Chapter 17

The next afternoon I drove to the hospital after school to pick up Dad before Harvey and I decided to met up with Stan. Driving everywhere was pretty relaxing and a great sense of independence for me. Dad was sitting in the passenger seat looking through his take home care papers.

"So...your Mom called last night said you had an attack at school. The nurse said you had a seizure?"

"Yeah."

"Bryan, where were your snacks? How many times have I told you, keep them close in your backpack. We didn't buy them just sit in your locker."

"Why are you lecturing me? It was a freak accident. A mistake Dad."

"Yeah but you've had one too many attacks in the past two to three years Bry! It's not good on your body or your brain! You could have serious complications from it if you don't take care of yourself!"

"Like you?!"

Suddenly I was arguing with Dad.

"Because you've had your share of attacks too, and you've made mistakes. No...they're not mistakes. These things happen Dad. We can't be on top of everything all the time, especially when you're my age and you have a lot more going on besides acne or girl trouble."

"You're right...I'm sorry son. It's the medicine talking. I'm reflecting my own guilt onto you."

"What guilt Dad?"

"That you're right. This is just our life Bryan. Things slip our minds, we lose control and track of everything. Our family is different. We do go through some pretty abnormal things. I just...When you helped me...I...I knew then my kidney wasn't working right...and I knew you'd have to take care of me..."

"I'll always be here to take care of you Dad."

"Thank you, and son I love you; but I'm the father. I feel guilty because I'm the one that's supposed to take care of you."

I sighed heavily and turned down our street. I clicked the turn signal off, and then parked the car in our driveway.

"Dad...all these years you have taken care of me. Look at me, I wouldn't be the man I am today without you. Mom says I'm like your twin or your copy. You've had a strong influence on me ever since I was born Dad. If I had an attack who helped me first? Dad. If I had problems in school who gave me advice? Dad. If I had a question about my body or about girls who did I come too? Dad. Who taught me how to drive? Dad. Who taught me how to treat a woman? Dad. Who taught me that despite my own health concerns, and my own problems I can do anything? Dad. Dad you taught me how to be a hero. You're the greatest hero I've ever known."

Dad was crying. He hardly cried in front of me.

"And it's time I give a little of all you've done for me back to you. Dad...I...I love you so much."

I then reached over to him and hugged him. He held on tight to me and stroked the back of my head. I heard him sniffle and cry softly into the top of my head.

"I love you too..." He whispered in between sobs. "I love you too."

I began to cry myself. He just held me, like he did when I was a little boy. It felt the same as it did then. His touch was warm and gentle as it was when I was a baby. I was taken back to those memories. I remembered being a toddler. I'd wait everyday to hear the sound of Dad's truck. I'd wait to see him every afternoon just to get a hug like this one. I had a small fraction of a memory of him beating up some guy and saving me. I remember his kidney transplant. He couldn't hold me for a while and I cried about it. Over the years we've hugged, but he hasn't held me like this in quite sometime. I don't even remember the last time I felt Dad's warmth like this. We were both crying but we were happy, and at peace. We waited until we were all cried out before we went inside the house. We didn't want Mom to notice.

It was then I picked up Harvey. We were meeting Stan in the parking lot of Mr. Smoothy. Harvey and I each got a smoothie while we waited for him to show.

"Yeah that attack was bad Bry."

"I've had worse. So you said he actually carried me?"

"Oh yeah. According to Rosie he just came by and scooped you up."

"Hm..."

"He must want something Bryan."

"Yeah I know. And the nerve of that guy to call himself my friend."

"I mean he did help get you to the nurse faster."

I looked sternly at him.

"Hey I'm just saying."

"That makes it worse. I can't stand him, yet I have to thank him. I owe him now."

"Maybe not, he could have just helped you out, out of the goodness of his heart."

We looked at each other.

"Nah!" We said at the same time.

A car pulled up. It was Stan.

"There he is."

I got out first, followed by Harvey. Stan actually waved at us.

