Post by Audio Pineapple on Feb 3, 2007 22:46:32 GMT 1
It felt strange to think that his life was over at just sixteen years old but he knew that it was true. Throwing his backpack across the dirty floor of the apartment he sighed, biting down on his kip to sop the tears from spilling over, deciding that if he let them he’d not only be useless, he’d be pathetic as well.
“Hey, what’s wrong?” He looked at linking and turned away so that he wouldn’t notice the sadness he was finding harder and harder to control, “Michael?”
“Nothing’s wrong.”
Lincoln picked up the bag, getting a random book from it before chucking it at Michael; “there, get a start on your homework. It’s canned soup for dinner, you can have tomato or tomato,” he laughed at the familiar joke but Michael didn’t join in, sinking to the couch and letting the book fall to the floor.
“There’s no point.”
“Are you kidding? It’s the best excuse you have to get away from me!”
Michael smiled, he had pretended to have extra work in the past, when Lincoln was drunk or had less than hospitable clients over, but he didn’t want to use the excuse ever again, let alone do the actual work assigned.
“Hey,” Lincoln knelt in front of him, being able to see the tears that had started to leak and the shaking of his hands, “what happened? Did someone hurt you?”
“No.”
“Look, you have to tell me…”
“My life is over.”
He saw Lincoln’s confusion before he heard it, “you’re sixteen.”
“I’m not going to college, I’m not getting a good job, I’m just going to wither and die here.”
“Of course you’re going to college” You’re… you know, intelligent.”
“Not enough,” he couldn’t help the emotion breaking out, even though he hadn’t planned on saying anything, “saw the guidance counsellor today, she said I’m not going to get a scholarship anywhere and I can’t afford to pay for it so there isn’t any point in studying,” the tears sped up, making him feel sick and he picked up the book, throwing it away as hard as he could to detract Lincoln’s gaze away from him, “there isn’t any fucking point in anything!”
He looked to Lincoln, wondering what he was going say but not expecting what came after a moment of silence, “you do have enough money to go,” Lincoln sounded unsure, and Michael couldn’t help laughing harshly.
“We don’t have enough money for the electric bill. You don’t even care enough to hold down a job.”
“Mom…” he paused again, thinking, “Mom had life insurance. I didn’t tell you because you won’t be able to get it until you’re eighteen but she left us half each; it’s enough for you to go to college.” He stood up, walking away, “I’m going to get on with dinner.”
Michael walked over the small room, picking up the book again and smiling to himself, even if Lincoln didn’t care about him, at least his mother had done.
“Hey, what’s wrong?” He looked at linking and turned away so that he wouldn’t notice the sadness he was finding harder and harder to control, “Michael?”
“Nothing’s wrong.”
Lincoln picked up the bag, getting a random book from it before chucking it at Michael; “there, get a start on your homework. It’s canned soup for dinner, you can have tomato or tomato,” he laughed at the familiar joke but Michael didn’t join in, sinking to the couch and letting the book fall to the floor.
“There’s no point.”
“Are you kidding? It’s the best excuse you have to get away from me!”
Michael smiled, he had pretended to have extra work in the past, when Lincoln was drunk or had less than hospitable clients over, but he didn’t want to use the excuse ever again, let alone do the actual work assigned.
“Hey,” Lincoln knelt in front of him, being able to see the tears that had started to leak and the shaking of his hands, “what happened? Did someone hurt you?”
“No.”
“Look, you have to tell me…”
“My life is over.”
He saw Lincoln’s confusion before he heard it, “you’re sixteen.”
“I’m not going to college, I’m not getting a good job, I’m just going to wither and die here.”
“Of course you’re going to college” You’re… you know, intelligent.”
“Not enough,” he couldn’t help the emotion breaking out, even though he hadn’t planned on saying anything, “saw the guidance counsellor today, she said I’m not going to get a scholarship anywhere and I can’t afford to pay for it so there isn’t any point in studying,” the tears sped up, making him feel sick and he picked up the book, throwing it away as hard as he could to detract Lincoln’s gaze away from him, “there isn’t any fucking point in anything!”
He looked to Lincoln, wondering what he was going say but not expecting what came after a moment of silence, “you do have enough money to go,” Lincoln sounded unsure, and Michael couldn’t help laughing harshly.
“We don’t have enough money for the electric bill. You don’t even care enough to hold down a job.”
“Mom…” he paused again, thinking, “Mom had life insurance. I didn’t tell you because you won’t be able to get it until you’re eighteen but she left us half each; it’s enough for you to go to college.” He stood up, walking away, “I’m going to get on with dinner.”
Michael walked over the small room, picking up the book again and smiling to himself, even if Lincoln didn’t care about him, at least his mother had done.
Poor Linc.
Thanks peanut