Casey and Me

You rotten, stinking, son-of-a-b----!

"You rotten, stinking, son-of-a-b----!"

I'm sure half the dogs in the neighbourhood went deaf when I let that (censored) epithet fly, but I was too angry and hurt to care. 

Miss Ainsworth nodded, her mouth a tight line. "I'm afraid so," she said grimly. "I do not know if it was a product of Casey's manipulation, or the fact that their shared 'intimacy' created a sense of trust within him. Either way, he saw fit to betray my trust, and Casey has not taken that news well."

I buried my face in my hands. "I am so, so sorry."

"What for?" Miss Ainsworth asked. "You didn't make him betray me; he did that all on his own, and you're not to be blamed for needing some comfort that day after all the nonsense that happened."

"Well, that's something," I said, sighing as I lifted my head. "How have Jane and Kenneth taken it?"

"Casey has chosen to keep this 'secret' to herself for the time being," Miss Ainsworth said. Her face grew dark with anger again. "However, she has informed me in no uncertain terms that they are her 'real' parents. I leave the rest to your imagination. She has also hinted that if the charges against Ellis are not dropped, she will 'ruin' my life the way I have supposedly 'ruined' hers. I cannot imagine such a confrontation will go well, but I am prepared to do all I can to protect Casey."

I nodded. There was that sense of filial duty after all; Miss Ainsworth couldn't be blamed for wanting to do all she could for Casey. "You don't think...?"

Miss Ainsworth shook her head. "I do not know," she said, correctly guessing my train of thought. "If Casey does reveal the truth to her aunt and uncle, they could react in any number of ways. If she tells them she's rejected me, they may consider the pain of that rejection sufficient punishment for my so-called sins. But if they're feeling vindictive..." She shrugged. "It is pure speculation, after all. But I am not letting those charges be dropped. I do not care if the intercourse was willing. Casey is underage. She therefore cannot consent. What occurred was rape."

"I think I might leave you to it," I said gently, feeling tears well up in my eyes as, for the first time, I saw just how much Miss Ainsworth was hurting. "Just... if you need someone to talk to, I'm here." I felt a little odd making that offer to an adult, but it felt right nevertheless.

"Thank you," Miss Ainsworth said, smiling gratefully at me. "I truly appreciate your concern. And please, if you do feel the need to 'explode', then 'explode' at will. But pick your targets wisely. And maybe no more than three or four, at best."

I nodded, understanding her unspoken permission to vent freely to my friends. And boy, did I need to! But I knew that the current case against Ellis would remain off-limits for discussion, as Miss Ainsworth had made clear at the start of our meeting. 

But it was nice to know I could finally tell my friends the truth about Casey's real relationship with Miss Ainsworth. At least I knew they wouldn't betray me, and they'd keep the secret as closely as I had done. As for Ellis, I resolved to just steer clear of him as much as possible, barring octopush practice. But as I hurried back to my dorm to get myself properly settled in, I suspected Ellis would probably not be leading training for the forseeable future. It was anyone's guess how he'd take it, but I already knew he wouldn't be happy.