Page 87 of Mr. Naughty List
Doug cleared his throat again and looked at Mom. Whatever passed between them seemed to result in a kind of reluctant acceptance.
“I see,” Mom said, finally. “It’s a little awkward, isn’t it? On the surface, it doesn’t look that good.”
“But nothing untoward happened while RJ was in school, Mrs. Ward,” Aaron said. “I promise.”
“Of course,” she said, reaching out to touch Aaron’s arm briefly. “I believe you, Aaron. We both do. Don’t we, Doug?”
“Yes,” Doug said, but his brows were still furrowed. “But I still don’t see why Carter would care about any of this? Why would he want to get you in trouble with your principal?”
“Remember our conversation at the dance the other night?” Aaron asked.
“Before the principal intervened, yes. We were talking about my concerns that Carter might be…” He trailed off and looked guiltily at Mom.Great. Keeping secrets already. The beginning of the end. “I should have told you about this Betsy. I just didn’t know how to bring it up.”
“Bring what up?”
“I think Carter might be gay.”
“Oh?” She blinked. “But RJ’s gay and you know I totally accept him. Why would you think I’d care?”
“Because…” Doug swallowed hard. “Well, honey, I’m bi. And I think he got it from me.”
Doug was bi? RJ blinked in surprise, trying to make sense of that. He’d never thought…never imagined. But wait. “Got it from you?” RJ scoffed. “It’s not exactly helpful to think of sexuality that way. It’s not a disease you catch or inherit.”
“You’re bi?” Mom asked softly.
RJ’s stomach flipped over. The hint of betrayal in his mom’s voice pushed a protective button inside, and he wanted to insinuate himself between Doug and his mother to protect her.
Doug reached out for her hand, but she didn’t reciprocate his squeeze. “I am, yeah.”
“You never said…” She blinked at him. “Why?”
“I didn’t think it mattered. We’re together and monogamous, so…”
Aaron shifted uncomfortably, and Mom noticed. She pulled her hand back from Doug and shook her head, the hurt not entirely gone from her eyes. “This is a conversation for another time. It’s not really the boys’ business, is it?”
“I’m sorry, Betsy.”
“It’s fine. We’ll be fine.” Mom smiled a little tightly. “What do we need to do about Carter?” She turned away from Doug in a way that made it clear she wasn’t done being hurt by his withheld information and focused on Aaron. “If he’s trying to hurt your career because you care about RJ…” She shook her head. “Why would he do that? It doesn’t make sense.” She turned back to Doug. “You think he’s gay, so why would he want to hurt his gay teacher?”
Aaron took a deep breath, and all eyes shifted to him. “He came to me the other day, right after I’d first met RJ again. There was no way he could have known about that. Anyway, he told me that day that he had a stepbrother who’d recently moved in and he wasn’t comfortable with it. At the time, I admit I was worried that the stepbrother in question was doing something inappropriate, but now that I’ve discovered it’s RJ he was referring to, and I’ve spent the last week with him, I understand there must be something else going on.”
“We probably won’t know for sure what that is unless we talk to Carter,” Doug said. “Alone. As his parents.”
Mom glanced at her watch. “The kids will be home soon, and Carter will be dropped off shortly. I think it will be best if you’re not here, Aaron, when he comes.” She pinned RJ with her eyes. “And I think it will be best if you are.”
“Why?” RJ asked.
“Won’t that embarrass him?” Doug said at the same moment.
“We can send RJ upstairs if Carter is uncomfortable talking with him around, but I think RJ should be the one to help him understand what’s happening with Aaron. And keep it PG, RJ. This is a thirteen-year-old, and he doesn’t need to understand anything other than you have feelings for his teacher. What kind of feelings can be left to his imagination.”
RJ shrugged. “I can do that.”
Doug stood and so did everyone else. He put out his hand. “Aaron, we’re grateful for you coming by to clarify things for us. We’re sorry if Carter has caused problems for you with your job.”
Aaron shook his hand firmly. “I’d like to say there’s no problem at all with my job, but truth be told, my principal is struggling with the information that I’m dating a man, much less seeing a student’s brother. Amongst other things.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. Is she fair to queer children?” Betsy asked, clearly concerned. “Should the school board be made aware?”