characteresque

character :: Christian Dawson

Christian wasn't born into a glamorous life and he was okay with that. All children want that easy life where they never have to worry about bills, clothes or even food but that simply wasn't the hand that Christian was dealt and really, he had accepted that. Because when it all came down to it, he had the only thing he really ever wanted: his family, if only for a little while.

Charles, an uneducated laborer, and Pamela, a waitress at a small cafe, were barely scrapping by as it was, living in a small trailer home on the east side of Auburn with their six year old daughter and a mountain of bills. The two had got married, divorced and married one more time in an attempt to making a failing marriage work once more but under the weight of life, they couldn't be more unhappy so imagine their surprise when Pamela got the news that she was pregnant once again and gave birth to a beautiful baby boy that the pair named Christian. Charles sought out temporary labor jobs while Pamela pulled double shifts, all the while Christian grew up not realizing how serious things really were. There were nights that he remembered not having anything more than bread and cheese to eat and those first few weeks of school when he begged for new clothes but was told that all that he could wear were the donated church clothes - not that he complained, though his sister made sure to do so loudly enough for the both of them. Christian was content as things were - perhaps because he didn't know any better or maybe because he knew things would look up and, to everyone's surprise, they did. A string of good temporary jobs following a massive snow storm kept Charles busy and well-paid, his family finally moving out of their crime-ridden trailer park and into a tiny little house that hugged the edge of the railroad tracks but the good times weren't to last.

By the time Christian had turned nine, his parent's arguments had escalated into full on domestic disputes that resulted in a number of police visits, more than Christian could even count. It would be during one of these fights, a late night in September, that he would hear his mother drop the 'd' word and walk out the door with their daughter in tow. Christian's father tried to assure him that there wouldn't be a divorce, his mother was just upset with his alcohol addiction, but he would smooth things over the first chance he got. In the blink of an eye, Christian would wind up in a court custody battle in which both his mother and father agreed that they each wanted a divorce and only one child to claim full custody of. With this agreement, Christian watched as his mother signed the custody forms for his sister and his father signed the custody forms for him, each of the parent's going their own separate ways with a child in hand, not that Christian really cared. He had always adored his father and his father, despite Christian's effeminate nature, had always loved him; even if there were changes coming.

Christian's father did the best he could to maintain their home, acting as both the working mother and father of the house while the young boy grew into his teenage years without much direction.

Homework was difficult to understand, he was beginning to develop strange feelings for the other boys at school and he was certain that every call they received was a bill collector but Christian kept it all to himself - after all, his father was doing the best he could, or at least, that's what it seemed like. Although Christian knew his father left to work each day, when Christian would look sort through their mail on the table or attempt to pay a bill by phone, there didn't seem to be any money coming in. As Christian looked at the alcohol bottles littering the floor and lifted an eyebrow at the women who came and went each night, Christian was certain he could see where all their money was going but attempts to talk to his father proved futile. Bills continued to mount and Christian wasn't sure what more could be done until years later when a chance encounter handed him an answer but it wasn't one that Christian was so willing to accept: a man at a gas station had stopped him, assuming him to be a girl, and offered to pay for his 'services'. At first, Christian was disgusted and declined but with his father's house ready to be foreclosed on and large amount of money waved in front of his face, how could Christian refuse? And so began a life lived in the shadows of the night, in sin and remorse, a life Christian wasn't sure he could escape alive.

Despite all his actions, Christian graduates by the skin of his teeth and soon begins attending the local college where he meets someone who swears he can help turn his life around. Mr. William Hall, a handsome yet reserved history teacher, takes an interest in Christian's life and financial struggle all while hiding his own worries just beneath the surface. Somehow, the two form an unlikely bond, finding strength in each others' scars, all while exploring their own heartache. Naturally, Christian recognizes what he's doing is wrong but the way he sees life is different now: there is a very thin, if not almost invisible line, between the things you have to do and the things you need to do in order to survive. And Christian isn't willing to apologize for either.

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