Chapter 75: Face-off

Brendan had been hearing about the movie [Silver Comets] for a while now, most of it cropping up amidst conversations of his peers in school.

And though the youth was interested, there was no way his family could afford to go see it in cinemas.

It would yet again, just have to be another movie that he would never get to watch in cinemas.

Another movie he might just have to rent at the local store when it finally left cinemas. But even that wasn’t feasible for him at the moment.

Considering he’d promised Niall Parker he would try his best to watch his movie when it landed on Blu-ray, there was only so much funds to go around.

Hoping he could manage to rent a single Blu-ray in a year was already pushing it considering every dollar his parents raised often went into food and housing expenses.

That, coupled with the career path he was hoping to take, only served to add to his guilt of wanting to spend money for his own entertainment when he could also be saving up for something important.

As a result, after mulling it over several times and weighing the pros and cons, he ultimately decided not to get the movie when it came out for renting.

Feeling his tummy rumble as he arrived at the street of his home, Brendan simply sighed in resignation as he made his way up the weathered two-storey building to reach his family’s one-bedroom apartment.

Typically, by the early evenings, there was rarely ever a time he’d ever met his parents at home.

As a result, he often had to wait till it was late into the night before he was even certain they’d be opportuned to eat a proper meal.

However, upon reaching home today, he was shocked to not only hear the sounds of his parents laughing in the cramped apartment, but equally, the sumptuous smell the beef and rice wafting through the air.

Clearly stunned, but very much still wary, he slowly opened the door... only for his parents to beam smiles at him while ushering him in, their eyes seemingly red!

Honestly, it had been so long since Brendan had seen such heartiness on their weary features, he couldn’t help but ask cautiously;

"Mom. Dad. What’s... going on?"

"Did we perhaps offend one of our debtors and their coming to kill us so we have no other choice but to blow our money on a last supper together?" he inquired further, not a single hint of playfulness on his features or in his tone.

Hearing that, a bit concerned by the specificity of his statement, but more disheartened to even hear that their son considered the idea of anything good ever happening to them being possible, his dad soon managed to speak;

"Well, we didn’t offend anyone, so to speak... but we did manage to catch the eye of a good samaritan,"

"And it’s all thanks to you, son." his father simply gestured to the only center table they had, a mail resting on it.

Urging him to go ahead, Brendan watched as his parents remained eager-eyed as he moved over to pick up the mail.

Then, slowly unfurling it, the youth began to read its contents;

-

Hi there, Brendan.

I’ve only known you for a couple months, but I see greatness in you. The kind that comes not just with talent, but the willingness and the temerity to work hard for it.

I also know what it’s like to have a dream and constantly feel the burden of not being able to reach it because of financial constraints.

So, attached to this mail, is something I think would ease things up a bit.

Wishing you the best of luck!

Love, Niall Parker.

-

No sooner had Brendan read that, his eyes already watery, he slowly turned the letter around... only for his pupils to dilate in evident shock!

-

FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF CALIFORNIA

PAY TO THE ORDER OF: Brendan Walsh

Five Hundred Thousand Dollarsonly.... $500,000.00

Memo:For your dream. Keep skating.

Signed,

Niall Parker

-

Wiping the tears from his eyes, he looked at the cheque closely, just to be certain he was seeing the amount right.

How many zeros was that?!

A whopping five!

Five hundred grand!

Brendan’s breath hitched, and his fingers trembled as tears continuously rolled down his eyes.

However, lest he use his tears to ruin the cheque, he promptly handed it over to his father for safekeeping, unable to even gather the words to say as he slumped into their couch in utter rapture.

At the same time, he really wanted to kick himself for not having collected Niall’s number. How then was he supposed to contact him and show his immense gratitude?!

Considering he hadn’t been seeing the man at the rink, he’d simply assumed the man was done with his training for his movie. Now though, as he sobbed into his palms, he could only manage to let out the same words over and over again;

"Thank you, thank you, thank you..."

As his parents watched this, they were much the same, happy tears streaming down their eyes yet again.

