Читать книгу Savage Son - Corey Mitchell - Страница 18

Clements High School

Elkins Drive

Sugar Land, Texas

Bart Whitaker never had a problem attracting the fairer sex. He was considered pleasantly handsome, attractive, but not threatening. He could be described as having a gentle face, though something was a bit askew. Bart’s right eyelashes were discolored white, due to a genetic condition known as poliosis, which is a decrease in the melanin in hair. As a result, he resembled a reverse negative of Alex, Malcolm McDowell’s character in A Clockwork Orange, a vicious tale about the effects of entertainment and society on a young ringleader of a gang of slightly dimmer side-kicks. In the film, Alex has heavy black mascara on his right eyelashes. The unique feature made Bart’s somewhat decent looks stand out even more.

One of the young ladies who caught Bart’s white-lashed eye was his journalism classmate Lynne Sorsby. The pleasantly pretty brunette, with shoulder-length hair, found Bart to be an intriguing, if somewhat quiet, boy. Of course, she was a whole year older than Bart, so he would have to prove himself worthy of her attention. Actually, Lynne was a very giving, sweet girl who readily made friends. She never held her family’s status as owners of an extremely successful construction equipment rental company over others. She was as sweet, likable, and normal a girl as any young man could want, and any family would readily welcome her into their open arms.

Lynne and Bart developed a strong friendship during their time together in journalism class. They enjoyed learning, studying together, and simply talking to one another. Their courtship lasted nearly a full year before they became an official couple. Bart truly believed that Lynne was “the girl,” and he made every effort in the book not only to woo her, but to keep her happy and content while they were together.

Their relationship flourished over time, and Bart eventually began to open up to Lynne more and more. He felt as if he could trust her with his most intimate thoughts and well-preserved secrets. He knew he could trust her with his life, and that she would never judge him harshly for any flaws he may have buried deep within. He decided to hit her with a doozy.

“I’m adopted,” he whispered to her one afternoon, when just the two of them were together.

“What?” replied Lynne, taken aback.

“I’m adopted,” Bart reiterated.

“You’re not adopted,” Lynne laughed and punched Bart in the shoulder.

“No, it’s true. I’m adopted.” Bart insisted.

Lynne hesitated. “Seriously?”

“I’m dead serious.” Bart remained stone-faced. “I have no idea who my biological parents are. Kent and Tricia adopted me when I was a tiny baby.”

Lynne had no idea what to say. She simply looked quietly at Bart, with a touch of sympathy infiltrating her lovely face. Despite hearing the words coming out of his mouth, she knew what he was saying was not true. He had a way of speaking rather “cryptically, so only he and one other person would catch the gist of the conversation.” Maybe, she thought, that’s what he was doing when he claimed to be adopted. Yet, she never called him on it. She merely wrote it off as one of Bart’s eccentricities, and that he was simply being a goof. Besides, she knew Bart loved his family dearly and would do anything for them. Though they did not speak about their families very often when together, Lynne always noted how Bart seemed very close to his. He told her he worried about his little brother, Kevin, who always seemed to struggle in school. Bart was worried Kevin would not graduate and make it to college and become successful. He was “very protective of Kevin.” Lynne also believed that Bart got along just fine with his parents and never noticed any “ill will” expressed toward them. He definitely “never expressed any violent or hateful comments about anybody in his family to me,” Lynne emphasized.

Bart and Lynne spent most of their time basking in each other’s glow. She did notice a few other not-quite-normal character traits about Bart, which she thought nothing of at the time. The main one being that she believed Bart was a good manipulator. Lynne described Bart as someone who can “convince people to think the way he wants to, or believe the things he wants them to” believe.

Lynne also made note of the type of people he befriended. It was “usually people with low self-esteem” or “people who didn’t think much of themselves.” She never considered herself to fall within that category.