Badly Drawing Boy

He chuckled. "Jake must have seen me staring at Graeme's backside one day... I must admit, I do sometimes find myself looking at other men like that. Perhaps finding out about you somehow sensitised him to be able to spot other men with the same interest."

"He's handled what has happened very well, considering," I observed. "It must have been difficult for him, but he's tried hard to be supportive and not to show his disgust too openly. Maybe the cartoon was his way of unloading his true feelings."

"The drawing is surprisingly... er... graphic. I was quite shocked by it... slightly upset, if I'm honest."

I nodded. "I am sorry for that. It was, I suppose, inevitable that he'd want to express himself in that way. I should have expected it -- should have looked for it. He documents just about everything with cartoons, though normally they're not so explicit."

"I did find it troubling that he would depict one man licking another's bum in such overtly sexual terms... it would not occur to most lads his age that such an act could be in any way arousing."

"I'm glad you can relate to why this has happened. How did you first find out you enjoy doing this kind of stuff?"

He chuckled. "That's quite a long story." He looked over at his clock. "Look... let's get Jake back in and wrap things up with him and then maybe you and I can go and have a bite of lunch somewhere? I've got some more questions I'd like to ask you, if that's okay."

I glanced at my watch. It wouldn't matter if I was a little late back: they'd just think matters were taking a while to resolve over here.

So I nodded, getting to my feet to invite Jake back into the room. "That'd be good."

When we'd all sat down again, Barrowman resumed his hard-man routine with Jake. It was interesting to see how he could flip between his two personas, almost like an actor call on to perform two roles in quick succession.

He repeated how disappointed and appalled he was by the cartoon -- not only by its crude vulgarity but also by its "deeply unpleasant subtext of subjugation". It seemed as if he was talking himself into doling out a serious punishment for my son. However, in typical teacher fashion, after painting the most damning of pictures, he abruptly veered back towards leniency and declared that, "in view of your father's part in the matter and the... er... transition he is currently going through, I can see there are valid reasons behind why you felt the need to express yourself in such an outrageous manner, although I would thank you never to draw me or any other member of staff at the college in this way again."

He tore up the offending cartoon, which I think upset me more than it did Jake, and scrunched up the shreds into his wastepaper basket.

And that was that.

Jake glanced over at me, as if waiting to be told what his punishment was going to be and, when none was forthcoming, I stood up and thanked Mr Barrowman for being so understanding about things.

When we got out of the room, Jake whispered, "How did you wangle that?"

I shrugged. "I just told him about... well... what's been happening with me and how maybe drawing the cartoon was your way of handling it."

"Yeah, well it was meant to show what an arse-licker that guy is to the Principal -- that was all. I guess it suits him more to convince himself that I have issues." He said the word 'issues' like he was some dope-smoking summer camp counsellor.

He turned to walk down the corridor, and then looked back at me when I didn't follow him.

"Aren't you going back to work? Now that you've swooped in and saved the day?"

I smiled at his sarcasm. "Actually, I'm going to grab of bite of lunch."

He looked confused.

I added, "With... er... Mr Barrowman."

His mouth broadened into a leer.

"Oh right... it's like that, is it? He's into it too, is he? Yeah... I knew it!"

"Actually, it's not like that at all, Jake," I refuted.

"What is it with you guys? Is it like some kind of brotherhood? Have you got a secret handshake?"

"I'm just being friendly with him and... you know... whatever I said to him has kind of worked in your favour, hasn't it?"

He grinned. "I'll leave you to it. Enjoy your tossed salad, or whatever it is you guys are gonna have together."

He wandered off down the corridor, chuckling at his own wit, and I went back to see where Troy Barrowman was going to take me for lunch.

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Next story: Troy Story

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