Status: Complete: Possible re-write/re-post
Two Roads Split Off From Here
Senior Year.
“Matt, you actually showed up?” I asked.
“I figured I better at least graduate.”
“You still can by the end of this year?”
“I think so. If not, oh well.”
“Matt! You really need to get back on track here. You have your life ahead of you. Don’t waste it. Lemme see your schedule.” I took it from him. “Nothing. We have no classes together. Oh, except lunch.”
He shrugged and I gave him his schedule back. We went out for lunch, then I went to go to work. I had gotten a part time job at the mall. Matt? He was unemployed. I wasn’t surprised. Steph worked with me at Hot Topic, and Sonny and Gerard worked at Spencer’s. We would use our discounts to get stuff for each other. Gerard was a full-time worker, since he had graduated already. I was talking to Steph one night when we were both working at the same time.
“What’s up with Matt?” she asked, bringing out another box of shirts.
“I don’t know. I’m surprised he actually goes to school anymore. How are you and Gerard?”
“We’re good. He wants me to move in with him after graduation.”
“Are you?” I ripped open the box and started pulling shirts out.
“I don’t know. I haven’t told my parents yet.”
“Oh. Yeah, talk to them about it.”
“I will, probably after work tonight. Back to you and Matt. Are you two still ok?”
“We’re fine. I’m just worried about him. He’s not gonna graduate, and it worries me. I mean. I want a boyfriend who has a head on his shoulders. I’m giving him till the end of this year to get his act together though. If not, I’m gonna break up with him.”
“Aww, Lisa. You two are so cute together. Ever since we were little.”
“I know, Steph. But still. I don’t know. I just don’t know what to do.”
“Here he comes.” She nodded over my shoulder. “Go take your break with him.”
I stood up and he hugged me from behind. He also kissed my neck.
“God you two. Get a room.”
“Hey, Steph, can we use the back room?” Matt asked.
“No.”
“Come on, Matt. I’m gonna get something to eat, come with me.” I grabbed his arm and pulled him with me.
We went to the food court and grabbed some pizza. This was the time. I had to tell him.
“Matt? We need to talk.”
“Okay.”
“As much as I don’t want to say this, I have to. Matt, you need to start getting your act together. You need to stop this.” I locked eyes with him. “You need to stop the stealing, the fighting, and get your act together. Get those grades up so you can at least graduate. There’s only six months left.”
“Six months is a long time.”
“It’s longer when you’re in jail. Matt, listen to me. If you don’t start getting your act together by the time graduation rolls around, I won’t have any other choice but to…break up with you, and I don’t want to.”
“What do you want?”
“I want you. You need to get your head on your shoulders though. Are you understanding me?”
“I am, but I don’t know. I just can’t stand this shit anymore. School sucks, we get made fun of every day. They actually have the balls to question your sexuality. It pisses me off.”
“Matt, it pisses me off too. I just ignore it though. Look at me: I’m in honors classes, I’m getting straight A’s. So you see?”
“I’ll try.”
“Don’t try. I know you can do it.”
He smiled, leaned across the table and gave me a kiss. He walked me back to Hot Topic and he hung out for a bit as Stephanie and I were straightening up and putting out some new stock. He stayed for about an hour then he left.
“So, did you talk to him?” Steph asked.
“I did. He said he’s gonna try.”
“He just needs us now, to support him. Damn, it sounds like we’re talking about a drunk here.”
“Let’s hope that stays away,” I laughed.
Steph gasped, and looked over my shoulder.
“What?”
“That’s Gerard’s cute friend I told you about.”
I turned and saw a guy walking into the store. He was short, about my height maybe. He had black hair that sort of fell in his face. He had tattoos, and a lip piercing.
“Go talk to him,” Steph said.
“Steph! I have a boyfriend.”
“So. If it doesn’t work out, you two would be cute together.”
I rolled my eyes. I found out his name was Frank. He was my age, and he did go to our school. I just hadn’t seen him around. He was a nice guy, and very funny. I thought he had a cute smile too, but I just kept trying to think about Matt.
Matt. He started to get his act together, but it wasn’t working out as well as we thought it would. I was really surprised he graduated. He just barely made it, and I mean barely. It can only go forward from here right? He was out of high school, but he needed to get a job.
