lucky star // jamie drysdale

6

KENDALL

On the train ride home I decide to call Trevor. After spending the weekend with Mallory, and getting some much needed girl time and separation from my parents, I know I need a change.

So like Ava suggested, weeks ago, here I am calling my brother.

"Hey!" Trevor's voice rings thorough my headphones.

"Hey! Do you have a second?"

"Yeah I just left our morning skate, what's up?"

"Uhm, you and Jamie have an extra room right?"

"Yeah..." he sounds a bit confused.

"Would you care if I maybe came and crashed in it this summer? I'll chip in for rent and utilities, I'll cook! I know Mom's pot roast recipe!"

"Where is this coming from?" He chuckles.

That's not a no.

"Mal got an internship out there, I want to be close to her."

"That's the only reason?" He's being serious, a rare side of him.

Okay it's one part of why. The other why is still trying to be figured out.

No one ever tells you how hard it is to not know what you want to do with your life.

And there's not a crazy amount of pressure from my parents. Of course they want me to figure it out but they also just want me to be happy. But when your oldest brother has won a gold medal, is on a professional hockey team, and your older sister is basically engaged and about to graduate college for nursing.

Oh and your twin brother got into college and is living it up down in Mississippi, while I'm still living at home with no plan, there's some pressure from myself to figure out what the hell I wanna do with my life.

"No," I sigh looking out at the window, the New York City skyline far in the distance now, "I just need a change. I need to get away from Beford for longer than a weekend. I need to figure out who I am outside of this town."

"Are you writing a novel? Is everything okay, Kenny?"

"Yeah, I just," it really doesn't matter why, "Can I or not?"

"Hell yeah you can," I can practically hear him smiling, "Wait, actually, let me talk to Jamie first," he laughs. 

"Okay," I laugh at his excitement, "Thank you."

"Have you talked to Mom and Dad yet?"

"No I was going to get everything figured out then tell them," because if I don't Dad will ask a hundred questions about what the plan is. He's a very logistical person.

"Probably a good idea," Trevor chuckles knowing how our Dad is, "I have to run but I'll call you later."

"Sounds good, talk to you later," I smile. He responds with a quick goodbye before the line goes dead.

I have a good feeling about this. Getting away for a couple months and just running around a new city could be exactly what I need. But I can't get too ahead of myself, Jamie has to say okay first.

-

And sure enough later that day Trevor calls me back and gives me the okay. We start planning right then, even planning a trip up to San Fransisco and a trip for him to go home for a week. There's a lot of him getting overly excited and me having to rail him in. We may be very similar but sometimes I think the logical side of my brain works more than his does.

Now for the hard part, telling my parents about this new adventure. I don't think they'll be against it but I know they'll have questions.

The three of us are sitting at the dining room table, and Mom's made a lasagna that could feed twelve, along with a side salad and garlic bread.

"You seem quiet tonight, kiddo," Dad says once he finishes telling us about his day.

"I actually I have something I wanna ask you guys," I smile looking up from my plate.

Mom and Dad both share a look, I can't tell if concern or nerves. Either way it's too late to back down so I continue before they say anything that might change my mind.

I don't think they'll care, all my other siblings are moved out and away, plus I'd only be gone for a couple months. And Griffin would be back for the summer.

"Uhm I was talking to Trevor today, and Mallory," I didn't exactly have a speech prepared and now I'm stumbling over my words, "She got this internship out in LA and obviously Trevor has an extra room. I was thinking about spending the summer out there," I look at them both, waiting for a reaction.

"Are Trevor and Jamie okay with that?" Mom asks first.

"They've both already said yes," even after Trevor told me Jamie said it was okay, I texted him on the side to double check and he said it was okay.

"What about work?" Dad asks in true Dad fashion, always the logical one. I remember when I told them I wanted to take a year off, he asked what my plan was and I told him I was already in training to be a shift lead at work, meaning more money and more hours.

"I have enough saved up, plus I wouldn't be leaving for four months and so I'll be able to save up more," I know he likes that answer based on the small smile that takes up his face.

"I think this will be good for you," Mom smiles too.

"Me too," I smile happy they both approve.

After dinner I'm helping Dad clean up in the kitchen while Mom sits on the couch with a glass of wine and a book.

"Have you given any more thought to starting school in the fall?" Dad asks as he scrubs the dishes.

Here we go again.

"Dad I want to."

No I don't.

"But I don't want to go if I don't know what I want to study."

"Okay but you could always do something simple like business or marketing so you have a lot of options."

I've heard this speech a hundred times and I know he means well but I just wish he would let it go.

"I know," I nod.

At this point I might just go to our local community college and get whatever degree they'll give me so he stops asking me.