Generation 1, Chapter 17 - Dylan

Dylan stared at his phone. He had a lot to think about.

He’d just gotten a text from a number that he’d almost blocked years ago. He’d decided
not to at the time, but now he was thinking that it might not have been a bad idea.

The text simply read: Can we talk? It was the sender that made it so shocking. It was from
Johanna French-McGraw.

Part of him, the tiny vindictive part that was always characterized as the devil on your
shoulder in old cartoons, wanted to turn her down flat. Crush her the way she had crushed
him, all those years ago.

Another part of him worried that it might be a prank. He was a dork, and people loved to
play pranks on people like him. If that was the case, he shouldn’t go. It would be an awful
idea to give her the opportunity to humiliate him.

But Dylan was a good person, so it was the last part of him that won out. This part said
that if she was regretting what she had done, he should at least give her another chance
to prove herself.

So he texted her back: Meet me where we first met at four today, just in case someone had stolen her phone to play a prank on him. It had happened before.

Then he sat down and wondered if he’d make it until four.

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Dylan was early. He liked to be early, and he’d needed to go to the library anyway. He had
to do a research project, and they didn’t have a computer at home, although no one ever
believed him when he said that.

He was scanning a book for sources when he heard a familiar voice.

“Dylan?”

“Johanna.”

“Can we go somewhere a little more private?”

He considered it. She could be luring him somewhere, but she looked sincere. He wasn't
great at judging that sort of thing, but today he was willing to take a chance.

Johanna took him to a coffee shop nearby. “So, you’re probably wondering why I texted
you.”

“Yes.” Dylan wasn’t sure when he’d decided he was going to answer her in monosyllables,
but it was definitely happening now.

“I… this is… difficult.” She paused briefly. “I’m sorry.”

Dylan was silent.

“When I cut you out of my life, I made excuses for myself. I told myself that you were expecting too much of me, that I had my own problems, that I had to focus on other things. There isn’t an excuse. I made a mistake. I was stupid and childish and impetuous. I know that you’re not going to be able to forget what I did, and I don’t expect you to, but… do you have it in you to give me a second chance?”

Dylan thought about it. Could he give her a second chance? He knew that he was capable of it, but would it be a good idea? “I know that you regret it, but… can you be absolutely sure that you won’t do it again?”

“I promise. If I ever break that promise, I will never even attempt to reach out to you again. You can get rid of me entirely. But unless that happens…”

“I will give you a second chance.”

She looked incredibly relieved. “I swear you won’t regret it.”

I hope not.

Author's Note: That unfinished painting in the first shot is one that Sam started. I could scrap it, but no one else ever uses that easel, so I think I'm just going to leave it. All paintings seen in the background of my shots were painted by Sam.

After I wrote that part about Dylan's response to the text, I realized that I had just characterized the id, ego, and superego, in order, without realizing it. I guess they are supposed to be part of your subconscious...

Most of you were probably expecting a different old character to return, although I'm not entirely sure which one. Still, I think Johanna qualifies. Maybe you'll disagree. I hope you don't hate her too much. The way I see it, most of us do a lot of stupid, immature, or even actively malicious things at the age of twelve or thirteen. I know I did. And while we might not have done anything quite as bad as what Johanna did, we still probably would have hated/did hate it if people didn't forgive us for it. But that's just the way I think about it. You have the right to hate my characters if you see fit. Next time (probably later today), Ayla goes on her first date!