Chapter 5
Link's Choice
Link lay in his bed that night listening to the thunderstorm out side, and the rain hitting the glass on his window. He closed his eyes and sighed, many thoughts were running through his mind all at once, 'how can I change?' Link shook his head, 'how does a person completely redirect their life? How can I show her what I can be?'
He turned his head towards the bedside table and gazed at the picture that stood there. It was of him and his mother at six flags, many years ago. He was age ten at the time, and it was only a year after his father left, abandoning his mother and him. That always stayed in Link's mind, and it haunted him endlessly.
'How did I become this?' Link thought, 'how did I fail to see it?' he closed his eyes and tried to think of a way that he could convince Malon of how he could change. Presently he drifted off to sleep, mumbling her name into the darkness.
It was not an easy night for him though; he kept tossing and turning, with an occasional screaming out of her name, "MALON!" he shouted, "MALON PLEASE... come back…" and when he woke up the next morning, he was covered in sweat and breathing heavily.
'Wow some night!' he thought.
Link slowly rose out of his bed, and walked over to the window, "well, thunderstorms over I guess." He said to himself.
He looked down at the street below and saw the basketball court, where some teenagers were playing. He watched them intently, as they progressed into the game, "hmmm, their pretty good!" Link thought to himself. Then he took off his shirt and walked into the bathroom for a quick shower. He turned on the faucet and felt the hot water soothe his skin. It cleared his mind, and also relaxed him. Then he ran the shampoo through his smooth blonde hair and rinsed it out.
After his shower, he tied a towel around his waist and walked into the bedroom to find something to wear. He picked out a baggy pair of jeans with holes in the knees, and a white T-shirt. Link quickly got dressed and then slipped on a pair of tennis shoes. "Now for some basketball!"
He ran outside towards the court, and walked into the middle of the game, "What's up?" he asked.
The other teenagers, who Link guessed were freshmen in high school, looked up at him and nodded, "what's up? Come to play some B-ball?"
Link shrugged, "sure."
They all looked at him with challenge in their eyes, and normally Link would have mocked them and boasted about what a good player he was, but he had to change that about himself so he held his tongue.
"You any good?" they questioned.
Link grinned 'Of course I'm good, I'm the best!' he thought. Then he shrugged, "I'm fair."
"Alright!" one of them said, "Let's play!"
He smirked and moved up the court with the ball, but Link intercepted him, and through the ball into the hoop with ease, "come on" he motioned with a grin on his face. The four teens looked at each other and then through the ball, certain of scoring a point, but it bounced off the rim and into Link's hands. Link smiled and moved the ball back and forth between his legs and then through it in the hoop.
The teens shook their heads, "alright, we've had enough! You Win!"
Link cocked his head to the side, and then through them the ball, "You did good guys, just keep practicing, and I'm sure you'll beat me some day!" he winked and then walked off. The teenagers smiled and then continued on with their game.
Link ran a hand through his tousled hair and then opened the front door to his house.
"Hey mom!" he greeted as he walked in.
His mother smiled and gave him a kiss on the cheek, "Hey Link, where were you?"
He shrugged, "oh just playin' some basketball."
She smiled, "oh, okay."
Link went and sat down at the kitchen table and then looked up at his mother, "hey mom, it's Saturday, do you wanna go to the movies or something?"
She crossed her arms, and then felt his head with the back of her hand "are you feeling okay Link?" he chuckled, "Of course what'd you mean?"
She shrugged, "well, I don't know, it's just that you never ask me to go anywhere with you, last time you said you were embarrassed by me, and then completely ignored me."
Link smiled, "Yeah I know, but I was thinking that I would kinda like to make it up to you."
His mom smiled, "oh alright then, we'll go to the movies."
Link nodded, "okay, cool" then he got up and walked to his room, "where are you going?" he heard his mom ask.
"Homework!" he shouted.
She smiled, "okay!" 'Wow' she thought, 'I actually didn't have to remind him. I wonder what's gotten into that boy."
Link grabbed his back pack and took out his math binder. He sighed and then took out a pencil, "Well, here goes." He said to himself as he reluctantly started on one of the homework problems….
After about three hours, Link was finally putting away all his supplies, "Well!" he said, "That's what I get for being two weeks behind I guess!" then he smiled and walked downstairs.
"You ready mom?"
She looked up at him questioningly, "Its only 3:00."
Link shrugged, "well, we could go to the mall or something, and then grab a bite to eat before the movies."
She smiled, "alright then, let me get ready and we'll leave in about an hour."
He nodded, "Okay, sounds good!" then she left and he sat down on the couch and switched on the TV, "hmmm, there's like nothing on today!" he shrugged and then turned it off. "Now what?" he sighed.