"Hey guys!"

"Cut the crap Stan, what do you want?" Harvey asked.

"I...okay I'm...I'm sorry alright. I know I'm always picking on you, I know I've put you through a lot of hell, and I know you don't like me very much-"

"Uh we hate you." Harvey intervened.

"Yeah well...I want to change. I'm graduating this year and I really want to learn from my mistakes. I want...Bryan I want to be apart of Isa's life. Her and the baby's."

"Stan...You can't just apologize and think we're going to forgive you just like that."

"I know. But I'll give you time. Whatever you want me to do I'll do it. My Dad says I can work with him down at the gas station while I pay for college. I'll be around for you. Even you Harvey and Rosie. Even Lola. I want to mend everything."

I looked at Harvey. Harvey sighed. I looked back at Stan. I thought about the talk I had with Dad before I came.

"Getting yourself together is a start, but do you even know the first thing about being a father?"

"Well I-"

"Being a father is bigger than yourself. It's about you pushing your own personal issues to the side and only focusing on your kid. It's about their happiness not yours. It's about showing them how to be a good person through example, not through advice. And above all, loving them more than you hate yourself for any mistakes you've ever made. Your life should fail in comparison to the life you breathe into your baby. That's a father."

Stan looked down, then met my eyes again.

"I want to try."

"You can't try Stan. You can't try to be a father, you either are or you're not."

"I am. I am Bryan! I want to love and care for the baby and Isa. But not only them, the two of you. Rosie! And every life I come across. That's the way life should be and that's how it should have been from the beginning. I know no amount of apologies will fix everything. You don't even have to forgive me. I wouldn't forgive me! But I'm still gonna be around to help and care for everyone. It's not a put on! I want to do it!"

I held me head and looked into his mind. I gasped and looked at Harvey.

"Bry?!"

"Oh here!" Stan suddenly shouted. He then reached into his pocket and took out a chocolate bar. Harvey glared at him.

"For his sugar...you know, I carry candy with me now in case he-"

"He doesn't need candy. He had a vision."

"Oh right...his mind powers...I...well I..."

"It wasn't a vision I read his mind Harvey...He's sincere and he's telling the truth."

Stan nodded.

"Okay...I still don't like it...or you Stan, but if Bryan says you're cool I guess-"

"Thanks you guys! You won't regret a thing, I promise!

Stan grabbed Harvey and hugged him.

"You're real pals!"

"Yeah real pals let go!" Harvey squirmed. I didn't mean to but I laughed. Stan laughed with me. Harvey was the only one not laughing.

"Seriously let me go! It's not funny!"

Stan rubbed Harvey's hair messing it up.

"Okay Uncle! Uncle! Help!"

Stan and I just laughed harder.

Friday finally came, the last day of the first week back at school. We had a pep rally in the gym for the start of the school year. I was sitting with Harvey, Lola, Rosie, and to my surprise Stan. I watched him go down the bleachers to talk to Isa. She was still on the cheerleading team but was having to sit out during the more elaborate stunt work. He treated my sister like a Queen day in and day out. My baby sister was happy. Truly happy. She told Stan all about her plan to take their baby to Kaiser. Stan didn't fully understand the details, but he was willing to go along with Isa's desires. He wanted her to be happy, her and the baby. She smiled brighter than ever. I don't know if it was love between her and Stan, but there was definitely a spark there. She got interested in fashion again, and was leaning toward a career in it. Meanwhile my other sister Anna was working towards a music scholarship for BWU's Music Appreciation Program. She wanted to become a choir director. As for Mira she wanted a sports scholarship but was having trouble figuring out which sport she liked best. They still had a ways to decide. Anna and Mira also found love. Anna's dating a guy named Garrett. He's in the band, and Mira's dating a guy named Colton. He's on the Jr. High boys basketball team. Now that they were only a hall down from me at school I could keep my eye on them better.

