over his thinly veiled threat I had an inkling he was more than willing to act upon. My Jonathan would never even think to cause a ruckus just to make a political statement. He was a sweet ten-year-old boy who wanted, more than anything, to get his family’s approval. But we weren’t dealing with that Jonathan anymore, we were dealing with his evil twin… who had decided negative attention was good enough. He cursed, talked back to his parents, damaged property and had been playing hooky to hang out with a new group of delinquent friends.
Alex and I had been making some progress in reaching him, but he was still acting out with his parents, particularly his mother, over the weekends.
Though we never saw any evidence of Jonathan’s experimentation with drugs while he stayed with us, Elise had confided in Alex that his weekend activities had been a lot sketchier. He blew off time with his folks to hang out with his new best friend, Justin Deneke, the son of two high profile celebrities and child star in his own right. Justin and Jonathan had met at a private academy about two years before. After a prank with some fireworks, both boys had been expelled, and Drew ended up sending Jonathan to boarding school overseas. When that didn’t work out, Drew finally resorted to home schooling, which ultimately led right back to me. The boys had only recently rekindled their relationship the minute Jonathan moved in with his mother. Since Drew had never allowed the friendship once he realized how bad he was for Jonathan, Jonathan knew there was no greater alliance he could form to punish him.
In a world where little scared the mighty Drew Fullerton, a potential friendship between the two kids threatened his influence over his son more than anything else had done. As a result, Drew pulled out all the stops to squash it immediately. Justin was the main reason Drew only allowed Jonathan a tablet as opposed to a phone, to limit his social contact with the outside world.
Justin was four years older that Jonathan, which in Hollywood terms meant he was already versed in designer chemicals used to get high. Worse, he didn’t really care who knew it. He was a wild child out of control in the press, thanks to defiant photos snapped at Hollywood parties where he flipped off the paparazzi with one hand, and chugged alcohol with the other. He stuck his tongue out for each and every picture he took, to ruin their value for the people who had hounded him since birth.
He must have figured that if he was going to be forced to live in a fishbowl, he might as well give everyone something to see.
His reputation so far had included dozens of school suspensions and several expulsions, as well as one arrest for shoplifting at the Grove, a popular outdoor shopping center in West Los Angeles. Of all these infractions, none of which he had expressed one iota of remorse. Instead he used social media to brag about his celebrity and his drug use, which was why Drew had come down like a hammer keeping the two kids apart.
Recently Justin had begun to exhibit an anarchist point of view, where the government was the root of all evil. Everything was a method of mind control, even the weather. Most dismissed his behavior as an entitled teen who was trying to carve out a niche in an industry that was quickly leaving him behind. At fourteen, he was awkward and gangly, no longer the sweet, cherub-faced sitcom star the nation loved, so controversy was a safe bet to keep him relevant in the press.
His public seemed to get just as much enjoyment tearing him down as it did lifting him up. Everyone turned into his mother as he was held up as the poster boy of bad behavior. He must have figured that if they wouldn’t love him anymore, he’d give them something to hate. Diehard fans, generally young girls, stuck with him through his douche bag phase, which had surrounded him with an army of hangers-on who shrugged off his behavior as no big deal, “cool” or even
Alex and I had been making some progress in reaching him, but he was still acting out with his parents, particularly his mother, over the weekends.
Though we never saw any evidence of Jonathan’s experimentation with drugs while he stayed with us, Elise had confided in Alex that his weekend activities had been a lot sketchier. He blew off time with his folks to hang out with his new best friend, Justin Deneke, the son of two high profile celebrities and child star in his own right. Justin and Jonathan had met at a private academy about two years before. After a prank with some fireworks, both boys had been expelled, and Drew ended up sending Jonathan to boarding school overseas. When that didn’t work out, Drew finally resorted to home schooling, which ultimately led right back to me. The boys had only recently rekindled their relationship the minute Jonathan moved in with his mother. Since Drew had never allowed the friendship once he realized how bad he was for Jonathan, Jonathan knew there was no greater alliance he could form to punish him.
In a world where little scared the mighty Drew Fullerton, a potential friendship between the two kids threatened his influence over his son more than anything else had done. As a result, Drew pulled out all the stops to squash it immediately. Justin was the main reason Drew only allowed Jonathan a tablet as opposed to a phone, to limit his social contact with the outside world.
Justin was four years older that Jonathan, which in Hollywood terms meant he was already versed in designer chemicals used to get high. Worse, he didn’t really care who knew it. He was a wild child out of control in the press, thanks to defiant photos snapped at Hollywood parties where he flipped off the paparazzi with one hand, and chugged alcohol with the other. He stuck his tongue out for each and every picture he took, to ruin their value for the people who had hounded him since birth.
He must have figured that if he was going to be forced to live in a fishbowl, he might as well give everyone something to see.
His reputation so far had included dozens of school suspensions and several expulsions, as well as one arrest for shoplifting at the Grove, a popular outdoor shopping center in West Los Angeles. Of all these infractions, none of which he had expressed one iota of remorse. Instead he used social media to brag about his celebrity and his drug use, which was why Drew had come down like a hammer keeping the two kids apart.
Recently Justin had begun to exhibit an anarchist point of view, where the government was the root of all evil. Everything was a method of mind control, even the weather. Most dismissed his behavior as an entitled teen who was trying to carve out a niche in an industry that was quickly leaving him behind. At fourteen, he was awkward and gangly, no longer the sweet, cherub-faced sitcom star the nation loved, so controversy was a safe bet to keep him relevant in the press.
His public seemed to get just as much enjoyment tearing him down as it did lifting him up. Everyone turned into his mother as he was held up as the poster boy of bad behavior. He must have figured that if they wouldn’t love him anymore, he’d give them something to hate. Diehard fans, generally young girls, stuck with him through his douche bag phase, which had surrounded him with an army of hangers-on who shrugged off his behavior as no big deal, “cool” or even
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