Everyone was shocked when I came to school, a month later with a silly grin on my face and joking around with the guy I nearly killed. They were surprised as it was that X-Ray didn't press charges and I didn't get expelled - X-Ray convinced the principal that it was mostly his fault - but when beating someone up miraculously made us best friends again made a lot of people wonder.
That one month suspension was actually pretty great because I got to spend it with my family. It was hard, of course, but El and I were slowly getting the hang of this parenting thing with the help of our friends. They weren't lying when they said that they'd be there for me. Zigzag and Twitch even demonstrated their freakishly good carpentry skills and built a crib for Joy that looked like D-tent, except it didn't smell half as bad and it had a J on the front instead of D.
Emily basically gave us all her stuff and left for Canada. El and Emily were still in touch but I hadn't spoken to her since I watched her take a cab to the nearest airport.
So we spent a single month being woken by cries, changing diapers, and spending late nights rocking a baby to sleep but it was all worth it. Once my suspension was up, I gave a long kiss to El, a hug and kiss to Joy, and walked to Hinder Park to get picked up. We drove to school, laughing about all the crazy shit that's happened in our lives while we weren't friends, and when I got to school, I was greeted by Armpit, Magnet and many, many stares.
"Squid, man, how's Joy?" Armpit asked, giving me a bro hug. When he mentioned my daughters name, I got that stupid look on my face that I always get when I talk about her. I can't help it! I'm just so happy and proud and I can't contain myself.
"She's really great. Crying a lot, but it's been nice." I answered and all the guys started laughing and teasing me that I was a softie now.
"Okay, guys, I think I finally have the perfect name for her." Zigzag stepped in and we all groaned. For the past month, he had been trying to come up with the perfect nickname for Joy and they had all been horrible: Zigzag Jr., Barfbag Jr., Whiner, Seafood, Starfish, Sack, Jam, Vomit Machine, PeeWee, Urine, and my personal favorite, Pendanski. "Lobster." Zigzag added to the list.
"Why would you ever want to name a newborn baby, lobster?" Magnet laughed and Zigzag looked at us all seriously.
"I was thinking, and if you gave Joy little claw things and a red shell, then she'd kind of look like a lobster."
"If you gave anything claws and a shell then it'd look like a lobster."
"Not a giraffe."
"We're not naming my daughter Lobster." I decided and Zigzag sighed, pulling out a sharpie and crossing out the word Lobster on his arm.
"Well what about Betta? After Magnet's fish who ate each other?"
My phone started vibrating in my pocket and I checked the caller ID to see it was Jack. "Guys, I got to take this, it's my boss."
"Hello?" I answered just as the bell rang. I waved the guys off.
Great, I'd be late to class on my first day back. "Squid - Alan - we need to talk." My gut dropped at his words and tone as he continued. "You must have noticed that for the past few months, I've been more distant at work."
"Yes." My mouth was dry with fear.
"Well, the reason is that I'm starting my own business. It's a record label where young artists can go to get their music career started. I already have a lease on the building and some possible music talent. Now, you've been my hardest working employee I've ever known in the five years I've been working and you're already one of my closest friends. So Squid, I'm asking you to take a risk and be the co-owner of my business."
I was frozen. Record label? Co-owner?
"O-O-of course." I stuttered. "Where? When? Who-"
"I can give you all the fine details later but the only thing you need to know right now is where... Squid, it's in New York."
New York. That's a long ways away from this small town in Texas... A long ways away from my friends and the people I grew up with, from school, from Hinder Park... from El.
"I- I can't. We just had our baby and I can't do that to El so suddenly." I sighed and rubbed the bridge of my nose. This was the hardest decision I ever had to make but right now wasn't the time to be selfish. I had a baby and a girlfriend and people who need me. I can't just up and leave when everything is starting to settle down.
"Think about it, Squid. The offer still stands." Jack ended and the line went dead. I sighed in frustration as shut off my phone. If I stayed, I would still have the same old job with the same pay, but I'd get to stay with my friends and family. If I left, there's a chance this whole thing blows to shit and I end up with nothing. But there was also the chance that the label works and I can create a stable place for Joy...
Go to class and worry about it later. I told myself and grabbed my stuff from my locker before I headed down to the math room. I was already about twenty minutes late and mixed in with the fact that Poulterhanst has hated me from the start, she was not a happy camper when I walked into the room. "It's nice of you to finally join us, Alan." she sneered.
