Page 18 of Pride High 2: Orange

“Your cousin has done well for himself.”

“Yeah,” Omar said. “A freaking scholarship! How cool is that?”

“Very cool,” his father replied. “You could follow in his footsteps, if you tried a little harder.”

Omar withered under this advice. “I don’t know. Pharmacology isn’t my thing.”

“That doesn’t have to be your major, but you’ve got to decide on a direction, son.”

“That’s easy,” Omar said. He pantomimed bringing a camcorder to his right eye so he could peer through it. If he was actually filming, the camera would have captured the forced patience that steeled his father’s features.

“You know how much I love crushing the gas pedal,” Yousef said with an impish grin. “Get me on a clear stretch of road, and I’ll bury the needle.”

“What’s that mean?” Omar asked, leaning forward.

His father checked their surroundings, making sure his wife wasn’t around. “It’s when you max out the speedometer and keep going. Which you should nevereverdo. I was young and dumb. Around your age, I even toyed with the idea of becoming a race car driver. But there’s a big difference between a hobby and a realistic career choice. ”

“But Icando it for a living,” Omar said. “Steven Spielberg. Martin Scorsese. Mel Brooks. Want me to keep going?"

His father’s dark eyes twinkled as he shook his head. “You know I loveSpace Balls.”

“Hell yeah!”

“And you’re right. Directing is a career, but only for a select few. How long would your list have been had I asked you to keep going? Compare that to the number of eyewear stores in this county. Most towns have at least one. Cities have dozens. The demand will always be there. It’s not the same for the arts. Even if you do succeed as a director, tastes can change and put you out of work. If you want to raise a family like I did, you’ll need a stable career.” His father leaned back to consider him. “Now that you’re sixteen, it’s time to start making realistic plans. I’d like you to come work for me at the store.”

“What’s that got to do with anything?” Omar asked. He could already imagine how little time he would have left. No more visiting Silvia after school, or hanging out with Anthony on the weekends. He’d be spending all his free time at Jafari Eyes, selling glasses to bratty kids and boring adults.

“You don’t appreciate money until you have to earn it,” Yousef said. “If college isn’t an option, you can help your mother and me run the family business. Okay?”

Omar reluctantly agreed. What else could he do? Insist that they keep spoiling him for the rest of his life? His family had more money than any of his friends. He recognized that and didn’t want to take it for granted. But what about his dreams?

He chatted to his dad a little longer before retreating to his room. Omar threw himself on the bed and stared at the ceiling, a hand slipping into his jeans, but it was no good. His dad had killed the mood. Omar tried thinking of Silvia, which only reminded him that she already had a job. They were the same age now, and it would no doubt bug her that he relied on her to get around. Omar needed a car. His parents had given him the promise of a down payment for his sixteenth birthday, which was pretty great. But he'd still need a job to make the monthly payments and to fuel up. It wouldn’t be the end of the world. He just didn’t want to work for his parents. That would feel like giving up already.

Then again, his parents’ wishes weren’t so different than his own. To become a director, he would need to get into a good school. The best he could manage. With a sigh, Omar rolled off the bed and grabbed his backpack, which was full of assignments that he’d been ignoring all week. Once the stupid homework was done, he was going to spend some serious quality time with a bottle of lotion and a box of tissues.

CHAPTER 5

November 30th, 1992

Despite being at school again, Ricky felt surprisingly upbeat. So many people had greeted him on his way into the journalism classroom. Not just Mindy, Omar, and Anthony, but others like Whitney, Galen, and even a few people he didn’t really know. He assumed that would change as news of his suicide attempt died down. No matter their motivation, he appreciated the intent. Which made it easier to turn in the deeply personal article he’d written about his experience. In a way, he was repaying the favor. People had gone out of their way to show him that he wasn’t alone. Now he would do the same. Depending on what his journalism teacher thought of the article.

Mr. Finnegan was watching him with piercing blue eyes as the class came to an end. He had short silver hair and a tight physique that was revealed as he stood. “Do you have a moment?” he asked.

“Sure,” Ricky replied.

Mr. Finnegan waited until everyone else had left. “I’m deeply impressed,” he said, tapping the printout on his desk.

“You read it already?” Ricky asked in surprise.

His teacher nodded. “While everyone was working on revisions. You’re getting an A. Both for the assignment and as your end-of-semester grade. Guaranteed. I want you to know that, so you don’t feel pressured to agree, but I would like to feature your article in the December issue ofThe Lion’s Pride Post. On the front page.”

“Wow, really?” Ricky was already beaming at the thought.

Mr. Finnegan’s expression remained somber. “Yes. I want to get as many eyes on it as possible. Although it would be irresponsible of me not to warn you about the potential fallout. A difficult lesson of this class is dealing with public opinion. No matter how much you believe in what you write, and regardless of how your teachers and peers praise the work, there will always be those who have the opposite reaction.”

“I don’t care,” Ricky said with a shrug. “People can make fun of me all they want.”

“A very healthy attitude to have, but again, I must warn you that the experience will likely be more jarring in the moment. Especially when the subject matter is so personal. You write from the heart, Ricky, which is good, but opening up also means making yourself vulnerable. You can’t control what anyone else thinks of you or your work. But you do have power over howyoureact to criticism. And it helps to be prepared.”