Chapter Thirty-Four
Day 24 of 2190
The sun was shining directly in his eyes when Preston woke up. The only thing he could focus on was the loud crash followed by shouting from downstairs.
Preston grumpily grabbed a shirt on the floor and put it on. He walked to Ruby's room, opening the door to see her sat up in her bed, rubbing at her tired eyes.
"What was that noise?" She blinked at Preston.
"I'm not sure, how about we go check it out?"
She nodded slowly, removing herself to follow Preston downstairs. Who was impatient with how how long she takes to go down each step, just picked her up and walked down the rest of the way.
Jess, Vik, Alfie, and Rob all fell completely silent as Preston entered with Jerome just behind him.
Preston turned backwards, looking at Jerome who was just as unsure of what to say as him.
There was silence before he finally spoke, "What did you do?"
"Rob broke the X-Box," Jess accused, and suddenly the yelling started again.
Preston legit facepalmed. Of course he did.
He walked over to the couch, where the xbox is in pieces on the floor in front of it.
"That is broken," Ruby whispers like its the most terrible thing in the world.
"I didn't mean to," Rob said sadly. "Lachlan got it for us... And I broke it."
"He didn't mean to break it," Jess agreed.
"What happened?"
"I was trying to move the tv stand, I moved the tv off of it but forgot the x-box was there too, I accidentally tilted it and the x-box slipped out, and I... Dropped the tv stand on it."
"It's alright," Jerome said as he awkwardly patted his shoulder. "We can get a new one... When we get the money."
Jess, Rob, Alfie, and Vik all collectively groaned.
The front door opened and in came Mitch, smiling brightly, with a cup holder full of coffee. The smile on his face was whipped off as soon as he saw the x-box. "Nooo! WHO BROKE IT!? Whoever broke it gets no coffee!"
"I didn't mean too," Rob said exasperated, throwing his hands in the air.
"You're giving him coffee, Mitch. Don't be fucking rude." Preston glared over at his brother, smiling at himself once he realized he just mimicked a Kardashian. All he needed was a purse to hit Mitch with.
They flocked to the kitchen, where Mitch handed out coffee's to everyone, and Jerome started working on some pancakes.
"I miss him." Vik says suddenly.
Preston puts his paper cup of coffee down on the table, his eyes growing damp eyes. "Yeah. Me too."
"Me three," Ruby sing-songs.
"We're going to visit him with Jerome on Wednesday, aren't we?"
"Yup!"
"I scheduled for me to take the kids to see him next week on Friday after school," Vik says.
Preston smiles. "That's nice of you."
• •
Day 36 of 2091
Stepping into the visiting room, Vik can't help but think of a film he'd watched just the other day. The villain ended up in a prison and was visited by the protagonist, the visitation room looked nothing like the one in the movie. Although, there was a guy sat in the center of the otherwise empty, gray room that looked just like the villain. He almost wanted to laugh, but there was a time and a place, and besides, Lachlan might find it offending.
"Wow, the whole Scooby gang is here."
"Hi." He sits across from Lachlan, the kids sitting down as well, and folds his hands in front of him, leaning forward. "It's good to see you."
"Really?" He asks, expression saddening. His arms are stretched out in front of him, the chain of his cuffs threaded through a metal ring attached to the table. The look he gives him is empathetic, and Vik has to look away. He glances at the guards standing still as statues at the doors on opposite sides of the room and frowns when he sees they're keeping their eyes focused in their direction.
Lachlan smirks and says, "They aren't going to leave us alone, if that's what you're hoping for. Whatever it is you want to say, you'll have to be okay with them hearing it, too." .
"Is the food bad?" Rob asks.
"Sometimes it's gross, but damn, it's food. I'm happy with being able to eat every day."
"We've been eating spaghetti noodles with different seasoning in it every day to make it seem different." Vik said quietly.
"I think I'd prefer prison food." Alfie adds.
"Preston get custody of Ruby yet?"
Vik hadn't been home much these past few weeks, but he always kept himself up to date with what was happening. Jerome got an awesome tip at the bar. Ruby peed the bed and Preston had to wash to hand wash her sheets and blankets because the washer wasn't working. The door handle broke off the bathroom door and Alfie was stuck in there for ten minutes while they found the right screw driver to screw it back on. Rob put some moves on a girl at school and failed miserably. The social worker came for a home visit and Preston is convinced it went terrible. But one thing he hadn't heard was the application for custody actually went through.
