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Nancy starts.
“Fromhere?”
“From here,” Officer Wendell confirms.
“Well, what about?” she demands.
Officer Wendell nods again before hooking his thumbs into the waistband of his pants. “The caller claimed that there was ongoing child abuse at this camp.”
Immediately, the crowd breaks out into muffled gasps and whispering. But Nancy takes the reins as she holds up her hands, squinting in the sun.
“Child abuse? As you can see, everyone here is a teen or older. This is a cheerleading camp,” she clarifies. “There are no children present, and I’m sure the caller was mistaken.”
The sheriff nods, a bit uncomfortable.
“Maybe I should have been more precise. The law considers any abuse of a minor to be child abuse, so long as said minor is below eighteen years of age. Now I’m sure some of these ladies are below eighteen,” he says, trying not to look directly at any of us.
“Maybe so,” Coach Mark says in a defensive voice. “But there’s no abuse going on. I assure you that my pedagogical methods are supportive and appropriate for adolescent females. We don’t emphasize weight loss and are body positive with respect to the number on the scale, as well as nutrition, weight-lifting, and recommended levels of exercise. I’ve been a cheer coach for twenty years, and no one’s ever complained. Parentorstudent,” he emphasizes.
“No, it’s not that,” Officer Wendell clarifies in a slow voice. “No one’s cast doubt on your coaching techniques, sir. The caller alleged that there were several incidents of sexual activity between older men and underage young women here at the camp. Is that true?”
At those allegations, everyone turns to stare at Stan and George because they’re the only male chaperones present. Everyone else is female, save for Coach Mark, who’s gay. The officer could only be talking about Stan and George, just from the process of elimination.
My heart’s pounding so hard it threatens to beat out of my chest. My vision goes blurry for an instant, and my knees wobble because this is the worst thing that could happen to us. After finally consummating our love, now Stan’s going to be dragged away in cuffs, and subjected to a horrific process where he’s investigated for child abuse. The thought makes me sick, and a whimper escapes my throat.
But to my surprise, Stan doesn’t look threatened at all. Instead, he stands up tall and raises one big hand in the air before placing his other arm about my quivering shoulders.
“I want to address these allegations head-on because it’s obvious they’re talking about me and my ward, Piper. As you know, Piper lives with me in Fairlawn because her mother passed a few years ago, and left Piper in my care.”
My eyes squeeze shut as I wait for the blow to come. This is where Stan has to lie, and where he claims never to have never touched me. I don’t know what to think or do because I hate knowing that he’s in this position. I don’t want him to lie, but on the other hand, I don’t want him to be arrested either.
But my man’s voice continues, deep and strong.
“Yes, it’s true that Piper and I are in a relationship, but that’s what I want to emphasize. We’re in a relationship, and not some kind of sordid hook-up where I took advantage of a young woman under my protection. I’ve been in love with Piper for a while now, and I believe that she loves me too. Also, as I mentioned before, we’re not related in any way, and Piper’s eighteen. She’s a legal adult, and doesn’t need anyone’s permission, much less that of the law, to be with a man who cares about her.”
That’s when my eyes pop open and my jaw drops because I never expected this. Stan loves me? We’re in a relationship? I admit that he’s jumping the gun a little, but at the same time, my heart soars with joy because this is what I’ve wanted for so long. My eyes fill with tears as I look at him with a smile, reaching forward to link my hand with his. But before I can say anything, George steps forward, Romy’s hand encased in his big one.
“The same goes for me and Romy,” George growls. “I’m in love with this woman, and we’re not biologically related. Not only that, but Romy’s nineteen, and she’s free to do as she chooses. We’ve been in a relationship for a while now, and we’re happy, especially since Romy’s pregnant and expecting my baby.”
With that, the crowd lets out a collective gasp and people start whispering in hushed voices while casting shocked looks our way. Meanwhile, Officer Wendell merely shrugs before shooting a look at Nancy.
“If the girls are over eighteen, then there’s no child abuse,” he says. “Can you verify their ages? Do you have birth certificates on hand?”
Coach Mark steps forward then.
“I know their ages, and both Romy and Piper are definitely legal,” he stammers. “They’re rising seniors. But I assure you, Officer, that this is a surprise to us all. No one had any knowledge of these illicit relationships until two seconds ago.”
Officer Wendell merely shrugs again while reaching for the handle of his car door.
“Well, if the girls are of legal age, then there’s no case,” he says. “The 9-1-1 call was unwarranted, and I’m glad we’ve put this to rest. Unless there’s someone else it could be?”
Nancy shakes her head then, still staring at the four of us with bewildered eyes.
“No, I can’t think of anyone,” she mumbles, barely getting the words out. “But we’ll be sure to let you know if anything comes up. Thank you for stopping by, Officer.”
With that, the middle-aged man nods and gets into his cruiser before zooming down the dusty forest road. People are still whispering and pointing at us, but I don’t care because the most amazing thing has just happened. I sling my arms around Stan’s broad shoulders, drinking in his handsome features as the rest of the world disappears around us. It’s just me and him, and I’m so happy and overwhelmed at once.
“Do you mean it?” I ask in a low voice. “Do you love me, Stan? Not as a child, but as a woman and a partner? Someone that you could see yourself dating?”
