Danger Zone

"PREVIOUSLY WRITTEN ON HIGH SCHOOL NORMALITY

"Your dad's been found."

"David, your dad may have made a mistake--"

"Or two, or three, or five hundred."

"But he's still your dad, and you have to forgive him."

"We have to talk, David. Whether you want to or not, we have to talk about this."

"When do you want to talk?"
"Well, I have after-school rehearsal for my choir concert tomorrow night. You could pick me up and we could go to dinner or something."
"I would like that."

"Aren't you supposed to be weaning yourself off of those?"
"Well, I'm only taking them once a day now, where as I was taking them three or four times a day last week."
"I guess, but make sure you keep weaing yourself because those kinds of pills are highly addictive."

"I've decided to get my Smicha."

"You? A rabbi?"
"Yeah, why not?"
"I don't know, Cal. Maybe because of all of the wrong you've done, all of the money you owe certain people, all the hatred you feel toward the world?"

"You know, I thought that we could have a mature conversation, but obviously we can't."
"Then I guess you'd better take me home."

"I hate him so much!"
"No you don't. Trust me. No matter what, he's our father, and we can't hate him."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"So, how's your father?"

My mom was sitting in an armchair when I came down for breakfast the next morning.

"He's just as I expected. Oh, he's gonna be a rabbi now, by the way."

"That's nice. He can talk about being a good person. You know, I always thought he should be an actor. He's just so good at lying."

My parents really never got along, which is why my dad left a few weeks ago. I sat down on the couch as I took one of my pain pills.

"How's the pain today."

"It's getting better. But I'll tell you, I would have been a complete mess if it wasn't for those pills."

"Well, I'm glad that you're doing better. Are you coming close to not needing those pills anymore?"

"I think so, but I think I'll have a better idea after about a week."

"Okay."

My name is David, and I'm a normal high school student.

And after a horrific car accident, it is pretty normal to rely on pain medication to get you through your day.

With a look of skepticism, my mom spoke again.

"So Jim called yesterday and wanted to know if you were ever coming back to work."

Fuck! With everything going on with the accident and my dad and the showcase concert and finals, I had completely forgotten about my awesome job at the UPS Store, and my badass boss, Jim. I hoped that I still had a job.

That afternoon my mom drove me over the the UPS Store so I could face my boss.

"Well, if it isn't the boy who came to work one day and didn't show up for 3 weeks."

"Jim, I can explain. I was--"

"In a horrible car accident that almost resulted in you missing the last month of school. I know all about it. Your girlfriend came in the day after it happened."

I didn't even know that my now ex-girlfriend Joy knew about the accident. I hadn't spoken to her since she revealed that she kissed another guy right as we were about to have sex for the first time at prom.

"Look Jim, I'm sorry that I didn't call, but I have been so wrapped up in catching up that I completely spaced on the store. Do I still have a job?"

Jim looked at me a moment, studying my bruises that were actually healing quite nicely.

"How much pain are you in?"

"Could be better, could be worse."

"Okay, kid, I'll tell you what. I will give you the rest of the month to get better, and than you can start again on June 1."

"Thank you so much, Jim."

"You're welcome, now get the hell out of here and relax!"

The last couple weeks of school went by very fast. The Showcase Concert went really well, Choir Banquet was a lot of fun, the last issue of the Summit Sentinel was very well received by the student body, I studied my ass off for finals, and before we knew it, we were singing at graduation.

On the night of graduation, I went out to dinner with Aaron Stanwick, Michael Florence, and Mark Adams to celebrate the end of the year and the fact that the following fall we would be seniors.

"I just can't believe that in just a couple months, we're gonna be seniors."

"And then we'll be in college, going to a whole new school and a whole new population of girls to fuck."

"Yeah, have fun getting an STD."

"Have fun becoming sterile. You know that if you don't use it, you lose it."

"And you realize that Mormons have a lot of kids for a reason, right?"

"Hey look, the food is here!"

Mark and Aaron were good friends, but they didn't see eye-to-eye on a lot of things, including the idea of pre-marital sex. Aaron was Mormon and therefore didn't believe in it, but Mark had already had plenty of it after losing his virginity to Faye Winston back in March.

Before I ate my hamburger, I took out a pill and swallowed it with some water.

"You're still taking pills?"

"I'm still in pain."

"David, the accident happened almost a month ago. Are you sure that you're in enough pain to constitute taking them?"

"Yeah. I wanna make sure that the pain is completely gone before I stop."

