Generation 1, Chapter 52

Brian couldn't sleep one evening and decided to go for a walk. He had intended to just walk around the yard but his thoughts were so troubling he kept walking into the woods behind the house. As he walked he thought about why he still hadn't found a girlfriend yet. It seemed the harder he tried the worse it got. He went to school dances and asked girls to dance and they all laughed at him. He didn't have many friends either and his best friend graduated last year and was away at University. At least when he was around he didn't feel so lonely.

He was on his way back to the house, when a car rolled up beside him. A bright light flooded the area around him and an authoritative voice said "Stop right there."

Brian stopped holding his hands in front of his eyes to shield them from the light. He dimly watched a figure in black approach him. 'Great just what he needed to top off his night, a cop.'

"What are you doing out so late?" the officer demanded.

"I, um I couldn't sleep. So I went for a walk."

"I think you robbed the grocery store. You fit the description. Not too smart to be caught walking around the neighborhood."

"What I...I didn't rob anyone."

"Tell it to the judge. Up against the car." Brian felt his face grow hot as he leaned against the patrol car being frisked. He was glad it was late so that nobody would see him. He knew he would never live this down if anyone found out. As the officer finished and was putting the handcuffs on him the police radio went off announcing the arrest of the grocery store robbers.

"Seems to be your lucky night, your off the hook."

"So I can go?" Brian asked as the handcuffs were removed.

"No that means you get a free ride home instead of jail."

Peter was up waiting for Brian to be brought home. The officer walked Brian to the door so that she could speak to Peter.

"Mr. Van Winkle it appears to me you have a delinquency  problem. You need to take a firm hand with your kids. Discipline, good old fashioned discipline."

"Thank you officer, I'll take that under advisement." Peter said through gritted teeth. Peter turned to Brian once the officer had left.

"Brian what's up with you lately?" Brian just stood there staring at this feet. "Well I'm waiting for an answer?"

He shrugged mumbling "nothing."

"Nothing? Sneaking out of the house at all hours of the night and you say nothing." Peter felt his blood pressure rising, he just didn't understand what had gotten into his kids lately.

"Jeez calm down. I couldn't sleep, so I took a walk. No big deal."

"No big deal. A cop brought you home Brian. You could have been hurt."

"That cop's a jerk. I was just in the woods behind the house. I wasn't that far away. The cop could've just givin me a warning but she had to prove a point."

"The cop was doing her job. You're avoiding the issue. Why couldn't you sleep? Why did you sneak out? What's going on? Just talk to me Brian."

"Nothing. Nothings wrong," Brian's voice rose "I'm going to bed." He stomped down the hall and slammed his door. Peter watched him go, shaking his head. "Why won't he talk to me?"

Adam was up early the following morning. Sensing that something was a miss, he thought fixing breakfast would be something helpful he could do. It was a silent breakfast, he wondered what was up. He knew that Doloris was mad at their Dad for being grounded but he couldn't figure out why Brian was mad. He was somewhat enlightened when he heard his Dad ask "So Brian, are you ready to talk?"

Brian stopped eating long enough to look at his Dad and shake his head.

"Alright if you won't talk. I have no other choice but to ground you for two weeks."

"Fine," Brian said pushing away from the table and left.

Nothing more was said and eventually everyone drifted away from the table. Adam roped Elliot into helping with the dishes.

"Tell me again why I have to do the dishes," Elliot whined.

"Because you want to help right?"

"I guess. But I hate doing dishes. Why can't you do them?"

"Stop whining. Washing dishes won't kill you."

"You're not my boss."

"No I'm your big brother and that's pretty close."

Brian decided to exercise to work some of his frustrations out. His family were the only one's who knew he enjoyed ballet and he hoped to keep it that way. He was teased enough already at school for being too sensitive and artsy. Maybe he thought, he should change his image and become more of a rebel.

"Brian I'm bored, come play chess with me," Doloris said after watching Brian workout for a while. She couldn't understand why he liked ballet so much. She detested it.

"It's so unfair being grounded," Doloris complained "It's not like, I did it on purpose. I was almost to my car and this stupid cop catches me. Impounds my car. Now I have to pay the impound fees on top of being grounded."

"Well that same cop caught me last night out walking in the woods behind the house. She told me I fit the description of some low life who robbed the grocery store."

"You?" Doloris laughed "You wouldn't hurt a fly."

"It's not funny. She frisked me. I was never more horrified in my life."

"I wish I could've been there to watch."

"I'm glad you weren't. Then she had the gall to tell Dad that his kids were delinquents as this was the second time she had to bring one of us home."

"No wonder Dad was furious. But why won't you talk to him? What's up with that?"

"I don't know, it's hard to put into words."

"Tell me, maybe together we can find a solution," Doloris suggested.

"Alright, I guess I have to talk to someone. Looking directly into Doloris' eyes Brian asked "Am I ugly? Repulsive? or Deformed in some way?"

"What? No are you crazy?"

"Then why don't I have any friends? Why won't the girls give me a chance? I see how the girls look at Adam. Why don't they look at me that way? What's wrong with me?"

"There's nothing wrong with you. You have friends but lately you've been pushing them away. Now I know why. They all have girlfriends and you don't."

"I feel like a fifth wheel, like I don't belong or something."

"Do you feel the same way at home?" Doloris asked in concern.

"Yeah, I do. Elliot will probably have a girlfriend before I do."

"He probably will if you keep wallowing around in self-pity. Do you really think a girl would be interested in someone who walks around with his head down all the time? You need more self-confidence."

"It's not that bad is it?"

"Practice smiling and walking with your head up. Be confident that you have something to offer. Like who you are and others will notice."

"I don't think it'll be as easy as that but I'll try."