• •
Day 52 of 2091
Preston's head ached as his eyes slowly opened. He frowned at his ceiling, of course he didn't feel good the day of his job interview. He was going to try and get his job back at the grocery store. Billy sold the store to some other guy - thank God because if Preston came back after disappearing he'd probably get punched in the face.
Stumbling to his feet, Preston made it all the way to the hallway towards the stairs as he struggled to put on a t-shirt and pair of jeans.
"Anyone home?" He called, padding down the stairs to the kitchen.
He walked into the kitchen, he was hungry, so he turned to open the fridge. There was a piece of paper taped to it with something written in tiny red ink.
Wanted to let you sleep in today,
Ruby is with me at the hotel. Will bring her back after my shift around lunch time
- Jerome
They had to cancel Ruby's daycare because they simply could not afford it, and now Jerome, Vik, and Preston had to take her to work with them.
Just as he threw the note in the trash, Jerome burst through the back door. Preston turned his head to him, to the note in the trash, back to Jerome, and then to the clock. Oh. It's two in the afternoon.
"Hey," he said cheerfully.
Ruby ran past Jerome and hugged Preston's legs. He put a hand on his back to show her he was hugging back.
"You could've woken me up, Jerome. I feel terrible."
Jerome waved his hand dismissively, "Don't worry about it. She was a great helper, isn't that right Ruby?"
"Yup!" She giggled. "I folded towels and helped make beds! It was awesome!"
"You're the only kid I know who actually likes to clean," Preston retorted, looking down at Ruby. "I've got a job interview, is it alright if I take her with?"
"Go ahead, I've got to be at the bar by three, it'll be nice to get a nap in."
"Is that the mail?" He asked him, suspicious.
"Yeah, I didn't get a change to look at it. Probably just bills and junk mail." Jerome said, and extended his hand towards Preston for him to grab the mail.
Taking hold of the few envelopes he'd received, Preston quickly went through them, putting the bills on the table to take care of later, and looked down at the blue envelope that was left.
Setting the envelope on the breakfast bar in the kitchen, he busied himself by getting ready.
Sitting down, he couldn't help his curiosity at the letter, he sat on the couch opening the envelope slowly. The Congratulations! at the top of the page should've gave it away for him, but he sat there curiously reading the letter. He dropped it as soon as he realized what it was and fist bumped the air.
"What? What is it?" Ruby scoots closer to Preston.
"Just something I've been looking forward to for awhile."
An half an hour later, Preston was standing outside of Lily's house, making his way to her door, Ruby in tow.
He knocked on the door three times before she answered. She looked confused to see him.
"Uh, do you need something?" She asked, her plump lips forming a frown.
"No- Yes... Kind of. I am now legally Ruby's stepdad and uhm.. I wanted to thank you. It couldn't of happened if you didn't sign. And I wanted to let you know that you can see Ruby."
"You're breaking the law for me?"
"Actually, I'm not. I visited Lachlan and tricked him into signing a paper abolishing whatever legal agreement you guys had. It's none of my business what happened between you two, but I grew up with barely any parental guidance. I only had my brother. I don't want Ruby to be eighteen and realize she's never been truly happy. I want to surround her with as much love as possible. That is why you are now free to see Ruby whenever you'd like."
Lily's eyes are wet with tears. "Are you serious?"
"Deadly."
Lily pulled Preston towards her, bringing him in a crushing hug. It would've been awkward if he wasn't so happy because of her happiness.
"I don't even know how to thank you," She whips her tears.
"You can start with babysitting Ruby for an hour or two for me," Preston replied.
"Consider it done." She knelt down so she was eye-level with Ruby. "How do you feel about dress up?"
"I love dress up!" She squealed excitedly. "Do you have princess dresses? Oh! And high heels!"
As Ruby continued to talk Lily's ear off, and they went inside: Preston knew he'd done the right thing.
• •
Day 98 of 2091
When Preston wakes up at midnight, he's insanely thirsty. It's dark in his room, all except for the alarm clock on the far side of the room that's shinning 12:24 in a bold green font.