My friends looked at me. They were obviously concerned, but there was really no reason to be concerned. I was taking them in moderation and they were really helping with the pain.

"So Michael, how's Leslie doing?"

"She's great, but she's going to Florida this summer. It's gonna be weird not seeing her."

"I figured that after so many break-ups, not seeing each other would be almost routine."

"Shut up."

"Michael, he does have a point."

"But we're doing really well right now. What if she meets some other guy while she's there?"

"Then she'll meet him, they'll become friends, and then she'll come home to you and tell you all about how funny he was."

"I really don't think you have anything to worry about when it comes to her. She loves you, and love is an amazing thing."

We all looked upon Mark with appreciation.

"And think about how hot the sex will be when she gets back!"

And he's back.

"We haven't had sex yet, remember?"

"Yeah, I really don't understand why."

"Because we're waiting for the perfect moment. We don't really want a lot of complications and sex can complicate things."

"Or it could relieve the tension."

"There is no tension."

"Obviously there is, or else you wouldn't be worried about her leaving you while she's in Florida."

"She's not gonna leave him while she's in Florida. Michael, trust me. She's not going to cheat on you; she loves you too much."

"Joy loved you and she still hooked up with another guy."

We were all astounded by what Michael had just said. It's true that I was the last person who should have been assuring Michael that his girlfriend wouldn't leave him, but Joy cheated on me with someone she had a history with. Not some random guy in Florida.

"You know, it's getting kind of late. Maybe we should get the check and call it a night."

"Okay, I'll drive you home."

After we paid, Aaron and I got into his red truck and headed to my house. We were silent for a little bit until he spoke.

"I don't think Michael meant anything by what he said?"

"Really, because he sure sounded like he had a point."

"He wasn't thinking. We all say stupid things when we're not thinking. And we all do stupid things when we're not thinking."

I immediately knew exactly what Aaron was talking about.

"Aaron, I--"

"No. David, I think you have a problem."

"That's ridiculous! I'm not addicted to pain pills."

"Then why do you keep taking them?"

"Because I'm in pain."

"Where?"

"In my back and my neck."

"Specifically where does it hurt?"

I thought for a minute, and for some reason, I couldn't figure out exactly where the pain was. Maybe I didn't need the pills after all.

"Okay, I'll stop taking the pills."

"Good. When we get to your house we'll flush them."

"Fine."

We went into my kitchen, grabbed the bottle of pills, and flushed them down the toilet. It was harder than I thought it would be, but I needed to prove that I wasn't addicted.

"Well, now that that's over with, I should get going."

"It's kinda late. Why don't you just crash here?"

"Good idea. I'll text my mom and let her know."

We were both exhausted, so we went to sleep without a lot of talking. Meanwhile, Michael went over to Leslie's house. Because it was late, he threw a pebble up to her window, and when she saw it was him she went downstairs and outside.

"Hey baby! What's going on?"

"I--I just--uh--"

"Spit it out."

"I don't want you to find someone else in Florida!"

"Okay..."

"Look, it's just that I love you so much, and I know you love me, but David and Joy loved each other too, and look how they turned out."

"Michael, I am going to say this once, so listen good. You are the only guy for me, and no matter how many hot guys I see on the beach in Florida, none of them will hold a candle to you. I love you and that is all you need to know."

Michael and Leslie kissed as the rain began to fall. Soaking wet, they went into her house and had sex for the first time. They were waiting for the perfect moment and the perfect moment happened.

And back at my house, Aaron and I were sound asleep, until I suddenly felt the urge to take a pill. I thought that I was in pain although I couldn't trace where. All I knew was that I needed a pill. I jumped out of bed, stepping on Aaron in the process. I heard a faint "Dang it!" as I ran downstairs to the kitchen.

I started rummaging through the cabinet to find the pills, and then I remembered that they were gone and I had flushed them down the toilet. THE TOILET! I rushed to the bathroom and, obviously not thinking, I grabbed the plunger and tried to plunge them out of the toilet.

"What are you doing?"

"Getting the pills. I NEED THE PILLS!"

"No you don't! Give me the plunger, David."

"I NEED THE PILLS! I NEED THEM!"

"DAVID GIVE ME THE FLIPPIN' PLUNGER!"

"NO! I NEED THE PILLS! I NEED THE PILLS! I NEED..."

I collapsed into Aaron's arms bawling my eyes out.

"I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry!"

"It's alright, David. It's over. It's alright."

