Pretend You're Someone Else (Chap 8) 1/5

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ID: 1727540   (Rated: 18+) Pretend You're Someone Else  A man hides a secret from his family and has no clue that his son has the same secret. by KAT26/Adrian--Published!

Chapter Eight is divided into five parts. This is part one.

Part One

Chapter Eight

March-1992

Avoy, Georgia

Part 1/5

"I'm off to divorce the witch!"

         Peter was still thinking about his daughter as he slowly drove his old Camaro through the early morning traffic. The car had served him well since he received it for his seventeenth birthday. There were just way too many memories for him to 'put it to rest,' in his garage. He never allowed anyone to sit in the passenger seat, that was Frankie's spot back in high school. Joy never wanted to be seen in public with her husband and when the kids traveled with him, they sat in the back.

         Focusing back to Georgina, he worried more about her and less about the car. Lately she had been sneaking out of the house and now had a boyfriend. It was true that he and Robert did a lot of stupid things growing-up, but looking back he saw they were immature, spoiled brats. Throughout high school there were several girls that the two of them 'played,' or 'led on' and Peter was not going to sit by while his daughter turned into the kind of girl that boys took advantage of. As soon as he returned home he was going to sit Georgina down for a long talk. He would be damned if she turned into her mother.

         As he slowed the car to a stop, he used his rear view window to check traffic and noticed Erich and Paul perched extremely close to each other in the backseat. Meeting Peter's eye Erich smiled back. Their calm in the current situation amazed him. Everything about his son seemed vaguely familiar, especially the way he leaned casually against Paul. Where had he seen that before? Not once did he or Frankie read a newspaper together. Assuming that his mind was playing tricks on him in his middle age, Peter returned his gaze back to the road. Once the light turned green he pulled into the parking lot across from the courthouse.

         As soon as he stepped from the red leather seat and out onto the wet asphalt, Peter immediately regretted wearing the wool suit. Something weird was going on through his brain today. He just wished it would hurry and pass him by. All he wanted now was to go back home and take a nap, Georgina could wait. Once the boys crawled out of the small backseat and onto the sidewalk, they quickly crossed the street and met Robert by the stairs leading to the courthouse. Two nights ago when his friend stopped by to drop Paul off for the weekend, Peter nervously approached the car and asked him to be a character witness. He doubted the judge would need him, but Peter wanted him to be there. He wanted Joy to see. By the look on his friend's face, he was delighted as well as stunned.

         "Daddy," Paul called out throwing his arms around his father for a hug. Robert laughed, "You act like you haven't seen me in years, instead of two days!"

         "Well daddy, I'm always over at Erich's house, I never see you. Plus, you're always gone in the summer," Paul answered. Peter could see his son trying to hide a laugh, as Robert reached over to hug him.

         "I heard that Erich and don't worry I won't be going anywhere soon for a long time."

         "Good, I miss you!"

         Peter wanted to say something, but chose not to. All these years that he had literally raised Paul during the summer months when his estranged friend was out vacationing in Europe were finally taking their toll. He could sense that Robert had finally realized his mistake, but now that the boys were going to graduate in a few months, it was too late.

         "How was the weekend?" Robert asked.

         "Wonderful, just wonderful," Erich answered as he returned to Paul's side. Peter watched as the three of them chatted for a bit longer. He purposely kept his eyes off Robert and on his son instead. He noticed how Erich's hair had grown quite long since January and also the way it was parted on the side. Something was wrong with this and he didn't know what it was. It finally dawned on him that ever since he had woken from his dream about Frankie, weird sensations and flashbacks were swirling through his head. Normally, he was forced by his brain to recall at least two painful memories about his past everyday, but today was turning out to be something else. Perhaps it was the fact that he was officially divorcing his wife? Peter knew his life was about to change drastically. He missed Frankie and hopefully...

         "Peter?"

         "Huh," he snapped out of his daydream and turned to Robert, his face slowly turning red.

         "Uh, yeah," he whispered in embarrassment. Why did it have to be his friend who called him out?

         "Are you, feeling alright? You look...flushed?"

         "I'm fine. Just this weather. If I wasn't at court, I wouldn't be wearing this wool suit," he stammered. Erich and Paul seemed to look at him with pity, like they knew his secret. Impossible. This day, the trial and his insane dream was literally driving him crazy.

         Robert smiled and Peter could see how his brown, cashmere, sweater brought out the color in his eyes. Robert loved cashmere more than Peter did. Funny, there wasn't a single drop of perspiration on his face. Of course there wasn't. He even wore a vintage camel's hair coat. Peter immediately realized his mistake. The weather was cool because of the rain. No wonder the kids were shooting him those perplexed looks. Then why was he so hot?

         "I guess I'm just nervous," he said, hoping everyone would stop staring at him.

         "What on earth could you possibly be nervous about? You're about to be a free man." Robert said in disbelief, as they started to climb the concrete steps.

         Peter glanced over at his friend and calmly replied, "Certain things, I guess."

         Once in the courthouse, Erich and Paul quietly walked ahead, while Peter noticed Robert casually followed behind him, like he was afraid to be near him. This had bothered Peter for years, but hopefully it would finally stop after today. He knew Joy was the reason why his friend kept his distance.

*****

         The air that circulated in the courtroom was ice cold. Peter slowly sat down at the table before the judge. Taking a sip of water from the glass in front of him, Peter leaned back in the hard wooden chair and waited for his soon to be ex-wife to show up. She was ten minutes late.

