A/N: Hi! This will be the last chapter of Lucky Strike. Goodbyes, college, and the end of the story. But, not to worry, I will post more fanfics to read, but for now please enjoy the 10th chapter of Lucky Strike :)

Lucky Strike - Chapter 10

Carson and the Blairs had a wonderful time at Breadstix. They ate, talked about each other's life, and Carson got a chance to explain his real life after all the lies he had for the past few months. "I'm just a small town boy with a big dream. Once, I was struck by lightning and my brain worked crazily. I decided to run away from my house to chase my dreams. I left my family and schoolmates who should support my dream, but turned out the opposite. I was planning to go to New York, but what the hell I would do in New York if I haven't graduated from high school? I would be a hobo on the street or something," Carson told his life story to Starla's parents. Mr. And Mrs. Blair were amazed by Carson's story, how could such a young man have to deal with such a tough life? "So, I took a detour and arrived in Ohio. I stopped by, stayed in a motel, and started a life alone here." "Wow, you have one tough life, young man," Mr. Blair said. "And turns out you have your own magazine, get accepted in Northwestern, and graduate with good grades. Your parents must be proud of you." Carson smirked. When people thought his parents got their hands on his back, the situation was reversed for Carson. "They're not, actually. In fact, they kept trying to push me away from my dreams. I can't let that happen, can I?" Carson shrugged. "But after they found out about my Northwestern Acceptance letter, they fully supported me no matter what. They even took me to a restaurant and they sat on the same table, that wasn't something I experienced daily." The Blairs knew what Carson was trying to say—that his parents had divorced—and they just stared at him sympathetically. Starla glanced at Carson proudly, she knew he was the one.

"We're really glad to meet a brave man like you, Carson. And we're very lucky to have you as our daughter's boyfriend. You can be the light that always guides our Starla to a brighter way." Mr. Blair said, as he spooned his chocolate cake for dessert. Carson glanced at Starla romantically and replied, "No, sir, I should be the one who says I'm very lucky to have Starla. She is a smart and beautiful girl. I can see how she got her brain and beauty." Carson tried to take the Blairs' heart by complimented both parents. They laughed, it was a great humor to break the ice between the conversation.

The Blairs let Carson stay at their residence for a few days until Starla headed to Massachusetts and underwent her 4 years in Harvard. Starla begged for her man to stay until she got into plane and Carson agreed. Carson would also go to Illinois 2 days after Starla's departure. He couldn't wait to smell the fresh air of Evanston as soon as he got there.

Finally, the day Starla flew to Massachusetts had come. Starla, Starla's parents, and Carson went to Lima Allen County Airport. As soon as they arrived by the entrance, Carson helped the girl brought down her luggage. And then, both lovebirds hugged each other.

"I'm gonna miss you, Stars." Carson said.

"I'm gonna miss you too, Cars." Starla replied, as she sank her teary face on Carson's chest.

Both Carson and Starla knew this was not their last meeting. They promised to visit each other during breaks. They had to get use to be alone for the next 6 months. Starla pulled her body back and wiped her tears. "Give me a call as soon as you arrive, k?" Carson held Starla's hands. Starla nodded. "And promise to visit each other during holidays?" Starla said, smiling. Carson laughed and nodded. "Yeah, of course." Then, Carson gave Starla a soft kiss on her lips. Few seconds later, they pulled back before the Blairs saw what happened.

Mr. And Mrs. Blair got out of the car and gave Starla a very big group hug. They had to say goodbye to their daughter. They had to let Starla study in university and pursue her dream career. Mr. And Mrs. Blair were proud to have a girl like Starla, who didn't give up to get what she wanted. "It's just 4 years, mom, and I'll be back. Besides, I will visit you guys during breaks, don't worry." Starla said by the time her mom hugged her and cried because she thought she would never see her daughter again. "Take care of yourself, pumpkin." Said Mr. Blair while patting Starla's shoulder. "You can count on me, dad." Starla replied, smiling. Then, she dragged her luggage and went inside. Her flight was in two hours, so she got plenty of time to wait. Carson took her to the entrance. He whispered, "If I found a guy sticking his tongue inside your throat by the time I visit, I would violently abuse him in the way you can't imagine." In their last moment, Starla couldn't believe Carson could throw a comical threat like that. Starla threw her fist to her man's biceps and replied, "Of course, I won't cheat on you. You're like the best and only man I've ever had," suddenly, Starla threw a ferocious glance at Carson and continued, "And if I found you playing house with a slutty bitch, I would shoot a bullet at her mercilessly and I would have no hesitation to throw you out of the window."

