Juliana Haygert - Playing Pretend

I walked to her and embraced her. “I’ll always be your son, Mom, no matter where I go or what I do. I promise to call often, okay?”

“It won’t be the same.”

“I know.”

Stiffening, my mother pulled back. “I should go make dinner.” She left without looking at me again.

She descended the stairs in a rush and I shook my head. She was never good at hiding her emotions, but she was good at running away whenever the situation became too much for her to bear. It was her defense mechanism.

I went back to the boxes and packing. One more week of classes and research, then I would be gone. I was already looking for apartments and gigs around Washington. I couldn’t wait. Only thinking about it brought a certain lightness to me, as if I soon would be free.

I opened one of the dresser’s drawers and picked up my running and workout clothes. I found my running shoes under the bed and threw them in the box. Between finals, presentations, and packing this last week, I would be too busy to go to the gym. I would catch up after I found my new place in Washington.

I heard voices coming from my window. I leaned against the glass, watching as my mother cried, talking to my father. I glanced at my wristwatch. It was past six already. I had been so absorbed in packing and moving on, I hadn’t noticed time passing.

My father pulled my mother into his arms and embraced her. He ran his fingers through her hair and whispered in her ear. Such a sweet, carefree gesture. I had grown up seeing and admiring my parents’ love and affection. I was raised to think I would have that kind of relationship too. I thought I had found it with Tamara. Just to find out she cheated on me all the time.

I shuddered. Now, it was hard to believe that even my parents were truly happy together. Maybe it was appearance, pretend, so everyone would think that they were the perfect couple, but I knew it wasn’t. I knew I was just jealous of their near-perfect relationship and trying to come up with excuses to feel better.

It didn’t matter.

What mattered was that I was finally taking the necessary measures to recover. I was moving away from Tamara and all our memories that were cemented in this town—even though I had new ones, happy ones, with a mysterious girl. It had been two months since spring break, and each time I remembered Charlotte, I smiled.

Then I remembered she was gone and I had no idea who she really was. Anyway, I was moving on from both girls. I was going to immerse myself in my studies, I was going to find some gigs around the city to make some cash, and I would hook up with pretty girls without even thinking about serious relationships. I was sick of lies. If not getting involved was what I needed to do to never hurt again, then so be it. I was ready.

Mason

Since my mother couldn’t stop crying, she stayed home and Matt drove me to the airport. Brody wanted to come too, but he had some family event to attend.

Matt insisted on parking the car, coming inside with me, and waiting until it was time for me to pass the security check and board the airplane, but I wouldn’t do that to him. I wanted to just hop out of the car, go through the check-in, and wait by the gate.

Anxiety and dread danced in my chest as Matt stopped the car in front of the departure area. This was it. Me, starting anew. Making my own destiny. Living my own life, with my own devices.

We stepped out the car, and Matt helped me take my bags from the trunk. When my three bags were on the sidewalk, I extended my hand to my brother. “Thanks, man.”

“No problem.” He took my hand and shook it hard. “Don’t be a stranger, okay?”

“You too. You can come visit me any time you want.”

He chuckled. “Yeah, as if I had money to pay for a ticket to D.C. any time I wanted.”

I shook my head. “Well, then you better starting saving some now.”

“I will,” he said, staring straight at me.

Leaving my little brother was harder than I thought. He had been my best friend since he was born, and because of our tight conditions, none of us had left home. We had stuck together, done everything together. Until now.

“Take care, Matt,” I said.

“You too. Go rock the world,” he joked.

Shaking my head, I picked up my bags and entered the check-in counter. I checked in, I got rid of my bags, I went through security, and sometime later, I boarded the plane.

When it took off, I looked down, to where I was born and raised, to the place I had never left my entire life. In a way, I would miss it, but I was ready.

I looked to the horizon, past my small town, past California, and took a deep breath.

To new beginnings.

Mason

I stared at the door of the apartment, then to the piece of newspaper in my hand. This was the one from the ad, all right. The building was dark and dirty, and the apartments’ doors were a sick, fading green. This one in particular was worse. The number six from sixteen had twisted down on its screw, the edges of the metal covered in rust.

Okay, it was bad, but I had gone to the others I had added to a list before coming to D.C. and none was good enough. The good ones were too expensive, and the cheap ones were crap. I just wanted to find a decent one, and this had to be it. I had been up and down all day and I was exhausted.

Holding my breath, I knocked on the door.

A few seconds later, the door opened, revealing a thin guy with round glasses and a joystick in his hand. “Can I help you?”

I showed him the newspaper. “I’m here because of the ad.”

“Oh, sweet. Come on in.” He retreated and let me in. “I’m David Brown.”

I told him my name and we shook hands.

Besides the outer part of the building, the apartment looked nice. It was small, but clean. A sitting area with a large TV and a Play Station 4, an adjacent kitchen, and down a small hallway, three doors: two tiny bedrooms and a bathroom.

“This one would be yours,” the guy said, opening the door to one of the bedrooms. It had a queen bed, a nightstand, a dresser, and a tiny closet. Better than most I had seen. “I know it’s not much, but it’s probably the best you can get for this price range.”

I sat down on the mattress. Not too bad. “Yeah, it’s been a hard day.”

“I know. I’ve been there,” David said.

We walked back to the living room. I decided to talk to the guy, get to know him. He was in the first year of his masters of a chemical engineering degree, he worked in research at the university, and he liked to play video games and watch action movies. I told him about looking for a job until I started working at the university. Well, even so, I would probably need some extra work here and there.

“Bartending, huh?” David pulled two beers from the fridge and gave one to me. “There’s a bunch of clubs and bars and restaurants downtown. I’m sure if you go around, you’ll find plenty of jobs. Oh, and there are always plenty of events around the city. You should contact some catering companies. They’re always in need of extra hands.”

Hmm, that sounded promising. Much better than in my hometown, Nowhereville in Central California, which only had movement during spring break or summer.

I sat down my beer and grinned. “All right, man, I think I’m staying.”

Charlotte

“Oh my God, I’m gonna be late.” I groaned as I took out my roller skates and threw them in the trunk of my car. Thank God my mother never got close to my car, otherwise she would freak out and complain her daughter wasn’t the one she knew with those skates and the chalk and the paints.

Well, I wasn’t.

“Calm down.” Liana closed the trunk and handed my purse back. “If you don’t calm down, then you’re gonna be late.”