         Tapping his long, slender fingers on the table, Peter allowed himself to summarize his marriage with Joy. The times she would come home drunk, didn't matter what hour of the day, seemed to stick with him the most. A few years ago, Joy had finished watching a trashy daytime talk show which had the ridiculous made up topic of, "My twelve-year-old son stole my porn!" Peter always wondered if the producers of this show trolled the local trailer parks for their weekly guests? Everyone knew this stupid show was fake, scripted, played out, except his darling wife. Throughout the entire hour she drank about four beers and then proceeded to accuse Erich of stealing. Crashing down the hallway leading up to his room she began to pound violently on his door, screaming at the top of her lungs, "I know you're up to no good!" What she didn't realize was that Erich and Paul left a few hours ago to see, "Edward Scissorhands" at the local theater. Joy had been at the liquor store when they left.

         Frustrated that her son wasn't answering her, she kicked open the bedroom door, tripped over her feet in a drunken haze and fell to the floor. That's where Peter found her thirty minutes later, after returning from a two hour shopping trip with Georgina. Quickly sending his twelve-year-old daughter to her room, Peter picked up his wife and carried her to her bed. Through her daze she swore to never drink again. The very next day she gave up her false accusations about Erich, but continued to drink heavily.

         It seemed to Peter that his entire marriage was highlighted by his wife's drunken behavior. Just recently Erich announced that he wanted to attend a culinary school in Atlanta. Joy laughed and told him that he was too stupid to boil water. Peter rolled his eyes and asked his wife where he saw their son in five years. Taking a large swallow of beer she burst out laughing. "He will probably become a spineless, real estate bastard like his father! Stealing money and forcing people to evacuate their homes when they can't pay! He'll be just like you and his grandfather!"

         Before Peter could reply, Joy snatched up her beer and stomped off to her room. Erich gracefully stood-up from the kitchen table and took the back staircase to his room, avoiding his mother.

         Peter felt awful as he always did after Joy yelled at Erich. It wouldn't kill her to apologize to her son whenever she went off on him, then again, Peter quietly allowed his wife to yell at him. He rarely took up for his son just like his father did to him.

         Sitting in the eerily silent courtroom Peter felt like a coward for many reasons. He should have never married Joy. He should have never broken-up with Frankie, then again his children would cease to exist. He never wanted to be in real estate anyway, the plan was to move to California with Frankie. Now that Joy was about to leave him forever, the idea seemed possible. Erich and Paul were moving to Atlanta after graduation and Georgina had a few more years to go, perhaps California would be better for her? That reminded him, he needed to talk to his daughter. The father-daughter talk was long overdue. She was heading down a turbulent path. At that very moment she was with a boy Peter knew was going to, 'lead her on' and break her heart. Peter had ended up hurting a girl in high school and to this very day it still left scars. He refused to allow this to happen to his daughter.

         Taking another sip of water Peter looked behind him and saw Robert reading a book that he had brought with him. For the second time that day someone caught him staring. Looking up at Peter, Robert smiled and glanced back down at his book.

         He could have sworn by that exchange Robert knew what was on his mind. His thoughts were abruptly shattered by the courtroom door slamming open, and the horrible clicking sound of Joy's high heels on the tile.

*****

         "Goddammit! I want it all!" Joy screamed flinging her horribly bleached hair around. Peter felt like lying his head down on the table and falling asleep. Perhaps this was all a dream? He would wake-up in nineteen-seventy-six and be with Frankie again. Peter immediately felt horrible. His wife may have been a Nazi but at least she gave him two children. Her only purpose in life.

         "Mrs. Anderson would you please calm down," Judge Alice Fowler commanded in a strict tone. "I think I have given you more than enough."

         "Ten million is not a lot when my husband is worth almost half a billion!"

         Peter rolled his eyes at Joy's attitude. Looking to his right he saw that she had brought that horrible Ned to the hearing, she didn't realize that by bringing him she was flaunting her affair. There had been many times during their marriage that Peter could have easily cheated on his unfaithful wife, but he knew that someday it would come back to him, as it was to her right now.

         Peter's lawyer slowly approached Joy and gestured to Ned. "Who is this delightful creature?"

         He could hear Robert stifling a fit of laughter behind him. Joy smiled, crossed her legs exposing a run in her stocking and called out, "That's Ned, the man I've been dating for several months!"

         Shaking his head Peter knew he had won; even the judge looked embarrassed by Joy's stupidity.

         "Mrs. Anderson, do you realize that you are still legally married?" Judge Fowler announced in a dry tone. It took Joy a few seconds to realize her mistake.

         "Now," she continued. "I think you deserve ten million for being married for seventeen years, even though I personally would have divorced you after Georgina was born." Focusing her attention on Peter, she continued, "Honestly, Mr. Anderson I applaud you for staying married this long for the sake of your children. I also applaud you for not taking up a mistress. With that said, Mrs. Anderson you shall receive ten million and not a penny more. Erich and Georgina will be granted the choice of living with the parent of their choosing." Judge Fowler banged her gravel and it was over. Peter was free.

         "Congratulations Peter," his lawyer whispered as he began to pack up.

         Raising himself from the chair, Peter silently made his way outside with Erich, Paul and Robert trailing behind. Once the four of them were alone Erich flung his arms around Peter. He didn't say anything, for there was nothing to say.

         "Come on Paul, let's head home," Robert called out. Casting a look of relief at Peter he said, "I'm proud of you."

         "Thanks," he whispered back. He could see the confused looks on Erich and Paul's face. They didn't understand that Robert had just made a reference to the first night they met Joy at the bar. Peter never told Erich the whole story about his mother and he never would.

*Next Segment*

ID: 1736752   (Rated: 13+) Pretend You're Someone Else (Chap.8) 2/5  (This chapter is divided into 5 segments) Karma: It's a Funny/Sad/Traumatic Thing! (1992) by KAT26/Adrian--Published!