Stewart Gilligan Griffin awoke in the harsh light of morning. He heard the sounds of birds chirping outside and the sound of a television playing loudly downstairs. He groaned as he slowly sat up in his bed. The uncomfortable metal springs squeaked in response to the movement. He could smell the aroma of coffee and pancakes as he placed his feet onto the carpeted floor of his bedroom.
As he drowsily made his way into the upstairs bathroom to brush his teeth, he felt the common feeling of just an ordinary day in the Griffin household. His mother Lois was undoubtedly downstairs preparing breakfast. His sibling Chris was most likely sitting on the couch watching TV with his father Peter. Nothing really felt much different about this day. What a surprise.He thought as he washed out his toothbrush. He went back into his room to get dressed. He pulled on his dark blue jeans and his plain black t-shirt and looked at himself in the mirror. His auburn hair had grown to the point where the bangs were in his eyes. As much as an annoyance it tended to be sometimes, he liked it.
Stewie sighed as he exited his bedroom and made his way downstairs. As he guessed earlier, Lois was in the kitchen and the rest of the family were perched on the couch watching the morning news. He entered the kitchen and poured himself a coffee. His mother looked up from her cooking to acknowledge her son, "Good morning, sweetie." The red headed woman greeted. "Happy birthday."
Stewie did nothing but grunt in response. Yes, today was his eighteenth birthday. Most teenagers would be overjoyed at this day. The day they were finally considered an adult. The only thing Stewie got out of it was the fact he could now buy his own cigarettes instead of relying on other people to do it for him. Other than that, this was just a plain old Wednesday for him. There used to be something special about this day to him. This would be the day that Brian would call him. However, he doubted that would happen. It had been almost seventeen years since he had last seen or heard from the ex-canine. He could barely even remember the man's face as he had only truly seen it once. Stewie scowled as he bitterly recalled that day.
Stewie had finally succeeded in winning Brian over. They were so happy together. Stewie's life was almost perfect. When he was still a boy, Stewie had built a machine that extended Brian's life to where he stayed 21 until Stewie's 18th birthday. Then he would age like a normal human. Which Stewie had also made him a human. The teenager recalled being awestruck by how attractive Brian was as a human. He was so happy; that is until Lois walked in on them while they were kissing. She flipped out, and ordered Brian to leave and never come back. Then she found out about Stewie's secret lab and destroyed it.
Stewie's life was ruined after that day. Everything that he lived for was gone. Since that day, Stewie had distanced himself from Lois and the rest of the family. He graduated high school early and currently had a job at a nearby grocery store. He constantly begged for as many hours as they could give him; not only because he wanted to be away from home as much as possible, but also because he was saving money to move out.
He couldn't stand being in the presence of anyone in that family. Especially his...mother.She was the main source of all his hatred. She took everything away from him and all through the years, tried to act as if it had never happened. Stewie didn't forget, though; and she knew this. Still she brushed off his rudeness and obvious resentment towards her. This just pissed Stewie off even more. Eventually, he got to the point to where he barely spoke to her. When he was home, he stayed in his room most of the time. Save for the occasional times he would go downstairs to get something to eat or smoke a cigarette.
He wanted out. He wanted to move as far away from this place as he could. To never see or think of their faces again. He wanted nothing more to do with the family that deprived him of his happiness. New York City was the most logical choice for him to move to. He wanted a career in acting and Broadway was the place he wanted to be. Soon. He thought. Just another week and I'll have more than enough money to get out of this place.
Even though this day did not excite Stewie as much as he thought it would. He still had a small flicker of hope that maybe, just maybe, he would get a call from Brian. The ex-canine would inform him of his location, and Stewie would leave all of this behind to see him. Even though this was the original plan, Stewie just didn't think it would happen. It seemed like a fantasy anymore, like Brian never existed. As if he was, all along, just a figment of Stewie's avid imagination. An imaginary friend.
It was so many years ago. Who's to say he even remembers me, let alone even wants me still. He's probably living it up, having the time of his life wherever he is now.
Stewie sighed as he settled himself down at the kitchen table and took a small sip of his coffee. As much as he wanted to be in his room right now, he knew Lois would throw a fit if he brought coffee into his room. She was always so strict on having food in bedrooms. So, instead, he had to sit at the table...in the same room as her.
