Trevor sat alone in the commons and nervously checked his phone for messages. His eyes occasionally looked up towards the entrance before dropping back towards the phone. He could hear his little brother's voice before he could see him. Trevor stood up and started towards the corridor that connected the commons to the main hallway.

"Trevor!" Peter cheered as he tugged at his father's hand.

Seconds later the little boy was wrapping his arms around his big brother while his father, Robert, made his way into the commons. Behind him, Trevor's stepmother, Judith, carried three-year-old Olivia. After letting Peter's feet settle back on the floor, Trevor took his little sister in his arms for a tight hug.

Robert was a forty-two-year-old reflection of Trevor dressed in a shirt and tie and slacks. Judith, petite and twenty-six, wore jeans and a tight fitted t-shirt with her sandy blonde hair tied in a ponytail. Had she not been totting along her children she may have been mistaken for a student.

"Sorry we're late," Judith said softly. "We got in so late..."

"These two were doing tag team keeping us from getting out of the hotel on time," Robert complained with laughter in his voice.

"What? You didn't want to come and see me?" Trevor protested.

"No, they insisted they HAD to come to see you," Judith replied.

"I had to pee," Peter said with a giggle.

"I brushed my teeth," Olivia added while pointing towards her toothy grin.

"You did, let me see," Trevor demanded as he inspected his sister's smile. "Looks like you did an excellent job."

Trevor put his sister down then moved towards Judith to give her a hug. He moved on to hug his father, prompting and exchange of surprised looks between Robert and Judith. This didn't seem to be the same Trevor they had last seen in late February. He had never denied his siblings affection but neither could remember the last time they were on the receiving end of voluntary hugs.

"So. Where is she?" Judith asked. "This girl you were travelling with, when do we get to meet her?"

"Chelsea, well, after breakfast she had to go this way, I went that way. I'm not sure but she's probably in class."

"Is she your girlfriend?" Peter asked.

"Yes... Yes, she is," Trevor replied with a bright smile. "You'll have to meet her later; dad and I have to get to our meeting. You guys can just hang out here. There's a TV and some games and things, just look around."

Trevor and Robert walked out of the commons and headed towards the headmaster's office. The first few steps were taken in silence while Trevor sorted out what to say first.

"Sorry, dad. I messed up. Again."

"We'll take care of it," Robert replied.

Trevor nodded.

"So, this girl, Chelsea, how long have you two been... together? Is she the one you were caught... with?" Robert asked cautiously.

"No," Trevor replied as they stepped into the headmaster's office. "I'll explain later."

Robert followed Trevor, his forehead wrinkled in curiosity after Trevor's response.

"Trevor, Robert, please have a seat," headmaster Chambers said as he gestured towards empty chairs at a round table in the corner of his office. "I'm sorry about the delay."

"That's quite alright," Robert replied. "We got in late last night and had a little trouble with time this morning as well."

"That's quite alright. I needed a little time to follow up on a few things before we met," he said as he closed the door and made his way to the table.

"Headmaster Chambers, I think we can save ourselves some time here. I've been making some arrangements—" Robert started.

"Please, call me Allan. Yes, I read your email," The headmaster replied. "But I would still like to discuss the issue and recommendation from the disciplinary committee."

Trevor remained silent as his father settled into his seat at the table.

"First, I'd like to acknowledge some less than ideal circumstances. This all came about as we were getting students out of residence and off to airports, it was a very hectic time. Also, these disciplinary meetings aren't usually held in total absence of the students and their parents, so your voice was not actually heard in that review. Unfortunately, someone on the committee also took it upon themselves to send that email to you directly. That isn't the normal procedure."

"So, is the purpose of this meeting to hear Trevor's explanation?" Robert asked.

"Yes, in part. But first, one other point to note is that the ultimate decision rests upon me," Allan explained. "In every case, since I became headmaster, I have ultimately sided with the committee and their recommendations, be it suspension, expulsion, or some other disciplinary measures."

Trevor's shoulders sank as he closed his eyes, "So basically I'm screwed."

"Are we allowed to know what was decided about the girl in this case?"

