Chapter 187
Before anyone knew it, it was summer. It was a small class at the Tribal school but whether they had people walking or not, most of the tribe was present for the graduation. They were all in the gymnasium with the graduating class sitting in rows facing a stage while the parents and everyone else in attendance were in the bleachers or standing near the back of the gym watching the procession. Tristan and Lilliana were in the bleachers with the rest of the immediate family while Boris, Illyana and Sergei were seated up front. Lee was one of the first students to be called to collect his diploma from Renesmee who congratulated him with a smile and wished him luck in his academic and sporting pursuits.
After the graduation ceremony, Tristan and Lilliana ran up to Lee to congratulate him and then all the students, parents and other members of the tribe gathered by the beach for a celebratory cookout. The graduation was the first time in a while that Tristan and Lee were seeing one another so the two of them were nearly inseparable the entire time. Lee wasn't talking much to Lilliana which dampened her spirits and eventually she walked away to talk to other family members.
"Did you do something to Lilli?" Tristan asked when Lilliana had walked away.
"No!" Lee said, surprised by the question. "No, I haven't done anything. Hell, I haven't seen her since last you and I hung out."
"Okay – so why are you not talking to her?" Tristan pressed and Lee sighed a little.
"Look, dude, I don't know how else to tell you this, but….I think I like her. All things considered, I've been trying to take a step back, focus on school, work and practice and just get through the year without incident," Lee admitted.
"So you're avoiding her," Tristan said and all Lee could do was shrug and take a bite of his hot dog. "I know I said you can't date my sister but if you're serious about her then I can let it slide. She still likes you."
"She does?" Lee asked.
"Yeah, she does. She likes you a lot in fact," Tristan said. "All I'm saying is you don't have to avoid her and if you decide you want to pursue her, it won't ruin our friendship." Lee thought about it for a moment looking around for Lilliana. He finally caught sight of her talking to a few of her cousins and she laughed at something one of them said. "That doesn't mean ogling her while I'm literally sitting right in front of you."
"Sorry," Lee said as he averted his eyes and stared at the pebbles on the beach. "I'm leaving for Michigan in a few weeks. It wouldn't be right to start anything with her now."
"Sure you two would have to make long distance work but if you really like her and she likes you, it's worth giving it a try at least. Wouldn't you say?" Tristan said.
"No," Lee said as he gently shook his head, "it wouldn't be fair to her or to me. It's better if I leave her be." Tristan was quiet a moment trying to think of something else he could say but Lee was set so all he could do was shrug.
"If that's the way you feel," Tristan said and bit into his cheeseburger.
Several hours later, Tristan and Lilliana joined their parents back to Seattle. Tristan stayed quiet while Lilliana started out the window. Kevin and Amber were talking in the front seat through the whole drive home and when they made it back, Kevin and Amber stayed downstairs together while Tristan and Lilliana returned upstairs. Tristan got into the bathroom first so he could take a shower while Lilliana returned to her room in a fit of frustration. She got in bed lying on her stomach so she could continue reading the latest romance novel she'd purchased. Of course, reading about how Laird Stephan wooed his reluctant bride only served to irritate her more. She put a piece of paper between the pages to hold her spot and grabbed for the least romantic book within arm's reach: Carrie by Stephen King. After a while, there was a knock at her door.
"Lilli, can I come in?" Tristan asked.
"Sure," she said and sat up as Tristan stepped into Lilliana's room. He closed the door behind him and noticed what book Lilliana was reading and nearly laughed.
"I see you're in a sour mood," Tristan said.
"My imprint's not talking to me – of course I'm sour," Lilliana said.
"Don't be that way," Tristan said and sat next to Lilliana on her bed. "Lee likes you too. He's just reluctant to start anything because he's moving to Michigan soon. Just turn on that family charm and you'll have him wrapped around your finger in no time." Lilliana took a deep breath and was thoughtful a moment.
"Maybe Lee's right," she finally said.
"Hey," Tristan said, "everything will work out. How about this: give him some space. He'll go to school and I guarantee you he'll start missing you. In fact, I will bet you $20 when he goes to Michigan, he'll call you before he calls me." Lilliana looked at Tristan and finally smiled offering her hand so they could shake on it.
"You're on," she said.
For Lee, there was virtually no rest. He'd taken the day off for his graduation, but the next day he was working. Boris had signed over the car to him and it was already paid off so he would just need to have the money for gas, insurance and its maintenance once he made the move to Michigan. He also continued Hockey practice with his old team even though it was off season and he technically was no longer part of the team. He needed to keep his skills sharp. From what he'd been told, his first day of Hockey practice would be within the first week of him arriving. He'd barely spoken to Tristan since his graduation but when he finally got a chance to call, Tristan promised it was fine. "Don't even worry about it, dude - I know you're super busy," Tristan had said but Lee still felt bad. He tried to resist, but he couldn't help asking how Lilliana was doing.
"She's fine," Tristan said. "She got herself a job with the local pool as a lifeguard actually."
"Did she?" Lee asked. "How's she liking it?"
"She likes it a lot. She's sad it's only for the summer."
"Is she still working for the retirement home with you?"
"No, she quit when her boss said we were being expected to work through the holiday," Tristan said. "Hell, I almost did too but hey: it's a paycheck."
"You sound like my dad," Lee chuckled.
"I'd offer to let you talk to her but she's at work – I can tell her to call you back if you're free the rest of the day," Tristan offered.
"No, that's fine," Lee said. "I've got work tonight anyway. For what it's worth, my last day at the restaurant is a week before I leave for Michigan so we can do something then."
"Just tell me what we're doing and I'll be there," Tristan agreed.
When Lee and Tristan ended their call, Lee took a quick shower before having to leave for work. Once he'd made it to the restaurant, he punched in at the back entrance then went straight to work helping the tables ready for dinner service while there were still very few early birds. On his last day at the restaurant, a few of the waiters and cooks gave Lee a small going away present they said he'd need for school. It was a giant 4 year planner filled with places to add notes, calendars with extremely large boxes so he could write down events and other useful dates. He returned from the restaurant at midnight and went straight to bed after that sleeping in as long as possible. He waited until evening before calling Tristan so they could set up a date to hang out one more time before he finally left for Michigan. Lilliana was working when Lee made it to their house to hang out with Tristan but she was back before he had to leave.
"You're getting going already?" Lilliana asked Lee as he was leaving just as she was getting back. Seeing Lilliana, Lee got out of his car so the two of them could talk properly.
"Yeah, I've still got a lot to do before I leave," Lee said. "Mom and dad are helping me get packed and dad's insisting on driving again."
"Can't spring the extra cash for a plane?" Lilliana asked teasingly and Lee chuckled.
"You know dad: cheap to the bitter end," Lee said. "So how was your day?"
"No one drowned, so I'd say it's been a day well done," Lilliana joked. "Are you nervous about starting school?"
"Yeah," he admitted. "I've only left Washington twice and both times it was only a week or so."
"You'll have a roommate right?"
"Yeah," Lee said, "no clue who they are yet; hopefully they're not an asshole or something."
"Maybe you'll get an Australian guy like Levi did," Lilliana offered with a humored smile. "Cook and clean for him and you too could be called 'wifey'."
"He calls me that, I'll knock his teeth out," Lee mumbled but Lilliana giggled gently making him laugh a little too. They were quiet for a moment as Lee thought about what else he could say. "So," he began and glanced down at the pavement briefly then back at her, "are you excited for your senior year?"
"Definitely," Lilliana said. "I'm still trying to decide where I want to go to college. Let me know what you think about Michigan U?"
"Sure," Lee smiled. "Tristan tells me he's decided he's not going to college."
"Not if daddy has anything to say about it," Lilliana said. "Daddy's given him so many college applications but they're all collecting dust in his room."
"Yup, I've seen them," Lee said. "It's a shame you guys can hear each other's thoughts when you're wolves. Tristan's complained endlessly about your dad getting on his ass about it."
