A Taste of Normal - Chasing Normal, Arc 4

Scene 24: Consequences

By the time Travis reached the studio the next morning, news of the party had spread. Given how people gossiped after one of her mother's party, Travis wasn't surprised. But the animator workspace was quieter than usual. Half the apprentices hadn't shown up, and of those who had, most were still hungover and nearly passed out at their workstations.

Travis found the lack of noise distracting and uncomfortable. She plugged in her headphones and started working through her agenda. She'd barely started when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Brice was sneering down at her, "President Shiratori wants to see you."

"Oh." Travis pulled out her earbuds and started wrapping the cord around her player. "Okay." She logged out of her station and started to walk past him.

"You should take your stuff with you."

Feeling her breakfast start to churn in her stomach, Travis slowly grabbed her bag off her chair. "Okay."

She trudged out of the workspace and made her way down to the president's office. She paused, hand on the door knob. I haven't been here since the morning after that one party when I had to tell him my mom wasn't coming in. Trying to calm her nerves, she opened the door. The president looked up at the noise, "Ah. Travis. There you are. Come in and have a seat."

The president's tone reminded Travis of scenes in books where girls were called in to the principal's office, usually for something they didn't do or because the bad girls blamed her for something they did. She sat on the edge of the chair and drew her bag into her lap.

The president folded his hands on his desk and looked directly at Travis. "You should know that we are aware of what happened last night, and we have the police report." He lifted a small stack of papers. "You've probably also noticed there aren't as many animators this morning." Travis nodded. "Sai Anto Productions has a reputation to uphold, both here in the city and in the industry, and we do not condone behavior such as what you were all displaying last night."

But you look the other way when your star gets hauled off to jail, Travis thought. It didn't bring her much comfort.

"This is also not the first time it has happened." The president leaned forward. "Those apprentices who have shown up on similar police reports are no longer with the studio."

Travis' heart sank.

"I know you attend your mother's parties, but I had hoped you wouldn't endanger your career like this. Frankly, Travis, you're too talented to throw everything away."

I don't willingly attend my mother's parties. "I wasn't drinking, sir!"

"Some of the other apprentices have said you had a drink last night."

"I was handed a cup. I carried it so I wouldn't be handed another. The police tested us when they took us in. The report should show I wasn't drinking."

The president scanned the report and his face relaxed slightly. "So it does." He set it down on his desk. "But you were at the party, and you are on probation for the time being. Appear at another party, and you will be done here."

"Yes, sir." I wonder if that would be grounds enough to get Mom to let me to move out.

She returned to her workstation, buried her head in her arms, and breathed deeply a few times, trying to blink back tears.

##

At home, Travis wanted little more than to hide in her room or escape to her grandparents' house. Except she couldn't imagine how she would explain any of this to her grandfather.

Staying out of sight wasn't an option, though. Lydia knocked on her door and made her come out for dinner. She couldn't remember the last time the three of them had sat at the same table, and she didn't want to be there now. Her father looked sad, more than she'd ever seen him. Her mother jabbed at her shake with a straw. Travis hunched her shoulders and slowly picked at her dinner.

"You do realize that after last night, you won't be moving into that horrible place." Her mother didn't even look at her.

"What?" Travis screeched. "You've done so much worse. Here. At the mansion. Everywhere we've lived!"

"Travis, lower your voice." Her mother said calmly.

Travis couldn't believe her ears. "No. I didn't do anything wrong. I haven't done anything wrong. And now I'm about to lose my apprenticeship."

Her mother continued, the tone of her voice never changing. "Mister Shiratori told us. We've discussed it, and to keep that from happening, you're grounded for the next month. No going to the apartments. No going out with your little crew friend. No going to your grandparents."

Travis snorted in disbelief. "What do you mean 'I'm grounded'? I'm an apprentice! Other kids my age live on their own! I'm way too old to be 'grounded', especially by someone like you!"

"The matter is closed. Set one foot out of this apartment headed somewhere other than the studio, and..."

"And what?" That her mother even thought she had a leg to stand on started to amuse Travis.

"And the consequences will be unpleasant." With that, Shiri rose from the table and disappeared into her room. Travis looked pleadingly at her father, who just kept staring at the table.