He sighs, leaning his legs over the edge of his bed. When he stands up, something crunches underneath one of his feet. Upon moving it he discovered it's a pack of cigarettes. Lachlan's cigarettes.
Preston fumbles around on his nightstand for a lighter. His hand goes straight in the ashtray. He wonders how long it's been since it was last emptied.
He yawns, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it once he finds the lighter. He closes his lips around it and inhales. His chest burns, but he holds down his temptation to cough.
Lachlan giggled. "You're supposed to inhale," he pointed out, letting the cigarette drop to the floor.
"I forgot how," Preston said quietly.
He smoked the entire cigarette without coughing once.
He spent the next hour chain-smoking the remaining cigarettes in the pack. Preston didn't even know why he was doing it. His chest felt like it was on fire. It wasn't a feeling he enjoyed.
He blindly reached for his notebook, flipping to a random page and wrote so hard on the page the pen almost split through it:
I hate you Lachlan.
I hate you.
I hate you.
I hate you because you mean everything to me.
I hate you because you're gone.
I hate you because you let me ruin your life.
I hate you because you love me.
A tear drops into the page, smudging the last line.
"I hate you," Preston whispers, breaking out into a full on cry. "I hate you because you're gone and you've left a whole in my heart that makes my chest ache the same way smoking cigarettes does."
Once he's collected himself, he remembered how incredibly thirsty he was when he woke up. He travels downstairs, making sure to avoid the creaky step. He doesn't even make it to the fridge when he sees a silhouette in the living room.
His mind screams, it's Lachlan. He home.
He body says, it's fight mode.
Preston raises up his hands, clenching them into fists. He slowly creeps up to the silhouette, realizing its crying.
It's Vik.
Preston glances to the fridge, thinking of the sandwich in there he'd been heading for, and then back at Vik, crying and alone in the middle of the night. Just like him.
"Hey," he says, making Vik jump. "What's wrong?" He sits on the opposite end of the couch.
Vik sat up slightly, drying his eyes on his sleeve. "I'm just thinking about things."
Preston chewed on his lip. "About what?"
"Lachlan... Everybody's moved on with their life and I just can't. Everything is different with him gone and I just really miss him."
"I can't seem to move on either. I was just upstairs crying."
He eyed him carefully. "You were?"
Preston nodded. "Yeah. I think everyone misses him, we just don't show each other that."
"He's not going to be at my graduation," Vik sighs.
"Well, I will be."
"It's not the same," He replied.
"I know."
Vik and Preston talk quietly for hours, the sun is coming up by the time they both pass out on the couch.
• •
Day 111 of 2091
They file down the line of chairs, Jerome searching for the best view, Preston watching the hundreds of spectators curiously.
"Here okay with you?" Jerome asks. They're just far enough back from the stage that they don't have to crane their necks, but close enough that they can see the faces of the men and women standing in a long, winding line behind the podium. Jerome squints, trying to find the familiar shaggy head of hair.
He tugs at his tie, loosening it slightly, and fiddles with his bracelets until a gentle hand comes to rest on his own.
He looks up into brown eyes watching him closely.
"Are you all right?"
He nods. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just want this to get started is all."
Mitch leans over and presses a warm kiss to Jerome's cheek as the first speaker steps out onto the stage, and Jerome feels himself blushing but it calms something in him.
The speech is longer than Preston expected; this guy's some sort of local celebrity (something about corn, maybe?) and he speaks about drive and hard work and perseverance through obstacles and Preston has to resist the urge to smirk at this guy who's biggest problem seems to have been being born short and with a tendency to baldness. Vik would have rocked this speech, he thinks. The kid knows something about tenacity.
Next is a professor to introduce the valedictorian. Preston tunes most of it out, still scanning the gathered students for his brother and frowning when he still can't spot Vik.
That's when Rob gasps and Prestons looks up to see what's caught his attention and he realizes why he couldn't find Vik in the crowd.
He's is standing at the podium with a sheet of paper, smiling shyly out at the crowd with dimpled cheeks and a hand running nervously through his hair.
Vik clears his throat and reaches down, pulling the microphone to a height more suitable for his small size. He looks down at his paper one more time, then begins.