"No one to blame but himself," Lilliana smiled. She licked her lips anxiously when seconds passed without either of them saying anything. "Well," she finally said, "good luck. Don't be a stranger okay?"
"Wouldn't dream of it," Lee replied and walked a little closer so he could give her a hug. Lilliana squeezed her arms around him never wanting to let go and Lee's embrace tightened in response. He released her after a few minutes that felt like they went by in the blink of an eye.
"Have a safe trip, okay?" Lilliana said.
"I will," Lee smiled and before sitting back into his car added, "Enjoy the rest of your summer. Make sure no one drowns."
Lilliana promised she would with a light giggle and waved goodbye to him as he drove off. She sighed sorrowfully when his car made the turn on the next street and she couldn't see him anymore. She missed him already. When Lee returned to the house, Boris reminded Lee he'd get that night to sleep and in the morning, they were getting down to business. As promised, Boris graciously allowed Lee to sleep in until seven (his words) and the rest of the day was spent getting more things packed. The following day, Illyana took Lee out to shop for some dorm necessities such as a hot plate, a microwave, a mini-fridge and fresh bed sheets to fit the bed in the dorm room. Then came the day Boris and Lee would be driving to Michigan together. Even with Boris driving like a mad man and Lee sleeping in the car rather than them stopping at a hotel, they were still looking at a three day drive.
"You will call as soon as you've arrived in Ann Arbor, right?" Illyana asked as Lee and Boris were packing up the car.
"Yes, mom, I'll call as soon as we get there," Lee promised.
"Try to remember you'll be in a different time zone," Sergei said.
"It's just three hours ahead – it's not that big a deal," Lee responded.
"The moment you're able, look for work," Boris said. "You don't want to blow through your savings with nothing to replenish it."
"I know dad; I'll start looking for work as soon as I'm settled," Lee said.
"And make sure you alert us whenever you have a game and your father and I will be there," Illyana promised and hugged Lee while kissing his head. Then she started rocking him gently as she became visibly sorrowful. "I'm going to miss you," Illyana said.
"Where were these tears when I moved in with Ariel?" Nadeshka teased.
"You and Sergei live in town; you're not far away," Illyana replied and seemed like she'd begin to cry were she able, "my baby boy's moving away."
"Mama," Lee mumbled with embarrassment but kept hugging her. Boris told Illyana in Russian not to baby Lee and that he wasn't a child anymore but Illyana lamented his leaving all the same and made Lee swear he'd call home frequently.
When Boris was finally able to make Illyana release Lee, they got in the car and started the drive for Michigan. Lee was tempted to ask Boris if they could stop by Kevin's house to see if he might be able to say bye to Tristan and Lilliana one more time, but he knew they wouldn't be home. He then briefly considered asking Boris if they could stop by the pool where Lilliana worked but the moment the thought popped into his head, he could already hear Boris scolding him that this wasn't the time to go swimming and there would be no dilly dallying on this trip. Unless Lee was hungry or had to take a piss, they weren't stopping. Thankfully, Lee was able to sleep through the majority of the drive and Boris got them to Michigan in just over 2 days. Once they'd arrived, they went straight to the dormitories where Lee was staying and since it was late in the day and dark out, Boris was able to help get Lee's things moved into his dorm with relative ease. His roommate was already in the room sitting on his bed to the left of the room reading a magazine which he looked up from when Lee entered the room with Boris.
"Hey," his new roommate said.
"Hey," Lee responded and since his roommate returned his attention to his magazine, Lee focused on getting his things moved it and put together. Once everything was inside, Lee went back to the car with Boris to see him off. "Thanks for helping me get my things inside."
"Is no trouble," Boris replied. Then, in an unexpected show of affection, Boris took Lee in his arms in a hug which Lee reciprocated. "Make me proud, Anatoli," Boris said, using his son's full name. "Your mother and I will come for your game, so keep us posted."
"I will, dad," Lee said. Boris released Lee and patted his head gently giving him a light smile before handing him the keys to the car.
"Knock 'em dead kid," Boris said and then finally ran off to return to Washington. Lee smiled a little as his dad ran off and then got in the car to get it parked somewhere else it would be approved. He'd already received a parking pass for his car from the school so he was able to find a decent spot in the dormitory's parking lot and then walked back to his room. When he got back, his new roommate was still sitting in bed reading.
"Hey again," Lee said and his roommate looked up from his magazine.
"All your things moved in?" he asked.
"Yeah, I just need to get my shit organized," Lee replied and walked over offering a hand which his roommate accepted. "Lee Aleyev."
"Don Briggs," he answered. "So you're Russian?"
"Yeah," Lee said then asked jokingly, "What gave it away?"
"Your dad sounds like Boris Badenov for starters," Don smiled and Lee laughed.
"Guess it doesn't help Boris is my dad's real name."
"What's your mom's name?"
"Illyana," Lee answered.
"Shit," Don said, "I was hoping it was Natasha." The two of them laughed a little more and Lee shook his head.
"Sorry to disappoint," Lee said. "By chance, are you on the hockey team?"
"No, I'm not a sports guy," Don said. "I'll go to a baseball game with my dad and brother if there are some beers in it for me but that's about it. I take it you're on the hockey team?"
"Yeah, I'm here on a hockey scholarship," Lee said.
"Nice," Don smiled. "Are you a Michigan native or from out of state?"
"I'm from Washington state; you?"
"Iowa," Don said. "So are you hoping to go pro or something?"
"That's the goal," Lee said. "What about you? What're you studying?"
"History," Don said. "What I'm going to do with that I still haven't decided. My mom was a teacher but teenagers are kind of shitty so I don't know if I want to go down that road."
"Some are, sure," Lee agreed. "I mean, I'm still 18 so I'm no one to talk."
"So am I; no harm in being self aware though," Don said. "So what are you studying?"
"I'm still thinking about it," Lee said. "I've been so focused on going pro that I haven't really thought about what else I could do if that doesn't pan out."
"Not saying you're not good – I'm sure you're great – but you really should have something ready in your back pocket," Don said. "Hell, maybe give history a shot."
"I get enough history from my dad," Lee said with a heavy sigh and Don laughed.
"Did your dad have to go up hill to and from school every day?"
"Fuck," Lee started chuckling a little and said, "My dad's old. Like OLD, old. The Romanovs were still in power when he was born and the Bolsheviks took over before he turned one. Every luxury I have, dad's quick to tell me they didn't have that in Soviet Russia."
"Did they have to use leaves as toilet paper or something?" Don asked jokingly.
"If they did, I'm sure dad would've told me so," Lee laughed. "One time, I came home from school mad the cafeteria had run out of fries before I got there or something and dad says to me, 'When I was your age, if I want food, I have to wait in line for three hours!'" Lee quoted his father in his accent. "'I have to wake up at ass crack of dawn if I want meat and when I go to school, I walk knee deep in snow in subzero temperatures.'"
"Except for waiting in line for food, my dad used to tell me the exact same thing," Don said. "True story: one guy I went to high school with was originally from Malaysia and any time my friend would complain about school, his dad would go on a tirade about having to go to school through jungles, fighting off tigers and claiming chairs and pencils hadn't been invented yet so he had to construct those things when he arrived at school."
"I'm sure my dad would kick himself for not thinking of that himself," Lee laughed.
"Honestly, my eye sight must be worse than I thought. That guy looked really young to be as old as you're saying," Don said and Lee got slightly nervous.
"Do you have glasses?"
"I do – I'm nearsighted. So if I'm reading, I don't need them," Don said, "So if I'm just in bed, I don't bother wearing them."
Lee breathed a small sigh of relief and said, "My dad definitely looks young for his age but make no mistake: he's an old man."
"You said he was less than a year when the Bolsheviks overthrew the Romanovs? So that would make him," Don took a moment to do the math, "62 or 63?"
