To Keep A Promise

Disclaimer: I don't own the Dukes of Hazzard, not making any money, just cheap thrills.


Warnings: Angst, Disturbing Themes


Rating: FRT


italics and/or * indicates thoughts


To Keep A Promise
Chapter 4


"This teacher have a seizure and Dale blames you, is that it?" Luke asked, interrupting his cousin's story.


"No, it wasn't anything like that. Mr. Wyndham didn't have seizures, I just didn't know why else he might act like that."


"So, what happened then and what does it have to do with that dummy in the barn?"


"It's complicated," Bo replied, stalling for time.


"I'm pretty smart cousin, I think I'll understand," Luke encouraged the younger boy.


"I knknknow, but will ya be able to ffffforgive me?"


"Forgive you? Bo, there's nothing you could ever do that I couldn't forgive," he assured his youngest cousin. "Please tell me what's been going on?"

"I can't do this Uncle Jesse," Bo cried out, ignoring Luke's question.

"You're doing fine Bo," Jesse encouraged the boy, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand.

"He's gonna hate me, please don't make me tell him," the boy plead.


"I ain't gonna hate you Bo, there's no way I could. You're not just my cousin, you're more of a brother than a cousin and I could never hate you. Please Bo, I just want to help," Luke plead in turn.


"I...it's worse than you could ever think Luke," Bo miserably told him.


"Bo please."


Looking wildly around the room, Bo considered running, God knew he wanted to. Unconsciously tightening the muscles in his legs, he prepared to jump up and flee from the memories that threatened to consume him. A hand on his shoulder had him jerking back in shock, but the hand moved to his arm, holding him in place.


"It's alright Bo, please don't run from me," Luke whispered, knowing from his posture what Bo was ready to do. "I don't know what happened cousin, but it couldn't be any worse than what I'm imagining, please tell me."


"Are you sure you want to know?"


"No, but something tells me I should know."


"I'll ttttry," Bo stuttered out.


"Thank you," Luke whispered, giving his cousin a supportive hug.


"Well nothing really happened after that and I forgot all about that first day. Then a little past the middle of March...."


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March


"Bo, I'd like to see you after class," Mr. Wyndham softly informed him a moment before the bell rang.


"Yes sir," Bo acknowledged the request, wondering what he'd done wrong. Remaining in his seat, he waited for the other students to leave the room, several of them shooting him sympathetic glances.


"Is everything going okay Bo?" the teacher asked, moving to perch on the desk next to Bo's.


"Yeah, I think it is," Bo replied, confused by the question. "Uh, Mr. Wyndham, did I do something wrong?"


"No, but I am concerned about your grades."


"My grades? I thought I was doing okay," Bo said, more confused than before.


"Well they could be better," Wyndham replied. "I'm sure you realize that you need to pass english in order to graduate."


"Yes sir, I'm not failing am I?"


"That depends on what you decide to do," came the cryptic reply. Pulling the desk he was perched on closer, the teacher leaned forward, one hand moving to rub against Bo's lower back.


"What do ya mean?" Bo squeaked out, jerking away from the unsettling touch.


"Oh come on Bo, surely you're not that naive," Wyndham purred, again placing a hand on the boy's back.


"I don't know what you're talking about," Bo insisted, pushing his desk away and jumping from the seat.


"If you leave now Bo, you'll fail english," the teacher warned the boy who had headed for the door.


"I have to, got class to get to."


"You have study hall you mean, and I can write you a pass. Sit down Bo," he ordered.


"Mr. Wyndham I ain't sure what you're talking about, but if I need to bring my grades up to graduate, then I will," he said, remaining by the door.


"I said sit down!"


"Yes sir," Bo obeyed, sitting down at a desk near the door.


"That's better," Wyndham said, lowering his voice and moving to stand next to Bo. "Since you're intent on playing dumb, I'll spell it out for you. I noticed you that first day Bo, you're very cute when you blush, did you know that?"


"Nnnnno sir," Bo stammered, wishing he could escape but not knowing how, without causing trouble.


"Well you are," Wyndham assured him. "I've wanted you from the moment I laid eyes on you, and I will have you."


"Mr. Wyndham, I, uh, I like girls and..."


"Did I ask you what you like?"


"No," Bo miserably replied, desperately trying not to get sick.


"I want you, and if you want to pass english, you'll cooperate," he whispered, moving his hand from the boy's back to his thigh.


"You want me to...? I won't do it!" Bo yelled, trying to get to his feet, but the teacher's hands, now on his shoulders were preventing it.


"Oh I think you will, once you have time to think about it."


"No! You just wait until I tell my uncle, you'll wish you'd never come to Hazzard," Bo threatened.


"He won't believe you," Wyndham warned.


"Yes he will," Bo insisted, sure that the teacher was wrong.


"Well when he doesn't you come by my house. Today's Tuesday and if you come to my house by Friday, ready to cooperate, you'll graduate. If not...." Wyndham left the threat hanging in the air. Stepping away from the blond teenager, he allowed the boy to leave the room.


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"You okay Bo?" Randy asked from outside the bathroom stall, where he could hear his friend retching.


"Yeah," Bo moaned in response. Wiping his mouth, he pushed himself to his feet and came out of the small space, quickly moving to the sink.


"What happened?"


"Huh?"


"Mr. Wyndham kept you after class and now you're in here getting sick, so what did he say to you?" Randy asked, obviously concerned.


"Oh, he wanted to..." Bo trailed off, suddenly afraid to tell his friend. "He just wanted to talk about my grades."


