Hi!
It's official I'm a serial slow poster, well people you'll be pleased to now you know longer have to wait three months for the next instalment because here is the last one!
Chapter 7 – see chapter I for disclaimers and stuff
I was soaking and still shaking from the adrenaline rush, through it all the fact Brad saved my life and Randy stuck around to talk me down instead of leaving when the rain started stuck in my mind.
I looked at them.
Brads hair was plastered to his forehead and his clothes mud streaked and wet, but he was smiling.
Randy's hair stood up in unruly spikes and his grey sweater was ripped on one shoulder, the blood from his cheek was running onto the collar of his white shirt yet he didn't look pissed at me.
Randy blinked in confusion, his eyes reflected the lightening shining an electric blue, I was struck by the cinematography effect that would have on film. I hadn't thought about making movies in months.
"Mark, we're sorry, "Randy started before Brad cut him off.
"I can't imagine bigger jerks than us, all those jabs about you being a loser just made us losers, and all that time we spent making you feel bad made us even worse than Vinnie McGurn." Brad told him mournfully.
"What he said." Randy agreed smiling crookedly.
I cracked a smile.
"Wow, Mark you look different smiling." Randy told me deadpan.
I laughed this time and it did feel weird I hadn't laughed in so long 'and all I needed was for them to show they care' I though ruefully.
"Mark I'm sorry." Randy told me his eyes reticent.
Simple words. And yet. They meant so much.
1 Year Later"Mark!" I heard my mother yell from downstairs, quickly I jumped up and ran downstairs.
"Yeah?" I answered.
"Your brother's home." She told me, I reached the porch where Brad stood grinning,
"Yo Mark my-man, how's it goin'?" He greeted me, hugging me and ruffling my hair.
"Great!" I answered hugging him back, "Did you just get here?"
"Yeah, Randy here yet?"
"No-"I began
"Yeah he is." Dad corrected me as him and Randy entered through the door Brad had left upon.
"Hey" He smiled, the contrast in skin tone was kinda amazing, Brad tanned with sun streaked blonde hair, Randy slightly more pale, his hair thick and brown – climate differences between LA and Boston I guess.
"How's school?" Mom asked, ever practical.
"Great, four C's and even a B!" Brad gushed proudly, mom congratulated him and dad slapped him on the back as Randy answered,
"Five A's."
"Alright!" Dad crowed, mom hugged Randy tightly and Brad slapped him a high-five.
"Way to go bro." Brad grinned.
Randy turned to me and winked, I nodded understandingly.
"Mom, dad I think Mark was something to tell you." He stated setting up my announcement.
Months ago, when I was deciding which universities to apply to, I called Randy - he goes to Harvard – and begged advice, of which my big brother gave me some pretty weird sounding pearls of wisdom, well it sounded far out to me - apply to USC. The BEST school for films in the world - Steven Spielberg went there for chrissakes.
In the end I didn't apply there, my most ambitious endeavour was NYU.
I was accepted there, and called to tell Randy.
The conversation went a little like this –
"Randy hi, it's Mark."
"Sup Mark?"
"I got accepted to NYU can you believe it?"
"Wow, Markie that's amazing, well done. But-"
"What?"
"Oh nothing, it's just……….." Seemed like he was dying to tell me, but I was intrigued so I took the bait
"Come on tell me!"
"Well alright, I guess NYU's pretty cool, but USC would be better right?"
"Duh but I didn't apply there."
"No that's right. You didn't," He answered cryptically
"Randy, what-"
"But I did, I applied for you, waste of talent if you didn't bro."
"What you applied for me? What did they-?"
"You're accepted Mark! The acceptance came in today"
I steeled myself; mom and dad were looking at me quizzically, Brad silently asking Randy "What's going on?" With his eyes, Randy just smiled and inclined his head toward me.
I took a deep breath and said. "I'm going to USC next year."
There was silence.
Before mom screamed and dad did his victory dance, "Yes! A pro-soccer player, a lawyer and a movie director, we did good Jill we did real good." Dad told mom happily.
"Wow Mark that's brilliant." Brad congratulated me shaking my hand before grabbing me in a second hug.
"Right we're celebrating," Dad declared," We're out going to dinner"
Later that night I was getting a glass of water when Randy ambled into the kitchen followed by Brad, "Hey buddy we're gonna be in the same state next year." Brad told me smiling
"Yeah I can come to your soccer games." I answered.
"Call me a lot right? Tell me all the stars you've spotted." Randy cut in smiling from where he sat on the counter top.
"Yeah" I grinned "I never properly thanked you for applying for me-" I started
Randy waved me aside serenely, "No big, least I could do."
Silently I understood, Randy was still pissed at himself for the way he treated me, that's just the way he was, but in the same way I am, I already forgave him.
If you've ever been picked on by older siblings, isn't it a little easy to forgive them? Sure they're mean but if they're nice ain't it great, for all they've done, when Randy calls and we talk about real things like world order and politics or Governor Bartlett's campaign he's working on, or even when it's nothing when it's about what to get mom for her birthday it's great, and when Brad calls or e mails to relate the latest soccer game I just love it. I feel more like a friend as well as a brother - Brad helps me when I have an argument with Cathy and Randy's like a personal tutor, but they both tell me about parties they've been too and now I'm included in all that cool stuff they used to exclude me from.
Brad I think understands a little more he understands by just doing that I forgave them, but Randy's a little more - well he's Randy and if you've ever met him you'll know what I mean, so I just smile and we carry on and the futures looks really……….searching for a word here.
Cool.
I mean I'm going to USC the school of Spielberg, and Randy did that for me and I get to see Brad play soccer.
I'm gonna stick with cool.
A/N Hi, my big brother Ben moved out yesterday and we used to argue all the time but man do I miss him already and I guess I had a whole sibling vibe goin' on, well anyway that's the last chapter, it is done, Phew!
Hope you enjoyed, I did enjoy writing it, I got a sorta sequel in my head but it's set a few years after the end of this one.
So Later Days!
