Starring: Jack Sullivan, David Jacobs
Chapter 3: Articles: Remembrance & Papers
—Jack's PoV—
It came out today. The story that finally told me the truth.
Alexander 'Specs' Conlon has been my best friend ever since we got in a fight on the playground in the first grade. A few weak punches were thrown and I fell and scraped my knees, but something about childhood disagreements creates lasting friendships.
This morning we opened the front door and found the newspaper where it was every morning, on the doorstep, folded nicely and facing on such a way that we could read the headline. It said 'Lindale Expands as Super Highway is Added'. Beneath it, slightly smaller, was a picture of the McKenzie house, accompanied by a blurb about a drug bust. It read:
Late Sunday afternoon, Sheriff Meyers uncovered a drug house in a regular Lindale home. In the home he discovered several potted plants, later confirmed as marijuana.
The sheriff mainly credits another officer, Jeremy Conlon, for the information that made the discovery possible. Conlon's son, Alexander, had been mixed up in drug use and allowed officers to further investigate the matter. He is currently attending rehabilitation at Wincrest County Rehab Centre.
The perpetrator has yet to be apprehended. Anyone who has information should contact the sheriff's office in town or call an operator if you wish to remain anonymous.
By: Bryan Denton
So, Specs was into drugs. I should have figured it out and put the pieces together. He missed lacrosse tryouts, his grades were slipping and he was extremely forgetful. Then he disappeared altogether.
Grade twelve was supposed to be our year. It was supposed to be the best year of our lives, we were seniors: we ruled the school. Specs was supposed to get lacrosse captain and I was supposed to get quarterback. Instead, I got both and apparently he got a stay at Wincrest County.
I can't say he ruined my year, I still had a great time, but it probably would have been better with Specs there. At first I thought he was just distracted, but by March I figured he was avoiding me. You have to understand, we're guys. What's the point in pursuing someone when they don't want to have anything to do with you?
So, for quiet a while it was just David Jacobs and me. Not that I minded, David was a...smart guy. He's not one for fights or adventure in the extreme, unlike Specs who was up for anything. Other than that and his looks though, David and Specs were very alike. They were both studious, determined, and possessed authentic common sense.
In school Specs and I were evenly matched, as well as in athletics. I took to subjects like English, Latin and History, while he excelled in Sciences, Math and Geography. The same was in sports. We both made football and lacrosse, but it was obvious I overshadowed him in football and he me in lacrosse. We were two equal, identical and amazingly unfamiliar people. Like two puzzle pieces, the same size, but from different pictures.
==
"Have you seen the paper?" David asked me on the walk to school.
I nodded and he took a moment to look respectively solemn before continuing.
"What do you think about it? did you know?"
I sighed and shook my head. "No, no one ever told me. Never thought Specs to be one to get caught up in a mess like that though."
"I know what you mean, surprised the hell out of me to read his name in the paper. What do you think'll happen to his Virginia State scholarship? Think he'll still have it?" David asked, introducing an aspect I hadn't yet pondered. What would become of the scholarship the Conlons had been so proud of? Would it just, all of a sudden, be withdrawn, leaving Specs stranded in an ocean without a raft?
I shrugged. "I don't know."
David and I will both be going to Brown next year. His mother is very proud of him, being the first child from Lindale to get an educational scholarship since Terrence Robinson in 1936. I got in on a football scholarship, and they even promised me a spot on the team if I kept my grades up.
"That'd be an awful blow to his family, wouldn't it? think the Conlons could afford to send all three of their boys off to college without it?"
I shrugged again, slightly uncomfortable, as always, with the topic of financial well-being. Why bother discussing a family's fortune? The Conlons are nice, bright people, that's all I worry about.
"Personality won't get you anywhere in life. Don't go thinking good ol' Shirley Temple is all cuteness and smiles. I'm sure she's left a few in her path on the way to the top." My mother has always been amazingly driven and solely focused on success. My father, though more laid back, is also driven and determined on accomplishing his goals.
"You're stubborn," Geoffrey Higgins accused him once.
To this he laughed heartily and disagreed. "Geoff, there's a small difference between being stubborn and being determined. I, my friend, and the latter."
Unlike traditional characteristics of the Conlon clan, Specs was not one to be stubborn and hot headed. At times, in fact, he was a tad of a pushover.
Maybe his downfall was the lack of this very characteristic.
[End Chapter]
OK people. The next chapter is out! Sorry I took so long, I was away. Hopefully you liked this chapter as much as the last two. Please review with suggestions, feedback or just happy, loving comments!
Oh, someone moved into the drug house! It was on the market for almost a year and SOMEONE MOVED IN!!! Happy day!
Shoutouts:
Erin Go Bragh- (sticks out tongue in disgust) I hate mashed potatoes. Yuck. And ANYONE could be on drugs.
Icanreadncount- It doesn't matter to me why you like it. I just like your reviews. And I'm sure I like you too…
Almatari-of-Arda- did you know that The Stepford Wives in Italy is 'La Donna Perfetta'? I think it means 'The Perfect Women' or something like that.
Strawberri Shake- Air Cadets is thins thing where you fly model airplanes all day. I know a couple of guys who were in it and they both dropped out after one year. It's murderously boring. Lacrosse is the national sport of Canada.
Coin- I had to include the pride thing. Spot seems like a proud person and therefore his family must be as well.
Jacky Higgins- my muses are more hard-working than I am. They tell me to stay on task and urge me to have a plot in mind. I don't listen as much as I should.
Peter!Muse: DAMN RIGHT!!!
Charlie!Muse: Listen to us more!!! You'll get something done for once.
Oh shut up the both of you.
Dreamer110- wow, you said 'good' four times in that three-line review. That means it must have been…good.