staff had probably gone home by now. Rufus took his handkerchief and dabbed the boy's eyes dry.
"What's your name?"
"Edward," he sniffled, "Eddie Hurdle."
"My name is Rufus and these are my friends Toby and William. Now tell us what happened to you."
"I'm not sure. It happened so quickly. I saw this boy looking at me earlier in the day, leering more. It was not pleasant. Then when I came to get my bike, there he was. No one else was around and he said 'Are you gay?' I was so confused I nodded and then he pulled me behind the bike sheds and tried to take my trousers down and when I kicked him he put his hand inside and squeezed my balls so tight that it hurt. Then I screamed and he said 'Serves you right, you little prick teaser,' and then you came along."
"Are you really gay or did you just say that?" Eddie blushed and answered
"I think I really am."
"Now don't fret. You're with friends because us three, we all are as well."
"I know." Rufus was taken aback.
"What makes you say that?"
"I don't know. I just know."
"That's not important at the moment," said Rufus, regaining his concentration. "Would you recognise this boy again?"
"Oh, yes. That was the second time he'd come up to me."
"We can't do much about it until tomorrow. Where do you live?" asked Rufus. Eddie told him.
"That's on our way home. Are you fit enough to ride your bike?" Eddie nodded. "Okay, we'll take you home, explain what happened to your mother and we'll sort this out tomorrow. Do your zip and belt up and we'll get going."
The three accompanied Eddie home and Rufus rang the door bell when they arrived at his house. Mrs Hurdle answered the door and saw that her son was in some disarray. Rufus started to explain, but she interrupted, saying
"I think you'd better come in." The friends explained what had happened and promised to help the next day, but as they didn't want to be seen as vigilantes, they suggested Mrs Hurdle got in touch with the school as soon as possible. They would meet Eddie at the school gates in the morning and help him identify the perpetrator. They then said goodbye to Mrs Hurdle and Eddie and parted in three different directions.
Wednesday and the three chums had resolved to get into school early. They hoped Eddie would arrive early too because they didn't want the bully to slip through the net, which would mean prolonging the matter, maybe another day. They couldn't even hazard a guess at who had assaulted Eddie. Because of the school's tolerance towards its gay pupils, there was little need for homosexuality to go underground and so between them the three chums certainly knew those that were out and some of them who weren't, but as they ran through the school list they couldn't fathom out who might have done such a thing.
Eddie turned up a minute after them. Sighs of relief. What the three had not noticed the previous afternoon, but which was prominent now, was that the junior was sporting a black eye. The four of them stood in a huddle where they could observe all those who were pouring through the school gates. They tried to look as if they were just standing there chatting. They certainly did not want anyone else to come up and start a conversation as that might distract them from the task in hand and the quarry might slip past. One royal blue blazer among three navy blue blazers might, however, have attracted some attention.
"That's him," said Eddie as a heavyweight boy came through the gates alone. He turned away immediately as he neither wanted to see or be seen by him
"Are you sure?" said Rufus as Toby took a snap of him with his iPhone.
"Absolutely certain." The three chums were surprised for although they had seen him around the place, not one of them knew his name.
"Could be fourth or fifth former that size," remarked William.
"Off you go now, Eddie," said Rufus. "Make sure that letter from your parents gets into the hands of the Headmaster before you go to registration and if you want to talk to us, you know where to find us at lunchtime and you may even see us out on the fields at morning break."
"And I've just e-mailed his picture to the office," added Toby.
Things moved quickly. Our three did not meet Eddie on the fields at morning break. It was easy to guess where he was. After break our three were called out of a general studies period to go to the Headmaster's study where they were thanked for the way they had handled the situation, although Mrs Hurdle and Eddie could only identify them by their Christian names. By lunch break a notice had appeared on the school notice board to say that a named pupil had been suspended for two weeks for 'aggravated bullying', subject to permanent exclusion, should the offence be repeated. Such detail was there pour encourager les autres . Justice had been done, and quickly.
