Being Special, Chapter 17

12 min readMay 21, 2021

The kitchen table is nearly set as I hear my Dad enter the apartment.

“They’re here, Mom.” I announce as I race into the living room to greet them.

“Look who I found.” Dad says as he motions behind him where Todd is standing.

Todd gives me a nervous wave as he starts looking around the apartment. He’s carrying a backpack slung over his right shoulder.

“It’s so nice to meet you, Todd. Meeting you in the flesh that is.” Mom says as she extends her hand towards him.

Todd shakes her hand while avoiding eye contact. He then lifts his head up and attempts his version of a conversation (which isn’t very good).

“Oh…Oh…Oh…Hi. It’s…nice to meet…meet…you too.”

“Well, come on in and sit down. Dinner will be ready in a couple of minutes. Actually, you might want to wash up first.”

“Yeah. Good idea. Bathroom is down the hall to your right.” I instruct Todd as he walks down the hallway.

“He never stuttered that much on the phone.” Mom whispers while I just shrug. What does she want me to say?

“Um…excuse me…I…” Todd calls out from the bathroom.

“I’ll see what’s wrong.” I tell my parents as I run down the hallway and enter our tiny bathroom.

“The…the…water…isn’t…getting…hot.”

“You’re turning the nozzle the wrong way.”

Todd attempts to turn the nozzle again.

“No. The other way.”

Todd tries again but nothing as he gives me a helpless look.

Wow. He’s really out there.

“No, Todd. More towards you.”

Finally, steam starts to rise as I give Todd an encouraging smile before making my way back to the living room.

“Everything okay?” Dad asks.

“Yeah. Todd just had trouble with the sink. He’s fine now, though.”

Todd reenters the living room and all four of us sit down on the couch. Actually, that’s not accurate. Dad retreats to his rocking chair a couple of feet away. That’s just as well. I don’t want to be squished with that many people fighting for sitting space.

“How was your trip? You get to Penn Station okay?” Mom asks.

“It…it…was…fine.”

“That’s good. So, you must be excited for tomorrow. Getting goose bumps yet?”

“Yeah. I’m…I’m…a little…nervous.”

“It’s nothing to worry about, believe me. I’ve been on set before and it’s amazing. You really gain an appreciation for the crew that puts it all together.” Dad says.

“Would you like a glass of wine, Todd?” Mom asks.

“He’ll have water, Mom.”

“I was asking him.”

“I’ll…I’ll…have…have…water, please.”

“No problem. I’ll get it.” I say as I leap off the couch and walk into the kitchen. I fill a cup with water, from the kitchen sink, and hand it to Todd.

“Thank you.”

“Have you been watching the show since the beginning?” Mom asks.

“Pretty…pretty…pretty…much. Yeah. It…it…it…it…helped me during…during…studying. Gave…gave…me a break.”

“Oh, I agree. It’s a fun diversion. The whole cast does a great job and I’m not just saying that because my daughter is in one of the leading roles.” Mom laughs.

“What was the last one you guys did? Wasn’t it the season finale? The one with the retired actress?” Dad asks.

“No, Dad. It was the environmental pollution episode. Don’t you remember?”

“That’s right. It was the one with Lorena getting sick. I still can’t believe she left. She’s such a talented actress.”

“I’m sure she’ll be fine.” I tell Dad.

“Why…did…did…did…she…she…leave…the…the…show?” Todd asks. It takes him so long to complete his question that my parents give each other quizzical looks.

“She wanted to focus more on school, Todd.”

“I don’t blame her at all and I think you should do the same. Take a break from acting when the series eventually ends. Focus on preparing for college.” Mom says.

“And leave all that money on the table. No way. As soon as my contract is up, I’m transitioning into movies.” I say more for Todd’s benefit than my Mom’s. I’ve already had this discussion with my parents.

“How can you forget about your most memorable role? Zombie Graveyard, the venerated and classic film that changed a generation. I’ll never understand how that movie was not nominated for best picture. That oversight is the biggest travesty in movie history.” Dad teases.

“Shut up, Dad.”

“She’s very defensive about that film.” Dad says while motioning towards Todd.

“Putting aside Zombie Graveyard’s merits as a brilliant example of filmmaking for a second, my point still stands. It wouldn’t hurt to consider other careers outside of acting.” Mom says.

“You just never know when the well might dry up or you’re no longer in demand. It can happen to anyone in the acting profession, especially child actors.”

“Thanks, Mom. I’ll keep you in mind when I’m looking for a career advisor.”

“Don’t take my word for it, even though I do have a PhD, but I digress. Just ask Todd. He has a Master’s degree in History. I’m sure he’ll agree that furthering your education is a very beneficial decision.”

Yeah. Sure. I’ll take the advice of someone who’s still stocking groceries for a living.

I look over at Todd as he nods in response to Mom’s statement. He then takes a sip of his water but he kind of misses the mark (some of it dribbles down his chin).

See what I mean?

The sound of the buzzer, thankfully, goes off and it’s finally time for dinner. More importantly, it signals the end of my parents’ annoying attempt at small talk.

“Everyone hungry?” Dad asks rhetorically as all of us head into the kitchen (which is only a couple of feet away from us).

