Page 18 of Project: FU (Longwood U #3)

NOLAN

The government class I’m taking is just for fun. I don’t care about the government here. Say what you want, but so many politicians aren’t actually there for the people . It’s a broken system filled with corrupt men.

But it’s really interesting to learn how the system was built and how it was meant to be. In high school, you learn the basics. At least I think you do. For the life of me, I can’t remember an actual class concerning the government, and yet, I’m familiar with how it’s supposed to work. Weird.

Anyway, how new governments form is interesting. It’s also interesting to see what different cultures around the world find important and how they run their government. I’m truly fascinated by ancient governments, though.

Everything in the far past reminds me of a storybook when you’re a kid, and each page is magic. What’s even more riveting is that these are our ancestors. These cultures existed. People lived that way for hundreds of years.

We’re ahead in our classwork, so the professor is allowing us the second half of class to work on our new governments. Admittedly, I’m not very far along. I’ve spent a lot of time jotting down notes of aspects I like, but I haven’t organized my thoughts to make everything work out.

“How’s your kingdom coming?” I ask Conner.

“I’m looking into ancient monarchs. I’m really hooked on the King Arthur legends and his Round Table.”

“You know that so much of that is just a myth, right? A romanticized version of what actually took place. There aren’t any historical accounts of those events or of King Arthur himself. Even the original story’s author is kind of anonymous, and different versions of the same story exist.”

Conner gives me a bemused look. “One could say the same about holy books, too. You have the same account of Jesus’ life told four different times in the four gospels, each different and some with conflicting information from the last. Which is real?

Is it real? Archaeology is still looking for definitive proof that anything in the Bible happened in reality, and they have some really interesting takes on how certain events might have actually happened—like the parting of the waters and plagues.

It’s kind of interesting. But bottom line, these things need to take place in our timeline, in our history, and coincide with historical events that there is actual evidence of.

Not faith-based evidence. Not a book by an anonymous author.

But actual, tangible, recorded evidence.

So yeah, King Arthur is the same. Did he actually fight a dragon? ” Conner shrugs.

“You haven’t been hit with a hockey stick often,” I muse. “Those are some passionate arguments there.”

He snorts. “No. I have an uber religious aunt who still wants to argue that the world is 10,000 years old, and that evolution didn’t happen. I guess I have a science-based brain. There’s evidence for evolution. There’s no actual evidence for Jesus Christ. You know?”

“There are a lot of churches and shit that would argue otherwise.”

“Those churches and shit also won’t let you actually see the proof they supposedly have locked away. I can say I have the holy grail in my basement and never let anyone in there to see it. Does that mean I actually have it? It means I believe I have it, but it doesn’t mean it’s actually there.”

“How did we get into religion? We’re in a government class,” I laugh.

Conner grins. “For the record, the studies on religion class is fascinating, too. I can’t believe there are so many in the world. You hear about a handful, right? But what you don’t know is there are thousands you don’t hear about because they’re not around you.”

“Huh. I think that’s really cool.”

“Right? But yeah, back to my King Arthur government. I think what I like is the whole notion of chivalry. The story of King Arthur is that he’s an ideal.

He was good. He lived and fought for his people.

He created the Round Table so that he didn’t have absolute power, but sought to empower other people to make a well-rounded ruling body.

Maybe he’s not real. Maybe it’s a made-up story.

But it’s a story featuring the ideals and morals that build on a good and prosperous kingdom. ”

“You’re a romantic at heart, aren’t you?”

He winks at me and looks back at his tablet for a minute. “What about you? How’s yours coming?”

“It’s not. I guess I can’t understand why people can’t just leave each other alone and live their damn lives like good human beings.

It shouldn’t be so hard. Governments shouldn’t be so complicated.

They begin simple enough, but the longer they’re there, the more complicated—and, in so many cases, corrupt—they become.

And it’s all because people are jealous, mean, hateful, and stupid.

I mean, look at warning labels. They begin pretty basic because the creators give humans the benefit of the doubt.

