HSMTMTS: The Core Four

11

EJ's POV - (12 years old)

I was sitting down on my bed, I was waiting for my dad to get home from his job, it was Carrer day so he was being held up. Sometimes mom and dad even have to take trips, leaving me with Ash, Uncle Dennis, Aunt Debby.

I waiting to show dad the results of my Algebra test, something I was never really the best at. And by that, I mean I sucked, not even Nini tutoring could help me, and she really tried, but it was never enough for me.

I hear my house door open and I quickly jump out of my bed and run downstairs looking for my old man. "Dad!" I yell, I was home alone, my mom was working the late shift so dad would be home with me. They kinda take turns on who would be with me and who would take the long shifts at their job, but they both still had to go on business trips together.

I feel a pair of strong arms wrap around my waist and suddenly I'm spinning around in the air, laughing with a wide smile on my face. I turn my head around to see my dad smiling. "Hey, Eej" he whispers in my ear, I lean my head on my his, and he lats me back on the ground.

"I have a little something to show you, wait here!" I tell him sitting him on the couch. I run-up to my room and come back down with my bag. I take out my algebra test and show it to my dad my score. His eyes light up and he looks at me surprised, he puts on his glasses to make sure he's not seeing things, making me chuckle.

"A 95! You even got Slope-Intercept Forms correct! Elijah James Caswell!!" My dad yells with a huge smile on his face. Now I know he's really happy, he called me by my real name, but keep that a secret, only my family and Ricky know that.

"Yeah, I guess Nini's tutoring really paid off!" I smile, he stands up and gives me a big hug, we both start laughing. "Well, seeing as we're making each other happy, I wanna give you something too," he says, he takes my hand and led me to his office. He reaches in his cabinet and takes out a blue sweatshirt that says, Duke. Dad studied Law at Duke University and met mom in grad school.

"My father gave me this when I got into Duke, now I'm giving to you" he hands me the shirt. "I'm going to Duke" I smile at dad and give him a great big hug. I love my dad, I'm gonna be like him when I grow up, I guess my future is preparing itself already.

"Remember this, EJ, no matter what you do, I will always be proud of you, your perfect, don't let anyone tell you differently."

--Present Time--

I was sitting on my bed, looking at my Duke sweatshirt. I remember the day my dad first gave it to me, he was so happy for me. He and I mapped out my whole life, back then I was this perfect person like my dad, and I'm still trying to be, for him, it's working on the outside, but I'm still struggling with the inside.

I break out of my trance when I hear a soft knock on my door, my head shoots up and I see Aunt Debby smiling at me. "Hey, baby, you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm good," I tell her, trying to fight back my tears. After my parents died and I locked myself in my room, I would cry holding the sweatshirt close to my chest, so I'm fighting the urge.

"Well come on, you may not have all your classes, but you still have that Field Trip" she reminds me.

I remember that Ashlyn and the rest actually agreed to go with me, I only asked them cause I didn't wanna be bored alone. "Hey, are you sure your okay?" She asks, she walks closer to me and sits on my bed. "Yeah, no, I'm...just, I'm just going down memory lane."

She wraps her arm around me and I lean in her shoulder smiling. "I'm gonna get ready."

She leaves and I get ready to meet my friends, I go to my closet and pick out my long sleeve blue striped shirt, my dark blue jeans, and my letterman jacket. But then I take another look at my sweatshirt, I take off my letterman jacket and put on my Duke Sweatshirt, a small smile forms on my face and I think of my old man.