"Okay, just. Tell them when you get there. It won't be that hard."
Dash paced back and forth across the locker room, hands running through his hair. He didn't want to do it anymore. The scholarship… The school. It didn't call to him like it used to. The fame didn't pull him in anymore.
It couldn't be that important to his family what his future entailed, right? It wouldn't matter to them if he decided not to do the thing he's wanted to do since fifth grade. A full ride football scholarship. It wouldn't be a big deal.
Dash groaned and leaned back against the lockers.
Why did they have to have such high expectations for him? Why did they think he only had one path ahead of him? He didn't even know he had more than one path in front of him!
How was he supposed to explain it to them anyways? His half dead boyfriend shed some light on what fame and glory is really like? That he'd made Dash's values and goals in life change?
Now that would be a conversation. He'd have to explain that he's into guys and that, oh yeah, it's the Fenton's son. His mom would love that.
Dash doesn't even know what he wants to go into! Sports medicine? Being a doctor? Studying ectology? A weird amagellation of all three?
He hasn't even told Danny yet. Danny hadn't quite realized just how much he flipped Dash's brain around. He helped Dash become a better person. Dash was considering going into the Fenton's field! If only Dash from freshman year could see him now, that'd be a doozy.
Dash sighed. He better start heading home. He doesn't want to be late for his parents' nice dinner that they said they were gonna make. He groaned. He hoped they didn't do anything too over the top. He'd be crushed because he's gonna ruin it and then they'll be crushed.
He picked up his bag and left the locker room, heading down the halls and down the front steps of the school. Soon he wouldn't be coming back here. Ever. It was crazy to think about. Soon he'd be off doing something better instead of everything that he was here.
Lost in thought, Dash was stunned as he looked up and saw his house already coming up down the road in front of him. Walking up to the door, Dash took a deep breath.
"Okay. Just go in, tell them you don't want to do it anymore. It can't be that hard, right? It'll be fine."
Dash turned the doorknob and pushed the door open, revealing his parents and other visiting family members in the living room.
"Surprise!"
"Congratulations!"
Dash stared into the house, dread filling up his entire being.
It wouldn't be fine.