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Post by otakulady89 on Aug 16, 2012 22:50:33 GMT -5
Nathaniel frowned, "You're thinking too small boy. You'll be the first fifteen year old to graduate from your school, ever. You'll be a local hero. No matter what degree you get, you'll be hired anywhere in the state. Pick something decent, like a doctor or a lawyer, and you'll never worry for money again." He reminded the boy. It was a talk they'd had a million times.
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Post by Fateful on Aug 16, 2012 22:53:40 GMT -5
Near didn't want to fight with him, but he really didn't want to be forced into this. "No. I don't care if I'll be the first fifteen year old to graduate. Considering most of the people I go to school with, I'll probably be one of forty people who graduates. Please... Please don't make me do this. I don't want to be a hero, and I don't want to go to college. Not here, and not now. I'll do fine no matter what I do, and when I do it. But I don't want to be a doctor or a lawyer. I don't know what I want, and you forcing me to pick something won't make that any easier." He didn't want to tell his father that he was actually sixteen, and that his birthday was a few months ago. "I'll go to college. The year after next. When I'm ready to be there and I have an idea of what I want to do."
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Post by otakulady89 on Aug 17, 2012 7:11:50 GMT -5
Nathaniel grit his teeth. "I see you aren't willing to be reasonable about this. Go to your room. We'll discuss this in the morning, when you've thought about your position." He growled, pointing to the staircase. Maria frowned, staying out of it. as she always did.
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Post by Fateful on Aug 17, 2012 15:08:06 GMT -5
Near wanted to argue and say that he was expecting a kid to make an adult decision. He wasn't like his brother, or his father. He had nothing that he was especially interested in, and he wasn't ready to make a career choice that would shape the rest of his life. It was foolish to say that Near was scared, because he wasn't, he just wasn't sure what he wanted. He hadn't lived or done enough to know what he wanted, and he hated that his father was forcing him to choose.
"I think you're the one that refuses to be reasonable." Near mumbled just loud enough for his father to hear him. He stood up and walked to the stairs. His bedroom was under the stairs, but it wasn't small, or closet-like. It was the same as most other bedrooms, but it was apart from the others. His father, step mother and brother slept upstairs. Near had always slept downstairs.
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Post by otakulady89 on Aug 17, 2012 22:24:07 GMT -5
Nathaniel sighed, looking at his wife with a plaintive face. Maria could only sigh, and hold her husband.
Morning dawned on their household, and Norton ate toast at the table, kicking his feet. He was still in middle school, lower reaches, and he was a very, very outgoing kid.
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Post by Fateful on Aug 17, 2012 22:28:24 GMT -5
Near was also outgoing, but in the opposite way of his brother. Norton was good with people and nice, and Near hated people, and was kind of a jerk. Norton was practical in the sense that he was good with his hands, and bad with books. Near, could learn anything from reading, or watching, and enjoyed making things. Anything. When Near was small, he used to make himself toys, and towers, and anything just so he had something to do. At first, Nathaniel had been proud of his son's ability to create anything from nothing, until he realized the boy was awkward and never did grow as he should have. Norton was three years younger than Near, and was already taller than him.
The whitenette came downstairs, showered, and dressed for school. He got his breakfast, eating in the kitchen, away from his family, as he always did.
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Post by otakulady89 on Aug 17, 2012 22:30:27 GMT -5
Norton stood, when he was done, grabbing his bookbag. He was always out the doors before his older brother. Near was weird, and he couldn't hang out with him. His friends all thought he was stuck up. He had to kinda go along with the concensus...
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Post by Fateful on Aug 17, 2012 22:41:08 GMT -5
Near heard his brother leave and sighed. He usually wanted for Norton to leave, simply because he didn't like burdening his brother with being around him. He understood that he wasn't exactly normal, but he wasn't willing to pretend to be. So, he just did what he thought was most considerate for his family and stayed away from them, out of their way, and did very little to bother them. The last time Near had asked for something was for his birthday, and it was a book.
He put his dishes in the sink, washed them, and then put them in the strainer. He grabbed his backpack and went toward the door, stopping when he heard his step mother call him. He turned to face her and smiled, ever trying to be happy and pleasant to her. "Yes Maria?"
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Post by otakulady89 on Aug 17, 2012 22:42:35 GMT -5
Maria swallowed, looking at her strange step son. She set her hands on his shoulders, straightening his shirt. "Please, Just think about it, hm? Your father only wants what is best for you..." She smiled, "Try the classes, and if you don't like them, you can always change?" She offered.
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Post by Fateful on Aug 17, 2012 23:02:10 GMT -5
Near bit his lip. "If I agree... to take one class, will that make him happy?" The whitenette asked. "if I like it, then I could take more classes next semester, right?" He knew that she was much more reasonable than his father was. If he could convince anyone, it would be her. "I don't know what I want..." he mumbled, looking away from her. He never did well with physical or eye contact. "And I don't want to be forced into something. It just... feels like he wants me out of here."
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Post by otakulady89 on Aug 17, 2012 23:13:27 GMT -5
Maria gasped, before hugging the child before her. She was puerto rican, and they were a huggy people. "No, no! We love you, Nate, very, very much. It's just that your father is very... goal-driven." She explained, smiling, "Alright. I will tell him you agree to one class. If you like it, maybe you take more." She nodded, as if that was final.
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Post by Fateful on Aug 17, 2012 23:16:33 GMT -5
Near teased at being touched, not used to anyone in his family showing him any form of physical affection. He didn't return the hug, but he slowly got used to the feeling, and relaxed. "Thank you." He smiled. His father had never been particularly patient with Near, especially since he didn't want anything. It was strange, but Near's goals had always been very simple and closed minded. He didn't want to be either very successful, or under successful. He wanted to make it by, not really be noticed, and be happy being himself, rather than what someone else wanted him to be.
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Post by otakulady89 on Aug 18, 2012 17:39:14 GMT -5
She smiled lovingly, and scooched the boy on his way out the door. She waved the two boys bye, and then turned back into her house. She would make sure Nathaniel respected Near's wishes this time.
Even though she'd failed every other time.
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Post by Fateful on Aug 18, 2012 19:51:08 GMT -5
Three days later, a week after their teacher was arrested, they found a replacement teacher. He had dark hair and eyes, and dressed rather strange, even for a southerner. He was sitting in the classroom, waiting for them when they walked in. He introduced himself as L. He prefer to be called "L", but they could call him Mr Lawliet, if they chose to do so. He told them that they were going to struggle in his class, and that they were going to learn.
Near and Mello loved him almost immediately. He completely redesigned the curriculum. Each of them had to pick a novel and read the entire thing in the next month. He didn't tell them what the assignment was yet, just to pick a novel and be prepared to bring in the book on Friday.
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Post by otakulady89 on Aug 18, 2012 19:53:54 GMT -5
Matt, however, loathed him. Too much work, too much struggle. No, he wasn't falling prey to southern distrust, just because the man was northern! Matt may have been raised here, but he wasn't an idiot.
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