Stepping Out of Me

16

Author's note

So I was listening to 'Nobody gets me' while editing this chapter and it really put me into a mood. I hope you listen to it while reading this. 

LANCE

As Lance sat in his last class of the day he sent a good luck text to Kiera who had a biology test at that moment. He smiled as the word thanks was followed by a sweating emoji. There was no doubt that Kiera would do well. She had him for a tutor after all. He never let a student fail before.

He locked his phone and slipped it into his pocket as the teacher entered the classroom. This was probably the one class he sucked at. Art. Lance had to choose some sort of elective and this looked like the least horrendous one. Boy was he wrong.

"So guys, we talked about sculptures and their history last week," she started off. "This means that we're going to actually make our own. I brought enough for everyone. Each person can take a seat in front of a machine at the sculpting table."

There were only about ten students in the class so it was definitely enough for everyone. Lance slipped into a seat as he tried to get himself excited to sculpt. He had never tried anything artsy a day in his life. Just out of a lack of interest. But he was good at catching on to things quickly so hopefully, it would work this time.

The teacher sat at the head of the table with her own machine and demonstrated the basics of sculpting. She then instructed them to start on their own and she observed each of them. When she came to Lance she said "Good job," and then proceeded to explain a list of things he wasn't doing right.

Lance chuckled to himself as it seemed like his catching-on skills wasn't really catching on. The class went on for a while until they all stopped to admire what they made. It was supposed to be a cup but Lance's looked like it was leaning a bit. Still, he got to take it home and tell people he was officially a sculptor.

After class, Lance did his usual routine of going to basketball practice and heading home. As he laid on his bed he sent a text to Kiera about how the test went and she apparently blanked on some parts. Lance reassured her that she did well and not to worry about it.

Soon Halle showed up at his door and told him that dinner was ready. He went downstairs and grabbed a couple of plates while Halle and Sheree brought out the food.

His dad came downstairs soon after and they all sat at the table. They ate in silence for a while until Lance's dad spoke. "Lance I need you to drop off some papers at the Deluxe for me tomorrow after school. I won't be able to make it."

Lance stopped eating and looked up at his dad. "I can't I have basketball practice. We have a game soon and I-"

"Did that sound like a question?" His dad replied sternly.

"Well no, but I can't do it."

His dad smiled but it wasn't a happy one. "You can't do it? Because you have basketball practice." The clang of his fork on the glass plate seemed louder due to the silence of everyone else in the room. "I don't care about what you think you have to do. I ask you to do something and you do it. Stop with this basketball nonsense. I don't know why you think you're going to be anything but washed up without a real job."

Lance's hands balled into fists on the table. His heart rate sped up. It was incomprehensible how his dad could say things like that.

Sheree then added her words of wisdom. "Your dad's right. There are so many other high schoolers out there who think the same as you and it's unlikely that you'll be the one who becomes a great basketballer. We're just trying to help you see reality and what's best for you." she continued. "You need to let go of that childhood dream that your mom-"