The Day After
Justin’s POV: I have been walking around all night long, spending most of the time thinking and coming up with a plan for the rest of my life. I know exactly what has to be done, and I am telling you, I am not too happy at the way I am going to have to go about it. I quickly look up to check the street sign, and when I see that it is the right street I make a left. I am facing the east now and as I walk I am watching the sunrise over the houses. It’s really beautiful, I wish I had time to draw it, but alas I am almost to my destination and I want to get this over with. Plus I’ll have plenty of time to sit and draw later. I check the numbers along the street and I come up to the one I want, and stop in front. It’s a pretty nice house. A little to stuffy and generic for me, but hey I don’t live here. I make my way up to the door and knock a few times. I wait a few minutes for the door to open up and when it does… “Justin?” “Craig,” I say flatly. “What are you doing here?” I can see the confusion written all over his face, he doesn’t know what to do. It’s great. “I’m here to take you up on your offer.” “Hunh? What offer?” “The offer to pay for me to go to Dartmouth,” and he goes from confused too absolutely flabbergasted. “May I come in?” “Um,” he looks to his right, but then seems to dismiss a thought and looks back to me. “Sure yeah come on in,” he says opening the door wider. I step through and he closes it behind me. “Nice house,” it’s the WASP in me, I seriously can’t help it. “Thank you, it seems to suit us,” he starts taking me through a hallway and into an office. Who’s us? I wonder briefly before I realize I don’t really care. “Have a seat,” I hear him close the door behind us as I take a seat, and set my duffle bag down at my side. When he is settled in the seat behind his desk, I can see that he looks a bit uncomfortable. Good, it’s not like want to be here. “So do you want to tell me what the hell is going on?” “No not really,” and I see the surprise at my statement. “The only thing you really need to know, is that I am taking you up on your offer.” “Well then,” he looks a little angry, but what can I say? I won’t give him the any information on my life. He doesn’t need it, he just wants to be able to say he told me so, and I am not willing to take that from a man that so easily threw me out of his life. “You do realize that the same restrictions apply?” “I do understand that you said you’d send me to school if I went for a business degree,” I tell him completely serious; I won’t let him tell me how to live my life. “So you agree then?” he smiles. “Yes.” “I’m glad you finally came to your sense’s,” he starts but I stop him right there. “But here’s where what I want comes in,” his smile fades and I sit up straighter in my chair to let him know I’m not playing any games here. I’m sick of games. “What do you mean? I’m going to pay for everything isn’t that enough?” I can hear the tinge of anger in his voice. “Oh it’s more than enough,” I see him nod his head. “But as I may be willing to go for your business degree, I am also going to be taking as many art classes as I can,” there is no way around that one, I will have my art, but I want that business degree as well. I am starting to learn that in order to make it in the real world, you have to be willing to make sacrifices. However, I don’t think in those circumstances you can’t still get what you want, as long as you’re willing to work harder and longer to get it. I can see him thinking it over. I hope for once he won’t fight me on this, cause this I won’t give into. “Ok, I can accept that,” I sit back in my chair relaxing just the tiniest bit. “As long as your grades stay up.” “Agreed,” it’s not like I have ever had a problem with anything in that department. I mean shit 1500 SAT score. Does he not remember that? Probably not. “Alright then, that’s settled, I’ll call the dean of admissions. He’s an old friend of the families and I’m sure we can work something out,” he picks up the phone getting ready to dial but stops. “When did you want to start?” “Right now,” I don’t want to wait around here. I want to get this over with, as quickly as possible. “Ok,” he says with a wide smile, and Jesus is that the glimmer of him being fucking proud of me. I feel myself grimace at the simple thought of it. There seems to be quite a few down falls to this agreement. “Hello Derek, yeah it’s been a long time,” that’s about all I hear of the conversation. Truthfully I don’t care how it’s done I just want it done. Not to mention I am so fucking tired I could fall asleep right here in this chair. It is pretty comfortable after all. So I lay my head back and wait for him to finish... “So you’re just leaving?” Brian says to me. “Why not? At least this way I’m going to get a great education, along with art classes. Not to mention, with all that under my belt I am going to be a huge fucking success,” I bitingly reply. “Maybe, but asking your father? Jesus