MIND GAMES: Guild Tryouts

Chapter 6.5

—The wind was brisk and cold. It was a chilly Sunday morning. Jayson—still under his sheets—was staring blankly at the ceiling. His room consisted of his bed, a nightstand, and a desk with a computer on top of it.

Every Sunday he would visit the hospital, whether it was with his family or with friends. It seemed to be his only motivation to get out of bed on cold days like these. As Jayson sat straight on his bed, he notices a thin layer of frost that had formed on his window overnight.

Getting out of bed and putting on some clothes, Jayson goes about with his usual morning routine. While brushing his teeth, he can hear his father downstairs talking with the rest of his family. Although Jayson couldn't make out most of what they were saying, Jayson knew what was going down. The rest of his family would be staying home, and only his father and he would be going to the hospital.

Jayson spots his father putting on an oversized jacket next to the front door, heading down the stairs.

"Morning," Jayson says.

His father doesn't respond. Jayson tries to get a response once again.

"Hey, what's up?" Jayson asks.

His father doesn't acknowledge his question, but talks.

"The car's unlocked. You can get in." His father says, motioning Jayson out of the house.

Jayson looks at his father directly, seeing a death-imposed look on his father's face. He seemed to be looking into the living room, where the rest of their family was. His father sighs and opens the front door. Jayson follows close by.

Exiting the house, Jayson sees his sister playing basketball in the driveway. Not wanting to talk with her, Jayson avoids making eye contact and heads straight into his dad's car.

Once he and his dad buckled their seatbelts, it was just a matter of time before Jayson could see his mom.

On the highway—After some time getting out of their neighborhood— Jayson silently spaces out while looking out of the window. He thinks about The Nexus and how to level up faster. His father glances his way but turns away immediately back to the road.

"You know, you should at least say 'Hi' to your mother-" Jayson's dad starts but is cut off.

"*Step* mother." Jayson says in a low tone, "She doesn't deserve a warm welcome from me."

Jayson's father holds back his words of resentment for what Jayson had to say and looks at the traffic ahead in a passive-aggressive motion.

"What about your siblings?" he says.

"Step-siblings." Jayson corrects him.

"You never had any other siblings before them, so what's your deal there?"

"Why don't they ever visit mom? And then act so nice to me? She's family too, you know."

There was an awkward pause between the two of them. Jayson's dad looks down at the glove box and opens it up. Jayson leans back while he does this. After some time looking through the scattered mess of papers and files in the glove box, his father takes out a pamphlet-shaped form. After picking it up, he tosses it to Jayson.

"I didn't want it to be so sudden to you or the rest of the family, but..."

Jayson looks at the pamphlet in horror.

"We're..."

"*Moving?!" Jayson yells.

Jayson's father corrects the wheel after jumping from Jayson's outburst. This must've been what his father was so weird about today.