"Certainly. Considering her clean record at the school and her academic standing, the committee chose to take academic and restrictive measures in her case. In contrast, Trevor's record is far from clean, and regardless of any actions we might take, his academic performance has slipped considerably this semester and he is failing in two core courses with no chance of recovering. We notified you of this earlier this spring and his councillor has addressed the situation with him a number of times. He will not graduate, and he's known this for some time now."

"Well, then perhaps the best thing for him now is that he withdraws from Well Stone..."

"Dad, please."

"Mr. Leland, I think the best thing, right now, is for us to finish this discussion."

Trevor looked at his father, his eyes pleading for patience.

Chelsea rushed into the commons hoping to catch Trevor before his meeting. She found Judith trying to keep the kids occupied.

"Hi, you must be Trevor's family," she said when she stepped up to the table. "I'm Chelsea."

Judith introduced herself and the children then told Chelsea she had just missed Trevor. She then apologized for the barrage of questions the kids asked with little time to listen for an answer.

"There's a playground out those doors," Chelsea said as she pointed towards the back of the commons.

Chelsea took Peter's hand as they walked towards the playground. While Peter and Olivia played, Chelsea sat with Judith and talked about the school and the trip to Europe.

"Did you see that?" Olivia said enthusiastically before taking a long hard look at Chelsea's smile. "You have nice teeth. You brush them good!"

"Thank you," Chelsea replied.

While Olivia ran back to the slide she was playing on, Judith explained, "She's a bit obsessed with clean teeth."

"Well, at least that's a good habit."

"Yes, but at Christmas we had to hide all of our toothbrushes. We found her brushing the cat's teeth with Peter's–"

As she spoke with Judith, Chelsea pieced together the other side of Trevor's family story. His complaint about his toothbrush now had an explanation. The eight-year age difference between Trevor and his stepmother contributed to the conflict, but it was clear the biggest trouble for the family was the disconnect between father and son.

"One issue the committee noted was Trevor's record of returning to campus after curfew. We have a soft curfew policy here, where unexcused late returns are dealt with by the student's councillor. The security staff are responsible for triggering this process and the committee was concerned by the number of excused incidences. They only have summary details, so they only see the numbers. Had they consulted with security staff they would have learned that Trevor and his friends are often late because they are busy rounding up others or making sure they know where everyone is before they head back. Trevor has escorted a number of students home. I can think of one student in particular. Do you want to discuss what happened with Bethany?"

"No. She's got nothing to do with this," Trevor replied firmly. "Leave her out of it."

Robert looked towards Trevor with concern. He wondered what had happened with Bethany.

"Very well," Allan replied. "Let me just say this. We have had students in the past, perfect student, proud parents, clean records, trusted all round until it matters. One fellow, a couple years ago, gave a couple younger students a ride into town to see a movie. When the movie ran late, he slipped out of the theatre and left them stranded. We've had real boy scout types that would proudly boast of coming to a young girl's aid. But, as you have just seen, your son doesn't want to use what he did for Bethany in his defence. And, its things like this that don't make it into a student's record. In fact, and I just realized this now, your record shows that you were disciplined for being in the girls' dorms the night you brought Bethany home. That's definitely something the committee would have seen. Very few people at this school know what happened and its honorable that you haven't tried to use it save your self."

Robert placed his hand on Trevor's shoulder. A proud smile Trevor had never seen before filled the man's face.

"Then there's the recent incident. Trevor and his room mate, Glen, were caught entering the dorms with two cans of beer between them," Alan continued. "The committee questioned why I hadn't suspended Trevor or expelled him for that one."

"You brought beer into the dorm?"

"Technically, Glen was carrying both cans and tried to convince me that they were his and Trevor had nothing to do with them. But Trevor wouldn't let him take the blame. They sat here arguing about it."

"Why would this Glen kid want to take the blame?" Robert asked.

"Glen had a clean record and as he put it, he didn't want Trevor getting kicked out of school for a can of beer. Especially lite beer," Alan paused for a moment while Trevor looked sheepishly at the floor. "They only got caught because of bad timing. They owned up to it and weren't distributing beer to other students, so we took care of it with some restrictions and chores around campus."

