SidePack and friends One Shots

Getting Along

Rob: "Hey don't ever think that. Be happy that you are so smart that they are getting you to start high school early. I feel like the older kids will love you and take you under their wing because you are so smart and mature, Lachlan I don't know how the Australian Education system is different to ours here but I know that it will be a lot better for you."

Lachlan: "What? No dad I can't stay here they will do the same thing. I'll just get advanced too far ahead and we will both be in trouble, because I'm so scared I won't be able to do the work, and you won't be able to help me because you haven't been to school in a long time. Dad you do YouTube and make videos with your friends. What would you know about the education system?"

Rob: "A lot more than you think. Did your mum say how long you were staying?"

Lachlan: "She just said, and I quote, "Until you feel like coming back, If you are even wanted anymore.""

I looked over at him for a split second, his mum kicked him out and sent him to me. She had already told me a few days ago while he was in bed with what she wanted to do. Turns out she was moving to Sydney and wouldn't take Lachlan with him. She had already spoken to one of Lachlan's friends parents about taking him in but I'm glad they told her she was selfish and a horrible parent. You can't just leave your child all by himself. I guess that's why she sent him here. Damn it I haven't even told Preston yet. I hope those two get along. Preston's kid is around Lachlan's age isn't he?

Lachlan: "Dad?"

I heard it in his voice as the tears were flowing, as soon as I heard them I couldn't help but feel my whole body choking up, the last thing you ever want to see is your own child in tears, for any reason.

Rob: "Yeah mate?"

Lachlan: "Does mum... not love me anymore? Did I do something wrong?"

She had always been like this, never really had any emotion or concept of love. Even when she was with me when she stayed here in Texas for a couple of years before Lachlan was born. She wasn't faithful, at all. We were dating for two years, and Preston had to tell me what was going on when she apparently tried to fuck Preston, but because he wasn't interested, got violent and threatened him not to tell me. He did later that day, and how he thought that she had been cheating on me before him.

Rob: "Lachy, mate I don't know."

When I had confronted her about it, she went into a massive tirade about how I didn't love her, How I never did and that I made her do it. That I had forced her to do what she did because I wasn't good enough... and I almost believed her, I loved her and she was doing this to me, I found out Preston denied her because he's gay. He had no interest in girls and had a short thing with one of his mates Kenny, it had never been sexual but they were still friends.

Lachlan: "How can you not know? You're my dad. Aren't you supposed to know everything?"

Rob: "There are many things we can't know. How another person thinks, how they act, how they live. We can't know that. For example you could be the same age as another student here in Texas. But the two of you could be extremely different and neither of you would know the difference. It's the Same when you get older. You soon start to mature enough to the point where you understand and accept that you don't know everything. That there is a lot in the world that you don't know. And while humans strive to learn everything we can, across a massive amount of subjects. We can never truly know everything. It's not fair. And if we did know everything and there was nothing left to learn. What would be the point? What is the meaning of life if we have learnt everything we will ever need to know?"

I knew he had stopped crying, that was one thing I loved about my boy. He would always stop whatever he was doing and listen carefully, examining every sentence, every word used and it was a beautiful to witness, when a child looks up at you and listens, hanging off every word. It's beautiful.