"Somewhere in there."
"Well shit, dude, your dad's not THAT old," Don said with a laugh. "You had me thinking your dad's 80 or something."
"Okay, I guess my dad's not as old as I'm making him out to be," Lee said, "but the way the man talks, sometimes he seems older."
"I hear ya dude," Don said. "And here I was scared I'd be spending my college days with an air brained meathead."
"Who told you that?" Lee asked.
"The admin told me I was sharing a dorm with a hockey player and I jumped to my own conclusions from there," Don admitted.
"Well, glad I exceeded your expectations," Lee joked.
Now that Lee and Don had broken the ice, they continued to talk while Lee got his things organized on his side of the dorm room. The next day, Lee and Don had breakfast together in the Dorm's mess hall then Lee went to the hockey rink to meet up with his coach and for all the new teammates to be introduced to one another. Then once Lee had a copy of the training schedule as well as his list of classes and their times, he went about trying to find work. He managed to find work at a bar as a busboy allowing him to work nights and weekends when he wasn't in school or at hockey practice leading to a familiar busy schedule that left little room for free time. When he finally got a chance to call home, Boris briefly teased him for taking so long to call but was pleased to hear Lee had found work so quickly and seemed to be able to fall into a good routine. He talked to Illyana as well promising he was doing alright and that no game had been scheduled yet but he promised he'd tell them as soon as a date was set so they could attend. After Lee finished talking to his parents, he was ready to leave the back office of the bar and return to work but he felt an urge to make one more call.
"Lilli," Kevin said after knocking and Lilliana confirming he could come in, "Lee's on the phone. He asked if he could talk to you."
"He is?" Lilliana asked and rushed out of her room going downstairs to pick up the receiver resting on the table. "Lee?"
"Hey," Lee responded when Lilliana spoke, "How're you and Tristan doing?"
"We're good," Lilliana said, "Just enjoying senior year. How're you doing? How're you settling into things?"
"I'm alright," Lee said. "I got myself a job at a sports bar; still just a busboy but maybe once I'm 21 I can start working as a bartender or something."
"Do you even know how to make mix drinks? I was under the impression the only thing worth drinking was a shot of good vodka," Lilliana teased.
"There's plenty of vodka behind the bar I can assure you," Lee chuckled. "Whether it's 'good' vodka I couldn't tell you."
"What about the team? How're you adjusting to it?"
"It's been great," Lee said. "All my teammates are cool and our coach is super tough. We don't have a game scheduled yet but I promised my mom to let them know as soon as that changes. I'd offer for you and Tristan to come but.."
"Yeah, that'll be a hell of a trip," Lilliana agreed, "I wish we could go though. I'll make sure Boris and Illyana let us know how it went."
"Sounds good," Lee said. "Listen, I better get back out there. I've already stayed past my 15 minute break but I'll talk to you and Tristan again soon."
"Okay," Lilliana smiled. "Get back to work you bum." Lee started laughing and she laughed with him.
"Have a good night, Lilli."
"You too," she said and they disconnected.
"He didn't ask to talk to me?" Tristan asked from behind her and Lilliana looked around at him.
"No, he just asked to talk to me," Lilliana answered with a silly smile. Tristan smiled humorously and shrugged.
"Told you so," was all he added then went back upstairs to his room.
Lilliana and Tristan in turn continued working in the midst of getting through their senior year. When the summer was over, Lilliana found another job at a store at the mall while Tristan continued working at the nursing home. Kevin was ever diligent with both children concerning their plans after high school and Tristan's continued insistence he didn't want to go to college remained a point of frustration.
"So Tristan," Kevin asked when the four of them finally had a time when they were all home to have dinner together, "have you taken a look at any colleges?"
"Yeah," Tristan said quietly.
"Have you narrowed down places you'd like to apply?"
"Not really," Tristan said. "I don't know what I'd even study."
"You can study law," Kevin suggested but Tristan was clearly not keen. "What's wrong with law?"
"I don't want to be a lawyer," Tristan said.
"What about criminal justice?" Amber suggested. "You love true crime – maybe you can get into pathology or even become a cop."
"Maybe pathology would be interesting," Tristan said, "but no way on being a cop. I've heard enough from Boris and Uncle Nathan to know that's not for me."
"Start researching what schools are good for that subject then," Kevin said. "Hell, I don't care if you get a degree in basket weaving so long as you get a college education. It will only help you in the long run."
"How will a degree in basket weaving help?" Tristan asked with a slight smile.
"You know what I mean," Kevin said.
"Would it really be so bad for me to not go to college and instead just get a job right away? Anatoli never went to college and look at him! He's got a job and a house with plenty of money. Better yet, he doesn't have kids so he gets to keep all his money."
"Anatoli's different," Kevin argued. "He had a lot of prior work experience and got lucky it was in a field Embry needed help in."
"Well there you go: I can work for Embry or something," Tristan said.
"Tristan, you have no background experience in construction and Embry's not going to hire you just because I told him to," Kevin said.
"Looks like nepotism is selective," Lilliana said, poking fun at Tristan.
"Maybe I can work for Roshad," Tristan suggested. "The man's getting in over his head with all the customers he has. Maybe he could use help."
"The man's going to tell you 'get a degree and then we'll talk'," Kevin said matter-of-factly.
"Roshad doesn't have a college degree and the man's a multimillionaire," Tristan said.
"Roshad can materialize money out of rocks, Tristan," Kevin pointed out curtly. "While I agree he's a good business man, even he would agree his riches weren't originally won through hard work or schooling but discovering a useful gift."
"Well, what about Embry? He never went to college but he owns his own business."
"A business he started after working in construction for over 30 years," Kevin retorted. "Before that, he did factory work and wasn't paid well at all. I'll concede this was in the twenties and I'm sure factory work has improved but all the same, you should get yourself a college degree. I went to college after the war and it was one of the best things to ever happen to me."
"I know it was a good thing for you but you wanted to go to college," Tristan said.
"I wanted better for myself," Kevin said. "I joined the military hoping for better and it connected me with people who gave me that opportunity. You're fortunate that you don't need to join the army in order to go to college like I did."
Tristan restrained himself from a snarky comment and instead said, "And we all appreciate that, dad."
"Good," Kevin said and then added, "So take this more seriously. I want you to do some research and decide on what school you want to go to."
Tristan only nodded his head and turned his attention almost entirely to his dinner. He didn't want to argue with Kevin about this anymore. Later that night once he'd returned to his room, the pile of applications sitting on his small desk were an eyesore and he walked up to the applications shoving them onto the floor missing his garbage can. He plopped down into his chair staring at the pile all the more irritated with them but eventually picked them up not wanting to risk Kevin seeing the display though he did not bother putting any of the fallen pages back in order. Of course, on top of the pile was the first page of an application to Yale. When Kevin suggested it, it took everything in him not to laugh out loud but now it was far from funny. He glanced at his clock only to realize it was 9 his time, meaning it was nearly midnight Lee's time. Even if he was still up, he was almost certainly at work.
"You okay?" Lilliana asked Tristan after they'd both arrived at school and were walking to their lockers which were right beside one another because of course they were.
"I'm sick of dad getting on my case about college," Tristan said without hesitation. "I don't want to fucking go. Why's that such a big fucking deal?"
"You know daddy just wants what's best for us both."
"Yeah, yeah, I get it: None of us told him to run away from home and join the army at fucking 13 in order to go to Yale but I'm the ungrateful brat who doesn't appreciate everything dad's done," Tristan said and then slammed his locker door shut once he had his books.
"You're certainly acting like one," Lilliana said before closing her locker and walking away to attend her first class.
Lilliana's comment only made Tristan madder and he couldn't really focus the rest of the day. Thank goodness he didn't have any tests to worry about that day. When school finally ended, Tristan got in his car and, instead of driving home, made his way to the mall so he could walk around aimlessly and relax. He was only there for an hour before leaving and instead going to Anatoli's and Ivory's house. Neither were home so he pulled out his key to the house and let himself in being greeted by their Pitbull puppy Aurora barking from her large playpen in the living room.
