Read Online Identity Issues by Claudia Whitsitt - Free Book Online

bathroom before I went down to the kitchen.
    After letting Rex out, I loaded cereal boxes onto the table, added a half–full carton of milk, and then distributed bowls, spoons, and paper napkins. My swimming backpack sat in the back hall, a remnant of my broken plans. No way could I leave for work in the pre–dawn hours. I had to deal with my errant son. I gave it a passionate kick as I passed it. Jon joined me in the kitchen, poured two fingers of cream into his mug, and flipped on the coffee maker.
    "Hey, Babe, how’s it going?" He gave my rear a pat as we juggled around each other.
    "Fine," I said, talking myself into it. "Nick’s headed down in a minute. We’re going to chat about the appropriateness of Playboy in the school setting."
    Jon chuckled. "Glad I’m headed outta here."
    "Chicken," I said. "What time does your plane leave?"
    "I need to be at the airport by seven. My flight leaves a little before nine. Los Angeles first, then Asia." Jon poured himself a cup of coffee before he headed upstairs to fetch his bag.
    I let Rex back into the house as Nick appeared in the kitchen.
    "Why’d you get me up so early?" he questioned.
    "You brought home a behavior slip from the Principal’s office. What’s up with that?" I asked.
    Nick grinned sheepishly. "Mom, it wasn’t my fault, honest."
    "Start over. I want the whole story. Then tell me how you plan to repair the situation."
    I poured myself a cup of coffee, carried it over to the table, and sat down beside Nick. He busily poured a mound of whole grain o’s into his bowl and added just a touch of milk. Nick hated soggy cereal.
    "Give me the straight story."
    "Rob gave me the magazine. He found it under his dad’s mattress, brought it to school, and we looked at it in the locker room after gym. What’s the big deal? A whole bunch of us looked, Mom, honest."
    "I’m sure you did. How’d it wind up in your locker?"
    "Rob didn’t wanna get caught with it, so he asked me to stick it in my locker," he said, adding a simple shrug.
    Not too bright, I thought. "And you decided this was a good idea because…"
    "Mom, Rob’s my best friend, ya’ know?" Nick looked at me like I was the crazy one for not understanding his logic. His sky blue eyes, thick yellow hair, and the sprinkle of freckles across his nose made me want to smile. The swipe he gave his chin with his sleeve, the one catching the dribble of milk made me smile, too. On the inside.
    "Nick, you can’t make stupid decisions just because someone is your friend. You need to think things through, not act on impulse." My teacher voice came in handy.
    "Yeah, I know. But if Rob wouldda put it in his locker, he’d be in even bigger trouble than me. If his mom found out he took that magazine from home, he’d get killed. You know Rob’s mom." Nick ate voraciously now. He never became too upset. Amazing to me that he willingly took the hit for a friend. A tough nut to crack, this kid of mine.
    "Nick, you’re a very loyal friend. And while that’s admirable, I’m still concerned. First of all, I understand that women’s bodies are fascinating to boys your age, but I want you to become the kind of man who respects women as people, not see them as objects."
    Out of the corner of my eye I noticed Rex, his front paws on the kitchen counter, jaws opening over Jon’s plate of leftover roast beef.
    "Rex, no!" I shouted.
    Nick laughed. "Way to go, Rex."
    "Nick, knock it off." I took a breath and refocused. "Hear me on this," I continued, "Playboy Magazine does not belong in school. It doesn’t matter who brought it. I expect you to come up with a solution for your note from the principal. Mr. Schneider does not expect students to bring pornography to school; neither does he expect you to tell him that you’re just doing a friend a favor. You know better than that."
    "Playboy is not porn, Mom. It’s just pictures of naked ladies. Rob’s dad says you’re supposed to tell people that you like the articles," he