Mom and Dad seem to be growing closer again since Dad got out of the hospital. By that I mean they've always been so focused on us kids that they lost a little bit of spark in their marriage, but they're slowly getting back to it. The band was roaring, the cheerleaders were chanting and everyone was having a good time. I smiled and looked at Rosie. She smiled back.

Principal Don stepped onto the gym floor with a microphone.

"Settle down now, settle down! I have an important announcement. As of this year, this is my last year here at Bellwood. I'm retiring next fall."

There were some cheers but mostly boos. He had been a great Principal and no one wanted to see him go.

"I know some of your hearts are torn, but I'd like to introduce my replacement and your assistant principal this year Mrs. Sierra Stacy.

A woman with long curly honey brown hair stepped up next to him. She had been standing behind him all this time. Of course Harvey and I knew her. She was best friends with our moms and she was my second cousin on my Dad's side. She was married to a man named Matthew Stacy shortly after my sisters were born. She had on a grey pant suit with a green blouse and black heels.

"Thank you Principal Don! You all may call me Mrs. Stacy. I look forward to being your Principal as a Bellwood High alumni. Go Panthers!"

We all clapped and cheered.

"Thank you Mrs. Stacy, now on with the pep rally!"

The gym grew loud with screams. Rosie pulled at my jacket. I looked at her and she urged me to follow her. We left Harvey and Lola in the stands and traveled down the steps to the gym floor. The cheerleaders and some of our teachers took part in a game called The Tricycle Race. An obstacle course was laid out on the floor for riders to go through. Who doesn't like to watch administrators, teachers or soccer players try to ride a tiny trike? Rosie took my hand and lead me out of the gym. I didn't get to see who was on whose team. With everyone in the gym the hallways were quiet.

"What's up Rosie?"

"I thought we could get some alone time."

I smiled as I leaned in to kiss her.

"I'd like that." I pecked her lips. "What did you have in mind?"

"Come with me."

She took me down the hall. We skipped past the 7th grade hall.

"Where are we going?"

"You'll see."

We left the building and crossed the parking to get to the grades K-6th building. I followed her into the cafeteria. The cafeteria there used to be the old auditorium. There was a large stage at the end of the room; with a large inflatable dome on the stage.

"The younger kids are learning about space."

"Yeah."

She crawled through the opening to get inside the dome, that could hold at least 90 students and teachers.

"They call it Sky Planetarium." I heard her say as I crawled.

"You can project stars and other planets onto the surface of the dome screen."

As she said it we reached the middle and there on the ceiling were numerous stars.

"Wow..." I breathed.

She smiled and pointed.

"And there's Xenon."

I looked at her.

"And there's Xenon..." I repeated. We slowly kissed. The stars illuminated our faces. We laid next to each other underneath the array of the galaxies.

"Rosie?"

"Yeah? When I graduate...are we going back to Xenon immediately?"

"No."

"After college then?"

"No."

"Then when?"

"Well someday but only for a visit. I can teleport so we can come and go whenever we want."

"But Rosie it's your home."

"I know and it'll always be my home, but...I told you Bryan, home to me is where ever you are. Your entire family is here, and I'll be apart of that family someday. We stay here on Earth Bry, this is our home. This is the planet that gave me hope...a friend...and a lover. I never want to leave that."

"Seriously, I thought we'd go back to your planet as King and Queen."

"We still can. We're King and Queen of Xenon no matter where we live Bry, but I want to spend the rest of my days just being Bryan and Rosie."

"You really mean that?"

"I wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it. Daddy will probably go back home at some point through. Xenon was his childhood, he's happiness. Earth is my happiness, and like I said we can go anytime. We'll have two homes Bry. Three if you count Galia. It's our life Bry and we have the freedom to go where we want. Endless opportunities for the man I love endlessly."

She kissed the side of my head. I just blushed and held her hand. Earth or Xenon it was us forever, but I was so relieved to know she wanted to stay on Earth. My family will be thrilled, especially Mom.