Seven Days

(Alternative Version)
Written by: Nick Kish

2007-08-11

Prologue: Contempt

Contempt.

I have never felt so much contempt towards any single person in my entire life. This woman sitting across the aisle from me is so fucking fat I can't stand it. It's driving me insane; I can't help to obsess on it. This woman is so fat. She is taking up two seats here in the 23rd row of coach on this plane. Her stomach protrudes to touch the seat in front of her as she eats her shitty airplane food meal off the tray in the center seat next to her. She requires a seat-belt extension to follow the "Fasten Seat Belt" law. All of the fuss, all the stewardess' time, all the shit because she is a fat ass. I'm not skin and bones, but why is she so special because she has no self-control, no discipline, no dignity, no sense of self-worth? With her fat woman face and fat woman haircut and fat woman "dress," she drives me crazy. All of her 400 pounds of fat and shit is for nothing. Does none of that tell her she has a problem? Does it not occur to this woman that she might be obese? And what has it all gotten her? A seat-belt extension and stares of disgust from everyone she passes. Stares of disgust and loathing and amazement and contempt.

After getting over how much contempt I'm feeling toward the fat slug, I can't help but feel a bit of pity and I almost feel sorry for her. Then I remind myself that she wasn't always like this. Perhaps her past is speckled with tragedy and self-loathing and pain. On the other hand perhaps not. Maybe she is an only-child, spoiled by her parents, allowed to do what she wants when ever she wants.

Not saying that all only-children are spoiled, I've just been unfortunate enough to meet a few who were. Then I remind myself that regardless of any possible siblings, there were still days in her past that brought her to this state. Very particular days with very particular events that resulted in her becoming this mess of a human. Just like me.

Then I remind myself that it fucking sucks! Just like life. And just like the fat-ass, I have been through a lot to get me here.

I look next to me and see my two sons, David Jr. and Kurt, sleeping in the seats next to me. Then I remember their mother, Jill. I love her. I think she was the first person I ever really loved. Not like the first love in high school that you think is love because you have strong feelings and nothing to compare them to. This is the first love out of school, after you've been through a couple relationships and you know what you want and what to look for. The first high school love is great, don't get me wrong. The latter is just so much better.

But I digress. My wife and sons will come later. Much later.

What better place to start than the beginning? Unfortunately, it is hard to pin one single day. There are a few days that come to mind like the death of my parents, meeting Kurt in New York City, and the Plan for the bank robbery. Then there was Kim, my high school girl-friend. Like most high school romances, you're just too young to really know what love is and what you really need from a relationship. Kim and I really thought we loved each other. Strong emotions, yes, but not love. Now that I think about it, I guess it was when things were really starting to come together for the Plan which basically marked the beginning of the end for us.

Kim and her stupid ultimatum. She never really understood me the way I needed to be understood.

It would probably have to be that week long camping trip. Those seven days that set into motion events that would lead to where I am today. Events lead to certain choices lead to events lead to harder choices lead to disastrous and painful events. Events that shook the world. It's all too fresh in my mind, the last 20 years, that I can't really say whether I am glad or fortunate be apart of such events. Perhaps some more so than others. Then I remind myself that the events would have happened if I was involved or not. So, for that, I am glad that I was involved.

And it starts to come back to me... the camping trip that started it all.

Chapter 1: Kim

The alarm clock goes off and David hits the snooze without looking at the clock. He knew what time it was.

Ten minutes later, it goes off again and Kim starts to swear under her breath just loud enough so David can hear but still trying to be quiet so she doesn't wake up anyone else in the house. David is just glad she isn't swearing at him specifically, just at the situation. The sun outside is just now coming over the trees in the distance.

She didn't plan on spending the night.

Still lying down, David reminds her, observationally, "Well, if you wouldn't show up so late, you wouldn't be so tired and oversleep."

She scowls at him as she grabs her jeans and throws them on. She excitedly whispers "You were supposed to wake me up if I fell asleep!" Maybe what he said wasn't the best thing to say. David decides to avoid pointing out such things to her in the future.

In his defense though, David is still learning this whole girlfriend thing. What to say, how to say it, what not to say. Like don't tell your girlfriend about the young woman at work you joke around with. Maybe some girls would be okay with it but most are not and Kim is one of those. Women are jealous, she told David.

Attempting to turn things around, he says "Besides, you looked so peaceful sleeping next me." She stops scowling.

