St. Damon's Hall

By Kathleen Regan

This Young Adult novel takes place in a small New England town and is a coming of age story for Frankie Folinari and his friends. While all of these friends are special in their own way, Frankie’s many trials and tribulations tell the story of a particularly special young man. Frankie is not just the leader of the group, he’s an emerging 21st century hero trying to understand and control his emerging powers.  This gripping novel tells the story of 6 friends whose lives were forever changed and their paths altered by their chance meeting. This adventurous tale takes many twists and turns as this group hunts for justice while some even find love along the way.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Austin Macauley Publishers
• Release date: Dec 16, 2022
• ISBN: 9781638293200

Book preview

About the Author

Kathleen Regan is a mother, retired psychiatric nurse, and a writer. Having worked for many years in a pediatric psychiatric unit, she has a deep understanding of children and young adults. She is able to convey their stresses and vulnerabilities, but more importantly, their strengths and talents. She has previously written one non-fiction book: Opening Our Arms: Helping Troubled Kids Do Well and a memoir: Unintended Consequences: A Mother’s Memoir. St. Damon’s Hall is her debut YA novel.

Dedication

For Necalli, Issac, Noah, Caden, Julian, Gwyneth, Chloe, Liam, Quinn, Theodore and all future grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Copyright Information ©

Kathleen Regan 2022

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher.

Any person who commits any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

Ordering Information

Quantity sales: Special discounts are available on quantity purchases by corporations, associations, and others. For details, contact the publisher at the address below.

Publisher’s Cataloging-in-Publication data

Regan, Kathleen

St. Damon’s Hall

ISBN 9781638293187 (Paperback)

ISBN 9781638293200 (ePub e-book)

ISBN 9781638293194 (Audiobook)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2022914110

www.austinmacauley.com/us

First Published 2022

Austin Macauley Publishers LLC

40 Wall Street, 33rd Floor, Suite 3302

New York, NY 10005

USA

[e-mail]

[phone]

Acknowledgment

I would like to acknowledge all the staff of Austin Macauley Publishers who assisted in all phases of turning my manuscript into a published book and then assisted in the marketing of my novel. I am extremely grateful for the assistance of my two first readers. Kathryn Cocco Schuller is a dear friend who loves all things books, but especially YA novels which she shared with her children and grandchildren over many years. Patricia Federman, my wonderful sister, has spent her life bringing good literature to children and their families in her position as co-founder of The Children’s Literacy Initiative. I also have great appreciation for my first copy editor, my daughter, Beth Regan. In her doggedly protective style, she poured over my manuscript trying to root out typos and misspelled words. Last but not least, I would like to acknowledge my mentor and friend, Dr. Ross Greene. He has managed to find his way within all three of my books. I learned much from him and my main character, Frankie, writes a paper about his famed approach within this story. I refer anyone interested in learning more about his unique approach in helping children be understood to his website: www.livesinthebalance.org.

Chapter One

Frankie Folinari was having a bad day. It was so bad that he saw it as four plus on a scale of one to five, with five being the very worst. He walked around the soccer field, kicking a rock with his right foot as he went over what had just happened. Just when he thought he could relax and take his life for what it had become, the rug once again was pulled out from under him. It’s not fair, I should have anticipated this, he thought to himself. Get a grip, Frankie. You have been through worse.

But he knew that was not the point. He chewed furiously at his left lower lip. He was trying to think this through and he was finding it hard to think clearly. He was scared and angry. He was angry most of all with himself. To top it off, he was unable to stop the tears from rolling down his cheeks. And he knew she saw them even though he quickly wiped them away as he pretended to sneeze. Thank the gods, he thought to himself, that it was Ms. Sorenson who had seen him break down. He couldn’t get out of her room fast enough.

The conversation started routinely:

So, Frankie, how are things going so far this year? Ms. Sorenson asked.

You know, I’m doing OK. In fact, I’m better than OK. This place seems to bring out the best in me, he replied.

It was thanks to Ms. Sorenson that he was here at St. Damon’s Hall (SDH). It was because of her efforts that he and his friends at SDH secretly referred to her as Marvelous Mary. She had heard about him three years ago when he was about to be sent to Juvie Hall. She had intervened and convinced the judge to let her have a try with him at St. Damon’s.