"Hey, girl; how're you doing?" Tristan asked the dog with a smile and picked her up. She was 5 months old now and up to 48lbs but she seemed unconcerned with the fact she was no longer a 10lbs puppy and still loved being held and snuggling. "How about you and I go for a walk?"
Aurora was wagging her tail with a toothy Pit smile and licking his face while he grabbed her leash then wrote Anatoli a note that he had Aurora and would bring her back after their walk. Aurora was a strong dog but Tristan managed to keep her at his side keeping up with her strict obedience training and they went to the neighborhood park. Aurora stopped every possible moment to sniff everything and Tristan was content to let her, causing their walk to last well over 2 hours before they finally returned to Anatoli's and Ivory's house. By the time they got back, Ivory and Anatoli were home and having dinner together.
"There you are," Anatoli said when Tristan walked into the house with Aurora. "How was she on her walk?"
"She did great. She obeyed most commands but honestly she just wanted to sniff everything so I let her," Tristan said.
"Did you have fun, baby?" Ivory asked Aurora in a high pitched mother voice as the dog was rushing to her to get pets and scratches. Though her desire for affection was swiftly overridden by her desire for food which Anatoli placed on the floor for her.
"You'd better get home," Anatoli said. "Mom and dad called looking for you."
"Are they mad?"
"No, just worried," Anatoli said.
"In that case, I'd rather stick around for a bit," Tristan said and plopped onto their couch. "Dad keeps getting on my case."
Anatoli shrugged, "I don't know what to tell you, Tristan."
"Talk to dad," Tristan said, "you never went to college so why isn't he getting on your case about it?"
"Tristan, I never GOT to go to college," Anatoli said. "I could never afford it and the time it would've taken for me to eventually afford it would've been astronomical. You guys have opportunities I never did; I got extremely lucky. Were it not for that, I'd still be in Vilnius stuck in a one room apartment with 30 people and no prospects for a better life."
"Then why don't you go to college now?" Tristan asked.
"I already have a well-paying job that offers me job security and I don't have a desire to change careers," Anatoli said. "You," Anatoli pointed at Tristan, "on the other hand haven't explored a career or nailed one down. And I hate to break this to you, kid, but without a college degree the jobs that are available to you go down. Some jobs you can't get without a master's degree."
"I don't want a career that requires me to get a masters," Tristan said.
"Look, Tristan, I know you're anxious to go to college, but give it a chance. You might like it. I hear Frats are a lot of fun," Anatoli said.
"I don't need to spend thousands of dollars to drink myself shitfaced with my guy friends," Tristan said and Anatoli rolled his eyes.
"I think you're failing to see the bigger picture."
"No, I'm not," Tristan said. "You're all just failing to see I don't want to go to college. I've been in school for 13 years – I think I'm done."
"At the end of the day, it's your decision," Anatoli said after a heavy sigh and brief silence, "but it will really disappoint dad if you don't go."
"He'll be disappointed no matter what; I'm no Levi," Tristan said. "I'm not some numbers nerd that has a desire to get a masters in statistics. I'm just a guy that wants to finally get on with my life making a living for myself and be on my own. Hell, I want to see the world and not have to break the bank doing it. Better yet, get paid to do it."
"If you ever find out what that career is, be sure to let us know," Ivory said sarcastically making Anatoli chuckle a little.
Tristan eventually returned home when Anatoli and Ivory kicked him out after Kevin called again to check in. Once Tristan returned home, he ate a little of what Amber had made for dinner before retreating to his room and, begrudgingly, filling out a few applications though he stuck with the ones he knew there wasn't a fat chance in hell he'd be accepted.
It was very rare these days, but Lee called Tristan every chance he got and always asked if he could speak with Lilliana. He would even sometimes call on days he knew perfectly well Tristan was at work but Lilliana was home. Their chats were always friendly: talking about their day, school, Lilliana would give updates about college and where she was leaning on going while Lee's school work was always put on the backburner to instead talk about Hockey. They were never able to talk for more than an hour but every time they talked, it seemed to go by in the blink of an eye. Then came October. A week after their official birthday, the two of them made a point to be off from their jobs and made the long drive to Port Angeles where Salem's tattoo shop was knowing exactly what they both wanted.
"Amber wasn't too pleased with Heather and Levi when the two of them got this done you know," Salem said as soon as the two of them came into his shop knowing exactly what they wanted.
"Well, we're 18 now," Tristan reasoned, "so we can do what we want."
"Don't get too cocky there, kid," Salem smiled and gently shook his head while Lilliana just sighed.
"We're just trying to honor our mom, grandparents and Anatoli," Lilliana explained.
"I know, Lilli," Salem reassured. "Write down the numbers and I'll have Jared work on you two as soon as his station's ready."
Tristan wrote down all the numbers while Jared was getting ready and they walked over to his station once he'd waved them down with Tristan getting in the chair first. He laid down his left arm with his wrist facing up and Jared glanced at the numbers periodically tattooing them all onto Tristan's wrist in the order he had them written down. The sting from the needle shocked Tristan at first but he quickly adjusted so the artist could do his thing and he had the numbers tattooed within 20 minutes. Once Tristan was done, it was Lilliana's turn and she was much more anxious. Jared was reassuring he'd be quick and Lilliana steeled herself in her seat trying to sit still while the same numbers were tattooed on her left wrist. She knew within seconds she would never get another tattoo as long as she lived. This one had obvious meaning but this was going to be it. As promised, Jared was done in less time than it took for Tristan and went over their aftercare instructions before telling them to go to the front to pay for their tattoos.
"For both of you, that'll be $45," Salem said once they were up front. Tristan and Lilliana got out their shares and handed them over to Salem to get into the register. "How do you two like your new tattoos?"
"It feels great," Tristan smiled staring at it.
"It feels meaningful," Lilliana added with the same smile.
"'Meaningful' is good," Salem replied. "I get plenty of 18-year-olds who come in here for something stupid so I'm always pleased when there's a reason behind the tattoo."
"You have tattoos you've called 'stupid'," Tristan pointed out with a laugh.
"And those are my least favorite," Salem replied. "Thankfully my meaningful tattoos outweigh my stupid ones."
"I'll stick with just this tattoo and be happy for it," Lilliana said.
Tristan shrugged, "That wasn't so bad. Maybe I'll get another tattoo sometime."
"Just make sure you think your tattoos through," Salem said. "Once they're on you, they're there for good unless you can get a damn good cover up and those can get really tricky depending on what you get. Now go ahead and get going – make sure you follow your aftercare instructions."
"Will do, Salem," Lilliana and Tristan said then walked out to the car to drive back home.
As they predicted, Amber wasn't thrilled about the tattoos but given Heather and Levi had already gotten them years before, she wasn't surprised to see them either. She still gave them her two cents before ultimately dropping it. In December, Lee made a point to come home paying for a plan ticket so he wouldn't have to drive for three plus days or have Boris come out to get him. Boris came to pick him up and brought him straight home for the night using the car ride to catch up and see how he was doing. Lee loved his team and they'd already won three games though they'd lost one game against Ohio State Buckeyes. Lee mentioned that he would've come back sooner were it not for hockey practice but Boris insisted he needn't worry about that – Hockey was what got him a full ride and Lee needed to keep his eye on the prize if he wanted to go pro.
"You are keeping your grades up?" Boris asked Lee.
"Yes, my grades are still good," Lee said. "So long as I stay at a 'B' average, my scholarship is safe."
"An 'A' average is better," Boris said. "Never rely on mediocre."
"A 'B' average is hardly mediocre, dad," Lee sighed and rubbed his face. "Point is my grades are good."
"Good," Boris said.
"How are Tristan and Lilliana doing? I haven't spoken to them in forever."