"My boss called. It was an emergency." I muttered and simply made my way to my desk. When I was almost there, Miss. Poulterhanst just had to open her mouth. "Alan, you're not sitting so close to dear Rex. We don't want you to have another 'episode'"
She made it sound like I had constant temper tantrums! I mean, I've only beat up like... three or so people this year. And I'm counting the football team as one.
"Then where do I sit?" I snapped and motioned to every other full desk. Miss. Poulterhanst pointed to a small table at the front of the room, right next to her desk.You have to be kidding me...
I didn't say anything and simply grinded my teeth together and made my way to the table. "Oh, and Alan?"
I looked up at the teacher.
"Detention for the next two weeks."
"What?" I roared, slamming my books on the desk. "What'd I do?"
"You were twenty minutes late to my class." she sneered. "Don't argue with me, Mr. Smith."
I glanced at X-Ray and Caveman and they were both looking at me sympathetically. They knew that she was being unfair but there was nothing they could do about it. I was on her bad side and unless they wanted weeks of detention and bad grades, they couldn't say anything.
"Now, who did their homework?" Everyone raised their hands except for me and Poulterhanst gave me a dirty look. "Alan, that's another week added onto your detention."
"I wasn't even here all month though! How was I supposed to know what's for homework?" I yelped and she rolled her eyes before continuing to glare at me.
"Do I have to add another week?"
"This is bullshit." I muttered and Miss. Poulterhanst turned back to her class, pretending not to hear me. "Motherfucking bull."
For about fifteen more minutes, everything was going good with a few times Miss. Poulterhanst would make unfair comments or threaten to add more time onto my detention when I literally did nothing. That is, until Derrick Dunne walked in.
"Derrick, you're over forty-five minutes late!" Miss. Poulterhanst roared and I smirked. Finally someone other than me was going to be punished!
"Yeah, me and my friends lost track of time." Derrick shrugged. You could clearly see the lipstick and hickey's covering his face and neck. By friends, he probably meant some random skank in the girl's restroom.
"That's fine, Derrick, just don't do it again."
Don't do it again.
Don't do it again?
"What the fuck?!" I snapped, standing up. "That asshole's almost an hour late because he's fucking some chick in the bathroom stall, but when I'm twenty minutes late with an actual reason, I get three weeks detention?"
"I'm not comparing your cases, Alan." Miss. Poulterhanst answered coolly. "We both know that you don't actually have a job or a boss. You lied and Derrick didn't and that's the reason you have detention."
"I didn't lie." I seethed. "I can't be late to work every day because some teacher is being unfair. I have people relying on me."
"Let's be honest, Alan." Miss. Poulter hanst snapped, her arms crossing over her chest as she glared at me. "You've been arrested. You're repeating grade twelve and not even a month ago, you mercilessly attacked another classmate. You don't deserve to be treated like a civilian. You deserve to be treated exactly like what you are. A criminal."
Everyone just stared at the teacher in shock. I stared. X-Ray stared. Derrick Dunne stared. We all just stared.
Finally, I grabbed my backpack and slung it over my shoulder. I picked up my books and calmly headed to the door.
"Where do you think you're doing?" Miss. Poulterhanst called.
"Leaving. I'm done."
"You can't just leave!"
"Watch me."
Once in the hall, I whipped out my phone and dialled Jack's number. He picked up after the first ring. I didn't even let him say hello, I just said "I'm in. I'll move to New York." and then I hung up.
I started clearing out my locker when all of D-tent appeared. They were all talking a mile a minute about what just happened and apparently Caveman and X-Ray had both walked after me, flipping Poulterhanst off on the way. Caveman even punched Derrick Dunne in the face for good measure.
"What are you doing now?"
"Are you actually leaving us?"
"But Zero isn't here to convince you to stay!"
"Guys!" I cut them all off as I looked down. "I have some news... I'm leaving."
"Well, yeah, we know that." Armpit smirked, "You're dropping out."
"No, Pit." X-Ray interrupted, "He doesn't mean just dropping out. He means he's leaving for good."
There was only silence as I tried to explain. "I got a job offer in New York and I'm taking it. I'll be the co-owner of a record label."
"New York... wow." Twitch said and I sighed, looking away. "That's a long ways away."
"At first I said no but after that whole fiasco, I know it's the right thing to do." I explained and Zigzag's eyes hardened.
"For who? Stop being so damn selfish, Squid! You know that's not the right thing to do because your life is here with us and-" Zigzag started.
