-Nine years ago-
Sixteen year old Trevor pulled himself out of bed like he always did, not in the mood to return to school. His father had continued to get worse over the years, to the point where he drank a whole case of beer before he would fall asleep from the heart break that his ex-wife had caused him eight years ago.
As he stood behind the mirror brushing his teeth, he dreaded the thought of leaving his father alone at home again. He knew that he would get a call while he was in class, about him wandering the neighborhood drunk, telling anyone who had ears about how his wife of fifteen years had left him and his son.
He couldn't contain the embarrassment which took over every time he got the call, leaving school early to get his father back home safely. And because of that, he had been missing more days from school, causing his grades to gradually fall from the B average he had been trying to maintain.
Trevor turned on the tap and rinsed his brush, picking up a cup and filling it with water he used to rinse his mouth. When he finished, he left the bathroom and entered his room, making his way to his closet and picking out what he would wear.
Benjamin was sitting behind their small dining table with a cup of coffee in hand as he tried to battle a raging hangover. He pinched the bridge of his nose as his headache intensified.
Trevor walked in with his bag and placed it on the floor before heading to the fridge and pulling out a carton of milk.
"Morning," his father said, standing up and walking to the rest of the coffee he had brewed.
"Morning. Are you feeling alright?" he asked, turning around and facing him. His father turned to face him with a small smile and nodded his head.
"Yeah."
After pouring some of the milk into a bowl he pulled from a neighboring cabinet, he joined his father at the dining table. He picked up a box of cereal which he had left on the table the day before and poured some into the milk.
"Can I stay at school today?" Trevor asked his father skeptically, a warning hidden in his words.
Benjamin, having picked up on what his son was trying to say, nodded his head with a small smile playing at his lips.
"You don't need to worry about me, son."
But just those words were enough to cause worry to seep into his veins as he looked into his father's brown eyes. Silently nodding his head, he picked up a spoon and began to eat his breakfast in silence.
-
He was sitting in his chemistry class when the vice-principal opened the door and entered the classroom. Immediately, everyone's eyes focused on him as he closed his notebook. Trevor quickly packed his things before following Mr. Garcia to his office.
He sat down in the seat which he had grown all too familiar with as Mr. Garcia took his across from him, behind his desk.
"I assume you already know what this is about," said Mr. Garcia. Trevor sighed internally and nodded his head.
"I'm sorry to see that this is affecting your grades but I'm sure you'll be able to get them back up. You still have two more years after all." Trevor didn't say anything as he nodded at his words.
"The police said that he's at the supermarket making a scene." Again, Trevor nodded before standing up and picking up his bag. He walked towards the front doors with his bag draped over one shoulder as he tried to think of how he could stop this.
Just a few hours ago, his father had told him that he would be alright. And he had believed it, since he had been able to go through more of his day than usual. But he should have known that that wouldn't have lasted for long.
The bright summer sun blinded him as he stepped outside, immdiately feeling the heat as the sounds of birds chirping happily surrounded him. For a small second, he wished that he could be a bird; the idea of not having to deal with responsibilites sounded appealing to him. But unfortunately, sometimes people didn't get what they wanted.
He stood at the bus stop and pulled out his phone, dialing his father's number. He heard the dial tone as he pressed the phone to his ear, eagerly hoping that his father would pick up for once. The bus arrived as he heard the voice of his father for his voicemail.
He got in and took a seat, dialling the number again.
"Come on, pick up," he whispered, feeling the desperation in his voice. But to his disappointment, he didn't answer. After the fifth time with no answer, he gave up and sank into his seat, closing his eyes for a few moments.
When he opened them again, the bus was just arriving in front of the supermarket. He got up from his seat when it stopped and exited with a few of the passengers. Immediately, he could hear a loud noise coming from the front of the store as he entered.
-
Trevor opened the door to their home as his father leaned on him. With difficulty, he pulled him inside before closing the door with his foot.
"I can't believe she would do something like that to me─to us!" his father slurred.
"Fifteen years! Did that mean nothing to her?"
Trevor couldn't deny that he didn't feel sympathetic towards his father. But the thought that his mother had waited for so long, to allow his father to fall for her, before breaking it off seemed cold to him. It was the complete opposite to the way he remembered her; the woman who always knew how to brighten his mood.
He stumbled into the living room with his father and as gently as he could, dropped him onto the sofa.
"I need a drink Trev," his father said.
"No more drinks dad." His father's face turned down in disappointment, similar to the way in which a child who had been rejected a piece of candy would look. Instead of standing there and looking at him, he decided to head into the kitchen and fetch him a glass of water. After so many drinks, he had to be dehydrated.
He headed to the sink and grabbed a glass from one of the cabinets and filled it. When he was finished, he turned around and began to walk towards the living room, noticing that it was oddly quiet. Suddenly feeling alarmed, he quickened his pace.
When he got to his father's side, he saw that he was sitting up now but instead of mumbling to himself like usual, his face was stained with tears. It hurt Trevor to see his father like this, so broken.
"Here, have some water," he said, handing him the glass. Hesitantly, his father reached for the glass. As he tilted his head back to chug the contents, Trevor noticed a sheen of sweat which had developed on his father's forehead. But since it was hot outside, it was understandable that he would be sweating, considering the amount of time he had spent outside.
The sound of the glass hitting the table filled the room as Benjamin subconsciously put it down harder than he had wanted. He placed his hand over his chest where he was beginning to feel some discomfort and rubbed a few circles in the spot in hopes of getting rid of it.
"Are you alright?" Trevor asked, slightly concerned. His father forced a smile as he tried to push aside the discomfort.
"Yeah."
Trevor remained seated beside him as he surveyed his father for a few moments before he sighed and stood up.
"I'll be in my room if you need me." Benjamin nodded before he left.
-
Trevor had been busy working on a math assignment and bobbing his head to some music when he heard the door to his room open. He turned off the song and turned to face his father as he entered the room.
"Everything alright?" he asked.
"Yeah, I just wanted to apologize for my behavior and for getting you to leave school early," his father replied, looking slightly disappointed in himself. But Trevor smiled at his father, even though his behavior was negatively affecting his education.
"It's okay Dad."
Benjamin started to say something but before any words could leave his lips, he felt his chest tighten and he started to have difficulty breathing. He bent down slightly in hopes of decreasing the pain but it only got worse.
"Dad, are you okay─"
"I'm fine." But as soon as he said that, he fell to the floor.
"Dad!" Trevor was immediately on his feet and rushing towards him. He tried to turn his father around to get a closer look but Benjamin only continued to curl into a ball. Trevor put his ear closer to his mouth and noticed that he was having difficulty breathing.
It was at that moment that he realized that these symptoms could mean that his father was having a heart attack. Quickly putting aside his fears, he rushed back to his desk for his cell phone and dialed 9-1-1, hoping that the EMTs would arrive on time─before he lost his father forever.
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