Ms. Mary Sorenson’s reputation was well-known and she had surprised many a probation officer and policeman with her saves. Oh, she had her share of failures too. But to Frankie and the other kids at St. Damon’s Hall, it was her influence that had put them together at this institution that became their home.

St. Damon’s Hall was an institution for kids who were on the brink of being seen as potential criminals. It was an institution with a mission as the sign at the entrance displayed: Saint Damon’s Hall: Refuge and Rehabilitation for Troubled Youth. The kids used the acronym RARTY for all sorts of jokes among themselves but the reality was that most of the children lodged within its grounds found St. Damon’s Hall to be a real refuge.

Most of the kids, if not all of them, had had awful experiences in their young years and Ms. Sorenson and most of her staff believed that the behavior and actions that brought them to St. Damon’s were a response to the blows that life had dealt them. St. Damon’s Hall was located in a small New England suburban working-class town just outside the larger city.

Most of the children in this residential program came from similar working-class neighborhoods or poorer ones in the nearby vicinity. Ms. Sorenson, the director, had good relationships with the police, the local juvenile court, its probation officers and the child welfare agency. Most of her referrals came from the probation officers, in fact. They were adept at spotting specific children who they thought would be a good fit for her special program.

Once she had decided to intervene and reroute a child to her program rather than the Juvenile Justice system, there were a few steps of coordination that had to occur. The child’s placement at SDH was made after the courts remanded the child into the custody of the state’s child protective service agency.

Frankie, have you thought about what you want to do next year and where you would like to go? she asked continuing the conversation.

No, I guess I never anticipated I would be leaving once I realized that this has been the best place for me—I guess that was about three years ago now, he replied.

Ms. Sorenson went on: Well, as good as this has been, it’s time to think beyond these walls. You will be finishing your last year here as your fourteenth birthday is fast approaching. I think the term you have probably heard people use is that ofaging out of SDH. Much as I have enjoyed watching you grow and come into your own, it’s time to get ready for the next episode in your life. And I would like to help you in any way I can in arranging what comes next.

That’s when it hit Frankie and it hit him hard. It felt like an invisible punch to his gut; all of a sudden, he felt breathless and he let out a gasp. Then, the tears began to roll and he fled. He ran out of the room and down the stairs and out the door. He kept on running until he reached the soccer field.

He wanted to be alone. He needed some time to sort out his feelings and then his thoughts. He had imagined himself as an adult someday, having money and his own place. He imagined friends and in all his imaginings, there was a sense of feeling secure.

In fact, when he was upset, he would use these thoughts to help him calm down. It was the feeling he associated with SDH. He let go with a litany of curses. It felt really good to curse and the cursing and yelling stopped his tears. He knew he wasn’t up to figuring out what to do right now. He realized that he needed to get back before anyone noticed that he was not in his room getting ready for dinner.

Dinner at SDH that night was tense. His friends, Maura, Paddy, Sam, and Phyl kept shooting glances in his direction. He guessed that he was not very successful at pretending that nothing was wrong. He caught himself biting at his lower lip and he knew that if Maura caught this gesture, it would be a dead giveaway to her that he had something serious on his mind. Maura was entertaining the table with her imitations of Merd the Turd (Mr. Murdock, the Assistant Headmaster and teacher) as he reamed out one of the eight-year-old boys for fighting with a classmate. Frankie was distracted and wasn’t paying attention.

Hey, Frankie, what’s with you today? asked Paddy.

What do you mean, Irish? Frankie responded.

Maura piped in with: You must be kidding! Any other time I tell a story about Merd bullying some poor defenseless kid, you get really mad and your face turns red. You’re not even paying attention.

OK, OK, I do have something on my mind. I’ll fill you in later when we meet after study, Frankie replied with an edge to his voice.

Leave it to Maura to draw attention to his being distracted, he thought to himself. That’s how she got the nickname, Maura the Mouth, always telling it like it is and not mincing any words in the phrases that Paddy used to describe her. Annoying as it was, he liked her for it. He always knew where he stood with her and counted on her speaking up to him when he had a harebrained idea. Most of the other kids in their group—or gang as they jokingly referred to it—were hesitant to call him on anything.