"Trevor has done a number of things. He's broken several rules, but he has not done anything destructive to school property, or anything harmful to other students. What makes this last incident concerning is the nature of the incident and the legal position it could have put the school in. Had his partner in the incident claimed it was non-consensual, that would open us up to claims of not providing a safe environment for students."

Robert acknowledged Alan's concern with a nod.

"That said, I feel the committee may have been biased in their assessment. They may have assumed, or actually, I know they assumed that Trevor was the instigator and was the one responsible for gaining access to the room they were found in. I have, however, spoken with the girl, she is eighteen and has made a written statement that she not only gained access to the room but spent considerable effort in convincing Trevor to join her in that room."

"So, you're saying that this girl, that isn't being expelled is the one that started the whole thing."

Alan nodded, "Now, let's talk about your trip to Europe, and your travelling partner. Chelsea is a special student, here at Well Stone."

"Special?"

"Dad!"

"What, is she someone's daughter or something?"

"Chelsea is the daughter of two dear friends of mine."

"Trevor..."

"Dad..."

"When I learned that she was travelling with you, I... well, you have a reputation for breaking hearts, and I'll admit, I was more than just a little concerned. In my mind I was expecting the worst. I wondered how you managed to talk her into going with you on that trip, and I'm sorry to say, I had a much different discussion planned for this meeting."

Robert looked at Trevor with concern.

"However, I spoke with her this morning after breakfast and she explained a few things. First, the kilt of her uniform, I take it you're responsible for its extra short length."

Trevor nodded.

"When she walked in here wearing it, I was shocked, but I like what I saw," Alan paused. "That's came out completely wrong. I meant to say, I like the change in her, the confidence, her expression, she's definitely not the same girl I saw in here two weeks ago. She told me about the trip and that you were more than a gentleman. I had a look at your Stone Wall page and it's like a diary of not just your trip, but the change in both of you. I'm glad you changed the name."

Robert's expression softened and the proud smile returned.

"So, do you have anything to add? Do you have a reason for me to go against the recommendations of the committee? Assuming you want to stay and finish out the year, tell me why?"

"I think you've listed a number of reasons yourself," Robert responded.

"Dad, please," Trevor paused for a moment. "Two weeks with Chelsea. The title of my page. That trip went nothing like I had planned. She's the only reason I came back. You say she's not the same girl you saw two weeks ago, well, I'm not the same guy that went off to drink his way through Spain and France. I don't know what the hell I'm going to do come September, but I want this month, here, to figure it out. Maybe I can't salvage this semester, but I don't want to leave."

Olivia rushed to her mother and whispered in her ear.

"Is there a bathroom close by?" Judith asked.

"Of course. The closest one is in this building," Chelsea pointed towards the building named in her parents' honour.

She guided Judith and the kids into the building and directed Judith towards the girls' bathroom just inside the entrance. Peter rushed further into the building to a set of display cabinets and stood gawking at the items inside.

"Guess who made that one there," Chelsea said as she pointed towards a model house.

"Did you make that?" he asked.

"Nope. That's Trevor's project."

"Really?" the little boy said before moving on to look in the other cabinet.

"You see these people?" Chelsea said as she gazed at a plaque mounted on the brick wall between the display cabinets.

"Who are they?" Peter asked as he looked up at the photo.

"That's my mom and dad," she replied with a tear forming in her eye.

"What are you two looking at?" Judith asked as she approached.

"Mommy, that's Trevor's project and this picture is Chelsea's mom and dad," Peter said.

Judith gazed at the model house with a pleased look then moved to look at the photo, "Your mom and dad, really? The Bales Science and Technology Wing, named in memory–"

Judith gasped and cupped her right hand over her mouth as she continued silently reading the dedication. Her hand trembled. It was the same physical and emotional response Chelsea experienced nine months earlier when she stood alone and read the plaque an hour before it was unveiled.

"Mommy, why are you crying?" Peter asked.

