Looking back

Requested to me by my friend Marlon. Hope I do your request proud!

His name was Justin Blair, and today was Spring Cleaning. He sifted threw the boxes around him. He and his son Eric had taken them down from the attic to find what they could throw out. "Remember no junk, real things to keep." Grace, his wife ordered before she left him. Justin barely remembered half the things in these old faded boxes. Some where old pictures that he had picked the best of the bunch.

After going threw a few dozen others he was left with the last one. Knealing down he examined the old faded date on the top.

"St. Dorians High School Class of 1989"

The name itself took him back. Working his fingers around the ancient tape he popped open the old flaps and looked inside at what he had packed away over a decade ago.

Pictures of his close friends Douglas Shaw and Benny Reads, a few trophys he's won for music back then. He mused at the framed photo of him and Grace when they first started going out. Who would have thought this would be in their sights when he was 16?

March 14th 1988

The sun beat down on the New York pavement like there was no tomorrow. Justin hicked up his bag and kept walking. Woke up late, missed the bus, no breakfast or money for food already it was looking as if he wasnt gonna be a good day. Finally getting to the double doors of St. Dorians he heaved a sigh of releif.

But just so had it luck was against him on all fronts today, Paul Langdon seemingly walked past the doors. Him and his crew were a bunch of jocks that thought they ran the school, meanwhile they havent won a game in almost 2 years.

"A lil band geek I see." He sneered letting Justin walk in a little and towards the stairs. It was like this every single day. Pauls teamates blocked the door while he stood at his only exit, let the game begin.

"Whats a matter Blair? No time for chit chat?" Pauls team laughed as if he had something funny. Justin just rolled his eyes and tried to side step, already knowing what was going to happen.

"Oh no way. You know the fee. You have to pay the toll booth to pass." His buddies laughed again as he put his arm up an extended his other hand to Justin. "I dont have any money Paul. Please today can we just skip it?"

"Nah, you know the fee. If you dont have the toll you dont pass." The halls were to hot, he was late, starving and already this was gonna start. "Let me threw already!" Pushing restricting arm made him loose balance. Before he knew it Paul was face down on the steps, not laughing to much anymore.

"You are so dead!" Leaping to his feet Paul's huge size of 6'3'' trumped Justins meger 5'3''. Yanmking him and slamming him against the wall all Justin could feel was his heart in his ribcage and Pauls hot breath raging aginst him in anger. Teamates woopped and hollered at their star quarterback. Justin wished he could just fastforward, shutting his eyes before Paul's fist collided with his stomach

April 12th 2010

Justin gimanced at the yearbook. Looking at the clock on his home office desk he realized he was looking threw it for almost an hour. He remembered that day so well. Turning the page he saw his tryout to a Music school. That fight had happened that day, he brought home a full scholarship, 2 black eyes and a grin. It was the beginning of a great start. Senior year was so much better. His college course was set, he met his future wife and he took in his mistakes from junior year on.

"Justin, are you finished yet?" Grace streamed as he smiled at her. Her lonmg red hair seemed to fan around her shoulders like a halo. Framing her tanned skin and light yellow sundress she smiled back. "What are you looking at there?" He grinned just some old memories.

He had all he wanted now, back from that scrawney little kid he was. Justin picked up the box and lugged it downstairs taking out his memorobelia. Placing the yearbook carefully on his desk for later, he managed to steal a kiss from his wife as they walked downstairs.

His name was Justin Blair, and it was Spring Cleaning. He had his wife and their home on the upper east side. He had a job he loved and 2 kids he adored. His heart swelled with pride on all this and couldnt imagine his life without his loved ones. He sometimes still felt like that little Junior being picked on by those who thought they were entitled to it, but he knew better now.