Carson didn't expect the reply Starla gave to him, but the point was that they didn't want cheat on each other. They had to face the long distance relationship that could break them apart. Even if the storm had to break the place where they stood on, they would never break each their love. Ever.

"Deal." Carson shortly replied, as the gate separated both of them for a long goodbye.

Carson went back to Clover to prepare things up for his college years in Northwestern. After he took Starla to the airport, he went home and arrived on the following day. As soon as he entered his house, Carson packed his bag with the help of Sheryl. Carson put his books and documents into a big bag while Sheryl was folding her son's clothes and put it into the luggage. The packing was pretty quiet in the first minutes, but Sheryl could warm things up by asking simple things to Carson who was in a deep serious thought when he threw his journal into the bag.

"4 years... You're in Illinois and I'm in Clover. It's not going to be a short time, is it?" Sheryl smirked while folding Carson's favorite hoodie. "Well, do you want to live with me in Illinois? I mean, we can rent an apartment, live together, and never come back." Carson offered Sheryl to move. She wanted to, but she didn't want to exaggerate her son while he was trying to finish his college. She didn't want to be the pain in Carson's ass. "Nope, I guess I'll just stay in Lima and wait for my only son to grow up. And 4 years later when you come back to Clover, I will be very proud because my son has turned into a fine gentleman." Sheryl said, sipping her cigarette. She was trying to stop her drugs addiction. She erased three-quater medicine on her medication list and tried not to visit her doctor very often. She had done all the above, but she couldn't quit smoking—baby steps, Sheryl thought.

Carson sat on his bed and stared blankly at the window. He said, "what if I never come back? What if I don't want to come back? I just, Clover is a hideous parasite in the United States of America. I really want to move to New York and work there. Stat. And I really want you to come with me." Sheryl knew what her son wanted. She got what he was saying. She tapped Carson's thigh and smiled, "I'm not trying to hold you here, Carson. Just go, live your dream. But, you need to look at this parasite for the last time and realize that you were raised in this paradise. After that, take me wherever you want to be and we shall never look at this place ever again." Carson smiled. After all, there are so many memories that he would never forget in Clover, that he had to visit the town once in awhile. His father, April, his baby brother, Malerie, his grandma. "Yeah, mom. Thanks." Carson smiled, as they both shared a loving hug.

Clover had no airport. So whenever someone had to travel by plane, he had to drive miles away to reach the nearest city and go to the airport. Carson, driving his dying car, went to the nearest airport to fly to his next destination; Illinois. He drove miles away with Sheryl, Neal, and April, and finally arrived at the airport.

Carson took his luggage and bag from the car's trunk. Then, he hugged his parents and April for a goodbye. "I guess it's a goodbye for now." Carson said while throwing his arms on Sheryl's body. "I'm gonna miss my little boy." Sheryl replied. "Mom..." Carson quickly released his body from his mom's and judged at what she just said. "Oh, come on! You're still my little boy no matter how big you are. And you always wanted to fly. In just a few hours you will fly by plane. Finally, I can use the quotes from your story for something!" Once upon a time, there was a boy who wanted to fly. Once upon a time, there was a boy who flew, Carson understood. He just laughed at Sheryl's joke like it was really funny for him.

Standing just a few inches from Sheryl was April. She was rubbing her baby bump who soon would give birth in just a few months. Carson walked closer to the woman and asked for her permission to rub her belly. "Can I...?" Carson put his hand on April's belly and rubbed it gently. Hey, fetus boy, Carson called out his soon-to-be brother inside his heart. April smiled and said, "Your brother. I wish he could be just like you—passionate, ambitious, smart, and charming." Carson was flattered. The only thing that he could see from himself was that he was an asshole. Carson never saw his charming self, the one that April told him. "I hope so. Just give me a call or send me a picture if you've delivered him." Carson said. "We'll do, sweetie." April replied.

