Tormented Soul Ch. 01

There is no sex in this story, hence posting it in the non-erotic section.

-------------------------------------

Paul and Emma Roberts were enjoying a rare quite Friday evening on their patio. There were no school events to attend or shuttle their kids to. They did not have a party or social event to attend and no work to be taken care of at home. Their five kids busy with homework or tied up with various technology based entertainment.

Paul and Emma were tall, athletic and moderately successful in business and society. Paul was the owner of his own insurance business while Emma worked as an office manager for a home healthcare agency. They had just hit 40 and were the parents of five children, four girls and one boy. Both were attractive and looked five years younger than they were. Emma was particular proud of how she managed to keep her body in shape after five kids. Granted it had changed but it she was still a very good looking woman. There were two older girls Patrice and Kathleen; Charles, the only boy, and then two younger twin girls Diana and Susan. All the girls were very attractive, blonde haired blued eyed, carbon copies of their mother. They were all outgoing, popular and had no shortage of friends although their father kept the boyfriends to a minimum.

Patrice was a senior high school. She was a National Honor Society member, played both volleyball and basketball and was most likely going to be class valedictorian. Kathleen, a year younger than Patrice, was a Junior and also National Honor Society. She played the cello in the high school orchestra. Diana and Susan were in the 8th grade they were both honor roll students and cheerleaders. Basically they were on the same track as their older sisters

Then there was the middle child Charles or what he was most often referred to as Charley. He was a 14 year old freshman attending the same school as his older sisters.

"Are you sure he is my son?" Paul playfully asked his wife after taking a sip of his bourbon. They had already had more than a couple of drinks plus some wine at dinner.

"Of course he is." Emma replied, punching him lightly in the arm then smiled and asked "What are you accusing me of?"

"Why nothing dear" he held up his hands in mock fear, "but maybe the hospital screwed up and switched babies on us. It has happened before."

"That is a terrible thing to say, I know he is a bit of a black sheep."

"That is one way of putting it."

"Ok, he is not like us our or other kids."

Paul looked at her over his drink and raised his eyebrows. "You are so polite."

Emma took a big gulp of her drink "I am a mother but your right, how could we have four perfect children and one like him? The girls are all attractive, popular, get excellent grades and are good in sports. Our son Charles, and he is our son, is not as good looking, not a very good athlete and not even an average student." Emma said with a bit of frown. "Did I drink when I pregnant with him?"

A more somber Paul replied. "I worry about him. He has no friends much less a girlfriend and is not likely to with his shyness and looks. He certainly is not going to get into a good school with his grades and we can definitely rule out any athletic scholarship."

"Well it is not like we have not tried. We have tried putting him in scouting, little league and helped with schoolwork, we are paying big bucks to have his teeth straighten but he still has a lack of confidence and shyness. We cannot buy him athletic ability or perfect eye sight. He has almost zero self-confidence; sometimes I think maybe he needs therapy."

"No," Paul responded. "Charley probably feels different enough. Therapy will only make it more obvious he is not like the other kids. He will be OK I guess; he will just need more of our help than the other kids to make it. He will not become a brain surgeon or a Nobel Prize winner but he won't starve."

"And we have the four girls to brag about in the meantime "His wife added. It looks Patrice will get accepted to Stanford."

Paul thought he heard something and turned toward the sliding screen door that led back into their house and said "crap"

Emma turned to see what he was looking at and quickly raised her hand to her mouth. She watched the back of her son as he slowly retreated backed into the house

To be continued...