I think Will was an unnaturally good aim.
Not because I think him handling a gun is empowering, but I just like to think about it
Will with a good aim who doesn't really like it when Lonnie is teaching to use a gun but, well, it's easy enough, and the moment after he hits all the cans is one of the only moments his father seems proud of him, who shares a smile with him, so Will will continue doing it without complaining, grabbing the gun with both hands as his father sets the cans up again, and again, and again. He doesn't understand how come Jonathan refused to do it, it was like playing with darts! Will was good at those too!
Except eventually Lonnie decides he's good enough and won't accidently shot himself or him, so he decides to actually take him hunting now. And Will stares at the bird or rabbit or any kind of animal in front of him and hears his father kindly, more kindly than he told Jonathan years ago (not that Will would know), telling him to aim straight and shoot, and he can't do it. He just can't. His father doesn't care for Will's begging nor his tears and so, Will aims.
But, almost slowly, he moves the aim a little. It's unnoticeable, basically, to anyone but him, but it does the trick, and he shoots and "misses" by mere centimeters startling the animal and his father yells but he still grinds his teeth and (as if he was forced) tells him he almost got it. Next time he'll have better look, make sure to focus. After all, Will is actually good at it, unlike Jonathan, so something was something, perhaps this one isn't as much of a coward even if he previously cried.
They take time to find a new prey but they do and Will misses again. And again. And his father is getting more and more mad and it gets dark and they have to return home. He has no proof but he knows Will has been doing something, failing on purpose, perhaps, it just doesn't make sense. And that's worse, isn't it? Failing on purpose? Not only is he so much of a fag as Lonnie feared he was (not even able to kill an animal), as much of a crybaby as his brother, but he was also a liar. He was lying to him right in front of his face. That was worse. Who the hell did this kid thought he was? Perhaps he doesn't take him out hunting ever again and Will doesn't have to go through killing an animal (much to Jonathan's peace of mind) but something changed in those moments. Lonnie gave up on Will ever since. Began resenting him even more. He thought maybe he could do something about this boy, straighten him into place, but no.
And after Lonnie leaves and Will grows up, at around 10 he becomes a paper boy. Morning newspapers being thrown by little arms on top of a bike. They're struggling, they need money, both Jonathan and Jouce refused, said it wasn't his problem, but Will likes helping and he likes riding a bike and it's fun and he's good at it too. Joyce and Jonathan only agree after it becomes clear he wants to not because he feels like he needs to help economically but because he genuinely wants to try it out, and Will tries and he's good at it.
Good at throwing, good at aiming, his newspapers always ending up in the same place, right in front of the door. Joyce gets several compliments and just smiles.
And then that night, 6th of November, he's being chased so he runs, he grabs a gun he hasn't touched in years but that he feels confident enough holding, after all, he was good at it years ago, he's probably good at it now too.
ellievsbear
kianamaiart
discoholicmusic
pixelskylines
dailybridgerton
