Brad

SUMMARY

---

Brad is a quiet young man that just wants to vibe alone and be successful in life through college.

PERSONALITY

---

Brad's grumpy, sarcastic, moody, easily flustered, focused, artistic, sensitive, and no-nonsense. He is the loner of the Keno cast. He's usually content and if not, he's slightly irritated at something. Mostly because all his life he's surrounded by people that either intentionally (Mullet) or unintentionally (Chloe and Amy) annoy the ever living fuck out of him. Unfortunately, it's come to seep into his personality. He likes to be left alone and sink in with the crowd or just be a fly on the wall. If you treat him normally and don't annoy him because you think it's funny, he's actually not that bad of a guy. He's not the best friend type but he's civil.

HISTORY

---

Brad grew up in a loud but wholesome family with a decent childhood. He has a doting mother, a goofy dad and a baby brother. They are a lot. So he'd retire to his room often. His need to get away from his bombastic family lead him to a life of solitude. Not a bad one but if family dynamics would get big (which often happened with his mother inviting her relatives over), he'd quickly slink away. His baby brother crying often at night in the next room didn't help and led to his sleep problems. This also caused him to sleep often in class just to recover lost sleep. But aside from that he had it good. He loved his family for sure, he's just a grump. Other than that, his childhood was essentially uneventful. He gained a larger appreciation for it after a specific arcade visit and then a dance ended poorly in the rain.

It was high school, 11th grade, junior year. The last dance before winter break. He had just asked out Tanya, his on and off girlfriend that heavily implied a few weeks ago that she would like to pick up again. So he finally got his act together and asked her out. He wasn't feeling too keen about it but he wasn't sure what else to do. He wasn't used to getting out of his shell but after telling his family, they heavily encouraged it. His mother supported his relationship to Tanya as she seemed to be one of the few people he could be himself with. As it went, the dance actually went rather well and they made it official that they were dating again. They were going to spend a nice walk home to her house. Yet, it was raining. A lot. However, Brad's house was still available as it was quite close to the school. Additionally, several of Tanya's friends were going to hitch a ride with another senior student who could drive but that student drove off early, leaving the gang without a trip back. Tanya so graciously offered on behalf of Brad, a place to stay for the time being. He wasn't too pleased, needless to say. Especially since these friends of Tanya were the four people he really did not like and had not liked since he knew them in elementary school. They were Mullet, Chloe, Darren, and Amy. Each of them had given him reasons to never want to talk to them.

With a little bit of convincing, teasing, and small begging, Brad was convinced and he allowed the four, along with Tanya to join him in going to his house. Well, running to it considering the rain. So they set off running to Brad's house, getting absolutely drenched in the process. While Mullet, Chloe, and Amy were all laughing and splashing, Brad kept his head down and kept running. They eventually ended up in Brad's house a few minutes later, soaking and exhuasted. Needless to say, his mother was quite honestly surprised. But also being his mother specifically, she was absolutely delighted. She always wanted him to find new friends, something he struggled with at middle and now high school. He'd only made one friend so far, a goofball named Luis. But now! A whole cast of characters that seemed to enjoy his company and laughing their heads off have chosen to join him and come to his house to spend the rest of the night. Much to Brad's chagrin, she let them all in. Brad subtlely attempted to convince his mother not to let them in but she breezed past his understated begging and let them all in. She quickly offered them all towels and places to dry off. She then invited them all into the living room but Brad, with some support from Tanya, gathered the troops upstairs and towards the small attic, away from his family's embarrassing eyes.

A small panel in the ceiling of the second floor lead to the attic. Brad tried at first to push open the panel but clearly could not reach it. He turned to a much taller Tanya and gestured at the panel while mumbling to her. Mullet and Chloe stifled laughter. Tanya looked over to them and then back to Brad and back to the panel. She reached up and pushed the panel up and away inside the attic. She pulled the ladder that remained on the inside down and rested it on the floor. She raised her eyebrows and offered Brad the first climb. He sheepishly agreed and climbed in. The rest followed after Tanya. Inside the attic of the Fort household laid a various assortment of old furniture, unpacked cardborad boxes, plastic containers, and more. Somewhat of a mess but some room to move still remained. The sound of the rain on the roof was all the more louder now.

Brad let out a sigh. "Better," he muttered to himself and Tanya. The group spread out in the attic with separation between the couple and the rest. He begins parsing through some old photos in a cardboard box that his mother must have put up here back when they moved into the neighborhood. These were just after his brother, Tyler had been born. While the others And many of Brad's childhood toys. Lots of purple among them as well. What caught his eye was a discolored ticket. He picked out of the box, carefully as it was weathered and could tear underneath the weight other objects placed upon it. He laughed to himself.

"Mind sharing to me what's so amuuuuusing?" Tanya requested.

"Huh? Oh hah, yeah, sure. It's a ticket to an arcade we'd go to when I was small," Brad said offhand. As he flipped it over to say that it was "the 'Space Project' arcade." He paused. "Yeah."

"You've never told me about this Bradley," she said curiously but with a lesser smile.

"You never asked." He said more quietly.

"Well tell me about it, what was so enticing? What made 'small' Bradley so drawn to it?" she asked.