"I'm not sure I can tell you how surprised I am to be standing here," he starts, and a small chuckle runs through the crowd. "I started school as a great student, and I made it seven years before life got in the way. I never thought I'd get a chance to finish, but here I am." He takes a deep breath. "And I couldn't have done it alone." He turns to the woman beside him, the one who'd introduced him, and Preston suddenly wishes he'd paid attention to her little speech. "First, thank you to my advisor, who convinced me to apply here in the first place. She's helped me through the toughest parts of this degree, and she has more knowledge in her field than I ever will."
"I've also got to thank my friend Tobi, whose knowledge and resources have helped me through papers, research and long nights of studying." He takes a deep breath. "And finally, I need to thank my family. Without them, I wouldn't be here. Literally. You've always looked out for me." Vikk's looking for Lachlan in the crowd, and his eyes are shining with what might be tears.
To Preston own horror, he feels himself choking up. Jess squeezes his hand and he holds on tightly.
Vik continues, talking about family and success and Preston's not really able to follow the words.
The graduation ceremony last for another two hours, Rob and Ruby are passed out once they finally finished. The amount of people trying to get out the same exit was insane. It made Preston really fucking annoyed. It takes them fifteen minutes to get outside and eight minutes to find Vik.
He's smiling happily, but his eyes scan every person looking for him.
For Lachlan.
Preston is doing it too. He doesn't know why he thinks Lachlan could ever be here.
Vik makes them wait there until midnight.
Lachlan never showed.
• •
Day 166 of 2091
"Hey, Preston, do you have any pieces of notebook paper lying around?" Mitch asks.
Preston stretches, changes the channel in the tv. "Yeah, I've got a notebook upstairs on the dresser you can rip a page out of."
Mitch returned two minutes later, holding four notebooks in his hand. He drops them on the coffee table right in front of Preston.
"What. The. Fuck."
"What?"
Mitch can tell from the look on Preston's face that he doesn't get it. He's got this confused expression , like he doesn't understand what's wrong. "These are all full."
"Yeah, I get a lot of ideas," Preston shrugs.
"That's a bipolar thing," Mitch says.
He scoffs, as if he's offended. "It's not a bipolar thing."
"Yes it is! Jesus, Preston! This page is just a grocery list over and over again."
"I don't see what the big issue is."
Mitch looks back at him, and the way his eyebrow arches gives him the impression that Preston expects him to care about this information. "The big issue? You could be manic! People while in mania have racing thoughts, they watch multiple tv shows at once, they write excessively."
"Shit," he says quietly, "I can't go back to Afghanistan if you're like this."
Preston stared at him for a moment in complete silence. "For... Are you serious? Were you ever going to fucking tell me? Mitch, what the fuck?"
"I didn't want to tell you because I'd new you'd be upset. I got a letter from my commanding officer, I'm going back to active duty tomorrow."
"TOMORROW?"
"Well, I've actually known it for about a month." Mitch says, nonchalantly.
"Are you fucking... I can't believe you would do this!" Preston exclaims.
"I don't exactly have a choice in this. If I didn't go they'd label it as desertion and I'll spend the rest of my life in jail."
"Why didn't you tell me?" Preston half-yelled.
"Why didn't you tell me?" He repeated in a slightly softer voice.
"I didn't want to stress you out!" Mitch replied.
"Stress me out? I'm already stressed out, adding another thing to the list isn't going to make a difference!" Preston found himself yelling. "I just can't believe the time I need you most you're going to leave. Typical. You're just like dad."
"Me? I'm like dad? You're the one with bipolar! I'm not fucking crazy like you! I'm not the one who took Lachlan's kid for a joyride. You shouldn't even have custody of her, you're just going to ruin her life!"
Preston's eyes filled with tears, "That's what you think?"
Before Mitch could say another word he was being roughly shoved against the bit of wall next to the stairs.
"Fuck you! It's not my fault, I can't control it!" Preston spat without being able or willing to stop himself.
"Yes you can. You just like it when people pity you. You crave the attention. You're a slut for it. You're pathetic."