Eventually, you need to download them from the internet because they’ve become so long that they no longer fit on the product label.

And why? Because some idiot thought it would be a good idea to put a battery in their ass.

Or eat laundry detergent pods. Snuff spray paint.

And this is the species we think is the most superior. ”

Conner isn’t the only one laughing. There are other chuckles around me. I guess I was talking a little louder than I meant to. Even the professor is watching me with amusement.

I give him a sheepish smile. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to be so loud about that.”

“It’s okay. I appreciate you taking this assignment seriously enough that you’re passionate about it. I would wager a guess that many of your peers see the same things you do.”

There are nods from all around the room.

“I know when I took a government class in college, I felt the same way. I have an interesting story for you. Back in my college years, I shared an earlier version of this class with a man who spoke very passionately about how government officials were being bought out and only elected to help their friends and pass their own hateful agendas. This man was long winded. He had a very detailed, straightforward, and somewhat barbaric idea about how to remove, punish, and reset the offending players in this game.” He leans back against his desk and crosses his arms. “I bet many of you know his name and the emotion you’ll feel about it isn’t positive. ”

“I feel like I’m listening to a mystery podcast,” someone muses.

“Who is it?”

“The current governor of Florida.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me?” Conner says, laughing.

“That was the early years of audio recordings, but I used to bring along my big recorder so I could re-listen to the lecture later. There’s always discussion and comments I’d miss in real time.

Some of the best I’ve saved. Including several with the governor’s name and voice loudly touting his good opinion. ”

“What happened to him?”

“Good question. What do you think?”

“He wants power, and he wants money. You have to pander to the people and go with the loudest. Haters are always the loudest in the room,” someone answers.

“Interesting take. Other thoughts?”

“It’s interesting that so many people will abruptly change sides in their political views.

You can shout that this man is a felon and dictator, and he doesn’t want what’s good for the country, but then in the next year, he’s suddenly spewing all the same hate that the man he was just slamming is about. Why?”

“Power and money,” someone repeats.

The chime signaling the end of class has everyone shuffling their belongings. The professor says, “We’ll pick up this discussion tomorrow. Think about what would have you realistically change your tune to a complete one-eighty.”

“You know how this plays out so often in mundane lives like ours?” someone behind me says. I glance back as the person next to him shakes his head. “Bullies who target gay boys. Years later, they’re married to a man with three children.”

“I feel like that’s not a bad change,” Conner says, frowning.

“No, no. Not my point. It’s the complete one-eighty Professor Nilks mentioned.

There are also the guys who do gay porn and then grow up to advocate for stripping LGBTQIA+ rights and supporting anti-queer organizations.

I guess my point is, somewhere as they age, there’s a switch that’s flipped.

Is it flipped by age, by experience, by observation, by persuasion?

” He shrugs, slinging his bag over his shoulder. “See you next week.”

“I can see that. I had this friend growing up, and I used to think he was the absolute coolest person in the world. For like three years, I practically worshiped him. And he was good at hockey.” Conner flashes me a grin as we make our way out of the lecture hall.

“One day, I saw him shoving his little sister. She fell and cut her arm. She ended up needing stitches. He lied about it to his parents and laughed about it at school the next day. I remember looking at him and not recognizing him. No matter how hard I tried to see the guy I thought was the coolest person on earth, he was now just ugly. He wasn’t even that good at hockey.

He was an asshole, kind of dumb, and definitely a bully.

I never saw him the same way again. It’s like…

that one incident lifted a veil and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t put that veil back over my eyes. ”

“It’s an incident that you witnessed,” I note, nodding.

“I bet I can name one that you relate to.”

“What’s that?”

“Kelsey. You thought she was perfect. You thought she hung the stars. Do you still think that?”

I shake my head. “No. I have a hard time believing I ever thought those things. It makes me feel stupid because it’s so obvious now that so many things I thought about her weren’t real. The things that I thought were cute and endearing are actually really awful qualities in a person.”

“I know the feeling. Hey, where you headed?”

I glance around and shake my head. “I guess I’m following you,” I muse.