"What the hell is going on in here?"

My mom entered the bathroom, probably having heard the screaming.

"I--I need--I need help."

"We flushed all his pills earlier and he was trying to get them out with the plunger."

My mom looked at me with worried eyes. She looked more worried than I had ever seen her before. She came toward me and wrapped her arms around me as I started bawling again.

"We will go see Dr. McKendrick tomorrow morning, but right now you need to go to bed. It's 3:00 in the morning."

Before Aaron left the next morning, I gave him a hug and thanked him for saving me from myself. After breakfast, Mom and I headed to Dr. McKendrick's office.

"Substance abuse is a very serious matter, David, but it is not impossible to recover from it."

"Okay. What do I do?"

"My reccomendation is that you go to rehab for a few weeks in order to remove yourself from any possible X-factor that may have led you to abuse. When you come home, you will be referred to a psychologist that you will see once a week for as long as you need the therapy. This will not be easy, but if you want to get clean, it is neccessary."

I was at rehab for 6 weeks. Dr. McKendrick was right. It wasn't easy and it certainly wasn't fun, but when I got home I felt 100% better. Michael, Aaron, and Mark were waiting for me at my house the day I returned and we all went to see a movie. I had called Jim before I left for rehab and he told me that my job would be there when I got back.

Getting clean was the hardest thing I have ever had to do, but at least I had great friends to get me through it.

David Adler

Normal High School Student

Father of Mine

PREVIOUSLY WRITTEN ON HIGH SCHOOL NORMALITY

"David, you were in a very serious car accident. Your injuries are minor, but if I'm not mistaken, the emotional trauma will be very serious, especially in the next month or so. My advice is to take the rest of the semester off and focus on getting better."

"My doctor said that I should take the rest of the semester off."

"There's only a few more weeks left of school. What about finals?"

"David, your dad may have made a mistake--"

"Or two, or three, or five hundred."

"But he's still your dad, and you have to forgive him."

"I have to go back to school."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah. If I don't go back, all I'll be thinking about is the accident."

"Hi, I was called here about a minute ago."
"Hello, David."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"How are you?"

Could that really have been all he could say?

"I--uh--heard about the accident. How are you feeling?"

"Fine."

What else could I say?

"Look, I--"

"What do you want, Cal?"

"Since when do you call me by my first name?"

"Since you decided that you didn't deserve to be called anything but."

Well, that was a little harsh, but he deserved it after he left us, caused my mom to be arrested and therefore contributed to perhaps the most catastrophic moment of my life.

"David, I just want to talk."

"About what? About why you left? About Lucy Greer? WHAT do you want to talk about?"

DING DONG DING DONG

I had never been so grateful for the bell to ring.

"I have to get to class. Do me a favor and leave me alone."

And so I made my way to the exit, but before I reached the door--

"We have to talk, David. Whether you want to or not, we have to talk about this."

With one final glare toward my father, I left the office and headed to history.

My name is David, and I'm a normal high school student.

But unfortunately, my relationship with my father was anything but normal.

I can't really remember a time where my father and I were on great terms. Until a couple months ago I really wasn't on great terms with anyone in my family, but I started spending more time with them and when my dad left, we all sort of banded together. I used to resent them, but now I just resent him.

At lunch, I caught up with my three amigos, Michael Florence, Mark Adams, and Aaron Stanwick, and told them all about the ordeal.

"He just showed up?"

"Out of nowhere?"

"At school?"

"Yeah. One minute I was walking back to English, and the next minute I was called to the office. Oh, how was the AP English test?"

"Awesome, I killed it, but why would he just appear out of nowhere?"

"He said he wanted to talk."

"To which you said what?"

"That I have nothing to say to him."

"Except that you have a lot to say to him."

"That doesn't mean that I want to actually say it to him. That would require me talking to him."

"David, he's your dad."

"For lack of a better word."

"You know, I really never had much luck with dads. I've had like three of them."

"Well, at least we now know where Mark gets his slut gene from."

"My mother is not a slut. She just--doesn't want to die alone."

"Hello, boys."

Michael's girlfriend, Leslie Lawrence, arrived with a slice of pizza and some tater tots in tow.

"Hello, beautiful."

"I missed you, baby."

"Trust me, I missed you more."

"How can you be sure?"

"Because I love you too much to not miss you more."

"But I love you too much to not miss you more."

"OKAY, you guys MISSED each other! We all get it!"

Everyone took a moment to stare at me awkwardly.