At lunchtime Eddie sought out Rufus, Toby and William, finding them as promised in the obscure corner of the dining room. Coming up to the boys, he had a broad smile on his face. Gone was the apprehension of senior boys and he sat down at the spare place at the table. It was not the done thing for senior and junior boys to be seen consorting together, although a lot of consorting went on unseen. However, there are few secrets in a school community and the news had quickly gone the rounds in the school, not only the name of the boy on the suspension notice, but also, though unpublished, who was the object of the 'aggravated bullying' and the names of those boys who had helped the victim and so under the circumstances it was natural to see these four together.
"Have you had your lunch yet, Eddie?" asked Toby.
"No, I was going to get it when I'd spoken to you," he replied.
"Go and get it first," said William "and then you can bring it here and eat it with us." Eddie went off and did as he was told.
"Now if I'd said that," protested Rufus, "you'd have called me babysnatcher and worse."
"That's it," said Toby. "We're saving your face."
"Oh yeah, how come?"
"Everyone knows we're an item and so we're safe, but who besides us knows that you have a significant other half? And so we're doing you a good turn which we thought you'd appreciate."
"You cheeky sods." William and Toby just giggled at Rufus's indignation. Then Rufus eventually saw the joke. Five minutes later Eddie returned with his tray of food.
"So, young man," said Rufus "how do you feel now this is all over?"
"Better than I did this morning," he replied. "I didn't really want to come to school."
"It's a good job you did or the same thing could have happened to someone else today," said Rufus. Eddie whispered.
"Are you all really gay?" he asked, repeating the question he'd asked the previous day.
"Of course we are," answered Toby. "I thought everybody in the school knew that."
"I thought you said you knew too?" said William.
"Well, I do… sort of… I dunno. It's just a funny feeling I get sometimes about people."
"It's called gaydar," filled in Rufus. "And to return the question, are you really gay?"
"Oh, yes," said Eddie. "I found that out at my last school."
"How?" said Toby.
"You don't have to tell us if you don't want to," said Rufus. Eddie blushed.
"It was weird, really. At my last school I was very popular, with staff and with the other boys, which was all very nice until I found out why."
"Why was that?"
"Shh, Will, let the boy finish," said Toby.
"I was told it was because of my blond hair and blue eyes, but it was also because of my bottom, and it did get patted by some of the masters there, and stroked by some of the boys, and when the boys did it, it felt nice and then they might go a bit further and feel my balls and that would give me a stiffie until one of the boys showed me how to wank off and I was allowed to join this sort of club they had where a group of us would go off somewhere in the school grounds and we'd all have a mass wank together. I enjoyed doing it, then having it done to me and sometimes there'd be just two of us and we'd do that or other things as well."
"Do your parents know you're gay," asked Rufus. Eddie nodded.
"But not because of anything that happened at my last school. They found out when we were on holiday once, but that's another story. That is why they wanted me to come to this school because it's got a good reputation for dealing with gay kids and they thought I'd have an easier time of it." There was a silence. "Look, I've got to go or my friends will be wondering if I'm in trouble or something. I don't know to thank you for last night." 'Let me go gold-digging,' thought William. 'Let me get my tongue down your throat,' thought Toby. 'Let me get your prick inside my mouth,' thought Rufus.
"Nothing to thank us for," said Rufus. "If you're ever in trouble or got any problems, especially about being gay, you can talk to any one of us any time. My twin brothers were here and they were gay and out as well. So there are no secrets."
"See ya later," said William and Toby.
The boys cleared their trays away and went to fetch their kit for games. They had an afternoon of rugby training before them and rugby training also meant team selection, or not, for Saturday's matches. After a long shower during which great interest was taken in the current status of Rufus's pubic hair, they crawled back to the Sixth Form Centre absolutely knackered, made tea and toast and wondered how they would have the strength to cycle home – and they were supposed to be fit.
Rufus put his bike away and went in through the back door. In the middle of the kitchen table was a note. He picked it up and read it: 'Taken Hugo to A&E. Will be back asap. Mum' Rufus wondered what that could be all about. Since the backdoor had been unlocked, there must be someone at home. He called out and went upstairs. He knocked at the twins' bedroom door, went in and found Magnus sitting at his desk, staring into space.
"What's up, Mag? What's happened to Hugo?"
"We think he's broken his wrist."
"How did he do that?"
"We were in the middle of a scene. I think we're both in deep doo-doo."
"What? Me as well?"
"No, you twat. Hugo and me."
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