He knew he was the leader of the group, somehow that had just naturally come about. And most of the time, he liked making decisions and giving directions or suggestions. But sometimes, he needed a sounding board and Maura always came through for him. Of their entire group, he felt the closest to her and trusted her opinion more than any of the others. But today, he was feeling badly and didn’t know if he was ready to share his dilemma with his friends.

So, Maura’s comments ticked him off. When he looked at her, he saw the surprise on her face and he also saw a fleeting glimpse of hurt in her expression. He needed some more time alone so he pushed off his seat and said he would see them later after study.

As soon as he left, Sam wondered: What’s with him? I’ve noticed that when Frankie is distracted something big is bothering him. He is the most focused of all of us and keeps us on track.

Phyl responded: Give the guy a break. All of us have stuff that we carry that we may not be able to share. Why do you think Frankie is any different? We all have a story or we wouldn’t be here.

Maura had sloughed off her hurt and disappointment in Frankie’s abrupt tone and jumped to his defense. She retorted: Let’s not assume this is a big deal. All of us are entitled to be moody once in a while. It goes with our teen and pre-teen states. The group began to pick up their books and disperse. Maura asked Phyl if she wanted to study with her in her room and Phyl followed her out of the room and they climbed the stairs to the girl’s wing.

When Frankie arrived at the recreation room later that evening, his friends were already there. He spied the group in the far corner at the sitting section. They were sitting on big floor cushions; it was their favorite meeting place. As Frankie walked towards them, he noticed that their animated conversation with each other came to a sudden halt.

Paddy jumpstarted the conversation by saying: So spill the beans, Frankie.

I’m tired of guessing what’s gotten into you. he continued. Maura looked down at her shoes, and Sam and Phyllis nodded their heads in agreement.

Well, you all know that I had one of my meetings with MM (Marvelous Mary) today, Frankie said. She took me by surprise. She asked me what I was going to do when I left here and it threw me.

Phyllis said: Oh Frankie, no wonder you’re upset. I would be, too. I know Marvelous Mary didn’t have that conversation with you to hurt you.

Frankie responded with: Yeah, I know, Phyl. But I wasn’t prepared for it. I never thought about it. You know, I think about everything ahead of time. I like to think that I am good at anticipating things and solving problems before they actually become problems. But this was off my radar.

Maura piped in saying: Frankie, don’t beat yourself up about this. It’s hard to think about leaving SDH for all of us, and especially your leaving.

Sam, who wasn’t one for discussions about feelings chimed in: Listen, everyone. Let’s not get carried away. MM brought this up but there are months to go before the year ends. We have some time. Frankie, you’ll come up with a plan. You always do. Right, everybody?

But a somber air hung over the group. They stayed together for another half hour but they were not their animated, joking selves. It was a relief when the chimes rang indicating it was time to head for the bedrooms.

Frankie couldn’t fall asleep. His mind was going at a furious pace. He was thinking of all the good times he had at SDH and how he had connected with his best friends.

Chapter Two

Frankie awoke screaming soundlessly. It was the nightmare again. He hadn’t had it in a long time. And most of the nightmare was factual, it was it was like a movie reel chronicling his earlier life. The nightmare always started the same way. He was happy and about to leave the house and his mother came down the stairs. She looked sleepy but beautiful. She had long, dark auburn hair and blue, blue eyes, the color of the ocean on a calm, sunny day. She had broad shoulders and a tiny waist. She was slim but wiry. People often mistook her translucent skin for frailty and they were surprised at her strength.

This morning, she looked a little worried. Have a good day, Frankie. Remember, I am going to see Aunt Rose; she hasn’t been feeling well so I may be there a few days. You’ll have to get yourself out in the morning if your dad is not around.

I’ll be fine, Mom. Where is Dad? Does he have a job?

To tell the truth, I don’t know. He said he had something in the fire and it looked hopeful. He said he may be in and out over the next few days. I have left some money for you in the coffee can in the cabinet. I’ll call tonight if I will not be returning home. I am counting on you,Big Guy and remember Mrs. Donehy is next door and will check in on you. She is available if you need anything.