"David's dad paid him a surprise visit during 2nd hour."

"I see. Why would he just drop in?"

"Allegedly to talk."

"About--"

"Sex, drugs, life, politics, I don't know WHAT he wanted to talk about! All I know is that Calvin Adler will NOT have the satisfaction of my presence so easily."

"Look, David, I know that a lot has happened in the past couple weeks, but maybe it would be a good idea to just talk to him. If nothing else, it will give you a little bit of closure on this."

"Babe, you are so smart."

"Well, I know how much you love psychology, so I picked up a book at Barnes & Noble."

"You are the perfect woman. I don't know why we ever broke up all those times."

"I do--but lets make out instead of bringing it up."

"Okay."

While Joanie and Chachi stuck each other's tongues down each other's throats, I thought about the idea of talking to my dad. How much would he have to say? Would he let me voice my concerns? Would he have the balls to face Lucy Greer in court? Now that my mom had been arrested for it on his account, there would definitely be another court summons. But then I thought about the whole ordeal about mom getting arrested. She wouldn't have spent the night in jail over simply owing two thousand dollars. Would he tell me the rest of the story?

We were in final preparation for the Showcase Concert in choir. I settled it with Miss Connolly, our 25 year-old choir teacher, that I would sing off-stage and help with tech crew in any way I could. She was very understanding and told me to do whatever I could. After choir, Michael and I walked to Chemistry.

"So what are you going to do about your dad?"

"I don't know. I'm not sure what I can do. I mean, for better or worse, he's my father. But I don't want to face him."

"Look, Dave, sometimes in life, even when it's inconvenient, you have to deal with people and things that you don't want to deal with. For example, you didn't want to have to deal with Jamie, but you did because you had to for Joy, just like Aaron never wants to deal with Mark's escapades because he's Mormon, but he loves Mark just like we do, so deals with the dirty stories."

Michael was right. Sooner or later, I was going to have to talk to Cal, and sooner or later I was going to have to deal with it all. I had done enough shoving things under the rug. It was time to let the dust settle.

"And that's why I'm calling you. You're right. We do have a lot to talk about."

"When do you want to talk?"

"Well, I have after-school rehearsal for my choir concert tomorrow night. You could pick me up and we could go to dinner or something."

"I would like that."

"Okay. Rehearsal ends and 6."

"I'll see you then."

It was the hardest phone call I ever had to make, but it was necessary.

When I got home, I could not be any more relieved. I was so glad that I would only be taking the bus for another two weeks.

My 30 year-old sister Libby was already home from work.

"You're home early."

"Yeah, I decided to take the afternoon off."

"Oh."

"How are you feeling?"

"Could be better. I'm about to go take a painkiller. I'm telling you, car accidents and backpacks to not mix."

I grabbed two pills out of the bottle and returned to the living room to sit for a little bit.

"Aren't you supposed to be weaning yourself off of those?"

"Well, I'm only taking them once a day now, where as I was taking them three or four times a day last week."

"I guess, but make sure you keep weaing yourself because those kinds of pills are highly addictive."

"I'm not gonna be in pain forever. Until the breaking point comes, though, I should be taking them at least once a day."

"Okay then."

There was a moment of silence before I spoke again.

"So I'm having dinner with Cal tomorrow night."

"Really? Why?"

"He wants to 'talk about some things', whatever that means."

"What is there to talk about?"

"I don't really know, but I figured I might as well let him say whatever the hell it is that he has to say."

"I just wonder what that is."

The following evening after choir rehearsal, my dad pulled up in his blue Prius, and we headed for 3.14, a popular pizza place that was nearby.

"So, where have you been staying?"

"Rabbi Lewitt from the Chabbad is letting me stay with him. He's got a really great house."

"And how long are you planning on staying there?"

"Just until I have enough money to get my own place. I'm looking at getting a job teaching at a Hebrew Day School."

"With no degree?"

"Well, that's part of the news I have to tell you. I've decided to get my Smicha."

"Your what?"

"My smicha. It's a kind of rabbinical certification."

Well this was unexpected.

"You? A rabbi?"

"Yeah, why not?"

"I don't know, Cal. Maybe because of all of the wrong you've done, all of the money you owe certain people, all the hatred you feel toward the world?"

"David, please do not start."

"Why? You wanted to talk, so we're talking. Tell me, Cal, are you planning on dealing with Lucy Greer before or after you become a man of G-d?"

"David--"

"And will you be making enough money to pay for child support for me and Jake?"