I sit down at the table, while Todd sits next to me, as both my parents hover over the stove. Mom puts on her mittens and retrieves the dinner while Dad grabs the breadbasket.

“Smells good.” I compliment Mom as Dad places the bread on the table. I grab a loaf of bread but realize there’s no butter.

“Come on, Dad, pay attention. Get the butter out already.”

“My bad.” Dad says as he opens the fridge, takes out the butter and puts it right in front of me.

I take my knife and slice off a healthy portion of butter before applying it to my loaf of bread.

“Here, Todd. This bread is really good. Wait until you try it.” I then hand him the butter.

“It’s from the best bakery in Greenpoint. No, scratch that, in all of Brooklyn.” Mom chimes in.

“So, what do you think, Todd? It’s really good, right?” I ask.

That’s when I notice Todd hasn’t tried it yet. He hasn’t even got any butter on the bread. He’s still cutting into it but the slices are too small. There are tiny specks of it clinging to his knife. It’s like he can’t get any of it to stick.

“You can have mine.” I say as I trade my bread for his.

Mom then approaches and places the pan of baked ziti on the table (right in the middle, in fact). The spatula is positioned on top of the meal.

It smells so good.

“Alright. Everyone help yourself and dig in.” Mom says.

I take Todd’s plate with one hand and reach for the spatula with the other. Subsequently, I scoop up a generous portion of ziti and plop it down on his plate.

“Autumn, what are you doing? Todd is more than capable of getting his own food.” Mom says as Dad sits down next to her.

“I was just being a good host. That’s all.”

“I understand but people usually like to get their own food. Anyway, I didn’t mention this when we talked on the phone, but Monmouth is such a beautiful campus. For a small university, the layout and architecture is amazing.”

“You’re making me jealous, Caroline. Who knows? Maybe they’ll invite me to speak one day.” Dad jokes.

“Probably not.” I tell him.

“Oh, don’t say that, Autumn. Todd can put in a good word for me.” Dad says while Todd just laughs.

It’s a very strange and loud laugh. I can’t even really describe it. What’s even stranger is that he’s obviously just laughing to be polite towards my Dad. And it’s like he’s heard one of the funniest jokes of all time.

The rest of the meal commences with the usual small talk. After everyone is finished, Dad collects the plates in preparation for putting them in the dishwasher.

“Okay. I’m going to read in my room for tonight since Todd has the couch. I know it’s not a four star hotel but it’s something, right?” Mom says.

“It’s…it’s…fine. Thank…you…for…for…for…everything.” Todd says.

“You’re very welcome. Richard will get the pillows and blankets before he goes to bed. Let me know if you need anything during the night. You have my number, just text me.”

“I will.”

“Good night.” Mom says before heading off to her room.

Oops. I almost forgot about the comics.

“Hold on a second, Todd. I want to show you something really cool. You’ll love it.”

I race down the hallway and into my bedroom. The two comic books are still lying on my bed. I snatch them up before returning to the couch (where Todd is already sitting).

“You ever read these comic books before?” I ask Todd before handing him the comics.

“When did you start reading comics? I thought you didn’t like superheroes.” Dad says from the kitchen.

“I, uh, just started. Um…Hassan introduced me to them before he went on vacation. Why do you even care? Just pay attention to what you’re doing.”

“My mistake. Please don’t get so defensive.”

“I’m not being defensive.”

Don’t worry about it, Dad. You almost destroyed my credibility with Todd but besides that, everything’s cool.

“That’s a good one. That’s the one with Miles Morales. That Rhino guy is weird looking, isn’t he?” I ask Todd while he flips through the pages.

“Yeah. I read this one. It’s very good. Rhino is an interesting character if handled correctly.”

“He’s pretty dumb, though. He has all that power but he’s easily tricked. Like he’s a little kid or something.”

“Interesting that you should say that. I read a storyline where the Rhino was given some kind of medication to make him smart. It was a play on the novel, Flowers for Algernon, but this story was titled ‘Flowers for Rhino’.”

“The story was excellent. You should read it when you get the chance.” Todd suggests. “Rhino received an experimental treatment, to make him smart, and he used his new intellect to defeat Spider-Man. However, he reverted back to his old self by the end.”

“Yeah. Sure. It sounds really original.”

Oops. I hope Todd didn’t sense my sarcasm. Have to be more careful.

“Anyway, Miles didn’t have a problem with Rhino. Well, he did in the beginning but then he wiped the floor with him.” I tell Todd.

“Look at this page.” I then flip through the pages until I get to the part where Rhino is finally defeated.

“He never saw it coming. Didn’t get that Miles had him all figured out. His own arrogance did him in.” I further explain to Todd while pointing at the panel where Rhino is lying on his back and staring up at a victorious Spider-Man.

“But there’s always a follow up. The story never really ends, does it? No matter how many times the hero defeats the villain. The most popular soap opera of this generation.” Dad says from the kitchen.

“No one’s talking to you, Dad.”

“I’m talking you to you now, Autumn, because I think it’s time for bed. Todd’s probably exhausted from his trip and you both have to be up early in the morning.”

