Linear Shift, Part 1

Chapter 3

Peter guided his newly acquired minivan into the parent parking lot of Willow Canyon High School and found a vacant space in the second row. Turning off the engine, he reached over to the passenger seat and picked up the manila folder filled with the dealership documents. With teary eyes, he opened the folder and flipped through the sales forms for his trade-in. His Mercedes had been a conduit to his old life. It had been an anniversary gift. He knew that trading down to the 1995 Chevy Astro was the logical thing to do; it seemed to be the cheapest yet most reliable ride on the lot. And the residual cash would aid in finding a new home. The mortgage payments and late fees were far beyond this meager sum, but it should at least be enough for a security deposit on an economy apartment across town.

Tossing the folder and contracts onto the console, Peter glanced at his watch. He was early. He had expected the negotiation at the dealer to take much longer than it did, but arriving at the school early gave him time to assess how he would tell the kids that they would be moving.

Over the past few weeks, he'd rehearsed the conversation in his mind. He'd ultimately known this day was coming, and he loathed himself for not having been able to avoid it. He knew that Tori would be devastated by the news, but also knew that Brett would go with the flow. He wished Tori could be more like Brett. Why did she have to be so much like her mother? Damn, he missed Minnie.

Moments later, teenagers began to pour out of the school exits. Peter had decided that today was the day for "the talk." Brett would probably be out first, and Tori would amble out a few minutes later. Knowing they wouldn't recognize the turquoise POS, instead of the crimson S-class, he climbed out and walked over to the sidewalk. He leaned against a light pole to wait.

It wasn't long before Brett walked up with a confused look on his face.

"How was your day, buddy?"

"Okay, I guess. Whatta ya doing here?" he replied, looking around for the car.

Peter noticed, smiled as best he could, and said, "I've got some news. We should wait until Tori comes out and we'll talk about it."

Brett nodded and stood uncomfortably to Peter's side. Tori came out a few minutes later with a few friends, and when they got closer, she whispered to them and they redirected without breaking stride. She looked up to her dad nervously. "What's going on, Dad?"

He loved and hated how smart she was. She knew something was coming... "I've got some news. Let's go somewhere where we can sit and chat."

Peter grabbed Tori's backpack and led the way. As they approached the van, Peter exclaimed—in his most chipper tone—"I traded in the Mercedes today. What do you think?"

Brett was silent, as always, but Tori was never one to hold her tongue. "I think it sucks! I can't believe you're picking us up in this. Where's the car?"

Inside, Peter hurt. Outside, he clowned. "Oh, come on, Tori. Don't you like the color? It's kind of funky, don't you think? This is the car!"

"Barf, whatever..." is all she muttered as she climbed into the passenger seat.

"How about we go for some ice cream? It's a warm day, and two scoops would hit the spot," Peter said, trying to make the best of the situation. Neither kid answered. "Okay. Ice cream it is."

Peter pulled the minivan out of the parking lot and headed toward the nearest ice cream shop. Thankfully, Geno's Gelatos was not three blocks from the school. He pulled off the street and into a parking spot near the entrance. Just as he turned off the engine, Tori looked over at her dad and asked, "What's going on, Dad? This is all too weird."

Before Peter answered, he glanced back in the mirror to see if Brett was paying attention. He was staring idly out the side window, but looked up a moment later.

"Well... I've got some bad news. Because I've been unemployed for so long, the house payments have gotten behind. There's no way for me to get caught up, and the bank has exhausted their patience. We're going to have to move."

As he said it, he looked at each of the kids. Brett was looking outside again, while Tori stared straight ahead. Neither of them said anything. Peter continued to watch them in silence, and it wasn't long before Tori began to cry. He couldn't tell how Brett was handling what he'd just said, because Brett's attention appeared to be focused elsewhere. Peter followed Brett's gaze and his eyes landed on a couple passing the van. It was obvious why his son was so enthralled with the couple. The woman gave him goosebumps. She was stunning, around five-foot-six, with long, vibrant brunette hair. She was very athletic and had a regal bearing. That's when Peter noticed the man she was with. He seemed ridiculously mismatched to the woman: he was six-six, thick without being portly, with a receding hairline and a pockmarked face.

While watching the two walk into the ice cream shop, he momentarily forgot about the bad news. His heart ached. Snapping back to the moment, he once again glanced at Tori. She had wiped the tears away from her cheeks as the rage built in her face. Here it comes, Peter thought.

"Can't you get a loan or something? I'm a sophomore in high school, Dad! It's hard enough making friends here! I cannot start over at another school!"

Peter tried to keep his voice calm and positive. "I'm not so sure we would have to change schools. If I can find a place we can afford for a while, we might be able to keep you both here." Peter wished that what he was saying could be true—but in reality, he knew they would have to change schools. Their current neighborhood was fairly upscale, and there was no economy housing in the area.

"When are we going to have to leave?"

"I don't know, Tori. The notice came yesterday. They usually give three to four days on something like this. First off, we can put most of our stuff in storage until we can find a place. We'll probably need to stay at a motel for a week or so."

"A motel?! Seriously?! Dad!"

"Listen, Tori." Peter didn't mean to snap, but he did. "It's not like I planned for this to happen. I want to stay in the house as much as you do. But, this is how it is. I sold the Mercedes to help with money for now. I'm really trying to do my best here."

Tori began to sob. Looking back at Brett, Peter saw that now he was crying too. Seeing both of his children in tears, Peter began to cry, too. He wanted to be strong—needed to be strong for the kids, but it was so damn hard. He hurt deeply for letting them down and there was nothing he could do to make things right.

"Let's go in and get some ice cream," Peter said finally, wiping his own tears away. Brett was already out of the car heading for the door before Tori unlatched her seat belt. "Listen, kiddo. Please believe me when I say this. I love you both and I want only the best for you. If I could make things right, you know I would."

She relented. "I know, Dad. But what will all my friends think?"

"Well, they shouldn't give it a second thought if they're real friends. I promise you, Tori. I will do everything possible not to interrupt your high school experience. If I have to drive you back and forth to school forty-five minutes each way, then that's what I'll do."

Tori sat in silence a few moments longer. Brett still stood just outside the shop, staring inside at the couple that had walked in moments earlier.

"Okay, Dad. I'll do my best to stay positive."

"Thanks, kiddo." Peter hugged her warmly. "Let's go, before Brett adopts that other couple as his parents." Tori chuckled lightly, and that was the first time in ages he had seen her smile.