"So," Lois began. "Do you have any ideas what you want for your birthday dinner?"
Stewie snorted, "To be honest, I don't even want one." He knew he didn't need to be so hostile towards her. She was attempting to be nice. But he couldn't stand acting like he was on good terms with his mother.
Lois sighed as she poured some more pancake batter onto the pan. "Come on, Stewie. It's your eighteenth birthday! We need to celebrate!"
"What's to celebrate?" Stewie inquired in a cross tone. "Woo hoo, another year I'm alive!" He threw his arms in the air in mock excitement.
Lois' eyes shot daggers at the teen as she said, "Fine. I guess hamburgers will do."
Stewie gulped down the rest of his coffee. "Whatever you think is best, Lois." He quickly rose out of his chair and left the room.
He stepped out onto the front porch and lit up a cigarette. He took a long drag from it and inhaled deeply. I swear if it weren't for these things, I would have burnt this house down ages ago.
Why did she have to pretend everything was fine? He didn't want a damned party. Why should he celebrate life when he wasn't happy with his own? He took one last puff from his cigarette and went back inside.
He didn't acknowledge anyone else in the house as he walked past them and marched up the stairs and into his room. Once inside, he collapsed onto his bed and begged for sleep to come. He just wanted to escape the world he lived in. When his consciousness remained unwavering, he grumbled as he sat up. He noticed the telephone sitting in the corner of his room. Being as he had his own cell phone, he never used it. He still liked to keep it there just for this day. He waited for years for that phone call from Brian. Now, that day was here. Maybe he will call.Stewie thought with hope. Screw it, what else did he have to do today? He pulled a chair up beside the phone. He sat down and waited.
It was 8pm. Other than the awkward birthday dinner that he was forced to attend downstairs, he had done nothing but wait for Brian's phone call. It's hopeless.Stewie thought as he rested his head in his hands. He decided to give up and went over to lay on his bed. He reached over and turned off the light and laid on his back. Stewie closed his eyes, and tried to sleep. No matter how hard he tried, however, he couldn't push out the thought of Brian.
The ex-canine never left Stewie's thoughts; but he learned over the years how to cope with the pain. Tonight, however, those thoughts were taking over. Why can't I just forget about him and move on? For god's sake, it's been seventeen years! He's forgotten about you, Stewie. Why can't you just do the same?
Stewie sighed as he turned over. All my life, I have loved him. All this time, I have spent miserable without him; hoping one day, he will return and we'll be together again. What a fool, I've been.
Stewie did everything he could to block out the thoughts. Tears eventually made their way down his cheeks. Damn it!He thought bitterly. I'm fucking crying over a dog I lost when I was a fucking baby! How pathetic.
Even though he was angry at himself for weeping over a hopeless dream, he could not suppress the tears as sleep finally took him.
_
The following day he decided that maybe Brian just forgot about his birthday; and that maybe he'll call then instead. So he spent another day simply waiting by his phone. Another two hours went by. He had skipped breakfast, and he could feel his stomach begin to growl. He also felt the effects of withdrawal for not having a cigarette that day. He just didn't care. All he was worried about was that phone call. He needed it. If there was anything out there that could save his life, this was it.
He heard a light knock on his bedroom door. "Stewie, honey, can I come in?" It was Lois...great.
When the teen didn't respond, she took her own initiative and opened the door. She gazed upon the sight of her son with a look of pity. "Stewie, what are you doing? You skipped breakfast and I haven't seen you all morning."
Stewie didn't respond and she slowly stepped toward him. "Stewie, what's wrong?"
"Nothing." Stewie finally responded. "I just want to be alone, right now."
"How long have you been sitting there?" Lois asked.
"Since I woke up."
Lois gave him a look of confusion until she seen the telephone beside him. "Who are yo-" She paused as the realization hit her. "Please don't tell me, you're waiting on him to call you."
"Oh! So you do have some intelligence. Well done!" Stewie knew she was going to get angry, but he was at the point to where he did not care.
