One Dysfunctional Mess part 5

Chapter 21 Biscuits and phone calls

"Let me get this straight." Tommy's dad said to him as they sat in a seafood restaurant. He pulled a cheddar bay biscuit from the basket that sat between them. "You were dating this girl Thea."

"Yes." Tommy said. He took a sip of his ice tea and then grabbed a biscuit.

"And how long had the two of you been dating again?" He questioned.

"Over a month."

"Over a month." Abner bit into the basket and then swallowed. "And then Jack insisted you to a party at his condo where he introduces Thea to his brother who then steals her from you."

"Actually they met the day before at the ice cream shop." Tommy said.

"So this girl who you have been dating for a month,  you claimed was crazy about you dumps you for a boy she just met." His father said. "And Jack who has been your friend since kindergarten was okay with it."

"Okay with it." Tommy said angrily. "He encouraged it. He talked Thea into dumping me so she could date his jerk brother."

"Jack did that?"

"Yes." He said getting a bit frustrated. He then saw a look of doubt in his eyes. "You don't believe me."

"I'm just having a hard time believing that Jack would do something like that."  His father said.

"Well he did." Tommy said getting defensive.

"I also spoke to Thea's mother." He took a drink of his ice tea.  "She says you two were never dating."

"Well we were." Tommy said. "You don't believe me." He gave his father a hurt look. "I can't believe you don't believe me."

"Its not that I don't believe you." He said. "I'm just having a hard time understanding why Thea's mom would lie about it."

"Because Thea to her." Tommy said.  "She never told her we were dating just like she is lying to her about dating John." He became emotional as he said "She is a liar. A dirty, rotten stinking liar like Jack and they need to be punished for what they did to me."

"Is that what you really want?" Albert asked his son. "Jack punished. Do you really want your best friend kicked out of school."

"Yes." Tommy said with vehemence in his voice. "He is not my friend anymore. I don't think he ever really was."

Albert stroke his chin thoughtfully as he studied his son. "Okay I believe you."

"You do?" Tommy said.

"Yes." He said. "You are way too hurt to be making this all up."

"I'm not dad." Tommy said. "I promise I'm not."

"Okay then." Albert said. "I will go to Mrs. Starnes with your mom tomorrow and demand Jack is expelled for bullying and harrasment."

"Thank you." Tommy shot him a grateful look.

"And after we are done there we will go to the police station and prews charges against him for bullying."

Tommy's jaw dropped. "What?"

"We will press charges against him." He said. "If he has done all that you say than this calls for more than a school expulsion. He needs to face serious consequences."  He grabbed another biscuit. "Dont worth the maximum penalty is only three months in a youth detention center." He bit into biscuit, watched his son as he chewed and then swallowed. "But don't worry if he is the lying, backstabbing jerk that you say he is then three months in juvie might do him some good."

"I guess." Tommy fell silent as he averted eye contact with his father. Albert bit into biscuit as he watched his son.

Bridgerton prison....

Shaun sat at the pay phone as it rang for the fourth time. He was about to hand up when a gruff voice answered. "Hello Conrad." Shaun nervously said. "Its me Shaun."

"Why are you calling me Shaun?" His eldest brother asked.

"I needed to talk to you." Shaun said resisting the urge to stutter. His brother was a intimidating individual. Even more so than Harrison or the Swedes. "I wanted to let you know that I forgive you."

"Forgive me?" Conrad said incredulous. "For what?"

"For getting me thrown in here." Shaun answered.

"I don't know what you are talking about boy." Conrad said. "I am not responsible for you getting through in prison. That is all on you and Max. And if I were you I would keep my mouth shut before you find yourself in a world hurt."

Shaun shrunk as he said "I didn't mean to offend you Conrad."

"You didn't offend me." Conrad said. "I'm just telling you to watch your mouth or there will be consequences."

"I understand."

"Good." Conrad said. "I need to go."

"I love you Conrad." Shaun said. "Despite everything I love you."

"Um okay." He said taken aback. He was not expecting that."

"Goodbye Conrad."

Shaun then hung up the phone and went back to his cell.

The condo...

The three walked into the apartment. Their arrival caused the two dogs to go into a barking frenzy. He told the two take the dogs out to the bathroom and then sat on the couch as he contemplated the rest of his day. There was a lot that he needed to get done but did not seem like he had enough time to do it.

The dogs greeted him as they walked by and then the four headed out. Once they were out his phone began to ring. He pulled out to see it was from an unknown number.

"Hello." Jason said thinking it was probably a telemarketer.

"Looking for me Jason."

"Natasha." Jason said. "Are you okay."

"I'm fine." Natasha said as she nervously looked at the empty safe. Someone had been here she thought. Whoever it was stole the twenty five thousand dollars that was in the safe plus some jewelry that she wanted to retrieve. "My assistant said you were looking for me."

"Yes I want to talk about last fourth of July."

"What about it?"

"The pictures you found on Spencer's phone." He said.

"You mean of Jack standing in the corner."

"Were they just of Jack in the corner." His voice broke. "Nothing else."

"Just him in the corner." She said. "And some of your nephew Zach laying on the floor looking terrified."

Zach did not tell us that he thought. Maybe he forgot.

"Why didn't you tell me?" He asked. "Or Sam and Wendy?"

"I was scared of what he might do." Natasha said.

"I can understand that." He then said "Did you catch him on the hall taking pictures of Jack."

"No." She said. "Someone told me about them."

"Who?"

"I don't know. It was an anonymous text."

Of course it was.

"But Spencer knew." She said. "He was so angry. I remember him saying stupid little bastards."

"Wait. He said bastards not bastard."

"Bastards." Natasha said.

There wasn't one person who was on the hall. There were two. That is why he ran. It was one thing to intimidate one teenage boy but completely different if it was two people.

Two people he thought as something clicked inside of him. I know who they were.