Work Text:
"Good morning, Mr. Anderson. Just wanted to inform you that there won't be any classes today. We have our annual inter-school sports meet today."
Todd Anderson raised his head from the novel he was reading and turned to his left to see Julian, the tall, strapping, handsome head boy of the school, dressed in football gear, standing breathless and restless at the door of his cabin.
"Oh! O-O-K. Good that you've t-told me about it. I was k-kind of clueless about this. Good, h-have fun. Play well, J-Julian!" Todd said encouragingly to the 17-year-old kid.
"Sure, Mr. Anderson! Yeah, and one more thing. It would be great if you came to watch my football match. It starts in an hour from now. It will be my personal pleasure and privilege to see you in the stands, watching me play," Julian said with an expression of intense emotions writ large on his face.
"Oh, yes! I'll be there, Julian, by all means," Todd answered.
The lean lad's shining face lit up even further at Todd's response.
"Thank you so much, Mr. Anderson. See you on the football field," Julian beamed and smiled his 1000-watt bright smile that spread from ear to ear, and left.
This boy reminds me so much of him, Todd thought to himself. The same smiling face, the same unbridled zest for life, the same spring in his step, the same infectious enthusiasm, the same hyperkinetic energy, the same innocence, the same angelic beauty, the same handsome demeanour, the same slender frame of body, the same sharpness of mind, the same agility of movement, the same magnetism of personality, the same charismatic aura, the same high-spirited extroversion, the same high-strung voice, almost the same person.
Todd seemed to be getting deeper and deeper into a reverie. I just hope and pray this boy doesn't have a sad soul inside him, a broken/breaking heart inside him, a fragile and brittle spirit inside him, a scared and frightened teenager overawed by a tyrant father inside him.
This boy Julian is so much like Neil, Todd continued to tell himself, the cynosure of all eyes, the heartthrob of everyone around him, the most lovable, affable boy around, the golden boy of this school. I just hope he doesn't become the tragic hero that Neil became. 52-year-old Todd shuddered as a chill went down his spine at a bitter memory of 36 years ago. And he shrugged slightly to shake off the dark clouds of Neil's memories and refocused his attention on his novel, with a slanting glance at his wrist watch. Half an hour left for Julian's match to start. He needs to be there. For Julian. For himself. For Neil.