Preston's chest is hot with anger, his head even hotter. A part of him knows Mitch doesn't mean it, but he can't focus on that right now. His brain is telling him a billion things at once and he can't comprehend a single action. With his fists still clenched, he brings his hand up. Mitch is already flinching, long before his fist is anywhere near his face.
Preston's fist goes through the wall right next to Mitch's head.
"Preston..." A small voice echoes.
He sighs, turning to meet her eyes. Ruby's eyes. Filled with fear.
"No," Preston said weakly. "No. Ruby- I."
Ruby runs upstairs, the fastest Preston's ever seen her. He goes to follow her, but Mitch brings his hand up to stop him.
"Oh my god." Tears sting Preston's eyes. "I'm.. I- I.. You're right, Mitch. I'm going to ruin her life. I'm our father."
"No you're not... I didn't mean it." Mitch places a comforting hand on Preston's forearm but he just shrugged him off, not wanting- no - not deserving comfort.
Preston falls to the floor, crying out in agony. "I'm a terrible person."
"What the hell is going on here?" Jerome shouts, staring at the scene in the living room from where he just entered in the kitchen.
"I'm going to Afghanistan tomorrow."
"You're what?" Jerome says, reacting the same way Preston did.
"And I'm causing Preston to have an episode." Mitch motions to Preston, who is now curled in on himself.
Jerome stares at him in disbelief. "Why didn't you tell us?"
"I don't really know."
"You. Don't. Know."
Jerome sighs, walking over to Preston. "Come on," he lifts him to his feet. anymore. "Let's get you to bed."
Preston clings on Jerome, crying into his shirt. "I'm ruining your lives."
"No you're not."
Jerome drags him upstairs to his bedroom, he shuts the door behind them before depositing Preston on the bed.
"It's okay," Jerome soothes. "Just come downstairs when you're ready. I'll make you some tea, we can talk about it."
• •
Day 222 of 2091
Preston never went downstairs.
Mitch left.
Ruby didn't try to talk to him.
He's been in bed for 56 days.
He can't even remember that last thing he ate. It was probably some sort of soup Jerome forced him to eat.
He feels so weak he doesn't even think if he wanted to get up he could.
"Preston, I've got a letter here for you." Jerome said, stepping in his dark room. "It's from Lachlan."
Preston turns, "What's it say?"
"You're gonna have to get out of bed to find out."
He groans, "I can't. Just give it to me, Jerome."
"It literally says 'if Preston wants to read this, he'll have to get out of bed'. So," Jerome reveals he has a piece of a tape on his hand. "This is going to be hung downstairs on the fridge. If you want to read it, you're going to have to get up."
"You're lying. Lachlan didn't write me."
"I'm not, look." Jerome lets him look at the letter long enough for him to register that it's Lachlan's handwriting, but there was one thing he registered too. In his bold handwriting, the words 'I don't understand you.' Stuck out to Preston like a sore thumb.
He turns his back to Jerome, recocooning himself into his blankets. Why should he bother getting out of bed? If Lachlan doesn't get it then no one does.
I don't understand you.
I don't understand myself.
• •
Day 230 of 2091
Preston heard someone come in and glanced over to see Rob.
"It's Jerome," Rob said quietly, handing him the emergency phone.
"What do you want?" Preston asked, making sure to make his voice sound annoyed.
"Wow, no hello? I haven't seen or talked to you in almost two months and that's all I get?"
"Lachlan!" Preston said, sitting up and readjusting the phone.
"You didn't read my letter." Lachlan responds, sounding sad.
"I didn't need to. I saw 'I don't understand you' and I knew what the letter was about."
"Jesus, read the whole goddamn letter."
Preston frowns. "It's downstairs."
"Fine. Fine. I'll recite it to you myself. Preston, so, things are rough right now. I'm not gonna lie, I don't understand you. I don't understand how any of it feels, but knowing you're out there suffering and I'm in here it... It breaks my heart. I want you to live your life to to the goddamn fullest. I want to see you visit me with a giant smile on your face and tell me all the great things I'm missing. If I've got to be miserable in here, I want to at least have something to smile about. I want you to be my reason to smile."
"It hurts, it hurts so bad," Preston croaks into the phone.
"I know, I know. I've gotta go now, but please try and live for me."
"I love you," Preston whispers.
