Stoney's Unusual Story Ch. 02

STONEY'S UNUSUAL STORY CH 2 RESOLUTION

As soon as Stoney got back to the mansion, he was told Molly was gone. She had left while he was gone. Gerta told him she had gone to Redding to go to college. Stoney was sure Martha had sent her away, but he couldn't ask about it. It disappointed him to no end to think Martha would get rid of her because Stoney was interested in her.

Martha avoided him for the next couple of weeks. He was sure she was embarrassed by what had happened at the lodge. He didn't want it to be a problem. It was her two friends that had wanted sex with him and pursued him. Martha just got caught up in the emotion of the environment. He was sure she was angry at herself for getting drunk and letting him do what he had done.

Martha was mortified about the events at the lodge. She couldn't blame Stoney because she had told him she wouldn't. She was pretty drunk, but she was also pretty sure he hadn't done anything to her that she hadn't allowed. She would have to speak to him about it sometime in the future. She just didn't have any idea how she was going to do that. She knew he would never mention it, and she would just wait it out for a while. It made her uncomfortable being around him for now, so she avoided him. She knew he was angry because of Molly. Martha had not sent her away, but she did pay for her college. She had promised Molly she would if she would work for her during the summer break. Since he didn't ask, she couldn't tell him the truth.

For the next several months, nothing changed. He had now been there for almost a year and a half. Everything was working out okay. He got to go to his parents house every Monday. Otherwise, he worked around the mansion, doing the odd jobs Manston gave him.

His next challenge was at Christmas time. He knew Elizabeth was coming home for Christmas, and he intended to not be there while she was there. They had not been in the same room since he had attacked her, and he never wanted to be in the same room with her ever again. If he never saw her face again, it would be too soon for him.

He knew she was coming home on the Monday before Christmas and planned on just staying home the rest of the week. On Sunday, he was repairing the entryway of the mansion. He was replacing some of the tiles in the floor of the entryway. It had been a hard job. He had chipped the broken tile out and had cleaned the concrete underneath. Now he was cementing down the new tiles. He had just finished, and was going to get a warning sign when he heard a scream. He ran back to the entryway only to find Elizabeth laying on the floor. She had walked on the freshly installed tiles, and one of them slipped out from under her feet.

Stoney wanted to run away but she looked dazed and hurt. He called for Manston, took a breath, and stepped up to her.

"Elizabeth, are you okay? I'm so sorry you walked on the wet tiles. I was going to get the sign warning everyone to stay off the floor until it hardened. We weren't expecting you back until tomorrow."

He was standing near her but was afraid to touch her. "Elizabeth, I am not going to touch you, I promise. I will get Manston to help you. Please stay still until he gets here." She looked up at him. She didn't look angry, and he was surprised. He expected her to start yelling at him like before. When she raised her arm towards him, he backed up.

"Please help me up. I know you didn't do this to me. My knee hurts and I need to get up. I won't yell at you, please help me."

Stoney slowly moved to her and helped her up. Manston came in just as he was helping her up. Stoney looked at him, like, what can I do? He gave her to Manston and watched as they went into the living room. He bailed out as soon as she was gone.

Once he was at his parents' house, he sat and thought about what had just happened. She fell on the tiles he was putting in. There is a court order that says he can't get within 100 yards of her. She had walked in on him and made him break the court order. He tried to call Martha to tell her what happened, but she didn't answer her phone. He worried about it all night. Martha called him back the next morning to tell him he was not in trouble. She told him Elizabeth did not blame him. She wanted him to forget it and enjoy his Christmas with his parents. He was stunned. That was not the Elizabeth he had known since after ninth grade, anyway. He forgot about it and did have a wonderful time with his family. He was not allowed to leave town because of his sentence, so the rest of the family came to him.

Martha called him to tell him he could come back to work on January the second. Elizabeth was leaving that morning, and he could come in the afternoon.

He returned to the mansion on that afternoon. Manston told him Elizabeth had left that morning. He went back to work. He was surprised to see Martha come into the pantry area he was repairing. She had avoided him ever since the lodge. He thought she was probably looking for something and ran into him. However, she stopped in front of him and waited for him to look up at her.

