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"You're the man of the house now, Sam." Kent tugs gently at his hair, other hand on his shoulder. "Make me proud and take care of your family." Kent smiles before giving Jodi a final kiss and Vincent a final hug.
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Sam was 14 when his father left for the war. Now he's 16. They haven't gotten letters back or anything.
Sam has to throw on a fake smile everytime Vincent, his 6 year old brother, says he's so excited to throw 'Daddy' a coming home party.
He has to reassure his mom while she cries about if Kent will come home or not.
Sam started a band with his best friend, Sebastian. Everytime he plays he wonders if he's making his dad proud.
Everytime his mom tells him he looks just like his dad, he has to stop. Should he continue the band or give up and become his dad?
His dad wants him to become like him, doesn't he? The man of the house.
Sam ended the band, which led Sebastian to spending more time with his talking stage. Abigail. Sam likes Abigail. He's busy though.
Sam works out with Alex and whatnot, hitting the bathhouse, push-ups everytime he wakes up.
Anything to become like a practically dead-man. Sam just wants to feel what made his dad so adamant to leave him.
He just wants to understand.
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𝐷𝑒𝑎𝑟 𝐽𝑜𝑑𝑖, 𝑆𝑎𝑚, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑉𝑖𝑛𝑛𝑦.
𝐼 𝑙𝑜𝑣𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑠𝑜 𝑑𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑙𝑦. 𝐼'𝑚 𝑠𝑜 𝑠𝑜𝑟𝑟𝑦 𝐼 𝑐𝑎𝑛'𝑡 𝑏𝑒 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑦𝑜𝑢. 𝐼 𝑑𝑜𝑛'𝑡 𝑘𝑛𝑜𝑤 𝑖𝑓 𝐼 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑏𝑒 𝑎𝑔𝑎𝑖𝑛. 𝐼𝑡'𝑠 ℎ𝑒𝑙𝑙 𝑜𝑢𝑡 ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒. 𝐼 𝑑𝑜𝑛'𝑡 𝑘𝑛𝑜𝑤 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑤𝑒 𝑑𝑖𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑟 𝑌𝑜𝑏𝑎 𝑙𝑖𝑘𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠, 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝐼'𝑣𝑒 𝑏𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝑝𝑟𝑎𝑦𝑖𝑛𝑔. 𝐼 𝑚𝑖𝑠𝑠 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑎𝑙𝑙, 𝐼'𝑚 𝑠𝑜𝑟𝑟𝑦 𝐼 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑛𝑜 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑤𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑒.
𝐿𝑜𝑣𝑒,
𝐷𝑎𝑑
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They didn't show Vincent the letter. It arrived on his 7th birthday. They just said it said happy birthday.
It was the only proof they have that his dad is still out there blowing someone's brain out of their skull.
They celebrated Vincent's birthday like everything was normal. Smiles on faces, party hats. Cake.
Everybody sang. Vincent opened presents like he'd never get them again.
The only thing he wished for was his dad, my mom gave me a look.
The day after Sam hung out with Sebastian and Abigail in the abandoned farmhouse. It used to belong to some old guy.
Sam has caught eyes for Abigail, but also this girl that lives right next to him. Haley. He doesn't know which one he prefers out of the three.
Three? Yeah. Wasn't a typo.
Sam just vents about regretting ending the band and asks them to rejoin.
"Fuck it, sure." Sebastian lights his cigarette.
"I don't know how to play any band-worthy instruments..I can try drums!" Abigail volunteers not-so-eagerly for the drums. She just knows it's the last one needed.
Sam looks into her beautiful green eyes.
"You two are great.." he looks down and smiles.
He hates noticing their beautiful purple hair. The pretty way both of them have it cut. So differently than his.
Sebastian's just his best friend. He knows Sebastian's bi, but Sam is fully straight. Completely.
He has to be like his dad, anyway. Grow up, marry a woman. Join the military. Bands are just a side hobby, there's no way his dad didn't have hobbies as a teenager.
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Within a year there was been even more deaths reported than every before with this long war. Zuzu city is the safest place to be. Apart from the scary mines that Abigail and Sebastian go in dates to.
Sam doubts his dad is still alive. He's trying to take after a ghost.
It gets worse especially when his mom continues to say how much Sam reminds her of 𝙝𝙞𝙢.
Sam doesn't hate him. He just doesn't understand how he could leave him. Or why. Or even why he feels the strong urge to do everything like his father did.
To make him proud, at the very least.
The only thing he's talented on is making music and skating, though. He's more fit than before, definitely the most muscle out of his friends. But he's not his dad level.
He'll never make his father proud. If he's up there, he's shaking his head in such disappointment. "Why did I die for this?" He's probably thinking.
Sam will never be a real man. He'll never make it out of his mom's house like Haley did, he'll never be strong like Alex is, he'll never be a talented happy man like Elliot is. He's so useless.
Such a waste of sperm.
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"What was that?" Jodi grabbed Sam's wrist.
Sam had a tank top on outside, quickly throwing on a jacket before coming inside. Jodi saw his biceps. The scars around them.
"Just scratches from Alex's dog.." Sam mumbles, not looking up.
"Sam. You better not be harming yourself, we'd have to get you help. Yoba doesn't want to meet you so soon.." Jodi sighs while saying the last sentence.
"I don't feel like seeing him either, that's why I don't harm myself." Sam responds in a casual way, returning to his room and cursing himself out for not covering up better.
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Chapter 2 will have rebellion, more Sebastian, Haley, and Alex; internalized homophobia.
Chapter 3 will either introduce the farmer or Kent coming back.