• •
Day 300 of 2091
"Preston, why are you awake? It's like three a.m. Didn't you say you barely slept last night, too?"
Preston jumped and looked up at Vik. He stood in the doorway of his room, wearing pajamas, and rubbing his eyes while he squinted at Preston.
"Huh. Lost track of time."
Vik walked over to look at the laptop screen. "Hawaii?"
"Yeah, I thought we should go on vacation over the summer. Wouldn't Hawaii be great?"
"Shit, did you-" Vik took the laptop, and Preston's mouth dropped open in outrage.
"What are you doing? Are you going through my emails?"
"Shit, how much have you spent tonight?" Vik clicked from confirmation email to confirmation email. Preston had perhaps been a little overindulgent, but now he felt defensive.
"So what?"
"We can't afford this. Did you seriously by all new kitchen appliances? What the hell were you thinking?"
"We don't have to buy the new microwave if you don't want," Preston told him. He glanced around the room, trying to find an escape from the scolding before he lost his well-practiced chill.
"Just-" Vik let out a sigh and pressed a couple of fingers to the bridge of his nose. "Just go to bed."
"I can't sleep," Preston muttered, but he still headed towards his room, tripping over a chair on the way.
With a sigh, Vik picked up the laptop and set it on the kitchen counter before heading upstairs to Preston's room. He was sat on his bed, leg twitching as he looked around the room. He jumped when Vik walked in.
"What's going on?" Vik asked as he sat down at the other end of the bed, but all he got in response was a blank stare. "Come on, Preston, you can't be up at three a.m. buying a new washer and flatscreen tv and whatever else the fuck you've spent money on tonight. What's got into you?"
Preston still didn't answer. His shaking had grown more violent, now.
"I don't want to have to wake up Jerome."
He winced and stood up, anyway. It looked like he was going to have to get Jerome. Just as he reached the door, though, Preston spoke. "I'm not stupid."
"I didn't say you were."
"Not you. The other guy." Preston pointed his thumb towards the empty gap of room between him and the window.
"Nobody else is here, Preston."
Vik watched in concern as Preston's eyes bulged wide, then he curled in on himself, his whole body trembling. "Why are you—"
"Hey, it's okay. You just need to sleep, okay? Why don't you lie down."
He guided him to lie down then sat on the bed next to him, one hand rubbing Preston shoulder gently while he pulled his phone out of his pocket.
"Don't call the police."
"I'm not, it's okay. You're going to be okay."
The phone rang six times before going to voicemail.
Hi, this is Jess. Don't leave a message; I won't listen to it. Text me instead.
Vik swore under his breath, and searched for Jerome's contact.
This time, after two rings, he got through. "Why are you calling me?"
"Look, I just- I don't know how to explain this over the phone. I don't even know what's going on, but if I tell you I think he'll freak out. I think he was just hallucinating? And he's ordered a load of shit and- I'm freaking out a bit here. Just come here, I'm in his room. I just got him to lie down, but he's shaking like mad. I think that's sleep deprivation, because he's been a bit like this all week, but— Shit, man."
"When you say he's ordered a bunch of stuff..." Jerome stepped inside the room, looking concerned.
"He's order like a bunch of kitchen appliances, and a tv, and shit ton of other stuff."
"What the fuck. Okay, so you've got to cancel those, obviously. If you can do it quickly online now that would be good, but only if it says you're going to get the full refund. Otherwise, you'll have to ring tomorrow during the day, make sure you talk to an actual person and explain that it was a stranger who got ahold of a credit card."
"It's your credit card."
"Okay, I'll call the credit card company and make sure the payments are cancelled."
"But the hallucinating..."
"I'm not a doctor, Vik. Fuck, I don't know. If he's not sleeping, maybe some pills for that?"
"You think he should go to the doctor?"
"I don't know shit, that'll only freak him out more."
When Jerome left the room, Vik sighed. He felt calmer, now, but was still at a bit of a loss of how to handle this. At least it seemed that Preston had fallen asleep at some point during their talk, though he was still much too restless. He opened up the laptop again, and went from email to email; website to website; searching how to cancel all the purchases made. He managed to cancel six orders, but It looked like a couple of other orders had already gone through and were on their way. Vik cursed FedEx for existing. He wrote a note to Preston and stuck it over his phone so that he wouldn't miss it, and then headed back to his own room to sleep.