"David--"

"And how may I ask are you paying to get this degree?"

"DAVID!"

"What?"

"Why are you doing this to me?"

"I don't know, why did you do everything YOU did to ME?"

"You know, I thought that we could have a mature conversation, but obviously we can't."

"Then I guess you'd better take me home."

The car ride was silent. It reminded me of my first date with Joy, when I overreacted to her asking me about my family. We arrived at my house and I opened the door of the car, but before I got out, he spoke.

"David, I'm sorry about the way that I left, but at the time I thought it was best."

"So that Mom would get arrested instead of you?"

There was no response.

"Goodnight, Cal."

I entered the house and before any words were exchanged, my 14 year-old brother Jake stormed out of the house and sprinted toward my dad's prius. While Jake began shouting profanities toward the car, I chased after him.

"I FUCKING HATE YOU, CALVIN ADLER! YOU'D BETTER NEVER SHOW YOUR FUCKING FACE IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD AGAIN OR I'LL FUCKING HAVE YOUR HEAD! YOU UNDERSTAND THAT? I'LL HAVE YOUR HEAD!!!"

I caught ahold of Jake and he burst into tears.

"I hate him so much!"

"No you don't. Trust me. No matter what, he's our father, and we can't hate him."

Jake and I walked back home and went to our rooms. I wasn't sure when I would see Cal again, but I had a feeling it wouldn't be long.

All of a sudden, I felt a shooting pain in the middle of my spine. Maybe it was from running for the first time since the accident, or maybe it was because it was the latest I had stayed up since. Whatver the reason, I felt that it constituted taking a pill.

David Adler

Normal High School Student

Objects in the Rear View Mirror

PREVIOUSLY WRITTEN ON HIGH SCHOOL NORMALITY
"Lucy Greer apparently had Mom's name on the lawsuit, and since Dad is nowhere to be found, Mom was who they arrested."
"I'm going to go find him."


"What happened?"
"You were in a car accident, remember?"


"But wait, she couldn't have been arrested simply for being attached to the lawsuit. There's gotta be more to it."


"David, your dad may have made a mistake--"
"Or two, or three, or five hundred."
"But he's still your dad, and you have to forgive him."


"Your dad's been found."
"So what happens now?"
"I guess we'll see."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Well, David, it looks like you are ready to go home."


It was music to my ears. I had missed a whole week of school, and I still had more prep to do for my AP tests.'

"Now, you will have to stay at home for another two or three days."

And the music suddenly became nails on a chalkboard.

"Dr. McKendrick, with all due respect, I can't miss anymore school. I start AP tests next week."

"David, it will be easier to wean you off of the pain medication if you are at home. Maybe it would be better if you took the rest of the year off. We can call the school, have them give you take-home finals--"

"And AP testing?"

"Perhaps we can work it out with College Board, get you some make-up exams."

"But--"

"David, you were in a very serious car accident. Your injuries are minor, but if I'm not mistaken, the emotional trauma will be very serious, especially in the next month or so. My advice is to take the rest of the semester off and focus on getting better."

My name is David, and I'm a normal high school student.

And while Dr. McKendrick seemed like he was out of his fucking mind, he was right. How could I possibly focus on American history or the nuances of the English language with everything else that was on my mind?

As was hospital policy, I was rolled to my mom's white Mountaineer SUV in a wheelchair. Getting into the front seat wasn't that strange. Neither was backing out of the parking lot, or making a right turn out of the parking lot. But as we approached the intersection and got into the left turn-lane, I froze up. The light was still red.

"What's wrong?"

I was silent as I waited for the light to change.

"David?"

The light turned green. It was a green arrow in fact.

"Don't go yet!"

She hesitated, even though the cars on the other side were stopped. She made the turn and as soon as we were out of the intersection, I took several deep breaths.

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

My mom rolled her eyes.

"That was not nothing. What's wrong?"

"I'm sorry, it's just that my accident happened when I was at a green arrow."

"David, that was some stupid drunk driver."

"What, people don't drive drunk during the day?"

We were silent again. Finally, my mother spoke:

"So your friends are throwing you a welcome home party or something."

"Really?"

"Yeah. It's strange, they don't see you for a few days and they feel that they have to make up for lost time or something."

"Maybe."

It was silent again.

"So how come your girlfriend hasn't come to visit you?"

I was caught completely off guard. I couldn't believe that I forgot to tell my family about me and Joy's breakup.

"She's not my girlfriend anymore."

