Gone Read Free Page A

father’s arm was suddenly draped all over Chris’s shoulders and he had a wide, loving grin. That’s when his father would fake-smile his way through some inane conversation with Chris until the camera crew had shut off their lights and gone home. It was sickening.
    By the time Chris had made it to his father’s office, the anxiety had already given way to anger. Chris wasn’t scared about admitting his screwup anymore. He wasn’t scared of anything or anyone. Especially his father. He wasn’t scared. What was there to be scared of? This wasn’t his fault. It was not his fault.
    So why was he sweating so profusely?
    Chris stiffened his posture and swallowed very hard. Then he stared down at his father’s secretary, Eileen, with a cold “I-own-you” glare. There was no time for his usual fake princely smile.
    â€œI need to speak with my dad, Eileen,” Chris stated. “Now.”
    Eileen’s insecurity began to bleed out through her caked-on makeup and her excessive eye shadow—thelow-class giveaways to her buttoned-up “executive assistant” facade.
    â€œYou’ll have to wait, Chris” she said, trying to sound firm and professional. “Your father just came in with an important client, and he said no visitors”
    â€œVisitors?”
Chris squawked. “Do I strike you as a
visitor,
Eileen?”
    â€œNo, of course not,” Eileen croaked. “I’m just telling you… he insisted they not be disturbed….”
    â€œDisturbed? Do you think he would find a visit from his own son disturbing?”
    Eileen’s eyes widened nervously. “No, Chris, no, I just—”
    â€œRight, Ã11 only be a minute.”
    â€œChris…”
    Eileen stood out of her chair, but Chris ignored her completely, marching right by and swinging open the double doors to his father’s office.
    Two angry faces darted up toward the doorway. Chris had seen this look on his father’s face a thousand times. But the other man he had never seen before. And given his crisp, tightly buttoned army uniform and the regalia of stars and bars on his shoulders, Chris certainly would have remembered him.
    Dr. Rodke quickly wiped the dark frown from his face and replaced it with the fakest smile of delight. “Chris!” he bellowed jovially. “What a surprise! Listen, we’re right in the middle of something here—whydon’t you give us just a few minutes and then you and I can go to lunch?”
    Chris’s eyes darted down to his father’s grand mahogany desk. There were numerous copies of some kind of contract spread out across the desk, and General Stars and Bars had clearly been right in the middle of signing one of them. Not only did this make Chris extremely curious, but if there was one thing he couldn’t tolerate, it was being dismissed by his father. He took a large step into the room and matched his father’s disgusting display of fakery with a display of his own.
    â€œOoh, Daddy, can I just get a few minutes with you now?” He clasped his hands together in prayer and bounced slightly in place. “I’ve got a problem I really need your help with.
Pleeease.
I’m drowning in teenage angst!” Chris knew exactly what he was doing. He was challenging his father’s supposed tolerance right to his face. He was “turning up the gay.” And it was making his father squirm. Chris turned to General Stars and Bars and waived daintily. “Hiii. I’m Chris.”
    The general raised his right eyebrow with contempt, although the rest of his craggy, tight-lipped face didn’t budge. Dr. Rodke bolted up from his chair with another plastered-on smile. “Um…General Colter, this is my son Christopher. Chris…General Colter.”
    So Stars and Bars had a name. That still didn’texplain what he was doing signing contracts in his father’s office or why his