𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓, luke patterson

twenty three

T W E N T Y  T H R E E

Save me from who I'm supposed to be

THE COUNSELOR LOOKED AT HIS FILE ONE MORE TIME BEFORE LEAVING IT ON THE DESK, GLANCING AT THE BOY.

"So, Luke, I see you do very well in school."

"Yeah... well except for Biology. I still don't understand how knowing the anatomy of a reptile could be useful in the outside world, you know?" He clicked his tongue, pointing at the window with his head. The counselor didn't find that funny.

"You have a B plus on Biology. That's not bad."

"Kinda screws the GPA, you know? B of Bye Yale, Harvard or Penn. B of... bong, try next time. B of... be right back, I have to go to class."

"Sit down, Mister Patterson." He sat down again on the chair, sighing. He was going to get out soon.

"Hey, have you seen the movie The Graduate? Dustin Hoffman? 1967?"

"No, I have not."

"It's really cool. Is this college graduate who has no idea what he's gonna do with his life and ends up sleeping with his dad's best friend's wife." The counselor raised his eyebrows. "Then he fall in love with the daughter. And when they all found out everyone goes crazy. Because... well mother and daughter. Crazy to think about. I mean, well not me, but someone my age has something with your wife and then proposes to your daughter!? That should be... Am I talking to much?"

"Yeah... you are. And not about the subject I've been meaning to discuss—"

"Have you see Breakfast at Tiffany's? Now that's a weird movie. She talks to the criminal like she's his best friend! Holly in that movie really misses like the whole set of screws or something. She's gorgeous though, beautiful woman. Even though my first crush was definitely Elaine from Seinfeld. Just to think about it makes me go nuts. I named my truck after her!"

"Luke, let me get straight to the point here," the counselor interrupted. "You are wanted in at least every college of the state. Even private universities have contacted the school and asked about you! And you don't seem to care! Your SATs scores are the best of your class! Why am I talking about your class!? The county, the state... Luke... aren't you excited?"

"With wanted... you mean like... The Hateful Eight wanted? Like I could get fifteen thousand gold coins for my head? Because I could use a new truck."

"Luke... stop with the jokes..."

"Oh, you thought it was a joke," he whispered.

"You are smart. You are probably the smartest person I have ever met. When you were asked in third grade if you wanted to skip a grade you refused."

"Yeah, because I didn't have friends fifth grade except for that lousy kid who thought that was better at chess than me. He never defeated me."

"Then you were asked in fourth grade, and you refused... again."

"They were going to sent me to high school. What was I, a ten year old, gonna do in High School? Show them my Power Ranger collection while they chatted about sex and hormones? No thank you."