Lois's eyes burned into his. "I can't believe this." She began. "After all this time, you still expect him to call you. He doesn't care about you Stewie! When are you going to see that? All he has ever cared about is himself. He used you for his own sexual needs! What? Now that you're eighteen, you expect he'll just call you so you two can meet up and live happily ever after? It's never going to happen, son. I hate to tell you, but it's true. Brian is never coming back!"
The words hit Stewie like arrows. He jumped out of his seat, and Lois knew she had pushed the wrong button. "Fuck you!"he screamed. "How dare you try and take away the only thing I have left of him!"
Lois' voice calmed as she spoke, "Stewie. Please, stop beating yourself up with this. Move on, there are plenty of other guys around here that are gay. Guys who would treat you better than Brian ever could. He's not coming back, honey. He's off living his own life somewhere. What he did to you back then is unforgivable, and I know he did emotional damage to you. I'm sorry it happened, Stewie; and if you want, I can arrange some therapy sessions that will-"
Stewie interrupted, "Shut the fuck up!" When Lois fell silent with a look of shock on his face, he began pacing around the room. "Now that you've gotten your little assumptions off your chest, let me tell you how I feel! He loved me, Lois. I know he did. He took care of me, and he did everything he could to make me happy. He was my best friend..." He began to break into sobs, but attempted to suppress them to glare at Lois, "We were happy! Then you came in and took him and everything I lived for away from me."
Lois' eyes were beginning to water, "I was trying to protect you!"
"HA! Protect me!" Stewie scoffed. "You were an absolute shit mother, and the one time I didn't need you is when you decide you should step up and be a parent? Fuck you! I have spent seventeen years living in this hell hole putting up with you and the rest of those insufferable morons. Biting my tongue whenever you do so much as speak to me. Seventeen years, living depressed and alone, hating my own life because you destroyed everything that gave it meaning! The worst part is, you didn't even notice! Or pretended not to notice. Hell I don't know which is worse!"
Lois was speechless. She obviously had no idea her own son had so much hate against her. "St-Stewie, I-I'm sorry."
"Sorry for what?" Stewie's voice was like acid. "Taking away the only person that actually gave a shit about me, or the fact that I have despised you since the day I was born?"
Tears had soaked through parts of his mother's shirt now, "Stewie, I-"
"Save it, Lois." he hissed. It won't fix anything. No, you ruined that the day you took everything away from me. You are no mother to me. You never will be."
Stewie quickly went around in his room gathering as many belongings as could and fitting them into a small book bag of which he threw over his shoulder. The entire time, Lois sat on her knees, staring off at something Stewie didn't care to see. I'm leaving." he announced. He paused and laughed hysterically. "Wow! You have no fucking idea how long I have waited to tell you that!"
Lois broke out of her trance to look at her son, "Stewie, I-I'm sorry...for everything. You don't have to leave. I-"
Stewie interrupted once more. "Oh but I do! If I am ever to be happy, the first thing I have to do is leave this place behind." He began to make his way toward the door. "Goodbye, Lois. This will be the last time you will ever see me. My only wish is for you to die wishing you could have changed what happened all those years ago. Maybe then you would have a son that could have actually loved you."
This caused his mother to break into sobs. He paid no mind to it as he closed his door. He hurried downstairs, not saying a word as he passed by Chris and Peter as they sat on the couch watching TV, completely oblivious as to what just happened upstairs. He stepped out the front door and began walking down the street.
_
As Stewie continued to walk on the side of the highway leading out of Quahog, he began to think about what had happened just two hours earlier. He finally let all of the anger and hatred he felt for his mother out on her and left the Griffin house for good. He should have felt bad, but he didn't. He hadn't felt this happy in years! He was finally free of those uncaring fools he called his family. Now he had but one place to go. Hey, everyone. Well, I wanted to talk a little bit about Stewie's character in this. Over the years, Stewie's depression and sense of abandonment has left him very emotionally damaged. His hatred he felt all those years for Lois also ate at him as well. Can you imagine living with someone who you think took everything you had to live for away? So yes, Stewie has changed a lot since "The Right One". Now some of you may not like the angst in this, but it was a necessary evil. It doesn't end here either, I'm afraid. Now that Stewie is free from Regards,
He wiped the last tear he would shed over them from his eye as he smiled and whispered, "New York, here I come."
Austin
DawnAscendance