“Or tomorrow morning, every union driver on your Riverside project stops working.”
Bill went silent.
The Riverside project was worth tens of millions.
“Brick…”
“You heard me.”
“Please.”
“Choose.”
Bill sighed.
“Put Trent on.”
Jackson handed him the phone.
“Dad?”
Bill's voice exploded.
“Shut up!”
Trent flinched.
“You listen to me, you stupid boy.”
“Dad—”
“Do you understand what you've done?”
“I didn't mean—”
“You don't get to say that.”
Trent's eyes filled with tears.
“It was just a joke.”
“It's not a joke!”
Bill's voice echoed across the courtyard.
“You are going into that principal's office.”
“But Dad—”
“You are going to confess.”
“They'll expel me.”
“I don't care.”
“My transcript—”
“I don't care!”
Bill took a breath.
“If you don't do exactly what you're told, you are out of my house tonight.”
Trent stared at the ground.
“Yes, Dad.”
He handed the phone back.
Bill spoke to Jackson.
“I'll be at the school.”
“Good.”
“I am sorry.”
Jackson nodded.
“I know.”
The call ended.
Trent looked at Weston.
Neither boy spoke.
Jackson pointed toward the building.
“Go.”
They walked away.
The reign of terror had ended.
And not one punch had been thrown.
The Confession
Principal Wallace sat behind his desk.
Trent and Weston sat across from him.
Their faces were pale.
A secretary placed two sheets of paper on the desk.
“Write everything,” Wallace said.
Trent stared at the blank page.
For the first time, there was no father to hide behind.
No money.
No friends.
No intimidation.
Only consequences.
He picked up the pen.
“I started taking Cody's lunch money in September.”
Weston looked at him.
Trent continued writing.
They listed everything.
The threats.
The stolen money.
The boiler room.
The beatings.
The boot.
The extortion.
The names of other students who had witnessed it.
By the time they finished, Trent's hands were shaking.
Wallace read the confession.
His face changed.
For the first time, he seemed to understand the size of what he had allowed to happen.
“This can't be buried,” he whispered.
Jackson stood outside the office.
“You're right.”
Wallace looked up.
Jackson's voice was quiet.
“Because Cody isn't the only kid you failed.”
Wallace looked at him.
Jackson continued.
“There are other kids who watched what happened.”
Wallace lowered his eyes.
“I'm sorry.”
Jackson shook his head.
“Don't apologize to me.”
He pointed toward the hallway.
“Apologize to them.”
The Brother
Outside, Cody waited with Coach Brian.
He watched his brother emerge.
Jackson's expression had changed.
The anger was gone.
Only exhaustion remained.
He walked toward Cody.
“Why didn't you call me?”
Cody stared at the floor.
“I didn't want to ruin your life.”
Jackson frowned.
“What?”
“You've been trying to change.”
Cody wiped his eyes.
“You got the auto shop. You're working with your parole officer. You're trying to stay clean.”
Jackson's face softened.
“I told you to call me if you ever needed me.”