Justin, after everything he’s done to you.” “It’s just a means to an end. As long as I get out of it what I want, that’s all that matters.” “So you are going to run away, from me, your family, your friends?” “As for me running away from you, well I learned that lesson from you, and as for my family and friends I’m not running away from them. Just you.” ‘Clap…clap’ I wake immediately and sit up straight. Shit that was a weird dream. “It’s all set,” Craig says and he looks so pleased with himself, it makes my stomach feel a little queasy. “I talked to Derek and he says that you can start right away. You have an appointment with him tomorrow morning at eight AM. I went ahead and made your flight arrangements and set you up at a hotel not too far from the school. I have stayed there and it is an amazing hotel. I also got you a rental, until you can find a car of your own, which of course I’ll help pay for, but I do think you should have to put in some of the money. As for everything else, just give me a call after you talk to Derek and I will get everything taken care of.” “Sounds good,” I say nodding my head. “When is my flight?” “Not until five this evening.” “Well do you think I could take a shower, and maybe use one of your rooms to get a couple of hours sleep?” I feel all dirty and I am dead tired. “Sure, but don’t you think you should go get all your things packed?” I smirk at that comment, and chuckle a tiny bit. “I have everything I own right here in this bag,” I tell him patting the bag at my feet. He looks a little stunned, I don’t know why. “Well I’ll make sure you have money from now on to get the things you need,” he says as if he cared in the first place. I just shake my head, and stand. “So how about that shower?” I ask and he leads the way. “Here you go,” he says opening up the door to a massive bathroom. It has gray swirling marble on the floor and counter tops, a huge shower with a bath tub on the other side of the room, a mirror that goes from one wall to the other. “There are towels in the cupboard, and everything is already in the shower. You can go ahead and take a nap in that room,” he points to a room all the way at the end of the hall. “I’ll wake you for a late lunch before we leave for the airport.” “Alright,” I say making my way into the bathroom and sitting down my duffle. “And Justin,” I look over to him. “You have made me so proud today.” Oh damn it please! “If you say so,” he nods his head. “But don’t think I am doing this for you, I’m doing it for me.” He closes the door after that, looking a little saddened. But it’s the truth and I don’t want him thinking that after throwing me out, and acting as if he doesn’t have a son, that he has a right to be proud of anything I do. I shake the thoughts out of my head and jump into the shower, letting the extremely hot water run over me. It feels good after the night I’ve had. So I stay there until I start to feel the water turn cold, and only then do I wash my self and jump out. I dry myself, and the floor off. I don’t need anyone bitching at me for something so stupid. I pull out an old t- shirt and a pair of sweats; I put them on and put my dirty clothes into a laundry bag and then back into my duffle. That done I grab my shoes and bag and make my way to the room I have been assigned, it’s a really nice room. A huge king sized bed, with a soft beige down duvet, with tons of pillows sitting at the head. There’s a nice bay window straight ahead of the door, there’s also a huge armoire ahead of the bed. However, I don’t care about any of the stuff in here except for that huge bed. So I sit my bag, and shoes by the door and head for it. I throw back the covers and climb inside throwing them back over myself. Mmmm, soft and cozy are my first thoughts. I feel myself drift off to sleep immediately, and it feels great. What seems like a couple of minutes later… ‘Knock...knock,’ “Justin?” I hear Craig saying and I turn towards the door. “Hey if you wanna eat you’re gonna have to get up now,” he says softly. I can only grunt though and slightly nod my head. “Alright get dressed and meet me down stairs.” he says laughingly. It’s extremely eerie to be here in his house and actually be welcomed, well somewhat welcomed that is, and he’s being so nice it’s close to sickening. But I only have to deal with him for a couple more hours. Thank God. I get dressed, grab my bag, and head down stairs. When I turn the corner I can hear a woman talking in hushed tones, and I see Craig giving a woman a kiss, I stop then not even wanting to get involved in something like this. I wonder if I can back out and go back to bed until it’s time to leave, I’m suddenly not all that hungry. But as I take a step back Craig notices me and waves me over. “Justin, I’d like you to meet my fiancé Melody Somner,” he says with a smile, and she turns to me with just the slightest of a smile and holds out her hand. I walk down and put a polite smile on and shake her hand in