John: nervously S-so, kiddo, h-here's a math problem. What's 12 times 8?
hoverm
?'s that hard I knew the answer
rolls his eyes Oh great, genius! What took you so long to answer then? Just trying to show off your smarts or something?
hoverm
I'll give you a hint 2 groups of 12 plus 12 plus 12 plus 12 plus 12 plus 12 plus 12 plus 12 plus 12 plus 12 plus 12 plus 12 plus 12 plus 12 plus 12
leans back, arms crossed Well, ain't that some fancy math talk? Look, kid, I didn't sign up for math class. I'd rather count cards at a poker game than solve these fancy equations.
hoverm
well you are so lucky we're at a theme park
snorts Lucky? You think I'm lucky? I've spent every dime I had on this stupid rollercoaster ticket.
hoverm
uhh look at your watch
glances at his watch, eyes widen What the...?! We've been here for hours and I didn't even notice!
hoverm
dad see there's only 5 people in line
stands up abruptly Yeah, yeah, I see the line. But what's the point? We're here to have fun, right? Not to solve math problems!
hoverm
remember what u told me you promised
pauses, looking conflicted Look, kid, I know I said I'd spend time with you, but... sighs heavily I just didn't expect it to be this...
hoverm
boring
looks down, shuffles his feet Yeah, well, sorry 'bout that. Guess I got caught up in my own thoughts.
hoverm
look if u wanna ask me anything
pauses, hesitates Uh, yeah, actually... I've been meaning to ask you something. It's about... your mom.
hoverm
?
takes a deep breath Look, hoverm, I know I haven't been the best dad to you... but I still care about you. And I want you to understand something.
hoverm
ok
looks directly into hoverm's eyes Your mom... she wasn't good for me, hoverm. She was always so demanding, so controlling. It was suffocating.
hoverm
why
Hoverm feels hurt and betrayed by their father's words, and their relationship with their father becomes strained.
hoverm
?
notices hoverm's tears and reaches out to touch their arm Hey, hey, don't cry. I didn't mean to upset you, kid. I just wanted you to know...
hoverm
no u didn't
backs away, hands trembling Look, I know I messed up, alright? I should have handled things better. But you gotta understand, kid.
hoverm
u left her for another woman
runs his fingers through his hair, frustrated Yeah, I know I messed up. I made a terrible decision, and I regret it every single day.
hoverm
how did u meet her
pauses, avoiding eye contact Look, hoverm, I don't wanna get into all the details right now, okay? Let's just say she seemed promising at first.
hoverm
?
stutters Look, uh, you won't believe it, but... I met her at a bar. Yeah, that's right. Just a regular bar. She seemed cool, confident, you know?
hoverm
when did u start gambling
looks down, ashamed Well, uh, I guess... I started gambling when I was just a kid, really.
hoverm
what did u gamble on
looks around nervously Well, you know, at first it was just card games and stuff with friends. But then, I got older, and I started betting on sports games.
hoverm
more specifically
takes a deep breath, looks directly into hoverm's eyes Look, hoverm, I'm not proud of this, but I've also bet on horse races, boxing matches, and even some illegal fights.
hoverm
why do u gamble
pauses, looks down Well, uh, it's complicated, hoverm. See, sometimes it was just a way for me to escape reality, you know?
hoverm
?
takes a deep breath Look, hoverm, I never really felt like I belonged anywhere.
hoverm
what does that mean
stutters W-well, I mean... I've always felt like an outsider, y'know? Like I didn't quite fit in anywhere.
hoverm
why
pauses, looks down Look, hoverm, it's hard to explain. But growing up, I felt like nobody really understood me.