High School Chat

‘Sup?

Hey, man..

(He sighs)

You okay?

Yeah, I guess?

Yeah, I call bullshit on that...I’ve known you too long to just take whatever you say at face value. Something’s up with you.

Oh boy...you know, it’s hard for me to believe that we’d get along as well as we have that first time we met, especially considering that the two of us were like almost completely different from each other, and yet, somehow we do.

Well, you know what they say. Opposites attract and all that crap.

I guess that’s true. But in all honesty, I’m just glad to have you as a friend, even if you’re a bit rough around the edges.

Dude, there’s no way else I’d rather be. I’m glad to be friends with you too, you little dweeb.

Aww, thanks..

Don’t mention it. But seriously, what’s up?

Well, I’ll be honest with ya. My dad wants to ship me off to military school.

Military school? What the fuck for? You’re a good student, you play soccer and do karate, what the hell more could he want?

I think he’s complaining that I’m not “strong enough” or something, so he thinks some time in military school will set me straight or whatever.

Ugh...sounds just like my grandpa. He’s always complaining about how my hair’s too long and how I’m this no-good youngster who’s the reason why everything in my family’s gonna go to hell and he always says that I should have been in the military to get “straightened out”. God, he’s such a fucking cad...Luckily, I don’t see him very much and my ma doesn’t care any, so I don’t have to worry about getting shipped off.

Yeah, but my dad does care about that shit. And unlike your dad, who pulled off a disappearing act shortly after you were born, my dad’s still around, and he’s used to getting his way when it comes to things.

Uhh...why’d you have to mention my dad? I don’t really talk about him much for a reason. He left my ma and I. I barely even got to know him, so he’s not my “dad”. He doesn’t deserve mention.

Sorry about that.

It’s fine.

(A bit of an awkward silence fills the space between them for a bit)

Well, you still have your mom too. Maybe she can slap some sense into him and get him to drop his stupid idea?

I guess...but I don’t like making my mom take a side. I know she ain’t a big fan of what my dad wants to do but I don’t want her to get in trouble for something that should be my fight.

Here’s the thing though: it’s never just “your” fight. Whatever sorta thing you get into also affects all the other people that you know you, like your siblings, your other friends, and me. And I know for a fact that I don’t want you to be shipped off to military school. You’ve been a good friend, Johnny, and I’d hate to see you get turned into yet another army brat.

Thanks, man. But my dad doesn’t see things that way. He thinks I shouldn’t hang around you. He says you’re a “bad influence” on me basically.

I know this will sound all kinds of rude, but all I’ll say is fuck your dad. You’re almost an adult yet your dad thinks he can just send you off willy-nilly to military school like that? Well, he’s dead wrong.

You alright, Jake?

Yeah. I just hate seeing that jerkwad make you go through this whole shit that you didn’t even ask for to begin with. I like you a lot, dude, I really do, and your dad’s always been a stick-in-the-mud for as long as I can remember. Always putting all sorts of restrictions on you and wanting you to be a goodie-two-shoes all the time and wanting to protect you from everything instead of letting you live your life...it saddens the hell outta me.

Well, umm....I like you a lot too but I didn’t think you hated my dad that much. Granted, I don’t like my dad a whole lot either. Hell, I’m not even sure why my mom stays married to him to begin with, but I wasn’t expecting you to go on a rant about how my dad sucks.

Eh. I don’t care. It’s the truth. The whole goddamned truth. I don’t care if I hurt your dad’s precious fee-fees. He’s been nothing but a dick to you and you deserve a lot better than him. Ugh...now I’m all annoyed. I need a cig.

(He grabs a cigarette from his pocket and lights one up)