“I figured I better at least graduate.”
“You still can by the end of this year?”
“I think so. If not, oh well.”
“Matt! You really need to get back on track here. You have your life ahead of you. Don’t waste it. Lemme see your schedule.” I took it from him. “Nothing. We have no classes together. Oh, except lunch.”
He shrugged and I gave him his schedule back. We went out for lunch, then I went to go to work. I had gotten a part time job at the mall. Matt? He was unemployed. I wasn’t surprised. Steph worked with me at Hot Topic, and Sonny and Gerard worked at Spencer’s. We would use our discounts to get stuff for each other. Gerard was a full-time worker, since he had graduated already. I was talking to Steph one night when we were both working at the same time.
“What’s up with Matt?” she asked, bringing out another box of shirts.
“I don’t know. I’m surprised he actually goes to school anymore. How are you and Gerard?”
“We’re good. He wants me to move in with him after graduation.”
“Are you?” I ripped open the box and started pulling shirts out.
“I don’t know. I haven’t told my parents yet.”
“Oh. Yeah, talk to them about it.”
“I will, probably after work tonight. Back to you and Matt. Are you two still ok?”
“We’re fine. I’m just worried about him. He’s not gonna graduate, and it worries me. I mean. I want a boyfriend who has a head on his shoulders. I’m giving him till the end of this year to get his act together though. If not, I’m gonna break up with him.”
“Aww, Lisa. You two are so cute together. Ever since we were little.”
“I know, Steph. But still. I don’t know. I just don’t know what to do.”
“Here he comes.” She nodded over my shoulder. “Go take your break with him.”
I stood up and he hugged me from behind. He also kissed my neck.
“God you two. Get a room.”
“Hey, Steph, can we use the back room?” Matt asked.
“No.”
“Come on, Matt. I’m gonna get something to eat, come with me.” I grabbed his arm and pulled him with me.
We went to the food court and grabbed some pizza. This was the time. I had to tell him.
“Matt? We need to talk.”
“Okay.”
“As much as I don’t want to say this, I have to. Matt, you need to start getting your act together. You need to stop this.” I locked eyes with him. “You need to stop the stealing, the fighting, and get your act together. Get those grades up so you can at least graduate. There’s only six months left.”
“Six months is a long time.”
“It’s longer when you’re in jail. Matt, listen to me. If you don’t start getting your act together by the time graduation rolls around, I won’t have any other choice but to…break up with you, and I don’t want to.”
“What do you want?”
“I want you. You need to get your head on your shoulders though. Are you understanding me?”
“I am, but I don’t know. I just can’t stand this shit anymore. School sucks, we get made fun of every day. They actually have the balls to question your sexuality. It pisses me off.”
“Matt, it pisses me off too. I just ignore it though. Look at me: I’m in honors classes, I’m getting straight A’s. So you see?”
“I’ll try.”
“Don’t try. I know you can do it.”
He smiled, leaned across the table and gave me a kiss. He walked me back to Hot Topic and he hung out for a bit as Stephanie and I were straightening up and putting out some new stock. He stayed for about an hour then he left.
“So, did you talk to him?” Steph asked.
“I did. He said he’s gonna try.”
“He just needs us now, to support him. Damn, it sounds like we’re talking about a drunk here.”
“Let’s hope that stays away,” I laughed.
Steph gasped, and looked over my shoulder.
“What?”
“That’s Gerard’s cute friend I told you about.”
I turned and saw a guy walking into the store. He was short, about my height maybe. He had black hair that sort of fell in his face. He had tattoos, and a lip piercing.
“Go talk to him,” Steph said.
“Steph! I have a boyfriend.”
“So. If it doesn’t work out, you two would be cute together.”
I rolled my eyes. I found out his name was Frank. He was my age, and he did go to our school. I just hadn’t seen him around. He was a nice guy, and very funny. I thought he had a cute smile too, but I just kept trying to think about Matt.
Matt. He started to get his act together, but it wasn’t working out as well as we thought it would. I was really surprised he graduated. He just barely made it, and I mean barely. It can only go forward from here right? He was out of high school, but he needed to get a job.