Julian Clark grew up in a wealthy family on the Upper East Side. His father was an investment banker and his mom was a famous fashion designer. Though his parents provided the funds, his true raising was done by their nanny and housekeeper called Dee. Though Julian didnât know why, he never really liked Deeâs company. She was very nice and patient with him, but he never felt right. There were times when his mother was away that he noticed Dee wasnât sleeping in her room, but in his parentâs room instead. Although it was never confirmed, Julian believes that this caused him to be a wild child and rebellious from day one. He loved climbing, digging through expensive things he often wasnât careful enough with, and hiding for long periods of time in order to get Dee in trouble.
At 8 years old, his father died of a stress-induced heart attack. Being young, Julian didnât understand the depth of the situation nor the affair, but his father left everything but a trust fund to Dee. His mother was livid. She had no idea of the affair and felt a deep betrayal by not only Julianâs father but also Julian. She felt that she could no longer look at her son because of the mistakes of his father. Julian was sent to boarding school and only called home when he was in troubleâŚwhich was a lot.
After losing his father, he developed a fear of loss. One that often caused a deep anxiety. Julian would spend days at a time in his room at school, not speaking with anyone. He was afraid to face the world. And though he was always very social, Julian never found many friends at boarding school. He didnât feel he could relate to the other students, therefore no one except the teachers would even notice he was missing.
On Julianâs 16th birthday, he hadnât received a phone call from his mother. He was worried that something terrible had happened at home. He called his mother several times trying to get ahold of her to ensure that he was just overthinking, but she never answered. He took the next bus home, both his mind and heart racing. When he arrived, he found his mother with a new husband and new kids. If it wasnât clear he was no longer welcome, it was now. He told his mother he didnât want to see her again and went through the emancipation process.
For a while, Julian was couch surfing, but eventually, it got old. He got his GED, got a job, and began to work himself up. Though Julian came from wealth, he never felt scared of being broke. There was a sense of freedom that came with the lack of money. A lack of expectation. He enjoyed it, but he chose not to share it with most, knowing that it sounded privileged.
At 25, almost ten years later, he feels comfortable. Julian has never felt the need to go to college or get a degree. He is a barista by day and a street performer by night. Living in The Village, he feels that he is far enough away from his past life, but close enough to remember why he left. Julian has interests in just about every field, but one place youâll never find him again is the UES.