• •
It was six thirty when Preston woke up, with no help from his alarm which wouldn't go off for another hour. Despite only three hours sleep, he felt surprisingly rested. A piece of paper fell onto his pillow when he reached for his phone.
I hope you're feeling better today. I don't really know what that all was tonight, but I'm pretty worried about you. I understand if you don't want to talk to a counselor or go to the nurse, but you can always talk to me. Jerome is calling the card company and canceling as many of those payments from last night as possible. If you wake up before anyone else and feel like you're going to go on another spending spree or anything, come and wake me up.
- Vik
Preston had to read the note three times, and he still wasn't sure what it was on about. He frowned and shook his head. Vik must have had some trippy dream to have written this note.
It was a surprise, to say the least, when he opened up his emails on his phone to find the evidence of the exact shopping Vik had described in his note. There were a couple of cancellation emails, and below them a whole slew of order and reservation confirmations. He dropped his phone on his mattress as if it had burned him. The worst thing was, his finger was itching and there was a bodiless voice urging him to go to Tripadvisor. That his winter holidays had been cancelled, so he had to book more. A sick feeling in his stomach, Preston forced himself out of his room and across the hallway into the boys room. His muscles twitched, moving faster than he should be capable of first thing in the morning, and when he collapsed onto Vik's bed, he misjudged the space spectacularly, and ended up on his legs.
"Wha-" Vik cracked an eye open.
"What did I do?" Preston's words came out rushed. He remembered, now, but the question was bigger than that. It was about why he felt the need to do those things; why he still felt compelled to turn his laptop back on and start shopping again; why spending money felt like the greatest pleasure in life when he knew that he was going to be in huge trouble. Vik wrapped his arms around him, and pulled him into a hug.
"It's okay. We're going to fix it. Just breathe."
• •
Day 331 of 2091
They managed to cancel most of the orders, but they still received a new tv, fridge, and kitchen table and chairs. Jerome said it was no big deal, but he was behind on three bills and Christmas was coming up. It was safe to say Jerome was a little stressed.
Preston was sat on the counter, drinking some coffee as he watched Jerome count the money in the shoebox.
"We're $427 short," Jerome sighs.
"I'm so sorry."
"It's alright, Preston, it's not your fault."
"It is my-" He was cut off by Rob opening the bathroom door releasing a horrible stench. "Ew, Jesus, Rob!"
Rob had a smirk of satisfaction, "The toilet won't flush."
Just as Rob said that there was a screech from upstairs from Jess. She huffed downstairs, a towel wrapped around her naked body. "The shower just fucking shut off! I didn't even get to wash the soap out of my hair!"
Jerome walked over to the sink, turning the faucet. No water dripped out. "Shit. They shut off our water."
"So... Now it's going to smell like my shit until we can pay the water bill?" Rob asked.
• •
Day 362 of 2091
The water bill was long past paid, but the house never quite stopped smelling like crap. Rob felt bad, but also found it the funniest thing ever. That was understandable.
It was Christmas morning, and there was only one present under the tree. The kids didn't seem too upset by it, but it didn't stop Preston from feeling awful.
"It's a Call of Duty game..." Rob said, sounding excited yet confused.
"It's a promise," Jerome replied. "We'll get you an X-Box."
"About that..." Vik said, sounding suspicious. "Last year, Preston gave me a bunch of money. I used most of it on the bills, but I had just enough money the buy us a new x-box, which is actually an X-Box One S."
Vik pulled a box out from underneath the couch.
Rob screeched. "IT'S A CHRISTMAS MIRACLE!"
They were suddenly plunged into darkness. All the lights had gone out.
Everyone was silent
Except Rob who muttered a:
"Well, shit."
• •
Mitchell I thought you learned from Preston not to wait until the last minute to tell someone you're leaving.
I'm nervous publishing this chapter.. Do you guys like the format of this chapter? Do you like the whole "a short summary of some events that happened this year"?? Well, now that I've got that out of the way; what was your favorite part/or parts in this chapter?
I cried like five times writing this chapter, I'm sensitive.