Red Dead Redemption 2 and it's characters are owned by Rockstar Games.
Monday, August 25th, 1997, Blackwater, West Elizabeth. 7:20 A.M.
As John Marston sat on the school bus to Blackwater High School, he was about to start his senior year of high school. He was about to start it without his older brother, Arthur Morgan, who was accepted to Lemoyne State University. Arthur was about to start his freshmen year at LMSU and John felt alone. It didn't help that John was having a hard time at home as he was constantly arguing with his parents, Dutch Van Der Linde and Hosea Matthews, because he was arrested along with his best friend, Javier Escuella, for possession of pot the previous week before school started. He was also in a long-term relationship with his girlfriend, Abigail Roberts, and it also didn't help that her parents didn't like him all that much and the future of his relationship with her was in doubt. But today was his first day of his senior year of high school. And he figured on how things could get worse than they already are. As he gets off the bus, he notices how much he hates this school and how goddamn filthy it looks. It was an inner-city school alright.
All John could think about at the moment was seeing his friends, Javier, Charles Smith, and Eagle Flies and telling them how shitty his summer was. Every year, before their first class, all four of them would sit outside where they eat lunch and smoke a cigarette before going apart for their individual classes.
"So, who'd you get for Geography this year?" Charles asked.
"I got that creepy fucking Austrian dude, what's his name…. Strauss, right? He's weird man. How's that protest you and Eagle Flies are planning?" John asks.
"All should go well this Friday if the Principal doesn't catch wind of this." Charles said.
"How are things going with you and Abigail man? She told me that you and her parents didn't get on well at all?" Javier asks.
"Yeah… she told me when we were talking last night that she overheard on how they don't want us to see each other anymore." John retorted.
"That's weird man. I've never seen you so happy than you are with her." Eagle Flies responded as he took a drag from his cigarette.
The school bell then rang. The four of them went their separate ways as they thought to themselves that this is their last year of hell and they can finally leave this shithole.
8:50 A.M.
As an hour and a half went by, in second period all John could think about is how he expected his first day to vs. how it turns out. John was in the middle of Geometry as he was asleep and thought about how he was going to make Abigail's parents like him better. She was in that class, as it was the only class they have during this semester together. She noticed that he was sleeping. To her, John truly did make her happy despite what her parents think of him. John was the first guy she dated that didn't think negatively about her feminist ideals. He thought, like Abigail, that they're should be equal opportunities for both men and women in the world. John was also the first guy she dated that didn't like her just for her beauty, he knew deep down that they had the same feelings about how their parents treated them.
In John's case, him and Arthur's dad didn't give a fuck about him and Arthur. He especially hated his biological father because of the fact that he drink like a goddamn fish and hit him and Arthur for every little thing they did wrong. When John's mom divorced her husband and remarried to the stepfather he has now. Their stepdad clearly cared more about Arthur and John's well being than their biological dad did. Their mom was fucking Donna Reed compared to their dad. She may have not been the best mother compared to their dad, but she really did care for her son's well beings and that's why both Arthur and John cared more about their mother.
In Abigail's case, she resents her parents because she wasn't because of low expectations. She resents her parents because they didn't care for what she did. It was always about themselves and their priorities first. That was the main reason why she was mad that they didn't like John. Because he wasn't their ideal pick for a boyfriend for Abigail. She felt like since she wasn't Barbie and she didn't have her ideal Ken for her parents to like. And that broke Abigail's heart deep down inside because she felt like her parents never truly cared for her.
That's why they found solace in each other, because they both had the same view-points on their parents, they truly cared about each other, and it helped that they had the same taste in music and movies.
The bell then rang again.
11:45 A.M.
The four boys then decided to skip lunch at school and ditch the whole day anyways and go eat at Denny's, which was their usual hangout spot. They brought their mutual friend, Sean Maguire, along because even though they didn't care for him, they deep down thought of him as a friend. John brought Abigail with him since they all didn't really care for their school's food anyways. They had coffee and talked for awhile, Abigail decided to ask John something.
"John, I need to ask you something." Abigail said.
"What is it, darling?" John responded.
"I need to ask you alone." She said.
The others left the booth for a second to go flirt with the waitresses while John and Abigail were at their booth alone for a second.
"What's the important issue, darling?" John curiously asked.
"I'm concerned about my parents John." Abigail said.
"What's so concerning about that? It's been pretty made clear that they don't like me." John said.
"I know but I want them to like you. So, while you were asleep in Geometry class earlier, I thought about all four of us… you, me, and my parents going to dinner? How does that sound?" she said.
"I don't know Abigail. I'm not good with parents though. I mean Javier's parents didn't like me at first because I wore Doc Martens."
"It's true!" Javier yelled from the counter he was sitting at.
"Come on John Marston, I really wish you'd agree with me on this." Abigail implored.
"Ok firstly, please don't use my full name, I've told you about that before. And secondly, I know your parents still won't approve me because they think of me as this grungy James Dean. Which I am not at all. I've always thought of myself as a talentless Eddie Vedder." John said.
"John please, just please come over this Saturday and be social with my family. If you do, I'll give you a surprise." Abigail flirtly said.
"What surprise?" John said as she whispered something dirty in his ear.
"Goddamnit I love it when you talk all dirty to me." John said while blushing.
Later that day…
When John came home that afternoon, all he could think about was how he had to impress Abigail's parents. In a way, he always wondered why Abigail put up with him. He knew she loved him, but John always had his insecurities with himself in their relationship. Abigail also had her own insecurities too in her relationship. But they always put that aside despite how insecure they felt about themselves. John thought to himself, how am I going to impress Abigail's parents? He then called up his brother Arthur and asked what he'd do.
"Hello?" Arthur asked.
"Hey, it's John. I need to ask you something." John said.
"Anything man." Arthur responded.
"So I'm having a hard time trying to figure out how to impress Abigail's parents because last time we met, it didn't go over so well. They have their doubts about me and might break us up. How did you get yourself to win over Mary's family before she called off the wedding between you two?" John asked his older brother.
"I don't know what to tell you John. You're gonna have to figure this out for yourself. I'm sorry I can't help you, brother. All I'll say is that you must watch college football with her dad. It's how I was able to get along with Mary's dad." Arthur said.
"Thanks. How'd your first day go man?" John asked.
"Pain in the fucking ass. I underestimated what I was getting into with the money I spent on tuition." Arthur said.
"Damn. I am not looking forward to college then." John said.
They talked for a little while before John got a call from Javier.
"Hey man. What is it?" John asked.
"Nothing man. I was wondering if you wanted to come over to my place and smoke a bowl if you want?" Javier asked.
"You know me man. I'm always down to smoking weed." John said.
"Cool. And I'm asking 'cause I might be able to help you with that whole parent problem with Abigail." Javier said.
"How so?" John asked curiously.
"You remember Karen Jones? That girl that Sean used to date?" Javier said.
"Yeah. I remember. Why?" John asked.
"Well her and Sean are back together. You know the whole Sam and Diane bullshit. I was telling her about your problems and she offered to help you out with how to impress Abigail's parents." Javier explained.
"Thanks man. I feel like that could really help – Wait… how did Sean get back together with Karen?" John questioned.
"I don't fucking know man. Long story I guess." Javier said.
"I'm not even gonna bother why. I'll be over in about 10 minutes. I thought I'd go up to gas station and get us some munchies for after we smoke a bowl." John explained.
"Nice man. See you then." Javier said.