Bad News

Late April 1986, Josh went back to the capital. The winter semester had just ended and it was already spring. Josh wasn’t a fan of studying through the summer so he never took classes for the summer semester. This meant, he had a four-month break before the fall semester began. His plan was to spend this break with his parents.

Not too long after Josh got home, his parents could sense that he was in a very bad mood. The was a sadness in his eyes when he smiled and a sob in his laughter. His tolerance level was lower and he lost control of his temper often. One afternoon in May, Josh’s parents sat him down for a talk.

“Hey honey, ever since you came back from school, we’ve realized you’re a little different. Is anything bothering you?” Mrs. Webster started the conversation.

“What do you mean? I’m fine. I am as good as ever.” Josh replied. His eyes fixated on the pattern of the living room carpet.