"I haven't heard anything worrying," Boris said. "Although Tristan and Lilliana got tattoos. Why they want those numbers on them I have no idea but that's what they did."
"It's proof they lived," Lee answered, knowing their reason very well. "Anything else new? How's Sergei? What about Nadeshka?"
"They're both fine," Boris said. "Your mother is pressuring Nadeshka to give her a grandchild but she's in no hurry. Truthfully, there really is no reason to rush."
"Hell, Sergei's not marries – right now Nadeshka's the only one in a position to give her a grandkid. I'm certainly not going to do it for a while," Lee said.
"Your mother and I aren't getting any older. Don't rush such things," Boris said.
The conversation shifted to other topics until they arrived at the big Cullen house in the middle of the woods. Lee took advantage of the time to relax leading up to Christmas though he made sure to drive up to Seattle for at least one day of Hanukkah to visit Tristan and Lilliana. As a special treat, Amber made sauerbraten with spätzle noodles that night which Lee was especially excited for.
"How are you enjoying school, Lee?" Amber asked him after he'd arrived and they'd welcomed him. Dinner was nearly ready – just ten more minutes left in the oven with the gravy and noodles ready wen the meat was.
"I really like my team," Lee said. "I thought I'd be prepared for working, school and training but my schedule's so different from what it was in high school that it's been harder to balance everything."
"From what Boris tells us, you seem to be managing well," Kevin said and then added with a smile, "He brags about you, you know."
Lee chuckled, "Sure he does."
"Believe me, he does," Kevin insisted. "When your parents came back after your first game, Boris told us all about it in so much detail it's like we were there."
"It's too bad we couldn't have been," Lilliana said with a gentle smile. "Boris did what he could but it would've been more exciting to watch in person."
"Well, you're all invited any time you get the chance to come," Lee said while he looked at Lilliana. "In fact, we've got another game in January. I've already started talking to my coach about qualifying for the NCAA to increase my chances of being scouted for a professional contract but he said he'd suggest giving myself another 1 or 2 years."
"Why the wait?"
"He says I need to improve if I want a chance to be noticed by a scout," Lee replied. "The NCAA league is super competitive. Out of all the guys who get into that league, only 7 or 8% are able to go pro so I've got to stand out."
"No kidding," Kevin said. "And I assume if you aren't keeping up your grades, any hope of getting into that league goes out the window?"
"Not necessarily," Lee said, "but my scholarship would go out the window so what's already really hard would be that much harder and I'd have debt getting out of school. I want to avoid that if I can."
"I don't blame you," Kevin said. "Are there any subjects you're struggling with?"
"Math," Lee admitted. "I hate it. I'm taking pre-calc right now – nothing makes me feel stupid like pre-calc."
"I'm relieved it's not just me," Lilliana said. "I placed into pre-calculus this year and I can't say I'm thrilled about it. I'm barely scrapping by with a B so far."
"I got a C+ on my last test and I was damn proud of it," Lee chuckled. "My councilor had to sit me down and warn me not to let this be a trend so when I start Calculus this upcoming semester, I'll be going to a tutor regularly. Cuts into my work schedule but better to lose a little money from work than owe a shit-zillion dollars once I'm done."
"Isn't the point of going pro to make enough that you can afford to pay that off?" Tristan said.
"Sure, but I'd rather spend that money on a nice car, a big house and a vodka room," Lee said and made Tristan laugh. "The vodka room's a tribute to dad."
"He'll be very proud," Kevin agreed. "Tristan, maybe you should give Michigan University a shot. Then you'd have Lee around to hang out with."
"I already filled out the application for Michigan U, dad," Tristan said honestly, but there was no enthusiasm.
"I doubt it'd do much but I can possibly try putting a good word in for you," Lee suggested.
Kevin agreed that would be great while Tristan stayed quiet. Wanting to get out of the house for a few hours, Tristan suggested he and Lee go out for a drive which Lilliana asked to join. Once in Lee's car, Lilliana suggested they go to the movies and see 9 to 5. Lee and Tristan weren't really interested but Lee quickly agreed while Tristan suggested they see what other options they had once they got to the movie theatre. When they arrived, Any Which Way You Can caught both Tristan's and Lee's attention so Lilliana relented. After the movie Lee suggested they stick around and watch the movie Lilliana had wanted to and went so far as to buy all three tickets so they could. While watching that movie, Tristan fell asleep soon after the movie started leaving Lee and Lilliana practically alone. It was a mostly empty theatre due to how late it was and they were in the back of the theatre.
"How do you like the movie so far?" Lee asked when there seemed to be a brief, quiet scene.
"It's pretty good," Lilliana said. "I really like Dolly Parton so when I heard she'd be staring in 9 to 5, I got really excited."
"I'm surprised it's not a musical. I assumed it would be," Lee said.
"Yeah, me too," Lilliana agreed. "At least they played Dolly's song at the beginning."
"I mean, that would be a given I'd think," Lee smiled. "Never actually heard that song before."
"Really?"
"No; I don't generally listen to Country. I prefer rock."
"Yeah, I know," Lilliana said, "but you don't have to like Country to like Dolly."
"Opening song was pretty catchy," Lee agreed.
Lee and Lilliana continued to watch as Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin and Dolly Parton got back at their terrible boss played by Dabney Coleman. Lee admittedly lost interest in the movie rather quickly and kept glancing down at Lilliana's hands. She had her legs crossed with her hands in her lap while Lee had his hand on the armrest. His eyes darted up to her face; she looked bored as Dolly, Lily and Jane's characters were fantasizing about all the terrible things they wanted to do to their boss ranging from shooting him and putting his head on a wall, lassoing and hogtying him and so on. The scene was going on for way too long. Lee turned his palm upwards on the armrest and lowly cleared his throat. It was enough to get Lilliana to glance at him but Lee made sure he was staring at the screen. Lilliana was about to return her eyes to the movie when she glanced down and noticed Lee's hand with his palm up.
She looked up at Lee then back at his hand. She contemplated placing her hand atop his but hesitated at first. She wasn't sure if he was actually inviting her to give him her hand. However, after contemplating it for a moment, she took the plunge and placed her hand in his. As soon as she did, Lee laced his fingers through hers clasping her hand affectionately. Lilliana blushed and tightened her hold on his hand affectionately and when her eyes darted back up at his face, he smiled back at her and even began to lean forward. Lilliana did the same. Her heart was racing the closer they came to one another, but just as their lips were about to meet, they both heard a snort and glanced at Tristan to see him waking up after his head falling back to far.
"What," he began groggily and looked back up at the screen, "what did I miss?"
"Nothing special; they're just smoking weed daydreaming about murdering their boss," Lee answered.
"Sounds like a typical Tuesday," Tristan said and yawned loudly. "I swear, Lili, you better be enjoying this movie."
"I promise, I am," she answered but she couldn't focus on the rest of the movie. When the movie ended and they were walking out, Tristan was crabby from being so tired and bored.
"I swear, only Hollywood would find a way to make a movie out of a Dolly Parton song," Tristan said.
"You and Lee got to see a Dick Flick so it's only fair I got to watch what I wanted to," Lilliana said. "I'll admit I'm disappointed it wasn't a musical. It feels a bit like a wasted opportunity."
"Right?" Tristan agreed. "You've got one of the best country singers in America and you don't even have her sing? But you end the movie saying she quit the company to become a country singer."
"Hopefully her next movie will be a musical," Lilliana said.
"How do you know there'll be another movie?" Tristan asked.
"I just can't imagine she wouldn't continue making movies unless she hated it. I didn't get that impression," Lilliana said.
"Well, I'll tell you what," Lee said, "if Dolly Parton does another movie and I'm back in town, I'll go see it with you."
"You will?" Lilliana asked with a smile and Lee's smile widened as he nodded his head.
"Yeah, I'll go with you."
