Survivor's Guilt Book 1 The Breaking Of An Old System

Chapter 11: "Virgil" The Rise Of A Friendship

Flashback, August 19, 2007.

Now that I've completely accepted this misguided teenager into me and my wife's home, he seems to be already starting trouble.

"Lloyd!!"

I call him from upstairs. "How could you get into a fight with a kid at graduation and become friends over the summer. That doesn't even make sense."

Lloyd walked slowly downstairs, "The world works in mysterious ways, Virgil and nothing is more important than the mission."

I shake my head in disappointment, "Even after everything that's happened, you're still talking about that nonsense. It's over and time to move forward and try making a difference now."

"A difference? How is that even possible when the world won't change unless it's pushed to, by a force equal or stronger than the defending the force. I realized through all these years that making a difference is nothing but a fairytale."

I put my hand on Lloyd's shoulder, "Listen here kid, there's a huge gap between the necessary causes and the improbable ones. I believe in you Lloyd, there's no way you could've made it this far with just rage and hatred. There must be love dormant in the worst of us, to be a power with a weakness. All those people out there who do nothing is no different than the ones creating problems. You know the truth is, we cause our own problems."

I walk him back upstairs, "Get ready for high school cause it's a real ride all the way through. Don't let them get to you, though, the past is the past and all we can do is accept it and move forward."

He walks into his room and gets ready. I go into our room and kiss my wife.

"Hey, Lloyd, can you tell Ms. Morean she needs to get out sometimes because of people including me, think she is becoming a zombie or something. Sid is your friend and maybe it'll take a friend of her child to get to her."

Lloyd turns away folding his arms, "It's none of our business why she won't come out so why are you really trying to force her to?"

I reminisce about the past in which I and she were friends, "Lloyd, you have no idea what that woman means to me. She was more than a friend and close like a sister to me. Now it seems like we're not even neighbors anymore."

I drive Lloyd up to Chapel wood hills high school. I went inside the school and saw that it was a dramatic change in everything around it. There used to be rose petals in the cafeteria, teachers were more hippy-like, music used to be the main concentration and it seemed a lot simpler in those days. I breathed out slowly, "Oh man have times changed..."

While walking through the halls, I noticed Lloyd was all alone and decided to go join him on my day off. I sat down next to him, "Lloyd would you like to get done over?"

Lloyd looked at me like I was crazy, "What's a done over?"

I pulled out my phone and began scrolling down to an app called done over. I click on it and scroll through the pages, "It's an app that sends you clothes that have style and fashion. I'm a subscriber to them and can help you as well."

Lloyd picked up his juice and drunk it, "Nah it's not my thing. But I'll make a deal since you want to be overly concerned about things lately. If I make this, you have to leave all that done over stuff alone but if I don't then we'll go with your plan."

Lloyd picked up the apple juice and shot it towards the trash can two tables ahead of us. It looks like it's about to go in until Sid grabs the juice right before it goes in, "Interception, no more free shots Lloyd."

Lloyd puts his head down, "I hope your ready kid, it's time to look good. I'm going leave you guys here and go back home."

I waved to Sid and Lloyd before I left. I spent at least three hours trying to find a perfect style that would fit that kid, but nothing was coming up. I hit the random button a couple times until I ran into the all leather styles in which I felt were nice. I ordered the leather jacket and shirt combo with puffy socks which only cost me $34. It took a week or two to get here but once it did I put it all to the test.

I made Lloyd try it all on and got a good look at it all. It was nice, but it felt like something was missing. It was a hairstyle. I took him to the barbershop down the road called Wade's Ridge Line. It was an interesting day that ended with Lloyd being on point for once.

Before going to sleep I walked into Lloyd's room while he was asleep, "I might not be your real father and nor am I trying to replace him but I'm always going be here to look out for you."

A few days later and Sid comes up to me after school saying "Lately, Lloyd has been getting very popular in school" I laughed saying I know because every time I get home my door is bombarded with girls banging and punching on the door."

I literally must move them all out the way and go inside my house. I go up into Lloyd's room, "What the hell has been going on?" Lloyd just stares at the window, "I don't know, but something needs to be done about this. Those annoyances keep bothering me all the time and it stops my concentration."

I put my head out the window, "Alright girls, it's time to go home now."

They left for today and most likely will come again tomorrow.

A few days pass, and I came home from work one day and got a phone call from the principle. Today, Lloyd got into a fight with a junior named Duane. Duane is a jock that is the quarterback for the football team. I confronted Lloyd who was in the kitchen about the incident.

Lloyd continued eating his breakfast while saying" He was bullying me and Sid. And then started trying to beat us up. I dodged his attacks but then he threw a chair at Sid knocking him out. I immediately hit him in the nose with all my might and then elbowed him in his traps."

I got into my car along with Lloyd and Christine and began driving up to the hospital. We rushed to the front desk and asked for information about the kid Duane. We went through all the legal information which took a few hours. Once that was done, we went to his room which was 2345 on the second floor.

I push Lloyd into the room and give him signs with my index finger. Lloyd is now talking to him and I turn around not to be nosey. I waited three minutes until he came out the room. I went in there and spoke with the family.

I went to the Duane kid, in an apologetic tone, said, "I'm so sorry for all of this, I will pay the bill." I turn towards his parents who are asleep. I stare at them for a while, while thinking man these guys must be a handful.

Soon after that, another few weeks went by and a new incident soon appeared. Lloyd apparently was about to get jumped by the kids until Sid came into the picture and then it was six on two. That day the boys came to house with bloody noses and black eyes smiling.

It was odd but it kind of reminded of the friendship I had with Christine's brother back in the day. That's how I met her through him. But never mind that I patch them up with some bandages while grabbing supplies from the medicine cabinet. It was in the directly on the left from the spices.

As I'm patching these boys up I see a spark or something their friendship. It resonates with me. I'm jealous because out of all the friends I've ever had only which is twenty throughout my whole life so far. Only three of them would've fought with me.