For several seconds, nobody spoke.
Then he said, “I thought it was funny.”
I felt the old anger rise.
He looked toward me.
“I'm sorry, Owen.”
I stared at him.
Then asked a question I'd been carrying for months.
“Why was it funny?”
Brent looked surprised.
I continued.
“Three adults yelling at a kid. Why was that funny?”
He lowered his eyes.
For a long time, he didn't answer.
Then he whispered, “Because I wasn't the one being yelled at.”
The words settled between us.
He looked toward the pipe.
“And because I didn't think about what it felt like for you.”
I stared.
He continued.
“I followed along with Danner. Everybody did. He was the boss, and making him laugh seemed easier than disagreeing.”
I looked toward the mud where we'd stood that afternoon.
Then I looked back.
“You could've stopped recording.”
He nodded.
“Yes.”
“You could've told him to stop.”
“Yes.”
“But you didn't.”
“No.”
His voice was barely audible.
“I didn't.”
For several seconds, I studied him.
Part of me wanted to say something cruel.
Something that would make him feel small.
Something that would make him remember how helpless I'd felt standing beside the pond.
Then I thought about Grandpa.
Learn something they don't know. Then use it to help somebody.
I took a breath.
“I hope you don't do it again.”
Brent looked up.
His eyes were wet.
“I won't.”
I didn't know whether that promise would last.
But it was his responsibility to keep.
Aunt June accepted the envelope.
Brent thanked us for speaking with him.
Then he returned to his truck and drove away.
I stood watching until he reached the main road.
Aunt June walked beside me.
“You okay?”
I nodded.
Then hesitated.
“Is it bad that I still don't like him?”
She smiled gently.
“No.”
I looked toward her.
“You can accept an apology without pretending the past disappeared.”
I nodded.
Then we walked back toward the house.
For once, I didn't feel the need to spend the afternoon thinking about what I'd done wrong during the confrontation.
The adults had made choices.
Those choices belonged to them.
I had made choices too.
And I was beginning to feel proud of mine.
In November, our school held a science and engineering exhibition.
My teacher asked whether I wanted to present a project about emergency communications and infrastructure redundancy.
At first, I refused.
The thought of standing in front of people again made my stomach tighten.
Then she suggested doing the project with two classmates.