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Authors: Monica Alexander
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And even though Evan came home once a month to check on us, and we had Chris and Diana, Scott’s parents, looking out for us as well, I sort of fell into the role of Austin’s surrogate father, even though I wasn’t even a legal adult. I felt like I owed him that much. He was a good kid, and he didn’t deserve to miss out on anything in life just because he had two parents who didn’t know the first thing about raising kids.
Of course Chris and Diana did everything they could to make us feel like we were part of their family, but I still did what I could to take the burden off of them. I drove Austin where he needed to go, helped him with his homework, went to all of his football games and used the money I made from working at the movie theater to pay for whatever he needed. I was determined to be the parent he’d never had. And Evan did whatever he could to pitch in when he lived three hours away. Between all of us, we made sure Austin had the best life he could.
And because I didn’t want to bail on him, I’d stayed in town after graduation. I could have gone away to school – God knows Chris and Diana had encouraged me to go to Columbia since I’d gotten accepted and it was sort of my dream school, but in the end, I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t leave my brother. He was going into his sophomore year of high school and was at an age where he needed guidance. I was going to be there for him because neither of his parents wanted to be. And it still pissed me off. He was a good kid.
Things were going well for us two years later, even though we rarely heard from our parents. Our mom called once a month, waxing on about how much she missed us, but it had been a year since we’d seen or heard from our father. The only reason I knew he was still alive was that Evan talked to him on a regular basis. He told me whenever he did, letting me know that Dad said to say hi, he was proud of us and that he missed us, but for all the things my brother was, a good liar wasn’t one of them. I knew it was all bullshit.
But I humored Evan nonetheless, because I knew he was proud of us. Austin was a star on the varsity football team, and he’d probably get a scholarship somewhere great based on his athletic abilities alone, and I had my own personal wins to hang my hat on. Thing were good for us. Austin was going into his senior year of high school, and I still had a year left before I got my AA, since I’d only been going part-time. In a year, I could be at Columbia or at least somewhere with a solid English department. I wanted to be a writer, and although a college degree wasn’t required, I wanted one. I figured I’d see where my brother got accepted before I decided where to do my last two years of school.
I’d spent my first year out of high school taking classes and working on a novel that I’d ended up self-publishing. It had sold moderately well. I was proud of myself, and I wondered how much further I could go with my writing after some formal instruction. I’d taken a few creative writing classes at the community college, but to be in a program that was fully dedicated to writing and literature was my dream.
I turned back to Scott. “You don’t want to date Cassie Witter,” I told him like I always did. I felt like a broken record.
“Ugh, yes I do. So bad! You don’t know the torture that girl has put me through over the years – and the pleasure if we’re being perfectly honest,” he added, grinning at me.
I just shook my head. I was well aware that he beat off to images of Cassie, along with Taylor Swift and Kate Hudson. He was never shy about sharing things like that. Lucky me. I got to hear all about them.
Thankfully Hale stuck his head through the double doors right at that moment , so the Cassie talk could cease. “You just got sat, Jared,” he told me, and I nodded.
I was sure I’d be hearing more about Scott’s obsession with Cassie when we got off work at seven. I had to drive him two
Of course Chris and Diana did everything they could to make us feel like we were part of their family, but I still did what I could to take the burden off of them. I drove Austin where he needed to go, helped him with his homework, went to all of his football games and used the money I made from working at the movie theater to pay for whatever he needed. I was determined to be the parent he’d never had. And Evan did whatever he could to pitch in when he lived three hours away. Between all of us, we made sure Austin had the best life he could.
And because I didn’t want to bail on him, I’d stayed in town after graduation. I could have gone away to school – God knows Chris and Diana had encouraged me to go to Columbia since I’d gotten accepted and it was sort of my dream school, but in the end, I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t leave my brother. He was going into his sophomore year of high school and was at an age where he needed guidance. I was going to be there for him because neither of his parents wanted to be. And it still pissed me off. He was a good kid.
Things were going well for us two years later, even though we rarely heard from our parents. Our mom called once a month, waxing on about how much she missed us, but it had been a year since we’d seen or heard from our father. The only reason I knew he was still alive was that Evan talked to him on a regular basis. He told me whenever he did, letting me know that Dad said to say hi, he was proud of us and that he missed us, but for all the things my brother was, a good liar wasn’t one of them. I knew it was all bullshit.
But I humored Evan nonetheless, because I knew he was proud of us. Austin was a star on the varsity football team, and he’d probably get a scholarship somewhere great based on his athletic abilities alone, and I had my own personal wins to hang my hat on. Thing were good for us. Austin was going into his senior year of high school, and I still had a year left before I got my AA, since I’d only been going part-time. In a year, I could be at Columbia or at least somewhere with a solid English department. I wanted to be a writer, and although a college degree wasn’t required, I wanted one. I figured I’d see where my brother got accepted before I decided where to do my last two years of school.
I’d spent my first year out of high school taking classes and working on a novel that I’d ended up self-publishing. It had sold moderately well. I was proud of myself, and I wondered how much further I could go with my writing after some formal instruction. I’d taken a few creative writing classes at the community college, but to be in a program that was fully dedicated to writing and literature was my dream.
I turned back to Scott. “You don’t want to date Cassie Witter,” I told him like I always did. I felt like a broken record.
“Ugh, yes I do. So bad! You don’t know the torture that girl has put me through over the years – and the pleasure if we’re being perfectly honest,” he added, grinning at me.
I just shook my head. I was well aware that he beat off to images of Cassie, along with Taylor Swift and Kate Hudson. He was never shy about sharing things like that. Lucky me. I got to hear all about them.
Thankfully Hale stuck his head through the double doors right at that moment , so the Cassie talk could cease. “You just got sat, Jared,” he told me, and I nodded.
I was sure I’d be hearing more about Scott’s obsession with Cassie when we got off work at seven. I had to drive him two
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