Neal, Carson's dad, hugged his son as soon as the boy walked towards him. "Come." Neal hugged Carson for a long period and made his son suffocated. Then, Carson said "Dad, are you going to let me go or let me die in your arms?" Neal stopped hugging Carson. He smiled and said, "Son, I never officially apologize to you after what I did to this family. It was hard to leave my wife and my only son alone and made them go through a tough life—" "Yeah, like you did. Like you left us in the middle of the night when I was 12. Dad, you've ruined our lives and you can still smile like a cat who's trying to hold its droppings? Please." Carson was mad about the divorce his parents had. If they had never been such selfish asses, he would have never gone through his miserable life. "I know, son. So, that's why I want to say sorry before you go. I'm sorry for being a bad father, I'm sorry for not being right there for you every time you need me, I'm sorry for making you hate your life. I'm sorry—" "Dad, before you start making an endless list about your mistakes, I get it. I forgive you," Carson cut his father's word before he was finished. Then, he pulled his lugagge and dragged it to the airport entrance. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a flight to catch and I don't want to be late for my first day in Northwestern." "TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF, KIDDO!" Neal shouted as Carson kept walking inside. Carson turned around and waved at his family, then left. And finally, Carson was gone to Illinois and started to build his college life there for the next 4 years. It was going to be one hell of an adventure!

Northwestern University, Illinois

Carson Phillips

Journalism

Those were written on Carson's new ID card that he had to keep for the next 4 years. He was officially a student in one of the best universities in the States and he couldn't help but smiling just to think about it. His life was more like a fairytale than a reality. Every time he woke up, all he could think about was how the hell he could get into the school, staying in the best dorm, and having such great new college friends? Carson couldn't fix the missing link that connected his life. He just had to be grateful for what he had done.

First days at Northwestern were rough for the Clover Boy. He had to deal with administration stuff, mean teachers and their weird teaching methods that sometimes Carson had to shake his head in disagreement. Carson's way of thinking was different with his teachers'. His philosophy beliefs and thoughts were way beyond his teachers', but his teachers always denied them. Carson was fine with it at first, but then again it was not because of Carson's thoughts that were wrong—it was because of the jealousy his teachers had for having such a genius student. "But, what if the readers opinions are illusion that we create inside our minds? Do we have to follow their opinions, because in my opinion, we have to stay to the truth—believe in ourselves. Stating our own opinion and just express ourselves in the article we write. And I'm sorry, with all due respect, I disagree." Carson said, stating his opinion to the whole class. He was right, we had to believe in ourselves. But, the teacher, Mr. Moore didn't believe in him. "Get out of my class." Mr. Moore pointed at the door furiously. His mustache lined straight every time he got angry. Carson didn't mind to leave the class, all he did was telling the truth—facing Mr. Moore's butt to the mirror. Carson got off his chair, strapped his bag, and left the building. He didn't forget to stomp his chair to express his anger and slam the door hard. Carson was not a good student on the first day and he was not trying to be one. All he wanted to do was just learning and stating his own opinion that he thought he was right.

Carson was so grateful to have a roommate like Jim. Jim was a tall brunette guy who used to be the school jock, but unlike one of the populars in Clover High slash Claire Matthews' beau, Justin 'DJ' Walker (DJ was the nickname Carson gave, meaning Dumb Jock), he was a smart guy. He loved playing football, but his ultimate passion was on writing. He loved writing sonnets and short stories, but his heart was on jounalistic. He always wanted to be an army—fighting over dictators, shooting enemies with a really big gun, seeing blood and gore all over the soil—but his parents never allowed him. So, he entered Northwestern and hoped to graduate with good grades, and he wished he could work in a famous news channel like CNN. That way, they could send Jim to a battlefield like the Middle East and give him a chance to report a full coverage on the war. Carson thought Jim's plan was insane, but Jim always said hard work came with a good price, and that was something Carson had achieved.

