Free Decision Time by Earl Sewell

told.
    â€œI didn’t want you to worry about me. You had enough to deal with. I didn’t want to dump something like this on you,” I explained.
    â€œWesley, you should’ve come to me. We could’ve notified the school about it.” My dad continued to fuss at me.
    â€œI’m sorry, okay?” I stopped talking because my throat was dry. “Can I have some water please?” Grandmother Lorraine quickly got up and filled up a white foam cup with water and handed it to me. I lifted my head off the pillow and took a few gulps before relaxing once again.
    â€œGo on. What happened next?” Officer Davis asked.
    â€œNothing happened after that. Percy and his goons were suspended. I didn’t see them anymore and that was perfectly fine with me.”
    â€œWhat about the girl? When did you see her again?”
    â€œShe’d heard about the fight so she dropped by to see how I was doing. I wasn’t really hurt, but she felt guilty about asking for my help and everything that happened afterward. She said she wanted to thank me for helping her get away from Percy. I told her it was no big deal and she didn’t have to repay me, but she insisted. She wanted to take me out for pizza. I was in an awkward position.I really wanted to say no, but the pleading look in her eyes made me say yes.”
    â€œSo you went on a date with her?”
    â€œI really wouldn’t call it a date. We just went to a nearby pizza parlor. We actually had a pretty decent time. I learned a lot about her. I learned who she truly was and all the difficult times she was going through.”
    â€œStuff like what?” Officer Davis asked, digging for more information.
    â€œFamily drama. She told me her grandmother had been physically abused by her grandfather for years. Miss Winston never left her husband. She stayed in the marriage and dealt with the punishment. Lori’s mother grew up watching all of the abuse and felt that a man didn’t truly love a woman unless he beat on her. Lori’s father never raised a hand to her or her mother, which her mom took as a sign that there was no love in their marriage. Her mom ended up having an affair with a physically abusive man. Eventually her mother’s lover confronted Lori’s dad and things got messy. After a nasty divorce, Lori and her mother moved in with her grandmother, Miss Winston.”
    â€œSo Lori and Miss Winston think it’s okay for a man to beat up on them?” Grandmother Lorraine muttered. She was without a doubt awestruck by the discovery of this news.
    â€œGrandma, I told Lori she didn’t have to follow in her mother’s or grandmother’s footsteps. I told her it wasn’t cool to stay with a dude who beats up on women. Lori then said that ever since she was a little girl, whenever a little boy hit her, her mom told her it was okay because that’s the way little boys show their affection.”
    â€œWell, I’ll be damned,” my father uttered as if that was the oddest thing he’d ever heard.
    â€œSo you got to know Lori over a few slices of pizza. What happened after that?” Officer Miles had asked a question for the first time. I took a deep breath and continued.
    â€œWell, while Lori and I were eating pizza, talking and laughing, Percy and his crew walked in. When he saw us he walked over to our table. Percy had nothing but hate in his heart for me and accused me of screwing around with her behind his back. I told him it wasn’t like that, but Lori set Percy off by suggesting that she and I were hooked up.”
    â€œWhy would she say such a thing?” my dad asked.
    â€œI don’t know. I think she just wanted to get even with him.” I shrugged. “Percy then lifted his shirt and exposed the handle of a gun.” I paused and buried my face in my hands. I was having a horrible flashback.
    â€œWesley, are you okay?” Dad asked.
    â€œI hate