“Suit yourself, but don’t bitch when you do.”
She walked through the same door the boy had gone out. It opened to a courtyard with splotchy grass and dirt. There was a tall chain-link fence all around the area. Several dogs were playing while a few others lounged in the shade. The kid was tossing a ball for a shepherd mix.
“Watch where you’re stepping,” she warned.
I barely missed stepping in a pile of shit. “Thanks.”
“Lucas, are you okay out here?” Thea asked the boy.
The kid shrugged. “They all seem to get along. They’re not going to fight, are they?”
“I hope not,” she muttered. She turned to me and jerked her head toward the edge of the fence.
I carefully followed her while keeping an eye on where I was stepping. “Who’s the kid?” I asked.
“That’s Lucas,” she said. “Remember Ally’s boy?”
I looked at the tall, lanky teenager. “No shit?”
I remembered him as a toddler. “Yep, they grow up.”
“Shouldn’t he be in school?” I asked. “He didn’t graduate already, did he?”
She shook her head. “No. He’s suspended from school.”
“Shit. Where’s Ally?”
“I gave her the day off. A couple of days off. She needs a break. They are having some difficulties, as you can imagine.”
“What happened?” I asked quietly.
“He’s making some seriously bad decisions,” she said. “Fighting, drugs, and alcohol. She’s at her wit’s end with him. I’m hoping to give her a break and take him off her hands for a couple days.”
I looked at the boy that used to be such a cute, rambunctious toddler. “Is she married?”
“No.”
“Any kind of father figure?” I asked.
“No,” she said. “It’s never been an issue until the last few months. She’s worried about his choice of friends. She is convinced they are leading him down the wrong path, which I suppose is pretty obvious.”
“So, why here?” I asked.
The kid seemed fine to me. Maybe a little sullen, but it was hard to know for sure with the pile of greasy black hair hanging in his face. The black clothing seemed pretty typical for a teen going through puberty. I never went that route, but one of my brothers did. Metal music, weird clothing, and a shitload of angst.
“Because Ally needs some time off. Away from pitiful animals and angsty teens. Lucas can’t stay home alone, and if they stay home together, it will just lead to more drama. I offered to bring him here for the best therapy on the planet.”
“What would that be?”
“Dogs,” she said.
“Dogs. You think dogs are going to turn him around?”
“I think therapy with any kind of animal has been proven to be very effective,” she said. “They use it with prisoners. I’ve noticed a change in him just in the last couple of hours.”
“Sounds like the kid needs a kick in the pants,” I said.
“Stop,” she scolded. “He just needs some guidance. He lost his way. He’ll be okay.”