Free Son of Stone by Stuart Woods

to be put in the odd position of sometimes being the grown-up in the friendship, instead of just going along with what he wants. And, I’ve no doubt there’ll be times when you should just walk away from him, if you disagree with his actions. Being his friend doesn’t mean you have to be his abettor.... I’m sorry, do you know that word?”
    “As in ‘aid and abet’?”
    “Yes, exactly. New York City is a very fast track for a young man, especially one like Ben, who thinks he’s all grown up. You’re going to have to have some rules of behavior in this city, and since you’ll be living with me, I’m going to make them.”
    “Yes, sir.”
    “The first thing is, you must never, ever drink alcohol in any form until after you’re legal, at twenty-one, and that means twenty-three for you.”
    “I’ve done some reading on the Internet about that, and I know that alcohol can have a bad effect on young brains, and that the brain isn’t really mature and fully formed until around the mid-twenties.”
    “That’s true,” Stone said, “and I’m glad you understand the reasons for the rule. It applies to marijuana, too, and that has the additional problem of being illegal. No matter how you feel about whether it should be legal or not, it remains illegal, and the next rule is, you must not allow yourself to commit illegal acts. If you so much as walk into one of the downtown clubs Ben is fond of, you will have committed an illegal act, even if you don’t drink. Those places are watched by the police and sometimes raided, and believe me, a night in jail is something you don’t want to experience. I was a policeman for fourteen years, and I saw young people make mistakes all the time that had a bad effect on their future. You must make every effort to get through your youth with a clean record, and again, that sometimes means just walking away from situations. If you were living in rural Virginia, this might be a lot easier to handle, but not in New York. You’ll have to watch yourself all the time. For the time being, you must not be outside this house after eight in the evening without permission, and that means I must know where you’re going and with whom. You are to carry your cell phone at all times, and you are to answer it when I or your mother call.”
    “I understand, Dad, and I’ll try my best.”
    “I know that your best is very, very good, Peter. There’s something else. I think, especially with Ben as a friend, you’re going to meet a lot of girls who are older and more experienced than you. Am I correct in assuming that you are acquainted with the rudiments of sex?”
    “Oh, yes. I’ve read a lot about it, and, of course, we had a class at school. I haven’t done it yet, though.”
    “You’re going to have to decide for yourself when to start having sex, Peter, because I can’t be there with you all the time. But I urge you to act with restraint. You can’t get into trouble restraining yourself, but you can get into one hell of a lot of trouble by just plunging into that life. When you think this might happen to you, you must always wear a condom. You are too young to be a father, but nature has made you very fertile. Disease is a problem, too, as you no doubt learned in school.
    “Another thing is, now that you are legally eighteen, you must be careful with girls younger than you. Do you know what statutory rape is?”
    “Sex with somebody under eighteen, right?”
    “Right, and that means even if it’s consensual. A girl of fifteen or sixteen can’t waive the law on that subject, and girls’ fathers can become very angry at young men who violate it. It’s a dangerous situation, and you should avoid it at all costs.”
    “I understand.”
    “Finally, you’ll find it much easier to deal with problems if you’re willing to come to me and talk about them. I know you won’t always take my advice, but I give advice for a living, and I’m good at it. Take advantage of