Chapter 15 - Brayden Turns Against His MotherBrayden testified at his mother’s employment hearing.
He did not want to.
His court-appointed youth advocate told him he had choices about some proceedings.
He chose to speak.
Mrs. Donovan sat across the room.
She looked at her son as if he were a stranger.
Brayden described the answer sheet.
The confiscated phone.
The deletion.
“Who told you to delete Cameron’s video?”
“My mom.”
Mrs. Donovan closed her eyes.
“Why?”
“She said Cameron was trying to ruin me.”
“Did she give you Cameron’s phone?”
“Yes.”
“Why were you playing a game?”
Brayden’s cheeks turned red.
“I don’t know.”
Even the hearing officer almost smiled.
Then came harder questions.
“Did your mother ever change your grades?”
“Yes.”
“How do you know?”
“I saw my online grade change after I complained.”
“Did you ask her?”
“Yes.”
“What did she say?”
Brayden looked toward Mrs. Donovan.
“She said good parents fix unfair systems for their children.”
Cameron heard about that sentence later.
It explained everything.
Mrs. Donovan believed rules were unfair when they restricted Brayden.
Useful when they controlled someone else.
“Did you want her to change your grades?”
“Sometimes.”
“Did you know it was wrong?”
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you stop?”
Brayden’s eyes filled.
“Because winning felt good.”
That was the first time Cameron felt sorry for him.
Not enough to erase what he did.
Enough to understand him.
Brayden had been trained to confuse advantage with love.
Mrs. Donovan’s attorney asked:
“Are you blaming your mother to protect yourself?”
Brayden whispered:
“No.”
“You deleted another student’s video.”
“Yes.”
“You cheated.”
“Yes.”
“You lied initially.”
“Yes.”
“Then why should anyone believe you now?”
Brayden looked directly at his mother.
“Because I’m done doing what she tells me.”
Mrs. Donovan flinched.
Her son’s rebellion hurt her more than the prosecutor’s questions.
After the hearing, Cameron saw Brayden outside.
Neither knew what to say.
Finally Cameron asked:
“You okay?”
“No.”
“Me neither.”
Brayden nodded.
Then said:
“I’m sorry about your phone.”
Cameron almost laughed.
“That’s the smallest thing.”
“I know.”
“And the video.”
“I know.”
“And cheating.”
“I know.”
“And standing there while your mom hit me.”
Brayden looked down.
“I know.”
Cameron did not forgive him that day.
He also did not punish him.
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Some consequences belonged to schools, courts and families.
Cameron was learning not to carry every role.
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