Daddy's Boy

Growing Up

"Aww. Does Brendan miss his mommy?" The bully hollered. I shook my head at him.

"Stupid crybaby." Shut up.

"Get over it." I cringed.

"Grow up!" I put my hands over my ears.

"Darling! Just look at you; all grown up. Give mummy a kiss now. I have the best news. A friend of ours is moving to the area and he has the loveliest daughter. We have arranged for you two to go on a date and then if she likes you we are going to go ahead with the merger. I was thinking a spring wedding on the lake..." I looked at the stranger in front of me with a little bit of awe.

Could this woman really just disregard the neglect of over 20 years that easily? Did she think I was really going to listen to a word she said? I started to laugh at the absurdity of it all. She gave me a strange look but continued with her plans, even when I began to walk away. I didn't need this shit. I wanted nothing to do with these people who called themselves my parents. I was so done.

"Where are you going, Brendan?" I heard her call out. I smiled and turned.

"I have no idea. I'm just not sticking around here." I went to the place I called my room and started packing my boxes. I didn't accumulate very much stuff in the years since boarding school. Probably because in the back of my mind I knew this was all just temporary. This room, this house, this life. I just needed it to all go away. I didn't care where I was headed next, just that it was completely different from where I was now.

Thank goodness I had savings. I never had to spend money before, so it was all piled up into my savings account. I never bought more than I absolutely needed, so my allowance had racked up to a staggering degree. Plus, the company paid me regularly once I started there. Oh right. I should probably find a new job. Maybe I should just go to another corporation that was trying to headhunt me.

It may be backstabbing to my parents and their friends, but it would get me away from them and ensure I wasn't followed. I opened the email on my phone and scrolled down to the latest email from a corporation the next city over. They wanted me for a Division Manager's position. It sounded pretty close to what I was already doing. I asked for a meeting with the head-hunter through a quick email and got an immediate response to the affirmative.

That takes care of that. My suitcases came next, and I carefully placed my suits from the closet into the cases. It had only been an hour and everything I owned was contained in less than a dozen boxes and suitcases. I grabbed one in each hand and made my way past a shocked mother to the garage. I began to pack the car, ignoring the protests and arguments that followed me back and forth.

"Thanks for the education." I said. I kissed her cheek like I would a client I had just met and waved as I got in my car. My father walked out of the house with a curious look on his face and I didn't even bother giving him a second glance as I pulled out of the driveway. He didn't deserve one.