The Outsider Series: The Complete Omnibus Collection

Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Trevor had started kindergarten earlier that year at Forward Thinking, a new school located just outside Hoquiam. He went four days a week with ten other students. When Emily had researched the schools with their autism consultant who Brad had hired to run Trevor’s autism programming, the principle, Dean Banks, had met with Emily, Brad and their consultant and told them how a custom designed program for Trevor, based on his needs, was in line with the new education model for the 21st century, which Forward Thinking was designed around.

Because this was the first year that the school had opened its doors away from the regular public system; it was small, with only a hundred kids in attendance. What set the school apart were the “personal learning paths,” which were co-created between teacher and child, instead of having predesigned courses. For a child with autism, that was ideal.

Brad ushered Emily into the small community school, to which he and his ranch hands had donated time, money and labor to help renovate. They wandered into the small, front office and Brad rapped his knuckles on Dean’s open door. The man was hunched over his desk.

“Is there a problem, Dean?” he asked.

The man bolted upright. “Oh, heavens, no,” he said. “I wanted you to see Trevor’s breakthrough. His educational assistant, John, has been working with your consultant on a social program, building a bridge with the other children. I didn’t want to spoil the surprise, but Trevor and a little girl named Sylvia have been paired. Working together over the last week, Trevor has expressed interest in Sylvia, beyond parallel play and he is using his words.”

Dean stood up and walked around his desk. Tall and lanky, the man was balding in spots, so he shaved his head. Brad thought he was one of those men who made you feel good just by being around them.

“Come and follow me. I want to show you,” he said, leading the couple out of his office and down the wide hallway to the first classroom on the right.

Emily held Brad’s hand and he gently squeezed hers; they shared a meaningful look.

The door of the room was open and through the glass front they could see the entire kindergarten class. John was a younger man with long, brown hair, which he tied back in a ponytail. He stood at the back of the classroom with the teacher, watching Trevor, well removed from the boy’s space.

Trevor was on the floor with two other children, building a Lego house. One was a girl and the other a boy whom Emily knew was a dickens, always getting the last word with his teacher. Trevor handed a Lego figure to the little girl, who smiled and said something. He looked at her and smiled back, before touching her hand and saying something. She giggled and Trevor pointed to something on their creation.

Brad glanced down at Emily as she pressed her hand over her heart.

Bending down, John touched Trevor’s shoulder, and gestured to Emily and Brad. The boy looked up and searched the room, not spotting them right away. He was smiling and looked happy, and Emily suddenly realized how far he had come in such a short time. Trevor hadn’t made his ‘whop whop’ noise or whined in a long time. He was using words and he was playing; he actually wanted to be with the other kids.

“Brad, look at him,” she said.

He pulled her closer and brushed a kiss on top of her head. “I see darlin’, I see.”