He thought and then shrugged. "I dunno. Yeah...I dunno." He thought for a few seconds. "Okay, well I do know. But you'll make fun of it because it's 'childish'," he pre-empted.

Her head went back slightly. "Purpoo," (a name she gave him, a choice not his.) she started. "You were literally a child. Why would I mock that?"

He didn't make eye contact. "You make fun of everything I do. I don't know why."

In that instance, she paused. He seemed so small and his back was curved strongly, his blonde hair hung in his eyes. Her reflex to make another joke put her in an uneasy position.

"Why did you like the arcade, honey? I would like to know." Tanya didn't defend herself but she wasn't about to prostrate herself. That's not her way.

And he knew that. He looked once in her direction. Then again.

"It was space themed. With cool music and this constant fog. Lights, lasers, space ship sounds, all of it. It was the coolest shit to me. And the games, goddamn the games. They were the most fun thing I've done in my life. I would spend so long just to get a high score. And when I grew up a little, they were still fun. I could do something better than everyone else."

He paused and looked over to the others in the attic. The sound of their chatter had gone like static. Present but uninterrupting. And then back down. He spoke again, even quiter. Tanya had to lean in and in doing so, placed her hand on his back.

"I didn't need to make friends. I didn't need to be a loud dumbfuck. I was good at something. And, maybe the most important part, I don't know. I..." He swallowed hard and turned away, shoving physical reactions down his throat. Her hand now making circle motions on him. He sighed, forcing his tongue away. "...I could escape. From it all. I knew I wasn't "in". Whatever you wanna call it. I was just a freak. Fine. Fuck you. I don't need you or this goddamn fucking world." The ticket laid crumpled in his hand. "And Mom and Dad let me just...explore. For once, I was in my own world. Free from...everyone."

He paused, his mouth moving every which way to fight back what was on coming. His eyes darting.

"It ...uh was also the place...well...I found out..." Swallow. "I wasn't even my mother's fucking kid."

For the first time in an eternity, he looked her directly in the eyes. Squinting. Pained.

"I...I'm sorry? Bradley, what-"

"Three years ago. I had finished a gaming session earlier. I was tired and wanted to go home. I went to-" he held up finger quotes. "-Mom and Dad to see if we could leave earlier. But they were with this other woman. Blonde hair, purple eyes, short. Kinda like Mom but not... I don't know. Different. Anwyay. They were having a detailed discussion and seemed important. I didn't wanna bother. You know me, quiet kid, can't do that." He laughed emptily."So I waited, behind a pillar or something. I didn't want to be noticed."

"This lady was divorced about ten years ago, married for a very short time. Her choice. They also had a kid. which she got full custody of. Apparently though, according to her, the child was just too much to handle. She was a working woman, very busy, important, whatever, who cares, not me. So very quickly, maybe two or three years into this kid's life, she had to give him up. Put him up for adoption. Claimed the baby was just a menace to her life. Just couldn't deal with a small baby, basically fetus, anymore. Said he ruined her figure, was the cause of the divorce, caused the fucking collapse of her foothold in the business. Just a fucking stupid, lame, useless, should have been ripped apart, dumbfuck baby loser." The last sentences were delievered through clenched teeth.

"And you know what that oh-so-wonderful lady said about this useless baby? In nicer words I'm sure, but guess. Go on Tanya, guess." He looked in the eyes.

Her mouth and eyes were open and searching. "I-"

He shook his head while he spoke, staring at the ground, water pooling in his eyes. "That he was Mom and Dad's problem now."

He couldn't hold his stupid teenager emotions in. Swiftly, to avoid his embarassment, Tanya grabbed his head and held it to her chest. Tightly. The more she felt her nice shirt become wet, the tighter she held with one hand as the other played the opposite role of carressing his hair. Firm and comforting. She rested her chin on his head and matching his breathing. Thankfully, her back was to the rest of the attic. They held for only a minute or so with her letting him up after she felt him push his head against her hand. He dabbed his face with his shirt as best he could before ripping it untucked and doing it fully. They sait in silence for a few moments.

He breathed a sigh of relief and looked at the ceiling, thoughts and emotions parting.

"I have not seen Dad so confused and Mom so disgusted. She can talk for hours, but after that, she just cut that lady off so quickly. Turned on her heel and started walking away. I emerged from the pillar, my head down. Now, Mom hugs me a lot but goddammit if she didn't hug me tighter than when I showed up. I think I remember her muttering swear words." Both Tanya and Brad smiled. "That day, I got more soda, pizza, and cake from the arcade than I ever have before. And so much attention I couldn't get away. And you know what else?"

"Confirmation?" Tanya said in a voice 10x quieter than his right then.

He nodded his head as he spoked. "Confirmation that the woman downstairs is not only Mom but the best fucking woman that walks this planet or this star system and most people would be jealous as hell to have her as their mom." He paused and smiled as he looked at Tanya. "Well... after a certain someone else," he corrected. She shook her head with a huge grin, different than all times. They pulled each other together and started laughing.

"So... that's why I like that arcade."

A moment. "Well... you'll have to take me there someday. Mama's boy.~" She kissed his stained cheek.

The two then changed to a different topic, Tanya resuming teasing about Brad's toy collection. Him arguing back why they were likely better than hers. They fell asleep in a beanbag to the sound of four idiots arguing. Everyone was picked up the next day.