I suddenly felt a pain in the very pit of my stomach. It was the first time I had ever said it like that; as if it was so simple.

"What do you mean she's not your girlfriend anymore? She was before prom."

"And we broke up at prom. I really don't want to talk about this right now."

"Okay."

There was another moment of silence.

"Personally, I didn't think there was much to her."

"Mom--"

"What? She was a little too skinny, her eyes were too close together, and may I just say that her style was a little--"

"Mom, the last thing I want to think about right now is Joy. Can we please just focus on going home?"

"Okay, but I just want you to know that there are much better girls out there than that one. She wasn't Jewish, either."

"MOM!"

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry."

We made a right into our neighborhood and we pulled into the garage. Rebellion, my charcoal Pontiac, was gone; totaled in the accident. Still, it was odd seeing the big empty space.

I walked into the house to a crowd of people who all shouted "Welcome Home, David." There was a banner that said the same thing. Soon I was greeted by my three best friends, Aaron Stanwick, Michael Florence, and Mark Adams.

"Hey David!"

"How are you feeling?"

"Any hot nurses?"

I smiled and hugged my friends.

"It's really good to be back home."

"I'm sure. You didn't look so good at the hospital."

"Yes, it was quite apparent that you were on lots of painkillers."

"I bet you're really eager to wank off."

We all looked at Mark.

"What, if I go a day without using mine--"

"Please do not finish that sentence."

Aaron was Mormon, and he always got really uncomfortable whenever Mark talked about sex or anything that had to do with sex.

"Well, there's food, soda, a cake too."

"And after the party, we're gonna go back to my house to study for APUSH."

"Oh yeah, I'm taking my AP tests at another date."

"Really? Why?"

"My doctor said that I should take the rest of the semester off."

It was as much a shock for them as it was for me.

"Why?"

"Well, he said that although I didn't have any major injuries, I would have a lot of emotional trauma and that I should just focus on dealing with it."

"There's only a few more weeks left of school. What about finals?"

"Take-home finals."

"And the Showcase Concert?"

"Oh my God, I totally forgot about that."

Dr. McKendrick was right. There was no reason for me to go back to school right now, but there was so much I had to do.

"Look, I don't want to miss any school, but my doctors say that this will be better for me."

"I guess if that's what your doctors say. So why don't we go to the Coffee Plantation instead."

"NO!"

My friends looked at me, and they suddenly remembered.

"Sorry, man. Forgot that Joy works there."

"But it's not like she works there all the time."

RING RING RING

Michael answered his phone.

"Hey babe."

I had totally forgotten that Michael had gotten back together with his on-again/off-again girlfriend, Leslie Lawrence.

"Yeah? Yeah. Okay, I'll be there soon. No, you hang up first. No YOU. Okay, we'll hang up at the same time. 1-2-3. You didn't hang up either!"

Mark grabbed Michael's cell phone and closed it.

"What the hell was that?"

"I don't know, why don't you ask yourself that little question about that conversation? You hang up first, no YOU hang up first, no YOU hang up--"

"Fuck you. I'm meeting Leslie for a movie. See you guys later."

"Later."

Of all the times that Michael and Leslie have dated, this was the most interesting so far.

After a couple more hours, people started leaving, and Mark and Aaron started cleaning up.

"Do you guys need any help," I asked lethargically.

"No, you need your rest."

"No objections here. Thanks so much for this. It was really nice of you guys to pull this all together, although I didn't talk to anyone other than you guys."

"Well, we're a lot more interesting than everyone else that was here."

"Good point."

We laughed for a while, and I decided to turn on the T.V. One of my favorite episodes of Family Guy was on. In the episode, Peter and Lois compete in a talent show and smoke marijuana to get some "inspiration". But there was one part that I had forgotten about.

CRASH

And just like that I was imagining the entire accident again; the green arrow, the screeching tires, the sound of the impact, screaming at the top of my lungs for help. I sat frozen on the couch, my eyes focused not on the television, but on the memory. I was no longer sitting on my couch in my living room. I was lying motionless in my car. I was zoning out; losing energy as I heard the sound of an ambulence coming to my rescue. The sound faded as my eyes closed and I felt as if my entire life was flashing before me.

"David?"

I was brought out of my trance by Aaron's voice.

"Yeah. Sorry."

"Maybe we should turn off the T.V."

"Yeah, maybe."

I still was not in full mind. I could not focus on anything other than the images of the passenger side airbag popping out, the window of the door shattered, and the crash of more glass as Rebellion rolled.