However, in between his sobs, his mother spoke while cleaning her eyes;

"Brendan dear. There’s still one more thing... in the letter."

Looking to his parents again, this time in genuine confusion as to what could possibly top what they had just received, Brendan managed to pick up the letter again.

This time, he checked inside, wiping his eyes as he did. Pulling out the smaller, three rectangular-shaped slips, his eyes soon widened.

These... these were movie tickets!

Movie tickets to that new movie everyone kept talking about! [Silver Comets]!

As Brendan looked on at it, yet again another stream of tears began to trail down his cheeks as his mother spoke, her voice cracking with joy;

"You can finally get to experience a watching movie in theatres, dear. Just like you’ve always wanted."

Once again, Brendan’s joy, gratitude and delight knew no bounds as he once again slipped the tickets back into the envelope, his head burrowing into his laps as he cried and sobbed for ages.

Meanwhile, as that was happening, somewhere in the dorm room of a familiar university, Bella was unable to believe what she was hearing.

Yet again, her roommates and their friends were about to burn their funds away for the so-called [Tyler Kingstone: Under the Lights] movie.

To that, she tried to dissuade them, her words coming out in the bluntest way possible;

"You guys are scape goats."

"Hey! Tone down the harshness, Bluntbellina!" Jennifer reprimanded, her fingers pointed in the lady’s direction.

"Yeah! We can spend our money on whatever the heck we want!" Katy chipped in, her head raised with a slightly pompous air.

As Veronica and Sharon watched the trio interact, they couldn’t help but still be taken aback by so well their friends had finally gotten along with their roommates after all these months of them trying to hang around each other.

Who knew all it would take was one mad, fanatic display from Bella to get them to become genuinely amused by the dorky lady’s blunt but equally endearing persona.

"Still doesn’t change the fact that you guys are willingly heading over to watch a tour movie. A tour movie??? For songs you’ve listened to practically a billion times?!!" she slapped the back of her palms on her other hand in rapid succession.

"Make it make sense for Christ’s sake?!" she huffed!

"And might I remind you babes that you hated the last Tyler Kingstone event that you went and paid exorbitantly for?!" she added, her hands gesturing in an outwardly vague manner as she turned to face her actual roommates.

"That was... circumstantial..." Veronica looked away, clearly in guilt at the fact that they had to cancel on their plans with the lady after they’d promised they’d go see [Silver Comets] in theatres together.

"Yeah. It’s not a crime to want to support your favorite artist, right?" Sharon winced a bit, her shoulders shrugging slowly in an attempt to convince Bella of their decisions.

Blinking her eyes a couple times, seemingly in disbelief at the words she was hearing, Bella finally gave up, her hands gesturing to the air and slumping to her sides immediately after as she said;

"Welp. I tried God. These ladies just don’t wanna listen."

"At this rate, they might as well just hogtie themselves and throw themselves into an incinerator, ’cause they’re about to experience another terrible investment!" she casually added as she raised her gaze to the roof of their room and clasped her palms.

"Hey!!" all four simultaneously called out, their expressions indicating a mix of amused annoyance.

"You know what?! I bet Tyler’s movie is gonna crush that movie of yours at the box office!" Jennifer suddenly said.

"Hohoho! Wanna bet?" Bella baited the lady.

"Yes!" Katy took the bait this time as she followed up with a condition;

"If Tyler’s movie does win, you have to listen to all his songs for a month! No other song!"

"Alright, then. If Niall’s movie wins though, you four have to read [The Token of Fate]." Bella added her own condition to which she then asked;

"Deal?"

As the duo looked over to Veronica and Sharon, both of whom were already wondering how they’d gotten roped into the bet, all four soon nodded and said;

"Deal!"

To that, Bella smiled, her expression confident as she declared;

"May the best movie, win!"

To that effect, it didn’t take long for October 20th to arrive. Finally, the face-off between [Tyler Kingstone: Under the Lights] and [Silver Comets] at the box office was about to begin.

Advance Chapters are available on Patreon!

/Caer07