Kim stands up next to the bed and turns to face him, pulling her jeans over her sexy, little panties up to her waist and buttons them. As she reaches for her shirt, David eyes her up and down her athletic, soccer player build and smiles at her.

"How did I get so lucky to get a sexy thing like you as my girlfriend?" he asks her.

Kim stops with the shirt around one of her arms and smiles back at him. She kneels on the bed and leans in close to him and David notices how nice her bra looks and how much cleavage it gives her. David is glad that she would do this (was it for him? he wandered) and he appreciates her even more.

"Perhaps it is a mix of your wonderful luck and my momentary lack of judgment..." she whispers in his ear. She pulls her head back to meet his eyes, their faces only inches apart. "... or maybe I could claim temporary insanity!" Her smile turns a little sly and she kisses him deeply, her shirt still around one arm.

She sits upright and pulls her shirt over her short, brown hair; their eyes never loosing each other's gaze.

"Well, I have to go." she says.

"Okay. Just don't have too much fun over the next week with out me!" he says jokingly.

"Oh, it's going to be hell!" she says sarcastically. She leans in and kisses him a quick peck of a kiss which shortly turns into another deep kiss as if he were going off to war and they didn't know if they would see each other again.

"David, are you up?" David's grandmother asks with a knock on the closed door. David and Kim stop kissing but are otherwise frozen, both looking at the door.

"Yeah grandma, I'll be out in a few minutes." David replies.

"Okay." says his grandmother. Then she continues a few seconds later as if she forgot to say something. "Oh, and tell Kim she is welcome to some breakfast if she has the time." And with that, David hears his suddenly much cooler grand mother walk down the hall away from the door.

David can't help a smile as he looks at Kim, who had just turned a deep shade of red. She catches his gaze without an expression on her face. David, taking this development in stride, says "This was bound to happen."

Kim had been over before for dinner and such but has never stayed the night to his grandparent's knowledge. At least David didn't think they knew that she had been sneaking in his window after hours.

Back to the here and now, after a few seconds, Kim's complexion comes back to her normal glow and her expression tells him she agrees. Then, as if a sudden horror arose inside her, she jumped up and quickly headed for the door, saying something about the way she looks and needing to clean up. And David just watches her listen at the door for a few seconds and apparently deciding it was clear, she opens just enough to squeeze through and heads out, closing it behind her.

David, finding the whole thing quite amusing, snickers to himself as he sits up and swings his legs over the side of the bed. He pulls on some shorts and a t-shirt and finally looks at the clock. 7:19 AM. At least he got a few hours of sleep before his trip.

Chapter 2: Mom & Dad

On his way toward the door, David catches his reflection in the mirror. He pauses and looks through it. David catches his room, how different it looked in reverse. He also noticed that it was starting to show that he had been on summer vacation for over a month now. It was normally pretty neat and organized, but the signs of his rest and relaxation were starting to show.

Not to mention that the last few days have been a little busy packing and organizing for his trip. His friend from New York City, Kurt Nuarl, had arrived yesterday and stayed on the couch. He had been friends with Kurt since they met in New York City for that damn Intelligence Test. Since that day, they'd been the best of friends. The best they could, considering they've never lived in the same city! They saw each other every summer, usually alternating between each other's houses. David always enjoyed his trips to New York City and always talked of living there someday. For some reason beyond the fact that Kurt lived there, he always felt drawn to the city in a way he couldn't quite explain.

Also joining them on the trip was Tony and John, who would be arriving later this morning. He knew Tony from when he lived in Keeseville, NY, which is well North of NYC. He met John at school here in Roosevelt. They'd practically been friends since he showed up. Once in High School, they went on to different things, but remained friends. John joined the football team and became a lineman; he certainly has the build for it. David didn't do much school related but was an active Boy Scout and already a member of the local gun range.

The four of them were going to go on a week long camping trip in the beautiful and expansive woods of Minnesota. David had been looking forward to for the past few months after it was decided and permitted by their parents. David was going to take them to rather remote places that he'd been too before in Scouts and maybe they just might do a little exploring. Most of the parents didn't know exactly how far out they would go. They also don't think it's going to be as far as it is, from what David has gathered.

Still at the mirror, David looks at his face, thin, and his hair short and messy. He is a little scruffy, but he had time to shave before he left. He looks into his blue eyes and remembers Kim mentioning something about them the night before.

And as quick as the mind wanders, David's thought's turn to his parents...

