“It would be a huge step, one that would stay with me forever.” Part 2
Looking back at my story so far, I found that I was constantly looking for the next best thing. Whether it was career moves, job opportunities, women, and roles in performances. I would not recommend this mindset for anyone. I had auditioned for Heathers: The Musical at the end of the 2016 spring semester. My voice was rough but my acting took the cake. I committed to this dark twisted character that had the ability to woo the opposite sex. I had achieved what I’d wanted, the role, a new apartment, my girlfriend back, and a new job as a barista at a local bakery/ coffee shop. It was a much simpler time, one that I would quickly take advantage of and take for granted, again. Sadly, this story is not one for the faint of heart, so if you do wish to click that big red “X” in the corner of your screen I will not be offended... No? Okay, well as Samuel L Jackson says, “Hold onto your butts.”
Now then, I returned back to Rock Hill, SC once summer had ended that August. My mindset had to be ready in order to prepare for the new year. I suddenly endured a series of sharp shots of passive aggressiveness from my two new roommates. Both which liked to keep to themselves, and I mean keep everything to themselves. Including their own silverware and dishes. The insanity of consistently using a dish, washing it, and then hiding it away in your room astounded me. I’m getting off track, anyway we would make small talk in passing, but sometimes not even that. Regardless, that was just a little prick in the road of the trouble ahead. Let’s start with a simple Monday in the life of Gaston King in 2016.
Wake up at 7:30 am, walk and feed Baxter. Go back to the bed with Baxter and your girl, sleep 30 more minutes. Wake up and walk her to her car. Shower, eat, get dressed and make it to your 9:30 am class. Sit in there and try not to fall asleep or doodle to waste time. You get out around 10:45 am, longboard across campus to make it to your 11:00 am class. It was the musical theatre workshop class which consisted of the cast of Heathers rehearsing. One which also contained three women that I had messed around with/talked to the semester prior to our return.The tension was high at times. Rehearse music, scene work, blocking, etc. You get out around 12:15 pm, meet up with your girl for lunch, run back to the apartment to feed and take Baxter out and be back for your 2 pm class. Go to class, take part in the lessons the best you could without losing focus. Continue on to important lab courses and you wouldn’t end the day until about 6 pm. You get a text from Jonathan wanting to workout, You return home feed and take Baxter out, stuff your face with some snacks, and then change in order to be ready to go to the gym. Jonathan would swing by to pick you up at 6:30 pm. Go work out for an hour or two, take a walk/run. Then return home, best case 9:30 pm. Take care of Baxter again, shower, eat something for dinner, invite your girl over and watch Netflix until about 1 am and do it all over again the next day.
This routine grew terribly tiresome. I felt as though stress was consistently eating away at my soul, little by little. Each time I worked out with Jonathan the same conversation of the future lingered over our heads. We’d ask ourselves, “What are we doing?” or “Why don’t we stop bull shitting?” This went on for the many months that followed, until December of 2016. Jonathan had decided that he was going to go for it. He was going to make the big move to LA. He would stay with his old friend from Elon University, Tyler, and reconnect to his old social circle and give him a leg up. I saw as he approached this vast groundbreaking choice like a champ. He was one who saw fear and chose to spit in its face. I saw a choice and a way of pursuing my dream as well. This was my shot. It would be a huge step, one that would stay with me forever. Is this really the right thing to do though?