Fool Me Twice

40

When Courtney came out of the main building of the Wilburforce School, she was surprised by the sight of Jesse Stone standing beside his cruiser.

“What are you doing,” she said to him.

“Working on my tan.”

“No. I mean what are you doing here?”

Jesse looked at her.

“Waiting for you.”

“I didn’t do anything wrong.”

“I know.”

“So why are you waiting for me?”

“What did you think of the hearing?”

“I think I was railroaded.”

“‘Railroaded’?”

“Yes.”

“Do you even know what the word means?”

“I was dealt with unfairly.”

“It was your mother, right?”

“My mother what?”

“Who used the word.”

Courtney didn’t say anything.

“I guess the arrogance is hereditary.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You weren’t railroaded, Courtney. No one was out to get you.”

She shifted uncomfortably.

“The first thing that has to happen, if you’re going to learn anything from this, is that you have to accept responsibility for what you did.”

Jesse moved away from his car and stood face-to-face with her.

“You made a mistake. Several of them. But what’s done is done. Now you have to admit those mistakes and take responsibility for them.”

“Why are you hassling me this way? Isn’t it enough that you made me lose my license, and now I have to walk everywhere? That I have to endure six months of some stupid community service?”

Jesse didn’t say anything.

“Why are you so exasperating,” Courtney said.

“It’s time for you to learn that you’re not acting in your own best interests.”

“I don’t have to listen to this crap.” She turned away from him.

“You’d do yourself a favor if you took what I’m saying seriously,” he said. “You can’t help yourself if you don’t first recognize that you need help.”

Courtney started to walk away. Over her shoulder, she called back to him.

“Screw you,” she said.

“My point exactly,” he said.