His parents were dropping him off at school on their way to work. It was a normal Tuesday morning. But every day that starts normally like every other day never ends that way. His father was talking to him about the big Intelligence Test David had taken a few months prior at Columbia University in New York City. He was thinking about how he enjoyed the city and his new friend Kurt that he met there. That's when it stopped being a normal day like any other.

His father swore. He never swears in front of him. His mother didn't make a sound. David looked over as a truck, now only ten feet from them was closing in quickly. Eight feet. Four feet. Three, two, one, zero. Negative one? Negative eight. Stop.

Everything hurt and he couldn't see. He kept asking about his parents. In the ambulance, his head in bandages, asking about his parents. Arriving at the ER, where were his parents? Then he woke up but his head was still in bandages. For hours or days, he couldn't' tell, he lay there in the darkness. Why would they not say anything about his parents? He felt alone and abandonded.

Over those few days, laying there in darkness, the plan came to him. The perfect Plan; it all flashed before him. How to deal with security. The plan became important for some reason and he obsessed on it. How many people it would take and getting the out. Perhaps it was the distraction he needed to keep him occupied from news of his parents. The perfect bank robbery plan.

Then some kid of a doctor told him his parents were dead. They apparently did everything they could.

The funeral went by in a blur, like he wasn't ever there. Strangers David had never met kept telling how great his parents were. They tried to comfort him. Nothing other people offered worked; except his father's parents, who offered to take him. David knew they were his legal guardians listed in case of an accident but his Grandparents asking him made always gave him the feeling that it was his decision.

David had lived with his grandparents ever since.

Back to the here and now, still looking directly into his own eyes in the mirror, David smiles as he remembers his parents for who they were and what they taught him. Then glad for his grandparents taking care of him and supporting him so much in his interests. It was his grandfather, after all, that taught him to shoot a rifle. And his grandmother helped like a friend in understanding women, if only a little more.

"You coming?" Kim asks, interrupting his train of thought. Certainly not an unwelcome interruption, David thought.

David chuckles at her. "You could have gone without me." he says. She gives him a look like that was completely out of the question. David could see her point, as it was her first breakfast with them. "With all of the confidence you show on the field, you'd think you could spare some meeting your boyfriend's grandparents!" David says with a snicker.

She gives him a sly look then smiles back.

"Okay." he said. "Let's get some breakfast!"

David takes her hand and gives her a quick peck on the cheek and leads her down the hallway to living room and around the corner to the kitchen.

Chapter 3: Breakfast

"Morning!" David proclaims as he enters the kitchen, Kim still in tow. Kurt was sitting at the table next to the empty seat at the head of the table where David's grandfather usually sat. Kurt was already eating.

"Morning." Kurt says looking up at Kurt and then immediately to Kim, whom he has never met in person before. David could tell he was checking her out and shortly there after as his eyes met Kurt's, he was given a nod of approval. David chuckled.

"What?" Kim questioned in a hushed tone but David couldn't answer.

"Nothing." David replies and decides to change to the subject quickly so he turns to his grandmother. "Where's Grandpa?"

"Well, I didn't realize we were a little short on eggs for breakfast." she says eyeing Kim. "So he went to get some more eggs and some bacon, which were completely out of."

"You didn't have to get anything for me..." started Kim, but his grandmother headed her off.

"No bother dear! We're glad to have you!" his Grandmother explains as she grabs a pan from the stove. "Now, come and sit you two, its getting cold!" She says as she serves David and Kim some scrambled eggs as they sit next to each other. David sat across from Kurt and Kim took the seat next to him, moving it a little closer. David grabs the plate of toast from the table and gives a piece to Kim before taking one himself. "How was the sofa-bed?" David asks Kurt.

"Not bad. I wouldn't want to stay there for a month or anything, but it worked for the night." Kurt says of the sofa-bed David had used a few times and know what he was saying.

"Well, for the next week, we'll be sleeping in the immense comfort of the great outdoors!" David says, half sarcastically and Kurt laughed.

Then David noticed Kim was a little more quite than usual. He frets for a few seconds in the silence. How should he get her in the conversation? He knew some things were off limits but what to talk about? Unfortunately, Kurt decided to bring up one of the off-limit topics.

Kurt leans in across the table so David's Grandmother can't hear what they were talking about. "So, David, Tony told me you've had some new ideas about your little scheme." he whispers. David raises his eyebrows and motions to Kim with his eyes, trying to tell him telepathically not to mention his Robbery plans in front if Kim. But it was too late.