"Good, because I'm not sitting through another one of these movies," Tristan said but unbeknownst to them, he was smiling a little.
Lee stayed the night sleeping downstairs in Anatoli's old room then had breakfast with everyone the next morning not leaving until Tristan and Lilliana both had to leave for work. Lee didn't get to see Tristan and Lilliana again until Christmas day when everyone living in the city came down to La Push for the holiday. The Cullens had an enormous Christmas tree set up in the family room and dinner was being prepared in the kitchen with Eun Mi taking the lead. Jae Sun was able to come home for Christmas and as such, his birthday dinner of Ox Bone Stew was a must though Esme, Bella and Rosalie prepared turkey and fixings to go along with it. While everyone waited for dinner, they enjoyed cinnamon rolls Renesmee had made that morning and eggnog Ariel brought.
"It's a shame Keiko couldn't join you," Mae Sun said. "Any plans to propose?"
"I'm working up to it," Jae Sun said. "I don't think Sojiro liked me very much at first but we're getting along great now. He'll actually call me out of the blue now and then just to hang out with me! Can you believe that?"
"Before you propose, we need to meet Keiko and her parents," JJ said. "Last time we saw them was nearly 20 years ago and honestly, I barely remember talking to them."
"Sojiro was a touch standoffish at the time as I recall," Eun Mi said "We definitely need to meet again and make a better impression on one another. I remember Hanako was a dear, though."
"Hanako's one of the sweetest ladies I've ever met," Jae Sun said but then added with an affectionate smile, "besides you, eomma."
"거짓말쟁이," (geojismaljaeng-i/Liar) Eun Mi muttered under her breath and all the kids laughed.
"What was that?" JJ asked.
"Seriously, dad, you two have been married 30 years – it's about time you just learned Korean," Eun So said.
"I'll get on that," JJ said dismissively.
"We can help you learn, daddy," Eun Mae suggested.
"그를 가르치지 마십시오. 나는 내 사생활이 필요해," (geuleul galeuchiji masibsio. naneun nae sasaenghwal-i pil-yohae/ Don't teach him. I need my privacy) Eun Mi mumbled before kissing JJ's head and walking back into the kitchen while their kids snickered a little.
"Focus on your studies, Eun Mae," JJ said.
"Speaking of, how's that going?" Jae Sun asked. "You're majoring in dentistry or something aren't you?"
"I'm studying to be a Dentist," Mae Yon said. "She's studying Social Work."
"Right, I forgot," Jae Sun said.
While they all waited for dinner and to open presents, Lee went outside with Lilliana and Tristan so they could hang out on the swings. The Cullen house was getting hot with all the bodies and they wanted to get some much needed air. Boris, Sergei and Anatoli were on the porch together enjoying some East European brand cigarettes which were supposed to be Anatoli's Christmas present but Boris was too impatient to wait until they all opened presents. When dinner was finally ready, those who were partaking helped themselves to whatever they wanted but Jae Sun got first dibs on the ox bone stew. Once they all finished eating, everyone gathered around in the family room while Edward and Jacob passed the presents around until everyone had their own piles of presents. Lee had gotten Tristan a small present but he was most excited for Lilliana to open the present he'd gotten her. He'd shoved everything into one giant box and he stopped opening his presents when he saw Lilliana grab that large box.
"What is this? A TV?" Lilliana asked with a small laugh as she was tearing away the wrapping paper of the giant box.
"No, it's not a TV," Lee chuckled, "But I hope you'll like what I did get you."
"I'm sure I'll love it," Lilliana said and opened the box. The first thing in the box was a big, heavy white crewneck sweater with a Wolverine and a large M on it. Under that was a white Beanie with a yellow M and atop the beanie was a light brown puffball. There was also a fluffy pair of white and pink striped socks with a white M on the side and finally, there was a tiny box inside that contained a gold platted chain bracelet with an M charm on it. "Looks like you got me everything from the school's gift shop," she teased although she was already taking the tags off eagerly.
"Not everything," Lee said, "just the stuff that I thought you'd like."
"I love it, Lee, thank you," she smiled. "Open my present now," Lilliana encouraged and helped him look for the present she'd gotten him. It definitely wasn't as big a present as what he'd gotten her but she hoped it would be something he'd appreciate. Once Lee found the gift Lilliana got him, he started unwrapping the slender, wide box and Lilliana packed his present in such a way that the face of George Washington was the first thing he saw. He pulled out the large, heavy green blanket that Lee realized was the Washington State flag. "I thought you might want a little memento of home."
"The dorm rooms get freezing so this is perfect," Lee said with a bright, grateful smile. "Thanks Lilliana."
"I'm glad you like it," Lilliana said and then pulled the sweatshirt on over her head. It had an oversized look which made it all the cozier and she even tugged on the socks he'd gotten her so she was toasty warm. Once she had all that on, she released a sigh of contentment and hugged herself. "I could fall asleep right here." In response, Lee brought the blanket up to cover the both of them which made Lilliana laugh a little.
"See you in the morning," Lee joked and pretended to fall asleep until Lilliana slapped his arm.
Lee was able to visit with Lilliana and Tristan one last time before he had to go back to Michigan but once he returned to Michigan, he immediately started to miss Lilliana. Lee had to focus on school, on practice and would call home as often as possible but he wasn't able to call Tristan and, subsequently, Lilliana as often as he would like. Even when the weather was getting better and the dorms were starting to get hot, he still kept the blanket Lilliana had given him on his bed. He'd be sweating through the night but he didn't care.
Meanwhile back in Washington, Kevin continued to check with Tristan about college and was even excited when a letter of acceptance had come in for him. Tristan pretended he was excited but the truth was he didn't even remember what school had accepted him. He really didn't want to go. Towards the end of the school year, the school was being decorated up and down with advertisements for the 1981 Prom. He and Lilliana already planned to go to prom with a big group of friends. Tristan had already asked a girl from his history class to go to prom with him and she'd said yes, but Lilliana had turned down three different offers. Tristan had mentioned that fact to Lee in an effort to stoke the fire between the two but otherwise didn't expect anything to come of it. One day while he was passing the library going to his next class, a stand caught his eye. It was a stand encouraging students who were 18 or older to join the US Military. There were pamphlets for the US Army, the Marine Corp, the Navy and the National Guard. Tristan walked closer to read the front page of those pamphlets when the guy sitting behind the folding table covered in a red, white and blue tarp spoke.
"Before I get into it, are you 18?" he asked.
"Yeah," Tristan replied.
"Good," he said, "now that we've got that out of the way, have you ever considered joining the military?"
"A little," Tristan admitted. "My dad's hellbent on me going to college but I really don't have an interest in it. I'd rather just get a job as soon as I graduate."
"Well, this would certainly be a job," the recruiter asserted. "And hey, if you ever change your mind about college, service to the military entitles you to financial assistance with your education."
"I won't change my mind," Tristan said confidently. "So, if I were to sign up, when would I start?"
"After graduation," the recruit advised. "You'd receive your orders within the next few weeks and it'll allow you time be with family before you go to Basic Training."
"Hm," Tristan said and picked up the pamphlet about the US Army. "My dad served in the Army."
"Same," the recruit answered. "My dad had served in Korea and I served a year in Vietnam before I returned to the States."
"My dad served in World War 2," Tristan said but did not include that Kevin had also served during the First World War as well.
"Oh wow," the recruiter said.
"If I decide to sign up, would I be able to sign up now?"
"I can give you the necessary paperwork now," the recruiter said. "You would just need to turn everything in to the address on the form and you'll receive your orders from there."
"Got it," Tristan said. "Could I get a copy of that paperwork?"
"Sure thing," the recruiter said and brought out the necessary documentation. "I'm here all day so let me know if you've got any questions."
"Will do," Tristan answered and walked away, taking a look at all the paperwork as he made his way to class.