"DO YOU NOT THINK I'VE THOUGHT ABOUT THAT?" I yelled, cutting him off as Ziggy stared at me with a shocked expression. "Look, Zig, I won't be leaving for a while and trust me, I don't want to leave you guys but I have Joy to think about... If I stay here, chances are I'll keep working the same crappy job my entire life and I'm not going to do that to her."
"I lived in a trailer park my entire life because my mom couldn't keep a job. I had ramen noodles and Pop Tarts for every meal and I couldn't afford to get new clothes or toys. My life has always been about getting money and getting out of this horrible place my mother put me in. I can't do that to Joy. I can't hurt her like that and make her do things because her parents weren't smart enough to get a real job." I told them as I stared straight into Zigzag's cold eyes. "And now this opportunity has come up and it's the hardest decision I've ever had to make but I have to take it. I have to take it for Joy."
"Pearl."
I stared at Zigzag. "What are you talking about?"
"The squid from Finding Nemo's name is Pearl. Joy's name is Pearl." Zigzag explained and a slow smile crossed my face.
"Pearl." I repeated.
"Don't forget us in NYC, man." Magnet said, slapping me on the shoulder.
"How could I forget you group of assholes?" I laughed but inside, it felt like a huge part of me was missing. I still had a while before I left but these guys, they were my brothers and right when I got them back, I was leaving them again.
"You better buy me one nice car with all that money you'll be making." Twitch joked, punching me lightly on the arm. "Jaguar, Corvette, I'm good with anything."
"Yeah, try mini-van" I scoffed and his face fell.
"It's going to be weird man." Caveman started, "You're the brother I never had and none of the guys threaten to break my jaw like you do." We all laughed at that one because let's face it, if Zero tried threatening Stanley, we'd all just call it cute and pat him on the head.
Armpit was next. He opened his mouth to say something but closed it and just wrapped me up in a bear hug. For once, I dropped my pride and hugged him back as the other guys joined in and we just stood there for a minute, in this giant group hug. Finally, we pulled away and I turned to X-Ray. He was the last one.
"I, uh, want you to have this." X-Ray dropped something in the palm of my hand and I brought it closer to inspect it. "It was my mom's before she died and I know you'll put it to good use."
Staring at the small object in my hands, I felt my eyes tear up but I blinked them back as I looked up at my brother. He was looking down but I could see the tears running down his nose and dropping to the ground. "Th-thanks X-Ray."
"Rex." he corrected. "My name is Rex."
"Rex then. I guess I have to go tell El the news." I said, running my hand through my hair. "We'll all get together tomorrow, Zero too."
"Yeah, for sure. " Rex agreed as I started walking away. "Have a nice life, Alan."
"You too, Rex."
"El?" I called, opening the front door. El was sitting on the couch, Joy in her arms as she rocked our baby girl.
"Squid-"
"No." I interrupted. "I'm done being Squid. My name is Alan."
"What's going on?" El asked as she rushed to Joy's bed and carefully set her down. "Why are you home so early? What happened?"
"I dropped out." I answered quickly and shushed El as she tried to say something. "Please, I love you, so please just listen to me. Jack called and he's opening a record label in New York and I'm going with him."
"What! We have a kid-"
"But I can't live with out you." I cut her off. "El, I love you and I'm not leaving without you. If you don't come, I don't go. But before you say no, I want to let you know that I'm doing this for you. I want you to be the kind of girl who doesn't have to work a day in your life. I want Joy to be the kind of kid who actually gets presents for Christmas and live in a house where you don't have to lock your doors when you leave. I want that for us. So please, please, say yes."
"You're asking me to uproot my entire life to travel to another state for something that may or may not even work out?" El's voice raised with every word and my stomach dropped. She paused before her face softened. "You're fucking lucky that you are my entire life or I wouldn't be agreeing to this."
"So is that a yes?" I asked hopefully and she nodded. I grabbed her by the waist and spun her around before stopping suddenly. "Actually, there's one last thing I need you to agree to."
"What is it now?" El sighed as I pulled away. Her eyes widened as I dropped on one knee and pulled out Rex's ring.
"Marry me?"
Ta daa! That's it. It's over. I'll have an epilogue up and an acknowledgements but other than that, this is completely over. PLEASE review! I'd love for this to reach 50 but I know that's a little unrealistic if I only have an epilogue and acknowledgements left to post.