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Okay, Rusty. Today’s the day.
Rusty wasn’t sure if he was ready for college. He truly wanted nothing more than to get out of the nest and all, but once he was away from the compound...What then? He hated to admit it, but he was almost scared of life on the outside. Every day, home felt more like a prison, and yet at the same time, he continued to feel more and more terrified to leave. And now, to finally get a modicum of freedom, only to find out he’d be living on his father’s terms? It was upsetting. It was frustrating. Staring down at his curriculum felt like Hell on Earth, and part of him was acutely aware that if he wanted to enjoy the rest of his life, he had to put his foot down today.
Which was how he ended up here, idling outside of his father’s office. There was something to be said about the fact that he had to wait outside like he wasn’t Jonas Venture’s son, but if someone was going to question it, it wasn’t going to be him. When a pinkette strolled out of the office, he grimaced, swiftly putting two and two together. She offered him a smile, and he at least attempted to look sincere when he smiled in turn.
“Hi, Rusty.” She hummed as she passed.
“Mz. Quymn.” Assuming it was safe to enter, he took a cautious peek around the doorway. Jonas was doing that thing where he randomly shuffled papers to make himself look busy, so clearly he wasn’t interrupting anything terribly important. “Pop?”
Jonas would glance up from his papers, then. Pretending he hadn’t noticed that he’d entered the room over thirty seconds ago. “Rusty! Come in, come in.” Taking a few cautious steps inside, Rusty would slowly close the door behind him. “What can I do for you, son?”
They were barely two sentences in and Rusty was already starting to regret this. What could he do for him? What did he want?
“I just wanted to talk to you about...College.”
“Yes! Oh, you’re going to love State, Rusty. Did Horace drop that literature off in your room like I asked?”
“Well, yes, but…”
“What? Is there a problem?” That was one of those Jonas questions where you weren’t supposed to tell the truth. It’s all in the tone. There’s a slight sharpness to it, a vague intensity so subtle that you wonder if you’re just imagining things. But he couldn’t back down. In all his years of adventures, surely he’s faced things a whole lot scarier than his father.
But if he was so sure, why was he shaking?
“Actually, uh...Kinda.” He said, dragging a hand through his hair. “I-I don’t know about all these classes, pop...They just don’t seem very... Me? ”
A silence washed over the office like a tidal wave. Jonas’s smile didn’t falter, though, his expression one of eerie calm.
“I know it looks scary on paper, Rusty, but it’s super science! It runs in your blood.” He reasoned, fiddling nonchalantly with the pen in his hands. “You’ll adjust in no time.”
“No, dad, I-...I don’t know if super science is me . ”
A flash of alarm, then, as if the severity of the situation had just sunk in. His shock soon dissolved, though, into another damn smile. His laughter felt like it physically punctured Rusty’s chest, stealing his breath away.
“Rusty, you’re a Venture. If you’re not going to do this, then, well...What are you actually good at again?” His tone was light, almost too light for just how visceral the comment felt. The shock must’ve been written on his face, because Jonas swiftly backpedaled. “Oh, don’t look so serious, I was only joking! You know I hate when you pout like that.”
“Well, I’m not.” Rusty admitted, voice low. “I’m not good at science, I...I don’t think I even like it. I wanna do something else!”
Jonas’s eyes narrowed. Clearly, this wasn’t funny or endearing to him anymore.
“Something like what, exactly?”
“I...I don’t know.”
“You don’t know. ”
“And that’s what I want to figure out! I want to find out who I am. Who I actually am.”
“I thought it was quite clear who you are, Rusty.” Jonas’s once sharp tone soon switched to lighthearted, almost eerily fast. “You’re just getting cold feet, that’s to be expected! A career in science is daunting for anyone.”
“I don’t WANT to be a scientist, dad!”
Silence. A long, tense, suffocating silence. A smile tugged at Jonas’s lips, but it wasn’t humorous, or sincere. It was wry and bitter and it said more than a thousand words could. He said nothing. Nothing at all. As if silently threatening him. Challenging him. But Rusty was fired up. He was pissed.
This was a long time coming.
“I-I can’t. I can’t do this, I can’t... Live, like this anymore! Like-Like some brand, some logo to slap on cheap lunch boxes!” The words flowed freely from Rusty’s mouth, hands slamming down on his father’s desk like it was the only thing keeping him stable.
“Rusty.”
“I’m sick of you, and-and Uncle Action, and Uncle Gentleman,
controlling
my whole life!”
“ Rusty. ”
“I’m sick of it!”
“Thaddeus Venture, you will fall in line!” Suddenly, Jonas was rising from his seat, leaning dangerously far forward. Staring him down. But his adrenaline was pumping, his blood was roaring in his ears and he couldn’t bring himself to stop.
“So it’s
Thaddeus
now!”
“You think you’re so clever all of a sudden!”
“You know what I think?! Fuck you! ”
In a split second, Jonas’s hand had lunged forward, a vice-like grip locking around Rusty’s wrist, still raw and stinging from rope burn. A pained gasp escaped him, jaw clenched tightly. When his father spoke again, his voice was low and deliberate, a fiery rage burning behind his eyes.
“Speak to me again with that tone.”
Rusty couldn’t muster the words. He would’ve apologised, if he could bring himself to speak. Half of him was still raring for a fight. The other half was terrified of how far his father would go. He’d never hurt him before, not until now, but really, truly looking at him now? He thought maybe he could. Maybe he wanted to. The moment felt both fleeting and never-ending before Jonas suddenly came to his senses, sharply pulling back as if not even he had been fully aware of what he was doing until that very moment. The rage was gone, leaving them both standing, staring in mutual disbelief at how far the other had dared to push the situation. Slowly, Jonas sat back down, fiddling with that damn pen again.
“I see your point, Rusty. You’re in that ‘rebellious youth’ phase, I understand. Looking to find yourself and so forth...Well, I think your pursuit of science is top priority, but that doesn’t mean you can’t do...A little something else.” It was a clear admission of defeat. A compromise to stop things from escalating any further than they already had. “Have a look at those pamphlets, look at the classes, and pick one. ”
A hollow victory, but one that filled Rusty with untold relief. He let out a deep sigh, a breath he didn’t know he was holding. His nails raked gently along his arms, as if scratching an itch that wasn’t there. Eventually, another breath in. An exhale.
“Thank you, Pop.”
And finally, Jonas Venture was satisfied.
“You’re welcome, son.”