"Stoney, could you come into my sitting room? I would like to talk to you." He nodded, and followed her into the room. When they were both seated, she started.

"I wanted to talk to you for some time, I just haven't worked up the courage. Now, I need to talk to you about something else, so we will have to deal with this also. Are you okay with this?"

"Yes, Mrs. Washington. I am sorry for what happened at the lodge. Everyone was drinking and having a good time. You friends were bound and determined to sleep with me. I couldn't avoid them. Then that last night, I tried to leave the room, but Mary wouldn't let me, and it just snowballed from there. I never wanted to embarrass you. You have been very kind to me, and I wouldn't do anything that would embarrass you if I can prevent it." Stoney stopped talking and looked down. He was waiting for her to continue.

"Stoney, it was not your fault. I haven't had the courage to talk to you because, deep down, I wanted that to happen. It wasn't really the drinking. I shouldn't and I know it, but at that moment I needed something, and you gave it to me. I will thank you for that." Stoney tried not to look surprised. What is it with people? You either do or don't. He never understood why people would act like that. He had done a terrible thing when he snapped. That was different than doing something that someone thought was wrong, but, hey, why not?

"The real reason I wanted to talk to you was about Elizabeth." What about Elizabeth? Why did she want to talk about her? Probably because she had slipped on his tile. It was probably his fault, and she is angry again. "Liz wanted me to tell you she was not angry about falling on the tile. She knows it was not your fault. I know you won't believe this, but she has changed. She has been going to counseling ever since she moved to LA. She realizes that she had been a bitch, her words, not mine, to you for years, and that last thing was unforgivable. She wants me to ask you if you could forgive her for setting that party up to embarrass you. She has also asked me to have the judge rescind the restraining order against you. She knows you are not a threat to her, and she doesn't want you to have to worry about running into her running around town. All we ask is that you think about it, okay?"

Stoney was shocked. That was the last thing he thought he would ever hear come out of her mouth. He watched Martha's face closely. She didn't betray any emotion as she was talking. "I must tell you, that is the last thing I thought I would ever hear from Elizabeth. Her approach to me has been so unrelentingly hostile for so long, I have no other thoughts when I see her face in my mind. I will try to reset my frame of reference concerning her. Thank you so much for telling me this from her. I don't hate her. I never have. I liked her so much in the ninth grade, and it was so confounding why she went completely the other way so fast. I figured I had done something to offend her so badly she couldn't forgive me. That is why I never responded to her abuse for so long. It was just, that night, it was in front of the entire town. She wasn't insulting me to my face, she was belittling me in front of the entire town. I snapped and I must live with what I did to her for the rest of my life. I am so ashamed of myself I will never be able to forgive myself."

He left Martha and went back to work. He was confused. Why was she being nicer to him? Did her therapist think she had to so she could move forward? Was it a way to put it behind her? He would like for her to ask the therapist what he could do to get past it.

The next couple of months went by without incident. Martha came to him one day to talk to him. "Stoney, my friends are coming for a visit in a few days. Would you like to take those days off to avoid a repeat of the lodge?"

"Mrs. Washington, except for what happened to you, I am not ashamed about anything I did there. Those ladies are adults, and I am an adult. I enjoyed their attention as much as they enjoyed my attention. I am not suggesting that we would repeat that episode. I am merely saying I don't think it was anything bad. I will leave it up to you whether I am here or not."

Martha decided to let him stay and let the chips fall where they will.

Mary and Barbara arrived the next weekend. Stoney was trimming the front yard hedges when they arrived. He watched as they got out of the car. They can over to say hi to him. He thought Barbara looked different, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

Mary came up to him. "Hey, handsome, you haven't changed, unless you got more sexy." She hugged him and went into the house. Barbara waved at him and smiled as she entered the house. That wasn't too bad, but we'll see.

