He had just walked out of the school, breathed in the cool crisp air, and stood there waiting for his ride. When the car had arrived the boy opened the door to the car and sat down right besides it driver. The car smelled old, and had the estranged mix of cigarettes, and bitter
coffee.
    “Hey Dad, What’s up?”, The boy said. The father started shifting uncomfortably in his seat and ran his hand through his greasy, black, unkempt hair.
    “Nothin’ just a tough day at work, and how about you Alex” the father replied. Alex scanned over his father, noticing his untucked shirt, loosened tie, and his expression. It reminded  Alex of a turtle, how it has seen so much, but his father was only 42. His father sighed. He put his bag on the floor in between his feet, just as he has always done, and he rubbed his thighs trying to psych him up and ask his dad, the question that has been on his mind all day.
    “Late night again?”,Alex inquired to his father. The question lingered in the air for a few seconds, as his father was still trying to process the question since Alex rarely asks him personal questions.
    “Yeah”, the father sighed in a sluggish manner. The father had now just started the car, and as the car slowly started Alex got progressively more and more nervous.
    “Dad I-I don’t want to go to college”, Alex stuttered. The sudden question shocked Alex’s Father, he finally snapped out of his zombie like state and. . . sat there, staring his fatherly stare into Alex’s eyes. Alex was familiar with this stare, it was firm, cold yet loving in the same manner. A few minutes in the silence had passed and that stare acted as an
unbreakable diamond wall, unmoving, and to Alex it was forever invincible.  But he eventually got around it, through years of gaining confidence to which his 5 year old self will be proud of.
    “Dad please listen, let me expl-”, Alex was cut off by his father’s thunderous tone in almost a quiet yelling he said,”No!”
    “But Dad, please listen”, He begged to his father, pleading for him to just be heard and not ignored, though he knew he should go to college he thought he was smart enough to start a business as is.
But to his father he thought of this as a mistake, and he refused to let Alex make the same mistakes that he did growing up.
    “No, Alex I will not allow you to do this, I can’t allow you to end up like me”, Alex’s father said. Alex pondered for a moment why his father said that. What did he mean by that? does he really think his life is that horrible? Am I the reason why?
    “Dad, What are you talking about, you live a pretty good life, you have a job, a kid, and you have a good sized house”, Alex spoke to his father in a tone that he usually only did when he was confused.
    “Listen to me, I have a dead-end job, I have a lot of debt, and because of my education I don’t have the credentials to get the promotion that I need to pay off what I owe”, The father spoke ,and Alex was shocked his father never talked about his personal life. Alex knew that if he spoke further it would create further rage from his father. So as swiftly as his father’s attitude changed ,he shut up and stood as still and as ashamed as he could in the leathery seat next to his father. On the car ride home Alex could do nothing but sit, think, and breath. His father on the other hand looked as if nothing had happened in the car ride in the first place that had made him mad.
    When they had made their arrival back to the house his father showing either his sign of anger or him not knowing his own strength he forcefully pushed the car door open. To Alex he could almost hear the car tip over from the force. Alex defeatedly open the car door as lightly as he could almost as if he wanted to contrast his father’s brute strength. He worked up the courage again to speak to his father as he walked up the cobblestone walkway to the front door.
    His father turned around right in front of the door.
“Alex, let me be very clear, I will not allow you to make the decision not to go to college, and saying that alone is disrespect to me, now I want you to go to your room, you’re grounded for the rest of the night”, the father had discussed with Alex. All confidence that he had built up was just demolished. He did as he was told, walked to his room on the upper floor, and laid down. Defeated he laid there and pondered.
Why was he so cowardly? Is there any way I can explain this to my dad? Alex got up, began quickly pacing, and continued to think. He got angry at himself because he could not see his  mistake. He turned the metallic fan on and allowed the gentle breeze  to cool him both mind and body. He slumped over on the malleable bean-bag chair and  sat there as he heard the ringing of the fan.
Alex’s father had gone to the basement however in order to release his anger. He put on the pair of boxing gloves, shifted his momentum to his forward foot and let loose one powerful punch which sent the sandbag back a few inches.    Alex's father continued to punch the sand bag with a mighty force , He continued to quickly punch the sandbag until  his anger finally diminished. When he was finished his father was covered in sweat.
He ripped off the boxing gloves and went upstairs. He began to inquire to himself, why would Alex want to not go to college? Is there a specific reason? I should go talk to him? Before this he grabbed an ice cold water to cool off. Alex continued to lay in his room grounded by his father,when suddenly he heard a knock.
    Slightly muffled by the door Alex hears,”Hey Alex I’m willing to talk now”.
Alex let out a sigh of relief to hear his father’s tone had calmed down a bit.
    “Come in” Alex had yelled lazily. Alex’s father crept in the room as slow as he could.
    “Alex, I’m sorry I got mad but you know that that is a touchy subject for  me. . . You know I regret that decision to end with just a high school diploma every day of my life”, Alex’s father complained.
    “I understand that dad. . .but I don’t want you to worry about the money for me to go to college”, Alex had commented. Those were had yet again shocked Alex’s father, but this time quickly regained his composure.
    “Alex, the money never mattered, You’d be the one to deal with student loans anyway” Alex’s father chuckled.
    “Everyone has to deal with them, except if you go in on a scholarship. . . so start doing better”. Alex’s insides were tormented with an extremely unpleasant feeling
    “Bu-But D-Dad pl-”, yet again he was cut off by his father
“I’m kidding”, he calmly spoke.”Of course I’ll help but please don’t worry about it”
A wave of relief had washed over him, He sat there awkwardly with his dad in the room.
    ‘Thanks. . . Dad”,Alex awkwardly spoke. Then his dad looking just as equally awkward left the room. The next day Alex went through school normally without a care in the world. Then after school, he had just walked out of the school, breathed in the cool crisp air, and stood there waiting for his ride.