"And that made ya sick?"


"Nah," Bo lied, "I don't know what made me sick. I think I'll go to the office though and see if I can go home a little early."


"Okay, bye Bo."


"Bye."


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"Uncle Jesse, can I talk to you for a minute?" Bo asked as he stepped into the kitchen that afternoon.


"What's wrong Bo?" Jesse asked, turning from the counter with a plate of cookies and a glass of milk. Sitting down at the table, he waited for Bo to join him, pushing the snack over to the boy.


"I need some help with a problem at school," Bo began.


"Some of the other kids giving you trouble?"


"No sir," Bo replied, picking up a cookie and nibbling on it. "Um, well after english class my teacher asked me to stay after. He wanted to talk to me about my grades and..."


"Bo Duke! Do you mean to tell me that after promising Luke that you'd graduate you've let your grades slip?"


"It's not like that Uncle Jesse," Bo tried to explain, only to be interrupted again.


"What's it like then?"


"Mr. Wyndham wants me to do something so I'll graduate," he started, pausing, unsure how to explain it all.


"Well then I suggest you do whatever you have to, unless you don't care about breaking your word."


"But Uncle Jesse..."


"I don't want to hear it Bo, he's your teacher and it's your job to obey him. I got chores to do, you come help me when you're done with your snack," Jesse said, moving to the door and leaving Bo alone.


*I can't believe he was right. How am I supposed to do what he wants? But I did promise Luke that I'd graduate. Why won't Uncle Jesse listen to me? Oh God! What am I gonna do?* Bo sat at the table, his head in his hands, more miserable than he'd ever been in his life. When the phone rang, he was so startled that he jumped a foot. "Duke farm, Bo Duke speaking," he tiredly answered.


"Hello Bo, this is Mr. Wyndham. Have you spoken to your uncle?"


"Yeah," came the barely audible reply.


"Awww, what's the matter? Didn't he listen to you?" the teacher taunted.


"Isn't there something else I can..."


"No there isn't," Wyndham snapped. "Can you come by this evening?"


"I...please don't make me do this," Bo begged. As he waited for the answer, he held the receiver so tightly that his knuckles were turning white and his hand began to cramp.


"It's up to you Bo, but if you want to graduate I expect to see you at seven thirty this evening," and with those words, Wyndham broke the connection.


Bo stared at the phone, horrified at what the teacher expected of him and terrified that he would have to do it. Miserably, he headed outside to do his chores, spending the afternoon doing as he was expected to. His mind wasn't on the chores though, or the homework he tried and failed to complete. All he could think about was the promise he'd made to Luke and what he'd have to do if he was going to keep it.


"Uncle Jesse, would it be alright if I went to Mr. Wyndham's after supper?" he finally asked. Giving up on his homework, he closed his math book and looked up from the table, waiting for an answer.


"This have to do with your grades?"


"Yes sir."


"Alright, you can go then," Jesse gave his permission.


"Thanks Uncle Jesse," Bo replied with a noticeable lack of enthusiasm.


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Climbing out of his uncle's pick-up, Bo walked to the front door of Mr. Wyndham's house like a man on his way to his execution. As he walked, he looked around, grateful that the teacher had chosen such a secluded house. At least there would be no neighbors to witness his visit, or to hear the screams he was sure he'd be uttering. Finally reaching the door, he reluctantly grabbed the door knocker and giving it a sharp rap, announcing his arrival.


"Hello Bo, I'm glad you could make it," Wyndham greeted him. Holding open the door, he waited for the boy to step through. The moment Bo crossed the threshhold, Jonas pushed the boy up against a wall and began kissing him.


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"NO!" Luke cried out, paling as his cousin's story unfolded.


"Luke?" Bo asked, not sure what his cousin meant.


"How could you do that Bo? Do you really think I'd want you to...to...prostitute yourself for a promise?" he yelled, jumping to his feet, distancing himself from his cousin.


"Please Luke, let me explain," Bo begged, looking up at his cousin with tear-filled eyes.


"I've heard enough! I can't stay here, I need to..." he trailed off, not sure what he wanted to say. Giving his cousin a look that could mean anything, Luke ran out the door and jumped into the pick-up.


"Luke!" Bo screamed, coming to his feet and running outside, just in time to see the pick-up kicking up gravel as his oldest cousin left him behind. "No! Please, don't leave," he begged, falling to his knees in the dirt.


"Shhhh, it'll be okay Bo, he'll be back," Jesse tried to soothe his youngest, praying he was right.


"He hates me Uncle Jesse," Bo cried, leaning into the older man's embrace.


"No he doesn't Bo, he just needs time, I'm sure of it."


"You don't know that Uncle Jesse! I'm sorry, it's not you're fault, I shouldn't be yelling at you," Bo apologized.


"You ain't got to apologize sprout, I should've listened to you. If I had, none of this would be happening now," Jesse aplogized, ashamed of himself for his failure to protect his family.


"Please Uncle Jesse, please don't blame yourself. It's my fault, I knew it was wrong, but I went to his house anyway. Everything that's happened is cause of me, I'm not surprised that Luke hates me, he should. All of ya's should hate me for what I've done," he insisted. Collapsing forward, he would've been face down in the dirt if his uncle hadn't caught him.


"Aww Bo," he soothed, wrapping the boy in a tight embrace and rocking him, like he had when Bo had been little and woke from a nightmare. Jesse couldn't help wishing that helping him past this living nightmare could be so easy.


TBC


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