After everything was out in the open, it just felt right to be there again. The next day began with a light-circuit routine, followed by a nice thirty-minute jog. I swam for an hour, and all was well with my world. Being home had put my life back into perspective, so what if they'd had some fun at my expense? I was used to it; hell, I'd even enjoyed some of it myself.
I spent the next two weeks being coaxed back to life by my parents, and eventually summoned up the courage, looked up the best stylist nearby and made a booking for my mother and myself. A little backup couldn't hurt, although she had a fit when she saw where we were going, and I had to physically lift her and carry her in. She only calmed down when I told her I had won the appointments online, as she was worried about the cost. My mother positively loved it when she thought it was free and had a blast getting a new style suggested by the head stylist, Alfonse! Yeah, I bet his real name was Albert, but whatever works for you, I now say.
His idea of my style was in no way worth the exorbitant fee; it was simply a haircut and a wash and dry that cost me two hundred dollars! Damn, Martha! It did look good, mind; my unruly shaggy locks were shorn to chin length, with a little cut here, and a lot of thinning there, I looked a lot better. The pure joy etched on my mom's face made it all worthwhile; not only was her new look amazing, but she was just so happy too. Damn, I needed to hand their money over now.
I booked a very nice high-end restaurant that they always talked about but never went to and surprised them; they were planning a celebration dinner for our joint haircuts plus the fact I was heading back to Berkeley in a much better place than I'd ever been. They didn't know I had cancelled their reservations and replaced them with my own. I drove so they could both share a bottle of wine. The only thing I regretted was not leaving tonight, as the look my father was giving my very attractive mother was not PG-13, She admittedly looked amazing, and the hairstyle had brought her confidence flooding back.
They looked dumbfounded when we parked in the upscale restaurant's parking lot,
"I suppose you won this too?" My dad asked with a knowing smile as my mother's eyes went wide, realising she'd been duped. A nod and a wink was all it took to get her smile back on track.
After a conversation assuring them they should order whatever they wanted regardless of the price, we had an amazing meal. My mother had a veal pasta dish she had heard was amazing here, and my father had the same, won over very easily by her smile. I branched out and had a sausage and chicken pasta dish that was oh-so-good!
They gave us a few minutes while we perused the deserts, Just then my dad and mom's phones chirped, as their online bank account let them know they'd received a deposit. They both looked at their phones, then at each other, and as one, they turned wide-eyed toward me.
"What?" I asked, smiling from ear to ear over their reactions.
"How?" My mother asked, looking slightly worried,
"Where?" My father asked, calmly letting me know it was time to come clean.
"Well, you remember when you gave me an account..." I then went on to explain the highlights of my stock career so far, and then I told them about Bitcoin and how mining had been fun for me, never knowing how much they were worth.
I'd changed my mind when I realised I wanted them to enjoy their lives, and on checking the account I had set aside for them, which had one million in it in 2021. Now in 2023, with me having been a little laxer with my limits as I'd known I'd replace any losses without them knowing. Yeah, they now have five point two million, so I had sent them four million to be getting along with; I didn't tell them they still had one point two working for them. They were ecstatic.
"So you've been a millionaire since 21!" My dad said laughing, "Here we were worried you'd need more money, and you were bloody rolling in it!" He had tears in his eyes, hell we all did. My mother was planning a holiday in her mind immediately; you could see the weight lift from them, and I couldn't have been happier.
They dropped me off at the airport looking like lovestruck teenagers, and my heart soared; I had done something right!
I was soon back in my room, and although it had only been just over two weeks since I'd been away, it felt like so much longer. I was smiling confidently; hell, I was happy, and it showed. I had also invested in some decent clothes that actually fit my body. I strode along now like a predator, not prey, and all it took was a few words from Martha, followed by two weeks with my parents, I was a different man.
I completed my circuits, followed by stretching, some yoga, and meditation. I ate the sandwiches I'd bought and went to sleep happy. I was expecting a fridge to arrive early tomorrow, my mom's idea, so I could keep sandwiches or leftovers in, so I wouldn't starve myself again.
It arrived after my circuits, which were back up to 100 all around, including the hateful flutter kicks ending with a ten-minute plank. After setting up the fridge, I went for a run around the park. Afterwards, I went to the store and bought a bouquet of flowers, attached a gift card for two hundred dollars, and wrote the card, which simply said: Thank you, Martha, I think you saved my life x. I then hand-delivered them myself to a very surprised Martha. On opening the card, she cried a little as she hugged me for a full five minutes. It took longer than that to get her to keep the gift card, but once again I left feeling like a million dollars.
