The Adventures of Stevie #106
These stories were told to me by friends and other people. Some of them
are true. Some of them are only partly true. Some of them should have
been true. LOL
My first post about Stevie ("Call me Stephen!") was when he was 12 and
in summer camp and was told by another camper. This was from a time
before computers would fit on a desk and when people communicated with
friends in other countries by actual letters sent through the postal
service. When children did this those friends were called "penpals".
Carlos is Stevie's penpal in Argentina and knows English. This is a
fictional contrivance to enable Stevie to tell us his stories because
he isn't here in person. I think.
All characters are fictitious, even if some of them might have names
that belong to some actual people, or act like people we know.
Stevie's school is for gifted children who don't fit in regular schools.
The stories may not be posted in chronological order.
Stevie is 13 in this story, in Spring of year 3 of his special school.
The Adventures of Stevie #106 "A Turn at Intern"
Dear Carlos,
I have a JOB! A real job. It's an internship. That's what they call a
job where you don't get paid. It's supposed to give you experience
which doesn't cost the company anything to have you work for them. It's
for people who can't get a paying job, but want to have something they
can point to what they did, in job applications. They say I'm too young
to have a paying job. That's wrong, because I can do the work of an
adult. I might change that after I prove what I can to. I work 2
afternoons a week in the building where I met the Director and his
assistant. I interview people who want to work there, or to keep
working there. Dr. Knot says I need 20 hours of counseling experience
for my masters in psych, and this will cover it. I didn't agree, but I
could see his problem. Who would trust their psychological problems to
a 13 year old boy? It didn't turn out like they expected.
Dr. Knot and father went with me the first afternoon. We went to the
Director's office first, after getting our visitor's badges. He said,
with my truth telling ability, I could be a useful asset. I thought
"you bet your asset I could", but I didn't say it out loud. I said "If
you have anybody who has family problems, send them to me, too. Kids
love me. I can help. I'm not just a lie detector, I'm an effective
counselor. There is one more thing. No bugs. I catch any, I break them.
What people tell me in confidence, stays that way, unless it involves a
felony or treason. I don't just keep YOUR personal secrets. You
wouldn't trust me to do that, if I violated other people's secrets,
would you?" He got the point. One of his secretaries took me to the
office they had set up for me. I even had my own secretary receptionist
in an outer office. Dr. Knot and father stayed with the Director for a
few minutes, while I was exploring my own office. They were probably
telling them how good I was. Or how bad.
I found 3 bugs in my new office, and the intercom to the secretary
could be set to listen to me, from her office. I told Alice about all
that, and she turned red with embarrassment. She knew. I told her I
would know it if she spied on me, and the first time I caught her at
it, I would warn her. The second time, I would break the equipment. I
waited for the others to come. After 15 minutes, they did, and I told
them about the bugs. I said "If they don't want their wiring burnt out,
they should get rid of them. If they want to test me, I could do it
now." They thought about it, and said I should go ahead. I went to each
one, and converted some life energy into electricity, and sent a lot of
it into the microphones. There was a little smoke, and a few faint
yells from other rooms. I told them "It was interesting. I didn't know
I could do what I just did. Theory is one thing, but practice is
something else. I think some people who were listening, just got a
little surprise. They shouldn't have had the volume up so high. I think
somebody should go tell the Director I did it, before those guys get in
trouble." Father said "Let's all go." We did. The Directer apologized
for not having time to remove the bugs before I used the office. I let
him keep that lie, and my expression let him know I knew the truth.
