Task 001: Childhood and FamilyĀ
death tw, child neglect tw
&& Defining MomentĀ
āGood job, bud,ā his father smiled, one that actually reached his eyes, as he skated graceful circles around the rink. Nolan had wanted to play hockey as soon as he realized his father loved watching the game and the man had been all too happy to oblige when he asked him to teach him to skate. He couldnāt remember a moment when heād been happier, he couldnāt remember a time when his dad had actually paid attention to him for so long. It was like heād finally found the key, like he was finally good enough. He was on top of the world.
He heard a buzzing from the pocket of his dadās nice jeans and the smile dropped from his face. Answering the phone, his attention fell away from Nolan just as quickly as itād come, and before he knew it he was being tugged off the ice. They were leaving - a work thing, heād been told.Ā
He could still feel the chill from the ice rink long into the night.Ā
&& QuestionnarieĀ
Where are you from? Did you ever want to leave? Why?
āIām from Beacon Hills. I wanted to leave all the time and I did pack my backpack and run away a lot, but I never got out of the city limits. I didnāt know where Iād go so...I just went back to my parentās house.āĀ
Who was your family there? Did you have a close relationship with them?
āMy family was me. My parents were there sometimes, but not enough to be family so...no, I didnāt have a close relationship with them. I didnāt want one and they didnāt want me, so it was a win-win, I guess.āĀ
What was your favorite activity when you were a child? Why did you like it so much?
āI liked reading a lot, I still do. You can do it by yourself and escape far away from the mundanity of life without leaving your room. Itās amazing, it was amazing. I used to spend a lot of the time at the library, my nannys would bring me there if I asked them enough times and Iād work my way through the fiction section. I think Iāve read most all of what they have now.āĀ
Who did you play with the most as a child? Or were you alone?
āI played most with Gabe, but I didnāt meet him until sixth grade. I wasnāt alone before then, I just didnāt have...friends. I had people I talked to.āĀ
Who was the most influential person in your life? Did you love them?
āThe most influential person in my life was Gabe. I did love him, I guess. Love is weird, no one really tells you exactly what itās supposed to feel like without going all wishy-washy and acting like itās all a fairy tale. I donāt even know if I know what love feels like, but if I had to guess then yes - I loved him.āĀ
What was the most valuable lesson they ever taught you?
āThe most valuable lesson he ever taught me was...um...you never really know all of someone. There are always some sneaky parts that people keep hidden until they canāt anymore.āĀ
Are they still alive? Do you keep in contact with them? If theyāre not alive, what has their death taught you?
āHe was dead. I watched him die. But now heās not and I donāt know if I ever want to see him again. His death made me feel alone, his death made me want to die, but it also taught me that nothing is permanent. No one is permanent. Not even if they say theyāll always be there.āĀ
How often were you told ānoā as a child? Did you ever listen?
āNo one ever told me no. No one cared what I did, not even when I did things that shouldāve been...punished.āĀ
Whatās your biggest regret from your childhood?
āIāll always regret meeting Miss. Monroe. I wish Iād never spoken to her, I wish Iād never told her anything.āĀ
What are you the most proud of from your childhood?
āIām proud of the time I won the spelling bee and the short stories I used to write. Iām proud of teaching myself how to draw and Iām proud of myself for staying alive this long.āĀ
















