The Boy Who Knew Too Much

Timothy sat down in the chair across from his parents in the living room of their home. It's not like they haven't had this conversation before. It's just that this time Mr. and Mrs. Collins seemed serious about their intentions to get their son the help they thought he needed.

They handed him a brochure which he thumbed through quickly and tossed, with a little too much force, across the coffee table towards his father.

"Timothy, there is no excuse for not giving this school a try. It has a great reputation and we were very impressed when we toured it. Arrangements have already been made. You start next Monday."

Tim had one ace up his sleeve and given that his parents were so committed, he decided that he had better use it now.

"It's the middle of the semester, I'll never catch up."

"Well, the fact of the matter, Timothy, is that this new school is actually a bit behind the school you're attending now. So, by the time you get settled, they will have caught up with you."

If Tim knew just how far behind the new school was, he might have resisted more. As it was he had no idea what he was in for. Neither did his parents.

It was school policy that student orientation would take place without the presence of the student's parents. "It's easier to acclimate them to their new surroundings that way." they said. Timothy was dropped off in front of the school. The rain had let up a little. It fell from the portico in large drips as a staff member ran out to open the car door and greet the lanky boy with the long bangs and his parents.

"Hi,...Timothy? I'm Mr. Grinns, Pleased to meet you.", Mr. Grinns extended his hand.

Timothy mumbled something as he turned back to get his book bag and give his parents one last pleading look. Instead, Mr. Grinns slammed the door shut and, guiding the boy with a hand on his shoulder, led him through the school doors and down a long hallway.

Tim was expecting a long narrative about various features and such. Actually there was very little talk. At one point he thought he saw a nursery with kids his own age sitting on the floor but he dismissed it as some sort of intergrade activity. Older students helping kids in lower grades. That sort of thing.

In due time he was escorted into a smaller room with cinderblock walls. It was more of a hallway with doors but Timothy was certain the school offices were behind one of the doors. The door Mr. Grinns disappeared through when he told Tim to take a seat and wait.

Presently he found himself back in that same cinderblock hall, some six hours later, waiting for Mr. Grinns' summons. He had let his temper get the better of him and now it was time to face the music. The door opened and Mr. Grinns waved the boy in.

The office was more like a study or den. The furnishings were sparse but tasteful except for the fact that there were toys literally everywhere. Mr. Grinns took a seat on the couch. A woman, Ms. Major, was sitting at the other end of the couch. Timothy sat in the wingback chair facing the two adults.

"Come sit here, between us, Timothy." Mr. Grinns said, patting the couch. "we want to read you a story."

"A story? I blew my top and my punishment is a story?"

"Oh, yes. please come sit between us."

"Ah, no, thanks. I'm fine"

"Suit yourself. This is a story about a boy named Timothy. Familiar name?" Mr. Grinns looked at Timothy over the top of his glasses. Ms. Major smiled at the boy. Timothy shifted uneasily in his chair.

Mr. Grinns continued:

"Timothy was well endowed with bulging biceps and rippling abs, above a 7 inch tall and very thick member, which poked out of a very impressive bush of wiry black hair, that itself, partially hid a very large man sack."

Timothy's jaw dropped. Was the headmaster actually telling him some sort of gay porn story as punishment? He mouthed the words, "What The Fuck?", when Ms. Major happened to catch his eye. She smiled as if everything was perfectly normal.

"Well, why shouldn't it be?" he thought, based on what had happened so far today. His mind started to wander...

It started in that anteroom while he was waiting for Mr. Grinns. A strange boy arrived holding a yellow teddy bear in his arms. He was actually holding it tightly against his chest. The lady who accompanied him was Ms. Majors. She directed the boy to a bench opposite him and disappeared behind that same door. He could hear voices on the other side occasionally but couldn't quite follow what they were saying.

The boy smiled at Timothy and gave his teddy bear a tight squeeze. Timothy thought the boy must be some sort of special education kid. He probably had some behavior issues and maybe some sort of emotional problems as well but when the boy spoke, he seemed quite articulate.

"So, where is your teddy bear?" was the boy's first question.

Timothy didn't know how to answer. Did the boy actually think that kids their age played with stuffed animals?

"Um, I don't have a teddy bear." Timothy was being cautious, lest he offends the kid.

Instead, he became much more animated.

"Oh, you must be the new boy! I'm Danny." He extended his hand.

"Timothy."

"Don't worry, Timothy, they'll give you a teddy bear soon.", The boy smiled. "It will be a black bear." He added.

"And how do you know that?"

"Easy, first you get a black bear. Then you get a brown bear. When you reach ninth grade, like me, they give you a yellow bear. When you graduate, you get a blue bear. In eighth grade, it starts all over."

"What?" Timothy exclaimed. But before the boy could expound on the topic Ms. Major returned and took the boy away.

Mr. Grinns soon appeared with a manila folder.

"Okay, Timothy, let me show you to your room."

Timothy breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, something relatable. Timothy was anxious to get down to work. He was in advanced courses at his old school and his parents promised him that he wouldn't be as bored here as he had been there.

Timothy got the feeling that this school actually had plenty of students. The peculiar thing is, they had walked almost the entire length of the sprawling facility and had hardly seen anyone, staff or students. At last Mr. Grinns paused outside a room.