"RING, RING!" Link jumped up and ran into the kitchen to answer the phone.
"Hello? This is Link."
"Hey what's up man? This is Uni!"
"Oh, hey! What'd you want?"
"Well…I was just wonderin' if you wanted to go 'bowling' with us tonight?"
Link noticed how he put the extra emphasis on the word bowling to indicate that's not what they would really be doing, "Oh umm…actually you know what, I won't be able to make it."
"Why not?"
"Well it'sit's because I'm going somewhere with my mom."
Uni huffed, "Oh come on man, it's your 'mom' just tell her you can't go with her, and that your sick or something. You know, make it up so that she won't feel bad."
Link sighed, "Look Uni, I'm just going to have to sit this one out okay? I'm gonna go with my mom tonight. I mean c'mon man, I always do stuff with you."
"Wait a second? You mean you actually want to go with her?"
"Well…yes, I kinda do!"
"Why?" came Uni's exasperated voice.
"Listen, I don't really feel like talking about it right now, I'll tell you later."
Uni huffed, "Whatever." Then he hung up.
Link's jaw dropped, "I cannot believe this!" He shook his head in disbelief, "geez!"
Later that evening, as Link and his mom were exiting the theater; he caught sight of Uni and some of his other friends. They were hanging out with some girls that Link didn't quite recognize, and Uni was holding one of them around the waist.
Link shook his head, "Stupid Uni."
He felt his mom suddenly nudge his arm, "Hey is that Uni?" Link nodded and she continued, "Well, who is that girl? Isn't he going out with Nabooru?"
"I don't know who that other girl is, but, yes mom, he is going out with Nabooru."
His mom's eyes widened and she shook her head, "oh dear!"
Link smiled slightly, "Let's just go."
As they walked out to the car, Link, out of the corner of his eye saw Uni kissing the girl he had with him. Link closed his eyes, 'poor Nabooru.' Then he got into his car and drove off down the road, deep in thought.
'I can't believe he's doing this to her!' He sighed, 'well, what am I blaming him for? I would have done the same thing if it wasn't for Malon. I would be with him right now and not even be thinking about what I was doing.' He sadly shook his head, 'How could I not have realized what kind of person I was sooner?'
"Link?" his mom's voice suddenly brought him out of his train of thoughts, "Yes mom?"
"You should tell her."
His eyes widened, "tell her?"
She nodded, "Yes Link, Nabooru should know."
He shook his head, "I can't mom, Uni would never speak to me again!'
"So you're just going to let this go? You're just going to let him keep on doing this to Nabooru?"
"Well, what can I Do? I shouldn't have to be the one to tell her!"
His mom shook her head, "Yes you are the one to tell her, because you're the only one who's seen it! Uni's not going to do it, I can guarantee that! It is your responsibility!"
"Well what if I don't want that responsibility?"
"Link, it would be so selfish of you not to."
"Why?" he asked exasperated.
"Because, you're afraid of losing Uni, but you're not thinking about Nabooru, you're only thinking about yourself, and what would be the consequences for you."
Link caught his breath, 'she's right!' he thought, 'but I don't want to lose Uni, he's a good friend.'
"Link?"
"Yes?"
"Isn't Nabooru you're friend?"
He nodded, "Yes"
"Would you really lose that much if you told her?"
"Well, yes, because Uni's a good friend of mine, I wouldn't want to lose such a good friendship!" even though he 'was' still pretty upset with Uni for the way he had acted on the phone with him earlier.
"Link, do you really want a friendship like that? With a friend who does that to his own girlfriend?"
'I have to do this!' he thought, If I want to change, I have to do this! Malon's worth it!' He sighed, 'It will be hard though.'
Link slowly shook his head, "No, you're right, I should tell her." He closed his eyes briefly, "I will tell her mom."
She smiled, "I'm really proud of you Link."
His face brightened up; know one had ever said that to him before. He hadn't deserved it before. "Thanks mom." He said gratefully.
They drove up to the house and parked inside the garage. Link looked at his watch and sighed, "It's already 12:30, we had better go get some sleep." His mom nodded and he followed her into the house.
"Good night!" he stifled through a yawn.
She patted his back, "goodnight son."
Then he walked up the stairs and into his room. He slowly got dressed and climbed underneath his comforter.
As he fell asleep, he was still thinking about what he had to do on Monday, 'This is harder than thought, but I have to do this. For Malon, she's the reason I have to change.'
He smiled sweetly, "Malon…" he murmured, as he slowly drifted off to sleep, thinking of her. He thought of her smile, and he thought of her words. Not how they pained him, but how they had helped him start to become a better person.