return. She’s very pretty I notice, and quite a bit younger than Craig I notice as well. How ironic. About the same height as Craig, deep brown eyes and light brown hair. She is like the exact opposite of my mom though, which is a little weird in its self. “It’s nice to meet you Justin. Your father has told me all about you,” she says with a smile, but I can see the nervousness that underlies. Another thing Brian has taught me, how to read people and the way they feel. I’m sure it’s going to come in handy. “I’m sure,” I’m surprised he even bothered. “Congratulations,” poor woman, I feel almost sorry for her. Almost. “Thank you, we’re very excited,” she says with a huge smile that just won’t quit. So I keep my smile and nod my head. When do I get to stop being polite? “The weddings in June.” Oh please don’t invite me. “You’ll come of course, Justin?” She asks, and looks so expectantly at me. “You know I have quite a bit to catch up on at school I’m not to sure I’ll be able to get away,” I say with regret that I absolutely don’t feel. “Oh well, you will still try won’t you? I know it would mean a lot to your father if you were there,” she says making sad eyes at Craig, and me. I’m trying to hide the confusion I feel but I am seriously beginning to wonder what in the hell Craig has been telling this woman. “Um, sure,” is the only thing I can think to reply, it’s not like I am going to try, but it’ll make the little lady feel better. “Oh goody.” She just said goody, how old is this chick? “Now come along,” she slips her arm into mine and starts to lead me to what I assume to be the kitchen. “I made sandwiches, and I am sure you must be starving. Not to mention we wouldn’t dream of sending you off with an empty stomach.” “Uh hunh,” I mutter, this is going to be a long lunch. Two hours, one sandwich, five cups of coffee, four wedding dresses, a book full of wedding plans, and two photo albums later... “Well Justin it was just wonderful meeting you,” she says with the same smile she’s had since I first saw her. “You too,” I say holding out my hand, but instead she decides to hug me. Has the woman lost her mind? I pat her back once with one hand and then try and extract myself from her, I see Craig standing to the side, where she can see him with a smile on his face as if he’s the proud daddy. Oh I can’t wait to get on that plane. She finally pulls back and now instead of a smile she’s got tears in her eyes, and I can’t even hide the weirdness I feel at this moment. “You have a safe trip, and call us once you get to the hotel,” I look over to Craig with disbelief, but he just gives me a sort of go-ahead look. So I just smile slightly and nod my head. This lady is crazy. “Ok we have to get going now,” Craig finally speaks up, and I find myself barely holding back the glare I have for him. “We wouldn’t want Justin to miss his plane.” He grabs my bag from the floor and moves towards us. “Ok you two drive careful, and have fun.” Fun? Oh yeah, she’s definitely delusional. “We will honey,” I find myself shaking my head before I can stop myself, so before I say or do, anything extremely rude I make my way to, and out the door. I wait for him by his car, and when he gets there he opens the trunk throwing my bag in and then unlocking the doors, letting us both in. I sink into the soft leather seats of his Mustang. Midlife crisis anyone? The trip to the airport is made in silence. I don’t particularly have anything to say to him, and I doubt he has anything to say to me, but when we get to the airport and I expect to be done with him, he decides to park the car and walk me in. “That’s not necessary,” I try and convince him to just let this go. “I know but, I want to see my son off to college,” he says grabbing my bag from the trunk, and I just roll my eyes and start for the check in counter. After I am all checked in, ticket in hand, waiting in line to go through security Craig turns to me. “Justin, about you,” and I feel my eyebrow rising. Oh please tell me he isn’t going to do this, and especially not here in an airport. “And your... lifestyle,” “Don’t Craig,” I tell him seriously and then look away from him. But it seems to shut him up about it. We are the next in line when he decides to broach another subject. “About the wedding,” I look to him and shake my head; I can’t believe we are even having these conversations. “I have no intention of going,” I hand my ticket over to the lady, and as she checks it over he keeps going. Why does he keep going? “This is the best choice you have made in a long time, Justin.” “If you say so,” I reply as I smile at the nice lady giving me back my ticket and as I start to walk through to the elevators to take me to the gates, I hear the lady say. “I’m sorry sir, but only those with tickets can past this point.” “Justin,” I hear him say and I turn one last time to hear him out. “You’re going to be fine,” he says, and I just smirk. “No shit,” I tell him and turn to head towards my future.