Tristan wasn't sure how Kevin would react, so he kept the decision to join the army to himself for the time being. He made sure Lilliana didn't see the documents, he didn't even tell Lee and Tristan made sure to hide everything in a magazine so Kevin or Amber wouldn't stumble upon it. The Cullens made preparations to host a graduation party for Lilliana and Tristan but also invited all students from the Tribal School to join in the festivities and celebrate their graduation to those whom it applied. The arrival of a special visitor was, of course, kept quiet for the sake of surprise. When prom night finally came, Tristan left early so he could go pick up his date promising to return to pick up Lilliana then go to the banquet hall where their school's prom was being held where they'd meet up with their group of friends. Lilliana had her hair curled into the Farrah Fawcett look and wore a salmon pink strappy dress that hugged her waist and flared out at her hips. Once she was ready, she came downstairs to wait for Tristan to arrive with his date so they could leave.
"You look beautiful," Amber said to Lilliana once she came downstairs.
"Thanks mom," Lilliana said. "Is my corsage still in the fridge?"
"It's right here," Kevin said and came over to hand over to her. He even took it out of the box and put it on her left wrist for her.
Not long after, Tristan let himself into the house long enough to tell Lilliana it was time to get going and she followed him out to the car getting in the back seat with one of their other friends Tristan picked up on the way back. When they arrived at the banquet hall, music was playing and couples were already on the dance floor together. They found their remaining friends at a table and sat beside them to say hello to one another and make small talk before going out onto the dance floor. Lilliana danced with a few of her male friends and even danced with Tristan for a little bit but she otherwise stayed at the table talking to a few friends. One of her friends was gushing over how her boyfriend had gotten them a hotel room of the night and how luxurious this place apparently was but Lilliana stopped listening when she spotted the last person she was expecting to see.
She spotted Lee come into the banquet hall and he was looking around for someone. When he spotted her, he smiled and waived before making his way to her table. Lilliana excused herself and rushed to meet him halfway. Lee was in a navy blue suit and white tie and he was holding a small white box. When she'd approached him and noticed she was wearing a corsage, he appeared a little nervous but he continued to smile at her.
"Lee? What are you doing here? I didn't know you were coming home for a visit," Lilliana said.
"I wanted to surprise you," Lee said and glanced at the box he'd brought. "I got you a corsage but it looks like you've already got one."
"This old thing? It's already wilting," she insisted and took it off and tossed it onto a nearby table making Lee chuckle just a little.
"I'm sorry to hear that," he said then opened the box to reveal a bright red rose surrounded by baby's breath and the band was made out of fake pearls. "Hopefully this makes up for it."
"It definitely does," she replied and offered her left hand up so Lee could put the corsage around her wrist. "Seriously, though; what brings you home? I thought you weren't coming back for a visit until July."
"Well," Lee began and glanced briefly at his feet before looking at her again, "I never actually got to go to prom when I was still in high school. I thought it'd be nice to go with the girl I'm crazy about."
"The girl you're crazy about?" Lilliana repeated with a hopeful smile.
"Yeah," Lee said and then said, "Can I have a dance?"
"Absolutely," Lilliana answered.
Tristan eventually noticed Lilliana and Lee coming to the dance floor but he left them alone. Lilliana was so excited and he wanted to give them some space. By the time Lee and Lilliana got to the dance floor, Songbird by Fleetwood Mac began playing and the two of them slow danced along with the song.
"How long can you stay?" Lilliana asked while they danced.
"I have to fly back on Monday," Lee said. "If you're not too tired tomorrow, how about we go so a movie together?"
"What are you in the mood for?"
"I hear Raiders of the Lost Ark is good. Unless you'd be willing to go see Evil Dead with me."
"Let's go with Raiders," Lilliana was quick to suggest. "I don't want to do horror."
"Honestly, between you and me, the effects in that movie are so goofy it makes the movie really funny," Lee smiled.
"I'll take your word for it," Lilliana said. "We should go to a theatre in Forks though. That way we're not super late for the graduation party."
"Oh yeah, the Cullens are hosting that aren't they?" Lee said.
"They've been hosting one every year for years now," Lilliana smiled. "I for one have no intention of missing it. Daddy's getting impatient for Tristan to tell him where he's going to college and I want to know too. He won't tell me or anyone shit. Has he told you anything?"
"Nope," Lee answered honestly, "but I have a suspicion he hasn't actually decided to go anywhere. My money says he joined the army."
"Oh God, I hope not," Lilliana said. "If our homeland security is in Tristan's hands, we'll all be doomed."
"Just don't push the nuke button aimed at Russia and we'll be fine," Lee suggested and this time Lilliana laughed out loud.
"He'll see the button and say 'what does this do?' as he's pushing it," Lilliana accused.
When the song ended, Blondie filled the dining hall with Call Me and everyone's dancing became livelier. A few songs later, Lee and Lilliana went back to the table together and Tristan finally returned to the table with his own date in tow.
"When did you get in?" Tristan asked Lee eagerly. "You're coming to tomorrow's graduation tomorrow, right?"
"I arrived this morning," Lee said, "And yes, I'm coming to the graduation party tomorrow. Before that, Lilliana and I are going to the movies to see Raiders of the Lost Ark."
"Oh! Let us know how that is," Tristan's date said. "I've been curious to see it and I'm a sucker for Harrison Ford."
"I'll make sure Lilli keeps me posted," Tristan promised.
"So, Lilli says you're finally going to tell your dad where you've decided to go?" Lee asked.
"Yeah," Tristan smiled, "And I'm joining the army."
"Called it!" Lee announced and slapped the table triumphantly while Lilliana sighed.
"Weren't you accepted to…. what school were you accepted by again?" Lilliana asked.
"Don't remember and I don't care; I've already joined the army and I'll be getting my orders on Monday," Tristan said confidently.
"Fine," Lilliana sighed, "your funeral."
"Will your dad be that mad?" Lee asked.
"We'll find out," Tristan said. "Anyway, there's no room at the table for both of you so maybe the two of you should get going," Tristan suggested and winked at Lee.
"I guess if we're not wanted," Lee caught on and looked at Lilliana. "How about we go for a drive?"
After a bashful moment, Lilliana said, "Sure," and grabbed her purse so she and Lee could leave.
Lee drove them through the city until they ended up in the parking lot of a park. They had a clear view of the sky and although the lights made the stars hard to see, there were at least a few stars visible as well as the moon. Lee went to the back seat to grab a blanket and laid it on the hood of the car so he and Lilliana could lay down on top of the car.
"Make sure to be careful. This is a rental," Lee said as he and Lilliana climbed up. Once they were lying down beside one another, they stared up at the crescent moon.
"It's so beautiful out tonight," Lilliana said.
"Yeah," Lee agreed, but he wasn't paying attention to the sky. His attention was on Lilliana. "You look beautiful by the way. I don't think I've told you that yet."
"Thank you," Lilliana blushed and turned to look at him. "You look great too. How did you find time to rent a tux?"
"I had to go with what was on the rack," Lee answered, "but they had something that fit so I'm not complaining. I'd just better return it come Monday morning with no stains or rips."
"I'm sure it'll be fine," she replied. The two stared at one another remaining quiet for a moment until Lilliana scooted closer to him then turned on her side facing him. "Did you mean what you said earlier? About being crazy about me?"
"Yeah," Lee answered bluntly with a smile. "I've liked you for a while; I just didn't think it was the right time to say anything. Hell, maybe it's still not the right time seeing as I'm away at college and you'll be going to college soon too, but I didn't want to go without at least saying something."
"Well," Lilliana said with an affectionate smile, "I had actually applied to the University of Michigan hoping I might get in."
"You were accepted?" Lee asked hopefully and Lilliana nodded.
"I meant to tell you the next time you called," Lilliana said. "I'm glad I could tell you in person instead."
"What do you plan to study?"
"I was thinking Advertising," she said.
"Sounds lucrative."
"It's no Pro Hockey Player but I'm sure it'll do," she joked at the two of them laughed gently.
