The Crash Years - Anonymous (to read list .TXT) 📗

(6 months ago)
ANDROMEDA (ANDIE) BARRY and JACKSON (JACK) CAMDEN @ the guest house of the Barry residence
Andie drilled her eyes into the bathroom mirror. It was odd how a mirror’s reflection could both stare back with a coldness that somehow comforted her at the same time. But now there was no room for comfort. Between her and Jack there was the thin door, and that didn’t leave much room for breathing.
Everything had been going so well, too. At first she didn’t think her parents would consider her want to move in with Jack and start off early at the university. But somehow, they agreed that this was a very appropriate step for her to gain some independence and maturity… just so long as they stayed in the guest house across the lawn. And had no mistakes.
Andie started freaking out again. “They’re gonna kill me… they’re gonna kill me…” she muttered as she grasped onto the sink and stared into the mirror once more. But Jack was waiting out there, just as worried as she was, and it was time that she told him.
As if a magnet were built into Jack’s sternum, Andie threw open the bathroom door, and her arms flung out to Jack.
“So what was it?” Jack asked. His hands were clammy from twisting his hair, and the feeling felt odd as he touched Andie’s warm skin.
Andie was to the point of crying now. All she wanted to do was to crawl onto one of the couches and keep to herself. But now wasn’t the time for that.
“It was positive, Jack. It was positive… and now my dad’s gonna kill me!”
Shock, and what seemed like a tinge of adrenaline and joy flooded Jack’s veins. Weird how two feelings – of being afraid and happy – could enter a mind at the same time. Pictures of a red-faced Hugh Barry yelling and a red-haired toddler on a swing balanced in Jack’s imagination, and for some reason he was a little okay with both.
“I can’t keep it, Jack.”
Jack had been pulled out from his imagination faster than a fish on a line. He hadn’t noticed that he had left the conversation for so long. Andie’s words had not set right in his chest.
“Wait, what?” Jack asked, falling back on the living room couch. He felt as though he needed to think for awhile. But there was no time. He had to put himself in Andie’s shoes. He noticed how ironically, it was sunny outside.
“Jack, I can’t keep it. My dad is going to kill me.” Andromeda felt like a sponge that had been dried out. While it had been true that she loved children, and always wanted one of her own, it just wasn’t right like this. At least, not in real families. But the blank look in Jack’s eyes made her feel full of self pity. She decided she needed to sit down as well.
The conversation seemed to end there for awhile as Jack and Andie settled down to watch something on the television. However, they were not on the same couch as they usually had been. Andie felt like a horrible child-hater, and Jack felt horrible for not saying anything. Meanwhile, the sun continued to shine through the windows, and cool air was still blowing throughout the house.
“Andie, what if it wasn’t that bad?” Jack asked.
“Then the guy would have survived, obviously.” Jack sighed. Andie was still mused with the television program.
“No. I mean… what if it wasn’t so bad, you know, if you kept the baby?” Jack couldn’t breathe. He said it. His face turned a slight shade of red. Andromeda’s eyes widened.
“Jackson, my dad said no mistakes. This is a HUGE mistake! My dad will kick us out of this place. And then where would we be? And I’m pretty sure that my mom would be the only one –,”
Jackson stopped her. “Andie, think about it. We’ve already moved in together. We have well-paying steady jobs. And what father wouldn’t want a grand-kid? Think about it.”
Jack didn’t really know why he was all of the sudden trying to convince Andie to keep the baby. Maybe it was because he didn’t like death. But perhaps it was because the picture of the toddler on the swing sounded better every minute. His brain racked with possibilities.
Andie on the other hand had begun to freak out once more. Sure, the house was big enough, and they both had steady jobs. She wasn’t even too sure that her father would blow up about the ordeal. But what about Jackson? Would he be there for her? Andie shot a glance at Jack.
“Why do YOU want to keep it, Jack?”
Jackson looked back at Andie. Even as she looked unsure of herself, there was still an underlying layer of strength. Though her question had come on strong, Jack had assumed the reasoning behind it. She wanted proof that he was going to be there for her, always and forever. But he had also gotten his proof that Andie would rather keep the child rather than hold the title of being some sort of murderer.
“Because Andie… I love you. And as much as this is a mistake between the both of us, I couldn’t imagine putting you through the pain of making this problem… or perhaps a blessing, disappear.”
“But-,” Andie stuttered.
“I know your dad will be angry at both of us… for a while Andie. But we both knew this was going to happen. Maybe not now… not this early. But Andie, I love you enough to take care of you, and this baby. I’ll be here for you.”
Andie paused for a while. Even through this deep pit of anguish and despair, a hint of hope glowed in her heart. Was it really true that doors could open while others shut and locked themselves up?