Conner grins. “Cool, but I’m headed to the rink. We have a game in an hour. You should come. We do pretty well against this team.”

I shrug one shoulder. “Sure. Why not?”

“Cool. Then I’ll see you later.” He slaps my arm as he jogs off.

My phone pings as I turn around, and I’m greeted with a dirty, but teasing shot looking down Tavis’ chest and stomach and into his pants. I can see the base of his dick. My grin widens.

We’ve been careful not to share faces in pictures.

If someone picks up our phones or snoops over our shoulders or something, there’s no way to identify the other person visually.

I’ve even changed his name to Travis in my phone.

Just in case. I think I’m Nelson in his.

Personally, I think he could have done better to find a different name. Like Nason. Nelson makes me cringe.

I text Tavis that I’ll see him later, and then text Kylen that he should join me for the game tonight. As I’m waiting for his answer, my phone rings and Princess Daddy V’s hairy face with a pink tiara in his long hair flashes, making me smile.

“Hi, Daddy.”

“Hey, baby. How are you?”

“I’m good. Just finished class. How’re you? How’re my dads? Do you miss kids in the house?”

Princess Daddy V sighs. “We definitely miss kids in the house. We’ll be having the grandkids over this weekend, though. Zvi and I are building a blanket fort for them.”

“For them or for you?” I tease.

I can see my Princess Daddy V’s big smile. “Maybe a little bit of both.”

Princess Daddy V is my oldest father, well into his sixties. My other four fathers are as much as twenty years younger than him. But Princess Daddy V is easily the youngest at heart with the biggest, loudest, but softest personality.

Also, he’s a blacksmith. He literally makes swords with a hot furnace and a hammer powered by massive biceps covered in pastel tattoos. I love him. He’s my favorite person in the whole world.

Well, he and my other dads, of course. And my siblings.

“I want a video call. Promise?”

“Promise,” Princess Daddy V says.

My two oldest siblings have two and three kids each, respectively. It’s been a while since I’ve seen them, which isn’t shocking since they live up north in Glensdale/Sun Haven, and I’m eight hours south in Long Bench Ridge.

“I haven’t talked to you in a while? How’re you doing?” Princess Daddy V asks.

He’s already asked me that question, so I feel like maybe I’m missing something. When was the last time we talked? Oh… right. When I had a meltdown because Kelsey cheated on me.

Huh. I haven’t thought about Kelsey in weeks. Not since… Tavis.

“I’m good, Dad,” I say. I mean that. It’s not hard to remember how hurt I felt.

How absolutely devastated and broken I felt.

When I called my dad and finally gave in to the well of emotions inside me, they were so strong that my chest felt…

heavy. I was so damn broken up over her.

Over what she’d done. Not understanding how she could do that to me.

I can’t even fathom feeling that way about her now. Even my anger has slipped away. There’s still some animosity lingering. I’m disgusted with her for sure. But it’s now so hard to believe that I’d hurt so much over her.

As Conner pointed out, she’s not the same person she was, and the person I now see her as—her truth—is just… ugly. I find it so impossible to believe that I’d loved her like I did.

“I’m good,” I repeat. “I think I needed to let it out, so thanks for listening.”

Princess Daddy V sighs. “You worried me, kid,” he says. “There’s nothing more heart-wrenching than knowing your baby hurts and there’s nothing you can do about it. I almost hopped in my truck and drove down there.”

I smile. “I’d have loved that, Dad. But I promise. I’m okay now. I feel really good, actually.”

“Like you just lost ninety pounds of dramatics?” he muses.

I laugh. Actually, the reason I feel good has nothing to do with her. Nothing at all. Which I find surprising since I’d been driven by some false sense of righteous assholery to fuck both her brothers. Somehow, I also snagged her father.

Tavis was different from the start, though. It was never about Kelsey. He’d taken me by surprise. I was never going to go there. And yet…

It’s because of Tavis that my chest is warm again and I’m smiling and I’m just… so damn happy.

“Yeah,” I say. “I feel lighter. Definitely.”