Father left, and Dr. Knot and I went back to my office. We had our
first job applicant. He looked confused that a kid was doing the
interview, but I spoke and acted like an adult, and soon he thought of
me that way. I asked the questions on the list, and some of my own,
then told him to wait in the outer office. Then I told Dr. Knot what I
learned about the applicant. He was surprised and very impressed. He
said he would go tell the Director how good I was, and that ALL who
worked for him should see me. He left to do that, and I called Alice,
who was my secretary, in to talk to me. I said "I know I look like a
kid. Forget that. I'm doing an adult job, better than anybody else here
can do it. Better you accept that, and that I'm the boss in this
office, YOUR boss, than you having to find a new job. Because I'm a
little smaller than the average worker here, some people might want to
try to intimidate me. It won't work, even if they have guns. I teach
self defense. To adults. I can take care of myself, but because I might
have to hurt some people to prove that, which I would dislike, I have a
request of you. If I beep you on the intercom 3 times rapidly, please
call for security to come and aid me. One more thing. Do you know why I
have this job? I see that you don't, and that's why I'm here. I know
when I'm being lied to, even before people speak. The Director knows,
and asked me to work here because of it. Please keep that ability, and
any of my other special abilities you might notice, to yourself. I will
be asking you if you have, and will know if you lie." I sent her back
out.
Dr. Knot came back and said the Director wanted to change my hours
from 2 afternoons a week, to 2 full days a week. I said "No. Not as an
intern. Not with a part time secretary who is used by anybody who wants
her the other times. And I'm going to camp this summer. It will be the
last time, but I AM going. The summer after that, I can be available
full time, if working on my doctorates permit. There might need to be
some time off for missions, too. You can tell father and the Director I
will make the final decisions about how and how much I will work, after
consulting all of you, of course. I suggest the Director keep things as
they are now, until he sees how I work out. Then we can discuss any
changes he might want to make. He still doesn't understand enough of
who I am. I rule me, not anybody else. He will learn that, eventually."
Dr. Knot agreed. I went to the door, which had been partly open all
that time, and caught Alice with her ear pressed to the opening. I
surprised her. I said "Alice, I let you do that, because I wanted you
to hear what I said. I knew you were there, and I will know it every
time. If the door is not closed all the way, you may listen, but I hope
in a more dignified way, in case you are observed. I wouldn't like you
or this office to be embarrassed by that." I went with Dr. Knot to the
main hallway, and he whispered to me, "I understand what you are doing.
Building respect and loyalty takes time." I nodded.
That was how my job started. It stayed like that, except for a few
interesting things extra. I didn't want to use my special abilities in
front of other people without some way of making them think it wasn't
magic, so I built a box which had lots of lights and switches which
didn't do anything useful, which I could be operating when I did
something special. I made a bunch of them, and brought a new one in
when somebody took the old one to examine. I thought about telling the
Director I would booby trap them, but never did. If he wanted to play
games, I didn't mind. I discovered 2 spies, and 5 agents who were
taking bribes. The Director was unhappy about them, but glad I found
them, and the evidence which proved it. 4 times somebody wore a
listening device to my office. I'll tell you what happened the first
time.
The man walked into my office. I could tell he had a bug on him. I
told him to leave the door open. That told Alice to listen. I asked him
to sit, and I said, "This is supposed to be a private interview. Why
have you chosen to make it less than private?" He said "I don't know
what you mean." I said "You have a listening device on your person.
Remove it, or I will fry it where it is. You might find that a little
uncomfortable. Or you can leave. What is your choice?" He said "I don't
understand." I signaled Alice to get security, and pushed a button on
my fake control box, and shot some electricity into the wires he had
under his shirt. He yelled and jumped. A little bit of smoke came out
from his jacket. I said "I warned you." He rushed around the side of my
desk, and tried to punch me. I stood and moved inside his punch, and
pushed my open palm hard into his chest. He bounced off the wall, which
was about 7 feet away, and fell down. He was trying to get up when 2
security guards tried to come into my office. I winked at Alice, who
had seen what I did to the man, and had her mouth hanging open, and
motioned her to step aside, so security could get through the door.
They did, and dragged him away.
