Hope | ✔

Chapter 20: Crush Crusher

"It's amazing how fast your mood can change, how deep your heart can sink and how much one person can affect you."

Literally nothing could bring down Fabian's mood. He had been skipping around the house all afternoon doing things.

His parents had asked him to clean up the house a bit and he did it with no hesitstion. He didn't really give it a thorough clean, but for him it was almost as if he had cleaned the house until it sparkled.

His dad came into the room after he had finished cleaning. "Have you started using weed again?"

Fabian looked up from his current drawing he was working on, which was a picture of Jaimie-mae sitting on the edge of the cliff with the wind blowing through her hair. "No. I don't like weed."

Justin raised an eyebrow. "Why do you seem... high?"

"I don't know. Maybe because i'm happy," Fabian said with a smirk.

Justin paused and looked at him skeptically. Then he turned and looked out the door.

"Madison dear, come to Fabian's room please!" He shouted.

Madison came scampering in not to long later. "Yes Justin?"

"Look at our son."

Madison looked over at Fabian who was mindlessly spinning in his chair, going round and round in circles. His long legs made it look extremely awkward though and Madison had to hold back a laugh at her childish son.

She looked back over to her husband and furrowed her eyebrows. "Is something wrong?"

"I think he's been doing weed again with that delinquent Russell," he whisper yelled.

"I don't smell anything."

"Just look at him Madison."

She scanned her son who was still spinning in the chair and she swore she heard him... giggle.

"Oh my gosh. He's doing drugs again," she said as she threw her hands in the air.

She quickly stomped over to him and stopped him from spinning in the chair. He looked at her through dizzy, non-red eyes and Madison sighed.

"Justin, he's not doing drugs. H-"

Fabian cut her off. "Yeah you tell him mom."

Both of his parents glared at him and so he raised his hands in a mock surrender.

"He's just happy," Madison finished.

"He looks high to me," Justin said.

Madison stared down at her son who was having trouble sitting upright in his chair due to dizziness. "Yeah. High off of happiness. And i'm pretty sure it's a girl," she squealed.

Fabian and Justin stared at her, dumbfounded. Sometimes Fabian wondered if his mom was secretly twelve years younger. She could pass as that sometimes.

"Is that true Fabian?" Justin asked with a raised eyebrow.

"What? That i'm happy? I already said i was."

"Yes. But is it a girl?"

"Maybe. Maybe not."

Justin scowled at his son. "Is it Jaimie-mae?"

"No." It was obvious he was lying because a huge smile broke through on his face.

Justin sighed. "You need to stop whatever you are getting at. She just turned seventeen."

"But-"

"She's not of legal age. There are plenty of other girls out there to work your charm on. Preferably girls who aren't practically children."

"She's not a child," Fabian growled.

"Justin, let him be. He's h-"

"No Madison," he stopped her. "Look Fabian, she's young and hasn't graduated yet. Find someone else."

"But-"

"No Fabian. She'll cause you too many problems."

Fabian furrowed his brows and his shoulders slumped. "Problems?"

"Yes. She has PTSD. That's a lot of weight to carry. When someone has a condition like hers and you involve them in your life, some of that is put on you. And you don't need that, not with college next year."

"But she needs me," Fabian said through clenched teeth.

"That's another problem. You can't always be there for her when she's crying. Its not worth the trouble."

Madison gasped. "Justin! Jaimie-mae is such a sweet girl. If Fabian likes to be around her, it wouldn't be trouble. You liked her yourself."

Justin completly brushed off his wifes comment. "Fabian listen to me. You are not going any further with that young girl. Do you hear me? You and her are just going to be aqquaintances. I need you focused on your studies next year, not a girl with PTSD. If you really need to, go find a girl your age. There are plenty acceptable ones in this town. Do you understand?"

"You can't do that!"

"I can! You might not see it now, but im doing this for your benefit. Do you understand?"

"N-"

"Do you understand!?"

Fabian nodded angrily. "Understood."

Justin walked out of his room not giving anyone a second glance.

Fabian turned back to his drawing and peirced holes through it with his glare.

His mothers voice was just another background noise now. Barely heard. He barely cared.

"I'm so sorry Fabian. I'll try to talk to your father. It's best if you just do as he says for now."

She waited for a reply from Fabian but it never came and so she walked out and closed the door with a quiet click.

Actually, scratch that. Something could mess with his mood.

His mood had plummeted from the sky and crashed into earth; nothing left behind but the smoke and debree.

His mood was officially brought down.