Stargazer - Tribulation

Chapter Ten - Maxim

Henry sits next to Michael, seemingly staring at the ceiling as his food gets colder and colder.

"Hey, Michael. You didn't eat again. Can you tell me what's going on with you?"

"Me?" he looks around, then chortles at Henry. "Nothing, I am good. What about you?" He takes a bite off his cold mashed potatoes, his nose cramps, and he slowly eats.

He chuckles back. "No, you seem so different ever since Jason talked to us. Do you know anything about that?"

"Me? No," he takes a sip of his tea to swallow the cold food. "But, did you ever think about it? What if that guy was in here? What would you do?"

Henry shrugs. "I don't know, I would probably. Maybe I would," he stares at the ceiling, then back at Michael. "I would wonder if he was on our side."

"What do you mean?" his eyes shrink.

"Like, why did he come to us. Why did he want to be part of the resistance when he obviously should be fighting for his father?"

"What if he didn't want to continue? What if he wanted to do what we believed in is the right thing?"

"Hmm," he places his arms on the table. "I would ask myself why he wouldn't have stopped him then."

"What if he tried everything, talking, discussing. But nothing seemed to get through. What if he wanted to step up and do, you know," he lifts his shoulder. "Make a decision for himself."

"That sounds reasonable, but. I honestly don't think that you can change the fate that's already settled."

Michael stares at him, then descends his head. Is it really true? Can you not change your fate in any way? Why does it have to be settled when you didn't want to go that way? Why do parents settle on a future that might not be for them? He remembers how his father told him that he should take over and lead the world once he's old enough. But he didn't want to; he doesn't want to continue what he has set for him.

He wants to be his own leader of his life.

Is there really no way to escape the endless circle of settlement? It probably wouldn't mean anything if he tries to explain himself. Just like Henry, no one would believe him. Just like Henry, no one would even remotely try to understand why he is here, why he left the nest given to him.

No one in here had one. Of course, they wouldn't understand.

"I guess you're right," his left mouth corner rises a little. "There is nothing you can do about a settled future."

"Yeah, sadly. I mean, I don't know what I would have done. If I was in his situation," he wrinkles his lips. "I don't know," he shrugs. "Like I would have stayed with my father."

"Even if you had a different way of looking at the things as him?"

"Yes, because you only have your parents once in your life. I never knew mine, so I would probably stick to them."

Michael looks away. True, you only have parents once in your life, but does that really mean you have to endure everything from them?

No, Richard didn't do it either. You don't have to do, as they say, you don't have to take over their ideals, and you just don't.

You have your own life, your own decisions. He has them too. Henry is wrong with this, isn't he?

The tray slams right next to Henry, making all the food, the apple, the mashed potatoes, jump. Silently, they stare with wide-open-eyes at Riley.

"Guys," she says.

Henry fixes his glasses. "What is it?"

"I've heard about it from Jason. Where is he?"