Michaels

Book of Deep Trouble Chapter Four Beams and Motes

He walked down the silently as he spotted a group of four boys laughing as they walked to class. Ricky leaned up against his locker as he watched them walk down the hall as sadness welled up inside of him. He thought how he was once among those laughing boys. But now instead of joking around with them all he got was an awkward hello in the hallway as they quickly went about their own lives. They no longer called him, invited him over their houses, or to hang without them.. They did not even sit with him in Sunday School or youth group anymore.

They just kept their distance from him and he guessed that he did not blame them after all that happened with his brother the last year. Why would they want to do anything to do with someone the entire school viewed as a reprobate who was from a family of reprobates.

Another thing that he had to thank his brother for. Not only did he cost him his reputation, his testimony, but also cost him the best four friends that he ever had.

I hope you never come home from college Ricky thought. I hope you stay there so you can't ruin anymore of my life.

"Ricky." He heard a voice yell pulling him from his musings. He turned to see Daniel Ito making a beeline for him with a look of righteous indignation in his eyes. Discomfort rose inside of him as he wondered what he wanted.

"Yes Daniel." He said with a bland look across his face.

"You need to do something about that brother of yours." Great what did Carey do now Ricky thought. "He was totally disrespectful towards Mrs. Craig again."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"You should be." Daniel said. "Mrs. Craig is a nice person and does not deserve to be treated like that."

A crowd of gawkers began to gather around them.

"I agree." He said.

"Your brother needs a severe attitude correction."

Ricky nodded his head. "Again I agree with you." He then looked at him and said "What do you want me to do it about it?"

Rage filled his eyes as he said "He's your brother you need to talk to him and tell him that his behavior is unacceptable."

"Like he would listen to me." Ricky smirked.

"You think this funny." Daniel seethed with anger. He took a menacing step towards Ricky as his body began to tremble. "Do you think disrespecting a teacher is funny."

Ricky put his hands up taking a step back. "No I don't."

He then looked at him in disgust as he said "I think you need some chastisement from the Lord too."

"Back off, Daniel." A female voice from behind said. Daniel turned to see a couple of students moving to make away for Donna.

"This is none of your business Donna." Daniel said.

"When you are berating my friend in the middle of the hallway I am making it my business."

Ricky blinked in surprise. He was unaware that Donna considered him a friend. True she was Julie's friend but he just assumed that she saw him as nothing more than Julie's dorky kid brother.

"He needs to be berated." Daniel said. "His attitude is Un-Christlike just like his brothers."

"You know Daniel perhaps you should be more concerned with the beam in your own eyes than the mote in Ricky's. Because you are sounding very Pharisaical right now."

The crowd reacted with laughter at her comment while Daniel's face dropped in shock. He struggled with what to say as he desperately thought of a comeback. "And maybe you should choose who you call friend more wisely." He then looked at Ricky and shook his head in derision. "Shame on you."

He then stormed off and the crowd began to disperse as they headed to class.

"Thank you." Ricky said as he let out a sigh. It was nice to know that he had at least one person in his corner.

"You're welcome." She said. "I'm sorry about that."

"It's okay." Ricky said as they walked down the hall. "Actually I really don't blame him for hating me after all crap that my brother Jimmy did."

"No one hates you, Ricky." She said impatiently.

"Yes they do." Ricky told her. "Everyone hates me."

"No Ricky the only person hating you is you." Donna said. "You need to stop beating yourself about what happened last year. You made a mistake..."

He shifted his feet as guilt began to eat at him. "It was a pretty big mistake."

"No it wasn't." Donna said dismissively. "It was stupid yes but it was not the end of the world like you have been acting. You need to stop acting like you committed some heinous sin and like your some criminal."

Technically I am criminal he thought. Once again he could feel the cuffs around his wrists, the officers hands on the back of his neck as he was placed in the patrol car, the terror that went through him that day as they made their way to the jail. Everything changed that day and it would never be the same again.

Donna sighed as she said "Look Ricky you are a great guy."

He then laughed. "Says who."

"Says me." She said with confidence in her voice. "I think you are a great guy and it saddens me to see you keep beating yourself over something that happened months ago and I hate seeing you cutting yourself off from everyone."

"I'm not..."

"Yes you are Ricky." Donna said. "You are the one making yourself an outcast not the school." No you are wrong he thought I don't want to be an outcast I had no choice. "Why don't you have lunch with us today."

"Lunch?" He looked at her unsure if he had heard her correctly. Was she actually asking him to sit at the table with the other cool kids. He was certain that was something that would be denied him.

"Yes lunch." Donna said. "Come and have lunch with us."

"I don't know." He said rubbing the back of his neck.

"Why you have better plans like sitting in the corner table by yourself."

"It's a nice table."

"No it's not." Donna said. "It's depressing and the last thing you need is depressing. Come sit with us." Her eyes then pleaded with him and he felt his resolve melt as she let out a please.

"Okay." He said.

A large smile broke out across her face. "Good I will see you at lunch."

"Okay."

Ricky watched as she hurried off to class. What just happened here he wondered. Did she just ask me on a date. He was not sure but the thought made him do something that he had not done in a long time. Smile. And it felt good to smile.