Judith placed her hand on Peter's head for a moment. She finished reading the plaque then turned towards Chelsea and wrapped her in a warm hug. Peter looked towards his sister with a bewildered expression. After a moment, Judith held Chelsea's hand as they followed the kids towards the door. Clouds that had loomed overhead were now wetting the playground with a light drizzle. They dashed across the playground and entered the commons. Chelsea turned on the television and selected a children's channel to entertain Peter and Olivia while she and Judith sat and talked.

"How old were you?" Judith asked.

"Five–"

Judith sat and listened to Chelsea's story, wishing she had a tissue to wipe her eyes. The conversation didn't linger too long in the distant past, Chelsea chose to focus on her time with Trevor.

"That's Chelsea," Trevor said to his father after they had turned the corner into the commons.

Robert's expression turned to the look of a disappointed father while Trevor looked like a scolded dog at his master's heal. Chelsea noticed Judith's smile fade and her heart sank.

"This is Chelsea," Trevor said softly without looking towards his father.

Robert shook his head while Trevor slid into a chair beside Chelsea

"Well, they're expecting him in Portland in a couple days," Robert paused to let his comment sink in. "I guess I have to make a phone call and tell them he's not coming."

"What? So..." Judith stammered.

"Serious?" Chelsea was equally confused.

Trevor lifted his head and grinned as his father stepped behind him and gripped his shoulders. Peter grabbed his father's shirt and tugged while Olivia stepped up to the side of her mother.

"Daddy, come see the house Trevor made," Peter commanded.

"One second, Peter. The headmaster listed off dozen reasons why he should have been kicked out of here months ago, but what seemed to be a longer list of things he can be proud of too. But–" Robert placed his hand on Chelsea's shoulder "–whatever you said to him this morning, young lady, I think that's what made the difference."

Judith reached across the table and squeezed Chelsea's hand as she giggled shyly. Robert was being pulled by his little boy.

"What's this about a house?" Robert asked.

"Come on," Peter demanded. "Trevor made a house and they have a picture of Chelsea's mom and dad, too."

"So, no surprise, I'm not going to graduate, but Chambers is letting me stay to finish the year. Then, I can stay for a month and make up one or two of my classes in summer school," Trevor explained as they began to follow Peter towards the back of the commons. "If I manage to not screw it up, he'll let me stay for the fall semester to make up the other classes and maybe upgrade some others."

"I'm so happy for you," Judith said as he took Trevor's hand. "Okay, so one month of your summer here, but the rest of it you'll be in Cape Cod."

"What?" Trevor replied with an expression of resistance.

"When we got back from that not much of a vacation, Australia vacation, I went and bought a beach house in Cape Cod," Judith said proudly. "And, I told your father if he knows what's good for him, he'll spend an entire month there. Not just weekends, and working, but actually taking a vacation."

"Yup, she's twisting my arm," Robert laughed. "What are your plans for the summer, Chelsea? Going home for some family ti–"

"Robert!" Judith interrupted as they followed Peter into the Science and Technology wing of the school. "Chelsea, you have an open invitation to join us this summer and whenever you like. Thanksgiving, Christmas, you're part of our family now."

"These are new," Trevor said as they approached the display case. "I can't believe they put it here. This is the model house I made this year. I started designing it last year."

"You made this?" Robert said with a proud smile. "This is amazing. You designed the house yourself?"

Chelsea lifted Olivia as she watched the exchange between Robert and Trevor. She listened as Trevor explained the design and how he built the model. Robert seemed to be discovering his son's talents as if he were a complete stranger.

Peter tugged at his father and guided him to the plaque between the display cases when the conversation about the model had faded. Robert's head sank after he had read the dedication. He reached for Judith's hand and as he turned, Chelsea felt something new. The feeling of belonging that had been missing from her life, began to swell inside her. She knew she would be welcomed into their home, not as a guest but as a part of the family. She would have a room of her own that wouldn't become a den or a storage room while she was away at school.

Chelsea looked at Olivia and smiled, then whispered, "I have a book I want to give to you. Maybe we can read it together."