Aaron and Mark put my arms around them, helped me up the stairs to my room, and placed me under the covers of my bed. I was motionless, remembering. And soon I was asleep, and in my dream I relived it over and over again. I felt the impact of the accident at least six times that night.

When I woke up, I felt the most agonizing pain I had ever felt. I stumbled downstairs, where my mom was sitting.

"Where are my pills?"

"Right there on the counter. How are you feeling?"

"Like a piece of my spinal cord is being sawed off of me."

"Well, just take a couple of the pills, and you should be fine."

I took the pills and grabbed an ice pack from the freezer. I sat down on the couch and my mom turned to me.

"So Aaron and Mark said that you had some sort of panic last night."

"Yeah. I just couldn't stop thinking about it. Will I ever stop thinking about it?"

"I think so. You just need to take it easy. And I agree with Dr. McKendrick. You really should take the rest of the semester off."

I sat and thought for a moment before I replied.

"I have to go back to school."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. If I don't go back, all I'll be thinking about is the accident. I'll wait to take my AP tests if I can, but I have to do something to take my mind off of it."

"School's not gonna be too much to handle?"

"Well, I won't really have any work to do in history or English, so I just have to worry about math and chemistry. And besides, the Showcase concert is next week, and I at least want to sing backstage."

"Do you remember where the bus stop is?"

"Mom, it hasn't been that long since I've ridden the bus."
"Alright. I guess you'll go back on Monday."

When I returned on Monday, I explained everything to my teachers, and the College Board was called in order to schedule my make-up exams. On the day of the APUSH test, my teacher, Mr. Jackson, worked with me on refreshing my facts. I had already aced my practice test a few weeks prior, and therefore I would not have to take the final. On the day of the English exam, I requested to make up an Algebra test, and after my Algebra test, I walked back to English.

On the way back to Mrs. Meyer's classroom, I thought once again about everything that had happened, and this time, I thought about what would happen next. When would the flashbacks stop? Would I ever be able to drive again? And then I thought of my father, and how I was ever going to face him. When would I face him? Would I want to face him?

"David Adler, please report to the main office. David Adler, please report to the main office."

I walked as quickly as I could to the main office. I approached the secretary, not paying attention to who else was in the office.

"Hi, I was called here about a minute ago."

"Hello, David."

I stopped dead in my tracks, took a deep breath, and turned around to see the face of the last man I wanted to see.

David Adler

Normal High School Student

Wake Up (Season Two Premiere)

PREVIOUSLY WRITTEN ON HIGH SCHOOL NORMALITY

"He was all packed and out of the house when I got home from the gorcery store."

"So he's just--gone?"

"We just need to find Jamie a date."

"You set up Jamie with Leslie?"

"I didn't think it would matter that much."

"It doesn't. I was just--confused, that's all."

"What if we were just afraid of something happening that was bigger than ourselves? What if we were just afraid of loving each other?"

"Well--I guess--I--"

"I'm not afraid anymore, Leslie. I love you."

"Remember the first day that Jamie was in town?"

"Yeah."

"Well, that night, he kissed me. And I kissed him back."

"What am I supposed to say? That it's okay? That I'm totally fine? That nothing will change?"

"So what? You're gonna walk away because I made one mistake?"

"Why are there cop cars at your house?"

"Lucy Greer apparently had Mom's name on the lawsuit, and since Dad is nowhere to be found, Mom was who they arrested."

"I'm going to go find him."

"What?"

"I have to do this. I'll be back in a couple hours."

CRASH

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Oh my God, he's waking up!"

As I heard Libby's exclamation, I tried to remember what had happened. I remembered lights and music, and I remembered people dancing and screaming out of excitement. I remembered my girlfriend, Joy, whispering to me that she wanted to get a room, and I remembered being in the room with her. But I couldn't remember if I'd had sex with her, or when it was that we finally left the room. I couldn't remember if we walked out hand-in-hand or if we had walked out separately.

As I began to gain consciousness, I looked at Libby and asked the question that I hoped would bring light to my current situation.

"What happened?"

"You were in a car accident. Remember?"

And suddenly I did. I remembered Joy telling me that she had kissed her best friend, Jamie, a guy with which she also lost her virginity. I remembered telling her about my dad leaving and I remembered storming out the door of the hotel room. I remembered punching Jamie in the face and finding my mom being arrested when I arrived at my house. It was all coming back to me. Getting in the car to try to find my bastard of a father, and making a left turn on a green arrow, and being smacked on the passenger side of Rebllion, my charcoal Pontiac.