"Are you staying in a dorm or are you getting an apartment?"
"I'll be in the dorms," Lilliana said. "And I want to join a sorority, so if you know any of the girls I need to shoulder up to, be sure to introduce me."
"Shit, I wish I had time to be in a Frat," Lee said. "I'll tell you what: I'll see what I can find out and in exchange I get invited to all sorority parties."
"Deal," Lilliana smiled. "But only if I'm your date."
"That goes without saying I'd think," Lee replied.
Then, after a moment's silence, Lee leaned over slowly wanting to give her a kiss. Lilliana stayed firmly in place waiting for him to approach her and when his lips were close to hers, she closed her eyes and leaned forward the rest of the way to give him a kiss. Lilliana felt like she was on cloud nine and adjusted herself as gently as possible so she could wrap her arms around Lee's neck. He wrapped his arms around her waist and leaned forward more so he was nearly on top of her. It all felt like a dream and she felt light headed from the fell and taste of him. When she sighed, Lee hugged her tight and she responded in kind but when she heard the barest creak coming from the car, she pulled her lips away.
"I think we'd better take this inside before we break the glass," Lilliana said. Lee agreed and they gently got off the hood of the car and retreated to the back seat but once they got there, Lee reached for his wallet only to realize something.
"I hope this isn't presumptuous of me," Lee said, "but I don't actually have any condoms."
"Oh," Lilliana said, the thought not having even crossed her mind. "I don't either. I hadn't planned on needing any." Her shoulders slumped but Lee smiled and leaned down to give her another kiss.
"It's okay," he said. "We don't have to do anything. We literally just started dating; we should probably slow down a little."
Lilliana giggled and nodded, "That's fair." All the same, she cuddled up to Lee and he wrapped his arms around her so he could hold her. "Can I make a silly request?"
"Sure," he said.
"Can you sing Moscow Nights?" she asked. "I don't think I've heard that song years."
Lee's smile broadened a little and then he started with humming then moving on to the words. He had such a rich, handsome voice and listening to him sing in Russian was so comforting to her. She actually fell asleep against him and Lee soon followed. The two of them woke up in the back seat of the car together when the sun rose and actually laughed when they realized they'd slept in the car on prom night. Lee drove back to Lilliana's house and after some questioning from Kevin especially about when Lee got there and why he was driving her home so early in the morning instead of last night, Lilliana got changed while Lee would have to stay in his suit until they returned to the Cullen house. Tristan eventually returned after he'd dropped his date off at her house and since he was already dressed in normal clothes, they all made the long haul back to Forks for the graduation party. Lee drove his rental and Tristan insisted on riding with him while Lilliana, upon Kevin's and Amber's insistence, drove with them.
"So?" Tristan asked once he and Lee were alone in the car. "How'd everything go? Are you and my sister an item now?"
"Yeah," Lee answered with a silly smile, "yeah, we're official now."
"Good," Tristan said, "But just remember: you knock her up, I'll have to kill you. If you break her heart: I'll have to kill you. If you fuck up in general: I'll have to kill you. But hey," Tristan patted Lee's shoulder, "no pressure."
Lee laughed out loud, "Sure, man. Of course, you can't kill me if your dad kills you first once he finds out you joined the army."
"I'll come back to life; it's fine," Tristan said and the two of them laughed more then started the drive to Forks.
Once they'd arrived, the decorations were up and the food was already out even though the party wasn't for another few hours. Once the party did get going, all the graduates and other high school kids and their parents had a blast. Kevin had been trying to get some time alone with Tristan most of the night but late in the evening when Tristan couldn't avoid Kevin anymore, the two of them had a chat in Carlisle's office.
"So?" Kevin asked.
"What?"
"Don't play dumb, Tristan," Kevin said. "You'd been accepted to Florida State. Have you already set everything up? I haven't seen anything else from them so I assume you already took care of things."
"About that," Tristan started.
"What about it?" Kevin asked, his tone getting slightly harsher as he braced for whatever Tristan was about to say.
"I'm not going," he said.
"Tristan, we've been over this."
"I know we have, but I told you before I don't want to go to college and I'm not going. I joined the army instead."
"You what?" Kevin asked in disbelief, not having expected that of all things.
"I joined the army. I go in to get my orders on Monday and I'll find out then where I'm going for basic training." Tristan had expected Kevin to get angry, but he didn't seem that way. He looked surprised, thought about it a moment and eventually shrugged.
"If that's what you want," Kevin said and now it was Tristan's turn to be surprised.
"You're not mad?"
"Nah," Kevin replied. "The army awarded me great opportunities. Maybe it'll do the same for you. And hell, you need a good ass whooping." Tristan stared at Kevin a moment now feeling a little irritated but relieved Kevin at least wasn't furious.
"Gee, thanks dad."
"No problem," Kevin replied and Tristan nearly groaned audibly. "Look, I know I was hard on you but I really do just want the best for you. If joining the army is what you want, then I'll support you. I'll even tell your mother so I get the brunt of whatever she has to say about it. But being in the army isn't about dicking around. It's work and it tests you physically and mentally. So I hope you're not going into this thinking it's a chance to travel the world on America's dime."
"No, dad," Tristan said, "that's only, like, 80% of it."
Kevin chuckled and ruffled Tristan's hair, "Enjoy your hair while it lasts. First day, they're shaving it off."
After that, Kevin and Tristan left Carlisle's office to rejoin the party and, as promised, Kevin didn't bring it up to Amber until after they'd gone home and made sure he got the brunt of everything so Amber would be ready to talk to Tristan rationally about his joining the army in the morning. Tristan swore to Amber up and down he'd be fine and that he'd call home as often as possible. Once the whole family knew Tristan had signed up, they were surprised but supportive. A few weeks later Tristan was officially shipped off to basic training and everyone was there to say goodbye and wish him luck. Although he knew it would be a lot of hard, ass kicking work, Tristan was thrilled to be on a path that he was excited about and he eagerly awaited what new experiences this chapter of his life would bring him.
***Author's Note: I want to apologize to all my readers for how long it took for this chapter to come out. I appreciate everyone who has been so patient and I hope to continue publishing fanfiction on this platform with much greater frequency. I also want to alert everyone that the next chapter in this series is going to skip ahead about 3 years. The reason being is while I want to continue writing and give everyone the best story I can, I need a safe way to get what's happened this past year and a half and how I've been feeling off my chest.
To give some context, December of 2021, my husband and I decided it was time to start a family and I became pregnant shortly thereafter. However, this pregnancy resulted in a miscarriage which absolutely shattered me. This miscarriage happened around March of 2022. After giving ourselves time to heal and grieve, we decided to try again and by beginning of July 2022, I'd become pregnant with our daughter. While I was thrilled to be pregnant and we were excited for the baby, my pregnancy was easily one of the most miserable experiences of my life. In addition, my daughter was born premature in February 2023 instead of end of March when she'd been due and had to stay in the NICU for two weeks. Since that time, I've experienced what I'd thought were just simple baby blues that had gone away (or so I'd thought) only for the depression not only to return with a vengeance but also manifest itself in suicidal ideations and much worse.
I am absolutely seeking help for my postpartum depression in a professional setting but also want to be able to just write how I'm feeling and, if anything, let women know if they're feeling this way, they're not alone. While the relationship between Freida (a new character who will be introduced in the next chapter) and Tristan is vastly different from mine and my husband's relationship in the sense of how things started and how our daughter came into the picture, everything that Freida is going through and how Tristan supports her will by in large be a reflection of what I've been through over the course of the past year and a half – I will make an effort to adjust certain events to account for the year and the country in which this is happening but please forgive me if any details in the story are too modern for 1984 or are more relevant for the US compared to Germany.
I want to thank everyone again for their patience and I hope this chapter was enjoyable and hope what comes next will be enjoyable for you as it will be cathartic for me.***