And cause I've got so much written waiting to post...
Chapter 5: Initiation
I watched intently as August pulled up the coordinates for the hovercar. I still found the self-driving cars unsettling. As we lifted off the ground, I settled back and prepared to be whizzed about hundreds of feet in the air trusting to a set of codes to not mash me into a telephone pole.
“We’ll drop off December first, and then we’ll get you situated at the school.” August said. Her seat swiveled around so that we were all facing each other. “How’s that sound?”
“Dreadful.” I said, because I know I’m horrible at lying.
She just kind of looked at me for a full five seconds, trying to figure out if I was joking or not. “What’s wrong?”
“I hate to sound like a five year-old, but I don’t wanna go to school.” I said, keeping an eye on the oncoming traffic.
“Toughen up champ.” December chucked me on the shoulder. “Look at this way…free crayons.”
Her mom gave her a hard look. She just grinned back, completely at ease.
“Why not?” August asked, giving me her best concerned-mom look.
“I don’t put much stock by an education.” We had queued up in a line in front of a large spiral building.
“Well, it’s kind of necessary.”
“No, not really.” I said doggedly.
“Plus it’s required by the state.” August settled back in her seat. “No luck bud. Maybe you’ll meet a cute girl.”
“Maybe you’ll get slapped.” December offered.
“Is she annoying you?” August asked, apparently on the verge of issuing her daughter a gag.
“Yeah.” I said. “It’s refreshing though.”
She sighed, obviously at her wit’s end to understand teenagers. Our hovercar had reached the front of the line. December leaned across and kissed me on the cheek. “Have a good day bro.”
I scrubbed furiously at my cheek. “Ugh, that’s disgusting.”
“No kidding, you taste bad.” She said, and cheerfully catapulted out of the car and onto the platform. She sauntered through the open doors, her knapsack flapping behind her.
*shakes head* The nerve of sisters.
I was about to say, my sisters were never like this, but then I realized my elder sister is just like this, except older than me.
I managed to drop a weight on my good foot, and ended up in the ward with a bruised sense of pride and some trauma.
August picked me up early. “That bad, huh?”
“I don’t think I can learn under these conditions.” I said. “Have you given homeschooling a thought?”
“No.” She said, in a way that informed me she wasn’t going to either.
“Well, anyways, I got a free tablet thingy.” I said, fishing around in my school backpack they had given me. It was cheap and flimsy. It was also the first backpack I’d ever owned.
She inspected it, firing up the screen. “That’s quite the reading list.”
“You know; I’ve been having troubles falling asleep at night. I don’t think I’ll have to worry about that anymore.”
She kind of silently chuckled. “Nate, you’re a character.”
“In what?” I said. “Some sort of sadistic story where I get uprooted from my home and family graves to come here and have a nervous breakdown?”
“Are you going to hyperventilate?”
“I don’t know. What’s hyperventilating?” I asked, my voice cracking.
“You’ll be fine.”
“I’ll be dead. This much information and socialization can kill a guy.” I waved a weak finger at her.
“This’ll make you appreciate weekends.”
“I don’t think they’re going to be that great. I’ll always know what’s on the other side.”
-last edited on Feb 21, 2019 17:58:07 GMT by TheGreatCon
Post by TheGreatCon on Feb 21, 2019 17:57:48 GMT
~<>~
I creaked down the steps, feeling it in my joints. Them and their stupid evaluations. Hopefully they came to the realization I was physically incompetent.
I sat down at the table, slumping into my chair. “Hey, don’t mind me making an idiot of myself. I haven’t eaten a family dinner in four years.”
“Don’t worry about anything.” August said in a maternal tone.
I finally noticed the new guy at the table. “Hey Pops.” I said.
“Stroke…stroke…slap.” He didn’t acknowledge my greeting, making painting gestures instead.
I glanced at December. She shrugged, and ladled some stir fry onto her plate. “Hey Dad, that’s Nathan.”
He studied me, his eyebrows burrowed. “Strong chin.”
“Uh, thanks.”
“Says a lot about a man.” He nodded firmly.
Well, mine was prosthetic. Did that change anything? The geezer didn’t seem quite all there.
“December, would you like to say the thanks?” Her mother said pointedly.
She huffed out a breath. “If it means I get to eat food faster.”
We all bowed out heads. The religion was completely foreign to me, but the concept was familiar.
Immediately following grace, Mr. Tremblay addressed me, “Hey, you like chess?”
“Nope, hate it.”
“Oh, cool. I like the horsys.” He turned back to the supper.
I creaked down the steps, feeling it in my joints. Them and their stupid evaluations. Hopefully they came to the realization I was physically incompetent.
I sat down at the table, slumping into my chair. “Hey, don’t mind me making an idiot of myself. I haven’t eaten a family dinner in four years.”
“Don’t worry about anything.” August said in a maternal tone.
I finally noticed the new guy at the table. “Hey Pops.” I said.
“Stroke…stroke…slap.” He didn’t acknowledge my greeting, making painting gestures instead.
I glanced at December. She shrugged, and ladled some stir fry onto her plate. “Hey Dad, that’s Nathan.”
He studied me, his eyebrows burrowed. “Strong chin.”
“Uh, thanks.”
“Says a lot about a man.” He nodded firmly.
Well, mine was prosthetic. Did that change anything? The geezer didn’t seem quite all there.
“December, would you like to say the thanks?” Her mother said pointedly.
She huffed out a breath. “If it means I get to eat food faster.”
We all bowed out heads. The religion was completely foreign to me, but the concept was familiar.
Immediately following grace, Mr. Tremblay addressed me, “Hey, you like chess?”
“Nope, hate it.”
“Oh, cool. I like the horsys.” He turned back to the supper.