My name is David, and I'm a normal high school student.

And at that very moment, everything that happened the night of Summit Peak High School's prom reached the surface of my memory and came crashing down on me like an anvil.

Libby proceeded to tell me that I was found lying unconscious in my car, which had been turned on its side due to the intense impact. I was taken to Mayo Hospital, where they examined my injuries. I had received a bruised rib and a concussion, but other than that I was healthy as a horse. I did strain my neck and my back, though, and was on heavy painkillers, which would explain the grogginess.

"How long have I been here?"

"Three days."

"I've been unconscious for three days?"

"Yeah. But you're conscious now."

I couldn't believe that three days had passed. I should have been in school that day. AP tests started the following week.

"When can I go home?"

"They want to keep you here for a couple more days to make sure that everything is alright."

"Awesome. A week of school gone."

I know what you are thinking, but I'm going to tell you that I am NOT one of those kids who loves school and has never missed a day in his life. But I AM one of those kids who's in AP classes and I was missing final preparation for the tests.

"Don't worry about it. I'm sure everything will be fine."

I decided to sleep for a while. I was completely drained of energy. While I slept, I relived through a dream the enitre prom. The potluck dinner we had beforehand, the limousine ride to the Scottsdale Hilton, anxiously waiting to lose my virginity, and breaking up with her upon finding out that she cheated on me. It was all so vivid, so upsetting, so--

"Why can't I tell him about the escapade?"

"Because he probably doesn't have the energy to process the images of the different positions you described."

"And he'd probably rather here you say how glad you are to see him doing better than to hear about your latest whore."

My three best friends in the entire world, Mark Adams, Michael Florence, and Aaron Stanwick were all standing in my hospital room. I opened my eyes weakly.

"Hey guys."

"David! Oh my gosh, I'm so happy you're okay!"

Mark was obviously sticking to the script that Aaron had given him and elaborated on it by giving me a hug.

"I'm glad to see you too, but I'd really like to hear about that escapade."

"Really?"

"Aaron, he has a right to listen to it if he wants. I'm going to go get some water. Do you want anything David?"

"No thanks, I'm good."

Aaron sat on my bed as Mark relayed to us the story of Hallie, his latest hook-up. He met Hallie in the kids section of Barnes & Noble, where she was babysitting. According to Mark, she looked like she was having a lot of trouble controlling the kids, so he offered to help her with the kids in return for a date. They went to the Drive-In Movie Theatre the next night and fucked in her car to the sounds of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

"It was magical."

When Michael got back, I told them of the experience I'd had in my own car, as well as what had happened before I left my house.

"But wait, she couldn't have been arrested simply for being attached to the lawsuit. There's gotta be more to it."

"I don't doubt that, but that's all I know. Shit, I forgot to ask Libby if my mom was bailed out. She could still be sitting in jail for that asshole."

"David, your dad may have made a mistake--"

"Or two, or three, or five hundred."

"But he's still your dad, and you have to forgive him."

"Well, I forgave him when he cheated on my mom, and when he lied about our finances, and when he said that he wished I was never born. But this time, not only did we get saddled with his problems, but he left us--LEFT US--in shambles."

It was the first time I had ever actually spoken about things that my dad had done. It had never occurred to me how upset he always made me, and how awful it was that I couldn't trust him. But he was out of my life, now, and hopefully gone forever. But he needed to come back. He needed to face the music and not let his family take the fall for the Lucy Greer lawsuit.

I became tired all of a sudden and my friends left. As I lay in my hospital bed, I thought about how I had become so frustrated with my family that I had withdrawn myself from them. I would come home and dodge the screaming by going up to my room. I would barely speak to them and when my room wasn't enough I would go to the Coffee Plantation or see a movie with Joy or the guys. And right as I was about to drift to sleep--

"Your dad's been found."

Hearing my mom's voice temprarily cheered me up temporarily, but what she said brought me back to a state of melancholy.

"So what happens now?"

"I guess we'll see. Right now, you need to get some rest."

And so I rested, trying not to think about everything that led to that very moment. Jamie moving to Arizona, prom, the break-up, Mom's arrest. Everything that had happened lately seemed to have led me to that hospital bed, but I realized that the only thing that really led me there was my own stupidity.

If I hadn't gone looking for trouble, trouble wouldn't have found me.

David Adler

Normal High School Student