I asked Alice, "Did you know about him? I see you didn't. I hope it
doesn't happen again. It hurts me to hurt people, but I can and will do
it when it's necessary." I let a tear drip down my cheek so she could
see it. I wasn't faking. I did feel bad about hurting him. If she had
any mother type instincts, she would do her best to protect me from
then on, which she did try to do. I didn't ask her too, and didn't tell
her not to, but she passed the word around about what I did. Each time
it happened, people treated me with more trust and respect. Except one
time.
One day when I went in the building to go to my office, after putting
on my employee badge, one of the guards wouldn't let me through. He
didn't believe my badge was real, and said I had to have a parent with
me. He refused to call the Director when I asked him too. There were 3
other guards who were there helping other people, who knew me, but they
were busy. I said "You must be new. Have you had your first counseling
interview yet?" He said "It's none of your business, sonny." I said "I
know you haven't, because it will be with ME. Stand aside, so I can go
to my office." One of the other guards said to him, "Better do like he
says." He wouldn't, so I took his gun away. It was in his holster,
strapped, and I unstrapped it and took out the gun before he knew I was
doing it. While he was staring at his empty holster, I took his badge
off his uniform shirt. It ripped a little. I pushed past him, and said,
"You can pick these up at my office." Then the elevator door closed in
his face. I went to my office and looked at my appointments for the
afternoon, and saw his name there. Our session was as interesting as I
thought it would be. He was very embarrassed when he came into my
office. I gave him his stuff back, and said "We don't have to report
this, or ever mention it again." He was very relieved at that. The rest
of the interview went fine.
I take my own notes. I keep them locked, but I'm sure they aren't
secure. It doesn't matter. I keep copies at home, and nobody can read
either copy but me. I have ways of ensuring that. I dictate what I want
to report, to Alice. I have found out a lot of things people there want
to keep secret. Some of them know it. They all know by now I really do
keep them secret. They have learned to trust me with everything, and
know that nobody else will ever know. It's very interesting with sexual
things. There is a policy of no homosexuals being allowed to work
there, but there are some. I estimate 12 to 15% are gay. There are some
boy lovers there too, who are gay or straight, and some girl lovers. I
make sure those of them who are actually hurting kids are stopped. The
few good relationships I let continue. I told people who had them, age
isn't the only factor. I did sexual things with adults, and wasn't hurt
by that. It just has to be fun for the kid. If the kid says no, it
means NO, with no attempt at persuasion. No bribery, no crying, no
pleading. Anybody going against that rule, will be in trouble with me.
Many of them agree with me. The others will obey, or face the
consequences. That did happen to one man. I fixed him. For real. He
can't poke it in anybody any more, because he can't ever get a boner. I
didn't feel sorry for him. It took me a long time to heal the little
girl he raped, and she will never fully recover. The Director wanted it
to be kept quiet. I agreed. When the man's hands heal, he might be able
to find some kind of work, but never in security or law enforcement.
The story of that got around, which earned me some more respect. A
little fear, too.
The Director wants me to work there full time, but we both know it
can't happen. I'm on call for emergencies, for people who specifically
ask for me. The rest of the time I keep it at 2 afternoons a week. The
people there are very nice to me, much more than in the beginning. Some
of them even call me Doctor Stephen, even though I tell them not to.
There was one problem. The director wanted me to question criminals. I
told them I couldn't, because if I did, I would take over the case, and
be the judge and jury, and punisher if necessary, whether anybody liked
it or not. I would have to, because that's who I am. I can't let
problems go without fixing them. I'm glad they stopped asking. Doing
that would have torn me up. Sometimes hearing people's problems makes
me very sad, and I go home in a bad mood. It doesn't last long, because
my family loves me. It helps a lot. What I do with Dan, and the other
boys who sleep over, helps a lot too. Boy play fun is a great way to
forget your troubles for a while, and as a tension reliever, it can't
be beat. Squirt your troubles away. That's what I say. And do. Often.
Your friend,
Stephen
--
Grant
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