Right after Mr. Moore escorted Carson to the exit, Carson went to his dorm to take some rest. He could ask his classmates for the notes Mr. Moore gave, so he wouldn't miss what the teacher had taught. When he entered his room, Carson found Jim playing a ball on his bed. Jim had no class that afternoon, so he spent his time lying on his bed and paid the last 5 hours of sleeping that he missed because he had to finish his paper in Mrs. Jean's broadcasting 101 classroom. Carson slammed the door and threw himself to the couch. "Angry Phillips. What did I miss?" Jim asked while laying on his bed, tossing his soccer ball to the ceiling. "Mustache Moore kicked me out after stating my own opinion. What the fuck is wrong with that guy? Was he born in an unknown dimension? Is he some kind of communist psychopath that hates liberalism and democracy so much that he has to kick a student out for giving an opinion of what he thinks it's right?" Carson sank his head into the pillow. Jim stopped listening to Carson after he said Mustache Moore kicked him out. Jim knew how Mr. Moore was like and Carson was no competition for the big guy. "Dude, he is a tiger. Even if you hold onto your words until the tip of the knife slices your vein, he won't agree to what you think. I've tried and trust me, it didn't work so well." Jim said, sitting up and resting his head on the headboard. He quit playing ball after seeing his roomies having a really tough time. "Yeah, I mean, when your parents forbid you from joining the army, did you give your own opinion? Did you fight for your desire?" Carson sat still and faced Jim. He was still pissed, but having his head sunk between pillows didn't make him feel better—in fact, he suffered from breathing difficulty. "Yeah, I did. But, I didn't want to argue with them. They know me the best, so," Jim looked at his watch. Lunch time, his stomach was grumbling. Jim walked to the exit and said to Carson, "I'm gonna grab some lunch. Want some?" Carson shook his head, "No, thanks. I'm full of Mustache Moore's rant. I'm done." Jim raised his eyebrows, okay then, then left the room.

Carson was alone in his room. He was bored, so he opened his laptop. He got an idea to do a webcam chat with someone. Starla? No, she's probably attending class or something, I don't want to bother her. Mom? No, she's probably taking a very good nap and if I disturb her, she probably will smack me with a bottle of wine from her computer screen. Dad? He's probably busy with the whole real estate thing. Carson knew who he could talk with. He opened April's profile and fortunately she was online. She must be at home, taking care of her son, Carson thought. He waited patiently for a moment until April's face finally appeared on the screen.

"Carson!" April exclaimed "We miss you!" Carson was glad to have someone who missed him. Besides April, there was someone who joined the chat convo. "Hey, little guy! What's his name?" Carson saw a cute little baby boy on April's arms. He was sleeping peacefully between a blue baby blanket that wrapped his body. He looked like a sweet innocent angel who was made of heavenly light. "Carson," April answered, smiling "We thought if we named it similar to you, his life would be as successful as you." Carson was flattered with all the compliment April threw at him. He smiled and said, "Yeah, Carson Junior. He's handsome, just like me." Carson and April laughed hard. He knew how to crack a joke between a conversation. "Yeah, he is. And I wish you were here, so you could see your little brother's cute little laugh and dance every time The Isley Brothers' Shout is on the radio." Carson could imagine how cute Carson Jr would be when he danced through a vintage rock n roll song. "One time, Sheryl played I Will Survive, I ran around the neighborhood—so, I know how it feels," Carson said "Speaking of my mom, does she know about you guys naming the baby Carson?" April nodded. "Yeah, she knows and agrees. First I thought she would bang some furniture because no one would never use the name, not even her ex's son." Carson relieved. Sheryl was always mad about nearly everything, so he thought the woman would be mad because of the naming.

April remembered something. "Carson," she said "I need your help. If you don't mind and not busy, I was hoping maybe you could write a story for your brother. I'm tired of reading him classic tales like Cinderella and Jack, so maybe you could create something new. The deadline is anytime. I know you're busy with your college, but maybe you could spent your free time writing for Carson Jr.". In that moment, Carson quickly agreed. "Yeah, sure. Sounds like fun. How will I ever show the real Carson to Carson Jr beside by the thing that I know best?" April was happy. She thanked Carson for the help. "Geez, thanks, Carson," suddenly, Carson Jr woke up from his sleep. He knew his brother and mother were talking about him. "Shh, don't cry, boo boo. Time for diaper change! Carson, I gotta go. Bye." Carson waved his hand goodbye, and right after that April ended the chat and turned off the computer. That was fun, Carson felt so close to home after the chat. 4 years later, Carson Jr would be 3 years old and Carson would visit him and spend his time with his baby brother. He couldn't imagine how the two Carson playing together and probably Carson Sr would teach his Junior how to throw sarcasms at people—that would be a blast.

Carson put back his laptop. He was alone and bored. What should I do? Turned out, no one left Carson alone—someone knocked at the door. Carson thought it was probably one of his neighbors who wanted to borrow a soap or something. He opened the door and he was surprised to see a familiar brunette-haired girl, wearing a sky blue top, black hot pants, ankle boots, a black backpack and a Harvard varsity jacket came to visit. It was Starla.

"Hey, Northwestern guy. Surprised?"

THE END

Ps: Reviews, Critics and suggestions are still accepted!

And, should I make more chapters about Carson's college life? Please, let me know :)