“Yeah, you’re right. Okay. Listen, Todd, if you like those comics so much you can have them.”

“I couldn’t…” Todd starts.

“Come on, Todd. They cost less than ten bucks. Just take them.”

“Thank you so much.”

“No problem. You all set now? Text my Mom if you need anything. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Good night.” Todd says.

“I’m going to grab the spare blanket for Todd. I’ll be right back. Good night, Autumn.” Dad says as I follow him out of the living room.

I open the door to my room and close it behind me. That went reasonably well.

See, I didn’t even need Emily.

Look, I know he was a mess before and during dinner. I get that. However, as soon as I started talking comics, he was fine. And that should carry over into tomorrow.

He’s comfortable with me now.

I’m not sure what time it is when I open my eyes. My room is still pitch black so it must be in the middle of the night. I rub my eyes as I climb out of bed. Need a glass of water.

I then go over to my nightstand and check my phone.

It’s 3:30 in the morning. Wow. I have less than two hours before I have to get up.

I open the door to my room and tip toe down the hallway. There’s no reason to wake anyone up, especially Todd.

Hey.

What’s the kitchen light doing on? I saw Dad turn it off before he went to bed.

Maybe Mom or Dad had the same idea as me but forgot to turn it off. I can’t remember them ever forgetting to turn it off in the past, though.

Whatever.

At least, I won’t have to fumble around in the dark.

I grab a glass cup from the cabinet as quietly as possible. Now, this is going to be the tricky part. We have a notoriously loud faucet and it’s hard to control the pressure. I put my glass underneath it and hope for the best.

Before I have a chance to turn on the water, I see Todd stirring on the couch.

“Todd. You awake?” I whisper.

“Yeah.” Todd says as he turns towards me.

“You have trouble sleeping?”

“A little bit.”

“You want a glass of water?”

“Yes, please.”

I fill Todd’s glass with cold water and hand it to him. I then retrieve another glass from the cabinet and do the same for myself.

“You nervous about tomorrow?” I ask.

“I’ve never done anything like this before. I’m used to giving presentations but nothing of this magnitude. I…

“Listen to me, Todd. You’re going to be fine. There’s really nothing to it. And, besides, everyone gets nervous when performing on set. It’s how you channel it.”

“Even you?”

“Do I get nervous? Yeah. I do. But I was absolutely terrified my first day ever on Spirit Scribe. I felt like…I don’t know. Like I was being pulled in countless different directions. I thought everyone had these preconceived notions of what they wanted me to be.”

“And I thought I wanted the job, you know. However, the second I got there, it was a completely different story. I was shaking all over. I was so nauseous all morning (almost threw up a couple of times too). Sam and I were the two leads so I felt an enormous amount of pressure.” I explain.

“I’m just glad I didn’t throw up all over Howard.” I joke while Todd laughs.

“How did you get through it?”

“I just…compartmentalized it. Compartmentalized everything. And I performed to the best of my ability. That’s all you do can do really. However, your situation is different. You’re not acting, okay. You’re just being interviewed.”

“I know. I still feel anxious.”

“But, listen to me, Todd. Yes, you’re being filmed in front of an audience but guess what? I’m going to be right by your side. I’m going to lead you through the whole thing.”

“And guess what. I know you’re going to be really great out there. I believe in you. You have a Master’s degree so you should believe in yourself too.”

“You get what I’m saying?” I ask.

“Yeah. I do. Thanks, Autumn.”

“Don’t mention it. I’ll see you in a couple of hours.” I turn the kitchen light off and tip toe back down the hallway.

I then return to my room and place my glass of water on the nightstand (before climbing back into bed). That was unexpected. Todd seems fine now, though. Good thing I talked to him about it tonight. I definitely don’t need any surprises in the morning.

Before I close my eyes and drift back to sleep, I swear I see the light from the kitchen filtering in underneath the door.

Being Special, Chapter 1: https://baltimoreraven87.medium.com/being-special-chapter-1-b5e175dc0d00

Being Special, Chapter 2: https://baltimoreraven87.medium.com/being-special-chapter-2-4c622095b4e9

Being Special, Chapter 3: https://baltimoreraven87.medium.com/being-special-chapter-3-9515c777c14

Being Special, Chapter 4: https://baltimoreraven87.medium.com/being-special-chapter-4-d9f850a08edd

Being Special, Chapter 5: https://baltimoreraven87.medium.com/being-special-chapter-5-d7160ad484ca

Being Special, Chapter 6: https://baltimoreraven87.medium.com/being-special-chapter-6-f7045cc44661

Being Special, Chapter 7: https://baltimoreraven87.medium.com/being-special-chapter-7-fb4e7af04c7b

Being Special, Chapter 8: https://baltimoreraven87.medium.com/being-special-chapter-8-d490a7b0bcae

Being Special, Chapter 9: https://baltimoreraven87.medium.com/being-special-chapter-9-415c313d1d11

Being Special, Chapter 10:https://baltimoreraven87.medium.com/being-special-chapter-10-9c085c4d9267

Being Special, Chapter 11: https://baltimoreraven87.medium.com/being-special-chapter-11-2ef4f61a770d