Manston came to his room that evening to tell him Mrs. Washington wanted to see him. He got dressed in a nice shirt and pants and headed for the living room. They were sitting in front of the fireplace, even though there was no fire because it was June.

Barbara stood up when he came in the room. "Stoney, I have been looking forward to seeing you again. Notice anything different?" She twirled in front of him.

"You look fantastic. Have you done something to yourself?"

She was so happy, she exclaimed, "Yes, I have lost ten pounds in six months. I am going to a gym and have met a group of women my own age there. We have been having a few social parties, and I have met a new man. He is fifty, a widower, and he is great. I want to thank you for what you did at the lodge. Not just the sex, as great as it was. NO, it was the confidence you gave me. You encouraged me to get back on the horse, and I did. Thank you" She hugged him and kissed him on the cheek.

Stoney was happy for her, not to mention him. He wouldn't have to worry about her anymore. That just left Mary.

Mary could see what he was thinking. "Don't worry about me, honey. I loved that weekend, but I would die if I tried to keep up with you. I am happy with the memories, thank you very much."

They sat around and talked for a couple of hours until Stoney excused himself and went to bed. He had more bushes in the morning.

Martha had called the judge and asked to meet with him. She went to his office and sat down. "I know this is unusual, but I am here on behalf of Elizabeth. She is requesting you drop the restraining order against Stoney. She has been in therapy for the last several years, and she believes this is the best way to move on with her life."

The judge sat for a few minutes. "I can understand her wanting to forget the entire thing. However, if I did that, and anything happened, the state would come for me. I will need to talk to her directly before I would even consider it. It has only been three years, and he may have seven years left."

Martha agreed to have her come and see him. Elizabeth came to town on the following Sunday. She stayed in a hotel that night, only going to the house on Monday, when she knew he would not be there. Her appointment with the judge was for that afternoon.

They convened in the judge's chambers at two. The judge started, "Ok, Elizabeth, I need to hear directly from you what you want me to do."

Elizabeth took a big breath and began. "You Honor, I am asking you to remove the restraining order against Stoney. I know he has a lot of time left, but you and I both know I had been a bitch to him for many years when he finally snapped. I'm afraid I was a spoiled brat in high school. He said something to me when we were friends in the ninth grade that I took wrong. It has taken me this long to realize he was just a shy boy that didn't understand what I was saying, not that he wanted to embarrass me. He only attacked me when I made the entire town laugh at him. He suffered everything I threw at him privately and never responded. This entire episode was really my fault. We will be around town more now, and I don't want him worrying about running into me in this small town and getting into trouble. One hundred yards is a long way in our downtown. I know he will never lay a hand on me ever again. I came home unexpectedly once and ran into him in the hallway. The look on his face was anything but anger. It was fright. He tried to run from me. I can't have him thinking of me that way. I am willing to sign a paper stating this is my decision and you are doing this at my request. Thank you, Your Honor, for considering this."

The judge sat back and marveled. This was not the same spoiled little brat that had left town in disgrace after he had stripped her naked in front of the entire town. Maybe this will be okay. "If you write a letter saying you are comfortable with this, and are asking for this, I will drop the restraining order."

"Thanks so much. I believe we can only move on when this legal thing has been resolved." They left and Elizabeth headed to the Redding airport.

Everything went smoothly for the next several months. Barbara brought her fiancé to meet everyone, and Mary and Martha decided to go on the next trip without her. It was the two amigos from now on.

Their next trip was a trip to Europe, and they were gone for a month, traveling the Mediterranean. The house was empty. Gerta and Manston didn't have much to do, and Stoney had everything done around the house. Martha had told him he could stay with his parents while she was away, and he spent the month doing odd jobs around their house. Overall, he was pretty happy with how this was turning out. Martha had turned out not to be a bitch about her daughter, even though Stoney could never figure out why.

When Martha got back, they settled back into a routine. Christmas was coming again. It would be three and a half years now. Martha was running around the house, having Stoney decorate the house like she hadn't in years. It glowed around the entire neighborhood.