“Really… Jackson, really?”
“Yea, of course Andromeda.” Jackson smiled. Though his reign of fatherhood didn’t quite seem clear to him, he was sure he could make things right. Andromeda smiled back up at her boyfriend and decided to join him on the couch to watch television after all. The sun decided to set into the dark frigid night.
MILOS BARRY and WASE CHABLASE @ the Barry residence
“Thank you for taking me out… AGAIN,” chuckled Wase as she was led up the steps to the Barry’s front porch by Milos’ hand. Though the comment was said sarcastically, the look on Wase’s face was of pure admiration. She couldn’t have been any happier.
“You’re quite welcome, Miss Chablase,” Milos replied in his common gentleman-like manner. As his father, Mr. Barry was the top surgeon of Nelson, as well as his top role model, it was to be expected that Milos was automatically perfect. And according to Milos, he was sure that he had found Wase to be a perfect match. This was good however, because it turned out that Wase felt the same way about Milos.
Wase came from an uptight Chinese family that had moved to Nelson, New Zealand for its fresh, uplifting culture. Wase’s father, Mr. Chablase was the local dentist, and Mrs. Chablase was an aspiring actress who would sometimes travel to Christchurch and Auckland for shows. Wase happened to be the perfectly balanced-type of daughter. She was the type who joined the town symphony at the age of eight, playing piano, who ran for the high school track and cross-country team, and still had leftover time to finish homework, and work at her father’s office.
Milos had noticed that he had been staring at Wase’s neckline for a few seconds. He quickly looked back into her eyes, and composed himself, suddenly turning a shade of red and nervously running his fingers through his neatly combed hair.
“Uhm… uhhh… do you want to come in and meet my family?” Milos stuttered, “I mean, they’re probably going to sleep soon, but I’m sure they’d like to meet you.” The look on his face was similar to that of a yearning toddler asking for a Popsicle.
Wase’s reply was interrupted by the slamming of the back door. Wase and Milos peeked around the corner. The door opened again.
“What do you mean you’re going out?!” yelled Mr. Barry as he stormed after a very angry-looking Denver, Milos’ twin brother. He was otherwise known as the “evil” twin.
“I’m going out, so what?” huffed Denver. This happened every night. Milos sighed in regret as he watched his brother with hazed, puffy eyes and a cigarette in hand walk away from a future.
“Your college fund, that’s what!” Mr. Barry roared. Like always, he didn’t wander too far for Denver anymore. He’d walk out about three feet from the back porch, and after that it was useless.
“Pfft. What college fund? I’m not going to college.” And with that, Denver stalked out of the yard, messing with the spare change in his pocket.
“You’re ruining this family, Denver!!” That was Mr. Barry’s exasperated reply he always gave before giving a huge sigh of grief and returning back into the house to his always-loving wife, who would somehow encourage him that everything was going to be okay.
“I think this is my queue to leave…” muttered Wase as she turned to Milos. True, there was always time to meet the family, but Milos didn’t want everything to turn out this way. Where Denver would always interrupt.
“Wase… wait.” Milos almost freaked himself out. Since when did he become hasty? Would she freak out? Well… he really liked her. But what if she didn’t like him that way? What if she never wanted to see him again? No more Wase? Had Denver ruined it all?
And with quickness quite comparable to that of a swimmer diving into the water, Milos decided in that second to kiss Wase.
The two blushed miserably and smiled like pageant girls before Wase composed herself and came to the conclusion that now was a good time to get back to her house.
“I think I should leave now. Today was wonderful, thanks Milos.” She said this before giving a quick kiss to Milos’ cheek and half skipping, half walking back down to her own home.
Milos gave a sigh unlike anyone else’s today. It was a pure sigh of relief. He then stretched his arms for once, as a prideful man does, and began to walk up the steps into his humble abode. “I’ve got to ask her out,” he breathed into the cool night sky before stepping inside.
DENVER BARRY @ the Barry residence
“Night… finally,” Denver thought to himself as he peered outside his bedroom window. He had been twiddling his thumbs now for hours. How did he know? Blisters had begun to form on the outer edges. Calluses later. Whatever didn’t hurt him would only make him stronger.
Life hadn’t exactly been too exciting lately, as far as night life goes. Denver’s best friend Koda had recently been put into juvenile hall for drunk driving and illegal cigarette smoking. Denver knew it was only moments until he was next. Him and Koda had always done everything together.
It had been three days since Denver had slept or hardly ate, and it didn’t take a mirror for him to know that he reflected disaster. His sight was mostly a blur, and the only thing that had kept him awake these last couple of days was a hot shower. Now all he wanted was a drink. Well, maybe more than one.
The thing about winter that Denver loved was the fact that you could wear a coat.