My dad once took me to work with him. He was pretty popular among his coworkers, talking to nearly everyone we passed. He taught me what he did in the bank and why it was important. I realized that day that growing up and having to deal with bankers like my dad, and mom, was not as simple as I thought. When I entered high school, I couldn't see a future for myself. It was hard to imagine what I would be doing in the next ten or fifteen years. I had no idea what I wanted to do because I knew becoming a banker was not what I wanted. I never told my parents flat out that it wasn't the job for me and I wish I had the chance to do so. Taking journalism in high school was the best decision I made. My burning curiosity was fueled by that class, and suddenly I could picture myself working for a larger paper. Somewhere where news matters and deserves to be reported. Where I can come across to the public as a trustworthy source. I dabbled in the editorial part of it, but the reporting is the better part. I want to know everyone's stories. I want to know why things are the way they are, and why we should question them. I question my parent's jobs now that I understand more. I feel like I should be able to question everything. Curiosity nearly got me killed by Xavier, but it also brought me closer to Dylan. When we met, I wasn't sure what his life plan was. As I got to know him, I felt like I knew where he was heading. He expressed that he didn't know what his life would be like in the next five years, but he wasn't too worried about it. I instantly knew how Dean had felt when Evelyn left. She has a wandering spirit and it's been passed on to Dylan. He leaves with her as planned after graduation. He and his mom leave for Arizona to see the Grand Canyon and they decide to explore the desert more when they get there. I leave for New York City and everything seems fine. We talk every day, keeping each other updated on what we had done, exchanging adventures. After three weeks in the city, I realize how much I miss him and I ask him if he'll visit me. We spend two weeks together and it's the most magical thing to ever happen to me. To be with the love of my life in a city I love, I couldn't ask for anything better. He leaves after the two weeks are up and he meets his mom in Philadelphia. When I get back home in time for school, he isn't back. He says he'll be back the week after me so I wait. One week turns to two weeks, then three, and before I know it a whole month has passed with no word from him. Dylan's words from those last few months of senior year ring in my ears constantly and in my heart I know he would never hurt me on purpose. I know he's charmed by the sights he sees and what sane person would come back after adventures such as those? I see myself as a Dean Parker, someone who's love has the wandering spirit. I visit the other Parker boys as much as I can, and it hurts when I find out Dylan has talked to them and not me. I can't be angry with him. Dylan doesn't have a plan for the future and I can't force him to plan it out. I also can't force him to have a future with me. He needs to see it himself. That doesn't mean it hurts any less though. Dean can see the hurt I'm feeling. I can almost feel the pity radiating off of Derrick when I'm around. Another month later, I finally get a call from Dylan. He apologizes for leaving me in the dark and for not coming back. The hurt in his voice is clear and I know he's sincere about everything he says. I know what's coming though. He doesn't know when he'll come back home. He doesn't say it explicitly, but I know he wants to say he doesn't think he'll come back home at all. He also implies that I could go along with him, but I can't. School comes first. That's all my parents wanted me to do. Graduate high school then graduate college. I can't put it on the back burner of my mind. Then he comes back. He has so many stories that I can't be mad at him for not coming back on time. He's so excited to tell me about what he's seen and what he's experienced. I try picturing what life will be like with Dylan by my side. Now that he's back, I picture us being a normal couple, with no psychos following us, with no separation. I can picture it up until I graduate college. Will Dylan want to travel again? And will he come back at all? Maybe the trouble we've gone through in the past was a sign for trouble to come. Maybe the hurt will never end. And I wonder how my decision will choose our path. If I choose to stay with Dylan, how do I know that things will work out in the end? I don't know and that's what scares me. Then I hear Lauren's words when we talked about Jacob. She figured Jacob and I would run into each other at the supermarket in a few years and find that the connection was never broken. She predicted we'd get married, have kids, and live happily ever after. I don't want to see Jacob in the supermarket. I want to see Dylan. ******************* the end