Christmas Eve came, and Stoney was preparing to go home for the rest of the year when Martha came in to see him. "Stoney, I have a little present for you. I want to thank you for how you have carried yourself here for the last almost four years." She asked him to follow her into her sitting room.

"Stoney, I want you to sit still and let this present happen. Don't jump to any conclusion. Can you do that?"

Stoney figured she had something up her sleeve, but he was thinking about going home. That was, until Elizabeth walked into the room. He stiffened but didn't move.

She spoke quickly. "Stoney don't panic. Everything is okay. I have something for you." She handed him a copy of the order rescinding the restraining order."

"What's this?" It had too much legalese for him to read.

"This is the judge's new order dropping your restraining order. You can now be around me without fear. I didn't want you to feel like you had to run from me anymore. I want to talk to you about the past."

He was holding the paper, but he was looking at her. What in the hell was she talking about? He never wanted to be around her again. This paper just made it possible, not desirable.

"Look, Stoney. I treated you very badly for many years. I did it because I misunderstood something you said to me when we were both kids. I never should have assumed you would ever say anything to me with a malicious intent. I let my friends color what you said and let peer pressure force me to make you pay for it in front of my friends. I know you can never forgive me for my behavior, and I am not asking you to. I just wanted you to not have to worry about this stupid piece of paper any longer."

Stoney's head was spinning. He had to get out of there. "Thank you. I... I... I.. have to go. I'm sorry." He got up and ran out of the room. He didn't stop running until he got home. He showed it to his parents, and they were very happy. They understood what it meant for him, even if he wasn't ready to think about it yet.

It was a very happy Christmas for the family. After the new year, Stoney went back to work.

Martha met him at the door. "I hope your family had a nice Christmas."

"We did, thank you very much. How about you and Elizabeth?"

"Yes, thank you. I wanted you to know, the judge had denied my request to drop the order. Elizabeth came here and met with the judge to personally ask him to drop it. She didn't want you to have to worry about her anymore. She has changed. I know you will never trust her, and I don't blame you. I want you to know when your five years are up, both of us are going to ask the judge to release you from the rest. She wants this over as much as you do. I just thought you needed to know."

He went to work, but he was confused. What was her game? Why would she be nice to him now after what he had done to her?

She came home in February and didn't try to avoid him. He was working on the front door when she arrived. She came up to him as she was walking by him, and spoke to him. "Hey Stoney. How are you today?"

"Fine, thanks for asking." She went on into the house. He had to admit she was acting normally around him now. She stayed a week, and every time she passed him, she spoke to him. He gradually lowered his guard and did occasionally speak back to her when she addressed him.

Martha told him that Liz, that was what she called her, was going to come home for summer. Martha wanted to know if Stoney would be able to work there with her around. He assured her he would be okay with her, and that they had been talking when she was here before.

Liz arrived in early June. She was done with schooling and was going to spend time with her mother before she looked for a job. Stoney worked around the house without thinking of her in the same house. He realized one day that they had been in the same house for a week, and he had not thought of her once during that time. Maybe this was getting better, after all. One day, he was in the kitchen, eating a sandwich when Liz came in. He had taken to calling her Liz because everyone else in the household had been doing it.

"Stoney, I have a problem in my room. Could you come to look at it please?" For the first time in forever, he started in that direction without thinking about why she was asking.

They went into her room to find her big poster bed had a broken rail. It was a wooden rail, and it would need to be replaced. He crawled under her bed to look at it. "You have a broken rail that holds up your bed. I will need to replace it. You probably should use another bedroom until I am done with it."

She was sitting on a desk chair by the bed watching him. She was remembering everything she liked about him a long time ago. He was kind and gentle. Many people mistake that for weakness, or slowness. However, over the years she had come to understand that you had to look at people as individuals and see what is really inside them, not the outward appearance. She deeply regretted how she had treated him for so many years. She knew there was no way he could ever forgive her, but she wished she could tell him how much what he had done to her in anger had changed her life. She had been able, through therapy, to understand how she had pushed him past his breaking point. She caused his present situation, and she would give anything to remedy it. More than anything else, she just wanted him to be her friend again.