"What?!" Kim said in apparent surprise as she looks at David. David knew he was in for it now. He had made the mistake of mentioning the plan in passing and it didn't go over well. It was then shortly added to the list of "Things Not to Mention to Kim" that David kept in his head.

"Kim, it wasn't that at all." He was already sinking. Kurt hadn't caught on yet. "Kurt was talking about some plans I mentioned to Tony about the trip, that's all!" He was grasping at straws. "I didn't want to tell everyone but we're going to go little deeper into the woods than we're telling people!" Which was true, but Kurt always referred to his Robbery plans as his little scheme and he didn't know if Kim knew that or not.

"Yeah, that's what I meant!" Kurt jumps in finally. Kim does not look convinced. David has to act quickly.

"So, Kim, how do you like my Grandma's eggs?" David asks loudly enough for his Grandmother to hear, attempting to change the topic. Kim eyes him intently. He knows that look. The look of seeing right through him and his lies. Right to the fact that, despite what he had told her, he was still kind of planning the Robbery and had every intention of going through with it. It was a good plan, that could not be denied.

At that moment, his Grandfather walks in the front door and all three of them look quickly to him. "Oh, hello Kim, nice to see you again!" he says closing the door behind him.

"Hi" Kim says weakly to his Grandfather. She then turns back to his grandmother, who was no looking at her inquisitively. Kim looks to the eggs on her plate then back to his Grandmother. "The eggs are really good." She says a little too quickly. David was saved!

A few minutes later, David's Grandfather was sitting at the table with them with a plate of eggs, bacon and toast. He looks over at David, who was just getting into the freshly cooked bacon then over at Kurt. Kurt caught his look and got up and walked over to his bag in the living room. He rummaged around a bit and then pulled out a small box, wrapped in wrapping paper. David looked at Kurt questioningly and Kim smirked.

"I know your birthday isn't for another week but I thought you might like this before we left on the trip." Kurt said, handing David the package.

David just stared at him for a second then, deciding it was okay, began to unwrap the gift as his Grandmother came in the kitchen to join everyone else in watching him open his gift. The box was smaller then a shoe box and David's mind was racing, trying to think about what it was. Under the wrapping, the box was about as nondescript as they come. David's Grandfather hands him his pocket knife and David begins to cut the tape. After opening the box, moving the packaging and bubble wrap, David saw his gift and Kurt's comment made much more sense.

A shiny new scope for his rifle.

David was speechless. He was overwhelmed with joy and appreciation. Everyone could obviously see the big stupid grin on his face and smiled back at him. Would it work? Was it the right one? He looked at the model number and saw to his joy, and a little surprise, that is was the right model.

"How did you...?" was all that he could muster.

"Kim." answered Kurt. "I emailed her and asked her to get the info on your rifle for me."

David looked at Kim, appreciating her even more. "Thanks!" David exclaimed. It was one of the best gifts he'd ever received. Well, besides his bolt-action hunting rifle his Grandfather had given him a few years ago. He just stared at it for a minute or so as everyone went back to finishing their breakfast. Then a sudden thought came over him. Tony and John would be here shortly. David looked over by the front door at his backpack and his rifle in its case. Did he have time to mount and align the scope before they arrived and they all had to leave? He would have to hurry.

David surprised Kim with a kiss as he got up and walked quickly to the front door to get his rifle.

"Well, we've lost him." David's Grandfather said, referring to David. "So, Kim..." But what Kim talked about with his Grandparents and Kurt, David did not know. He spent the rest of breakfast trying to secure and align his new scope the best he could. While he was working, David was glad that Kim was opening up and getting over her embarrassment.

After re-packing his rifle, David spent the rest of time getting ready and packing a few last minute things he had forgotten before. Kim hung around and they talked or she just sat and watched him get ready.

While he was shaving for the last time in the next week, she sat for a few minutes in silence and then asked what he thought about when he shaved. He replied "Nothing much. Anything that pops in my head, really." She asked what he was thinking just now. He was thinking a little of the robbery but knew she wouldn't want to hear that. "You..." he replied and she blushed. His lies masked by the shaving cream spread across his face. "... and how I won't see you for a week." he continued. "I'll miss you." He said as he finished up and rinsed off his face. He suddenly realized that they were alone, the bathroom door closed from everyone else doing whatever in the rest of the house. She looked at him coyly. He had only seen that look on her a few times and remembered why he like it so much.

Before David knew how much time had passed, the door bell rang. Tony and John had arrived.

Damn them for being on time!