I went swimming that evening, still trying to figure out a way to gift something to Maddison because, if nothing else, she had taken care of me for four days, that was a puzzle. I used it as I mediated while I swam, an idea I'd had that worked brilliantly. While my body was going crazy, my mind was tranquil; it was life-changing. I flew through the water, enjoying the actual swim and the mechanics of it, Rather than just ploughing on through to get the results I was breaking it down. My swim truly brought me joy and I had the added bonus that I blew my times out of the water, swimming faster, longer, and farther than ever before. A few times the little prodigy tried to get my attention, but I was in the zone, and after two hours, I was ready for it to end. I sneakily waited until she was mid-practise laps surrounded by her crew, then I made for the exit. I made it a game as I swam the fastest I could for the exit. I was out and drying before she was halfway to me. I smiled, winked, and walked away. Damn, that felt good.
I received a summons for my summer class. I was shockingly failing my class, and the fact it meant nothing to my curriculum was apparently lost on Ms Oakley. After exercising and going for a run, I arrived in time for class, making sure I took a seat at the back. I was lost in my phone when my annoying tail showed up. She had quite a few friends with her, who all surrounded us. I ignored them all as Ms. Oakley was demanding attention, and when she saw me, I was summoned to the front of the room.
"As you have made no effort to even attend this class, I am going to have to fail you if you can't complete this quiz on all the work we have done so far!" She said rather smugly.
"Well, I'm not that bothered, so..." I started to reply when she cut in,
"If you fail your summer classes, you are not allowed to stay on campus!" The petty bitch!
I raised an eyebrow confidently, then took the quiz from her; her interns sat me off to the side and watched to ensure no cheating. I could feel the entire class watching to see the train wreck, as before I'd have been too flustered. Yeah, those days were over, I slipped into a tranquil mindset and I completed her test within twenty minutes.
The interns were smiling, as obviously, I'd failed, but I refused to hand them the papers; instead, I walked them over to Ms. Oakley personally.
"Oh dear this quick, I hope you don't do everything this quick." She quipped, enjoying the laughter of the students at her amazing joke.
"Only the truly deserving will ever know," I managed to say without whining. I did have a fake smile plastered on my face, though.
Hers fell as she scored me a perfect mark.
"You may take your seat." She mumbled, No well done, nothing, fuck that!
"What was my score, Ms.?" I asked loudly, smiling at her,
"It's not important; you passed; now take a seat," she replied briskly, failing to look me in the eye.
"Well, seeing as you made such a show of making it public, I'd like to hear my score out loud, please," I asked coldly, showing my new side, while inside I was quaking the same as before.
"Perfect," she mumbled.
"Pardon me?" I asked, grinning. It hadn't even been hard, unlike me now as I stood looking down at her; I was rock hard.
"Perfect score, Scott, well done," she responded sarcastically as I turned to leave.
"Excuse me, where do you think you're going?" She asked, getting up.
"Well, I figured I'd just take your little test again in a few weeks to save wasting my time on such an easy class," I said coldly and I left.
As soon as I was away from the building, I allowed the anxiety to hit me, but instead of letting it rule me, I breathed through it, as if that had been a victory.
I took the spare time to swim; the prodigy couldn't bother me while she was in class! Then I found a yoga class; it was farther away than I'd like, but until my campus ones started back up, it would do.
I spent the next two weeks doing just as I liked; training went well; I ignored the prodigy, and she finally got the message; I even liked the other yoga class, the new me enjoyed the odd look between me and a few of the girls there. Nothing would ever happen, so why not allow the odd flirtatious smile; I was riding the crest of a wave.
For some reason I went into town just to walk around; I don't think I had ever done that before. I was drawn into a flea market by the strange look and feel of the place. I walked around for an hour, and I actually bought a leather bracelet that I liked enough to wear. I coupled it with a silver one I found at a second-hand jewellery store, and that's where I saw it. Like a flash of lightning striking me, it was an intricate rose gold chain with a beautiful rose made up of tiny gold petals all attached to a beautiful letter M made out of white gold. I was entranced, even though it was priced at two thousand dollars. Obviously, she didn't deserve it, but in my mind, something that beautiful had to be around her neck, it wasn't just made for her, it was her. The old lady saw me staring and took it from the security stand, allowing me to hold it. It was so delicate and beautiful, just like Maddison.
"She must be someone really special," she said, smiling softly.
"She is; she's breathtaking, and this would look so good around her neck," I replied, not helping my bartering skills at all.
"The best I could do for young lovers is fifteen hundred dollars. I'm sorry, son, but that's basically cost," she said softly, and something in me believed her.
"Would eighteen hundred be enough of a profit? Ma'am." I asked, not wanting to rip her off.
"You're going about this all wrong, son; take it for fifteen and buy her dinner," she replied, winking. She had a very kind smile.
"She's not with me, ma'am," I said, admitting the truth out loud.
"Then why?" She asked, genuinely confused
"Because as soon as I saw it, her face came to mind," I whispered, pulling out my phone. She let me know she thought I was crazy, but she sold it to me anyway; she would however only take fifteen hundred dollars.
