Kevin O'Brien - Disturbed

Carney was a large, fiftysomething black woman who looked like she didn’t smile much. Behind her desk was a blown-up photo of the Seattle skyline and several framed certificates. She listened solemnly as Chris recounted what he’d seen in the varsity locker room the previous evening.

When he was finished, the principal cleared her throat, reached for her phone, and pressed three numbers. “Shannon, have Ray Corson come to my office. . Yes, right away. .”

Chris seemed to go pale. He shot Molly a panicked look.

She reached over and put her hand on his arm. “Chris and I aren’t comfortable with this,” she said to the principal. “I thought we’d be talking with just you, Principal Carney. We weren’t expecting a face-to-face with Mr. Corson.”

The principal gave her a dubious sidelong glance. “Well, if Mr. Corson has an explanation, you want to hear it from him, don’t you?”

Molly just sighed and said nothing. She noticed Chris’s foot started to shake so bad it looked like a spasm.

Principal Carney began typing on her computer keyboard. Molly wasn’t sure if she was writing up a summary of what Chris had just told her or if she was answering e-mails. The principal didn’t explain. No one said anything. Molly listened to the click-click-click of those fingernails on the keyboard for about five excruciating minutes.

At last, she spotted Ray Corson through the window in the office door. At least, she was pretty sure he was Ray Corson. He reminded her a bit of Jeff, only not quite as handsome — and a few years younger. Still, he was pleasant looking. He wore a blue striped shirt, jeans, and a loosened tie. He knocked on the office door and then opened it.

Chris slinked down in his chair.

When Corson saw him, a sad half smile came to his face. “Hi, Chris,” he said. Then he approached Molly with his hand out for her to shake. “Mrs. Dennehy?”

She hesitated. All she could think about was Jeff, going ballistic because she actually shook the guy’s hand. “Molly,” she said finally. She didn’t want to be mistaken for Angela. She went ahead and shook his hand.

“Have a seat.” Principal Carney nodded at a single chair against the wall. He sat down in it. The principal folded her hands on her desktop. “Mr. Corson, Chris happened to see you in the locker room last night with a student, and he was concerned that something inappropriate might have happened there. Maybe you can clarify for us exactly what was going on.”

Ray Corson frowned. “I was counseling a student on a personal matter.”

“Would you care to elaborate?” the principal asked.

“I don’t see why I should. It’s nobody else’s business.” He glanced at Chris. “I’m disappointed you didn’t come to me about this, Chris.”

Squirming, Chris rubbed his forehead. “I’m sorry—”

“Excuse me,” Molly interrupted, gaping at Corson. “But you’re disappointed? Chris walked in on you and a student — in the locker room, embracing . You had your shirt off, and no one else was around. What was he supposed to think?”

“Ray?” the principal said. “I’ll ask you again. Would you care to elaborate?”

In that isolated chair, he might as well have been sitting on the witness stand. He stared at Chris. “I was running laps around the track when Ian Scholl came to see me about some problems he’s having at home and at school — as you often do, Chris. We spoke for about twenty minutes. He agreed to make an appointment to see me in my office this week. We shook hands good-bye. Then I went to take a shower. . ” He turned toward the principal. “I sometimes shower in the varsity locker room when it’s not in use.”

“Go on,” she said.

He looked at Molly, and she involuntarily shrank back a bit. “I started to undress,” he said. “After I took off my shirt, I realized Ian had followed me into the locker room. He still had some issues he wanted to discuss — very personal, very emotional issues. Maybe you think I should have put my shirt back on, Mrs. Dennehy, but it never crossed my mind. I was listening to this young man, who was hurting. Do you understand?”

Molly almost nodded, but she held back.

“Anyway, Ian started to cry — and I hugged him. That’s when Chris saw us. I know how it must have looked, but I also know Chris. . ” Corson had a wounded look on his face as he turned to him. “I figured you trusted me, and wouldn’t jump to any wrong conclusions about what you saw. I figured you’d talk to me about it if you had any questions or concerns. I guess I figured wrong.”

Chris let out an unsteady sigh. “Why did Ian run away like that?”

Mr. Corson shrugged. “I honestly don’t know. Why did you run away, Chris?”

Chris opened his mouth but didn’t say anything.

Frowning, Principal Carney tapped the end of a pen against her desk. “Mr. Corson, considering the time and place — and how you were dressed — I don’t think hugging this student was an appropriate action.”

He straightened in the chair. “Considering the fact that Ian was crying and in anguish, I think hugging him was very appropriate.” He turned to Molly and then Chris. “Anyway, that’s what happened. Do you believe me, Chris?”

“Yeah — I guess, of course,” he murmured with his head down. Molly barely heard him,

“Then that’s all that matters,” Corson replied, standing. “As far as I’m concerned, we’re done here.” He headed toward the door.

“Wait a minute, Ray,” Principal Carney said.

“Please, let him go,” Chris interjected woefully. “Can we — can we — just drop this?”

Glaring at the principal, Corson paused by the door. “May I go now, Hannah?”

“Yes.” She nodded. “But this isn’t completely over yet.”

Mr. Corson turned and walked out of the office.

As far as Molly was concerned, it was over — mostly because she could tell Chris regretted it had come to this. Still, the principal seemed to have a valid point. Mr. Corson might have inadvertently crossed a line when embracing that boy in the locker room after hours. And didn’t Chris say it looked as if Mr. Corson was kissing the top of Ian Scholl’s head?

Molly didn’t want to analyze it any more. That was Principal Carney’s job. If Chris wanted to drop it, that was fine with Molly. She could tell he was already wishing he’d never confided in her about what he saw.

But Jeff wasn’t quite ready to let it go — though Chris begged him to forget the whole mess. Jeff mentioned to Angela what had happened, and she went nuts. She acted as if Chris had been sexually abused. Molly suspected Angela was trying to show everyone what crappy parents Jeff and his new wife were — allowing her son to consort with a potential pedophile.

Her gal pals, Lynette Hahn and Kay Garvey, got involved, too. Lynette and Kay asked their daughters if they’d heard anything about Mr. Corson making advances on any of the male students. Had Chris said whether or not Corson had ever come on to him?

Courtney Hahn had four hundred thirty-one friends on her Facebook page — all over the United States, and even overseas in London, Sydney, and Paris. On Saturday night, thirty-six hours after Chris and Molly had met with Principal Carney and Mr. Corson, Courtney broke the news to her Facebook friends:

One reason I broke up w/Chris Dennehy was cuz he spent so much time w/Ray Corson & I wasn’t interested in a 3-way! Thursday night, Chris walked in on Corson with his shirt off molesting Ian Scholl (ick!) in the boys’ locker room after hours. I wouldn’t be surprised if he tried to do the same w/Chris. Pervert alert! Chris’s parents are pissed. I think Corson will be forced to leave the school.