Peaked in High School

The Plan

"Oh, my baby!" Mrs. Coleman exclaims when she answers the door and sees her oldest son on the other side. She drags him through the door and holds him in a tight embrace. Beau finds an immense amount of comfort in the gesture and squeezes her back just as tight. This breakup really must've softened him up because he has always considered himself to be above showing affection like this to his family.

She is the one that initiates their separation, stepping back, but still holding him within arms reach. "We're so happy to have you back," his mom tearfully expresses to him with a watery smile on her face. Beau wipes away a stray tear that was in the process of making its way down her cheek.

"Thanks, mom," he says with a tired smile.

There are only two bedrooms in the apartment—one for his mom and one for Finn. This leaves Beau with the air mattress in the family room. His mom has hung two bed sheets from the ceiling to give him the illusion of privacy behind the thin 'walls'.

He gets into a routine with his mom and brother over the next week. Adjusting to his new lifestyle, Beau assures his mom that he'll apply to the library a couple blocks away from their apartment building soon. For now, he finds himself going back and forth between his slightly deflated air mattress and the lumpy couch in the family room.

His mom and Finn give non-discreet looks to each other which he knows are meant to be ones of concern for him, but effectively annoy him more than anything else. He is aware that wasting away in his makeshift room and watching TV all day is definitely unproductive to him and his family. Beau is also cognizant of the fact that he's showing major signs of depression with his lack of activity and general absence of enthusiasm for life.

Some dumb reality TV show is on one evening. The objective of the show is for the main woman to find love with a man who has the exact opposite personality and interests of her. "Fucking stupid," Beau mutters to himself as he watches her eliminate one of his favorite contestants.

"Okay, this is officially too depressing to sit back and watch," Finn's voice chirps from the entrance of the bedsheet walls separating him from his family.

Beau ignores him, staring steadfastly ahead at the TV instead. Finn finds the light switch for the overhead lights and flicks them on.

"What the fuck, dude!" The older brother growls in objection at the illumination of his 'bedroom'. He throws an arm over his eyes to block the light before lifting it sightly to squint at the younger man.

Standing with his arms crossed and brows furrowed, Finn says, "This is past the point of pathetic. Get up—we're going out."

Finn continues to stare at him where he's lounging on the uncomfortable couch. Stubborn as ever, Beau lets out a grunt and turns the volume up on the TV.

Rolling his eyes, Finn places his hands on his hips and lets out a sigh. "If you go to the bar with me, then I'll pay for your drinks," he bargains.

"Fine. Get out of here, I need to put my pants on," Beau commands, waving his brother away.

"Jesus Christ," Finn mumbles as he bats the sheets out of the way to exit the premises.

-

Finn is sitting with his back against the wooden booth backing of the dive bar down the street staring across the table at his brother. A shot glass slams down on the table between them as Beau chases his second shot of whiskey with a pint of beer. Pushing the basket of complimentary popcorn provided by the bar towards the disgruntled man, Finn finally takes a conservative sip of his own beer.

"You gonna tell me what's going on with you?" He finally asks Beau.

Grabbing a handful of popcorn and dropping half of it into his mouth, the drunk man answers with his mouth still full. "Nothing's going on with me," he says with bits of popcorn spewing out of his mouth.