The Cole's Apartment: 8:23 pm.
Nolan smiled at his mom as she put down the bowl of sliced apples she had made for him, on the other side of the kitchen was a man in his late 40s getting himself some water from the refrigerator.
"Thanks, Mom", Nolan said as he ate his sliced apples, picking them one after the other.
"Have you decided on the university you would be going to after high school, isn't it a few weeks to graduation and a few days to your college fair?", Mr Cole asked, taking a huge bite out of the apple he had grabbed from the kitchen counter.
Nolan looked up and saw his dad's eyes on him, he turned his gaze and saw his mom staring back at him.
He returned his gaze to the sliced apple, "I don't know", he answered.
"Your sister already told us the college she would be going, I think you should know by now and let us know", the man said. He leaned against the counter and continued, "And about you playing basketball, I think North Carolina University would be the best choice, they have the best basketball court, I have seen it", the man suggested.
"Yes he is right baby, they have a big court for basketball, you would love it", Mrs Cole added.
Nolan stopped chewing, leaned his back, and looked up at his parent.
"You both know I am not so bright to get into that school or any school at all, I am not Tara who could get into any school she wants… maybe I don't even want to go to no college, have you guys thought about that?", Nolan said.
He knew that he didn't mean it, his dream had always been to go to a nice college just like others and make his mom proud, the only time she seemed proud of him was when he won the school basketball championship in high school, he had never seen such huge smile on her face while running towards him.
He wants more of that.
"Nolan", His mom said.
Not looking up at them, he stared at his finger tapping the tip of the apple bowl.
The man scoffed, he grabbed another apple and said.
"So why don't you study harder and be like Tara, so you can get into any university of your choice… hanging with friends every single day and coming home late would not get you into any school, maybe fix that and you would be like your sister".
Mrs. Cole looked at her husband, "stop" she whispered.
Nolan remained silent, this was not new to him. All his life he has always been compared to his sister, right from a young age till that moment.
He scoffs and pushes back the chair.
Nolan stood up and looked at his dad, "thanks for the fatherly advice, it has always been of great use", he said before walking off.
"Robert! You should not have compared him with Tara, I have told you so many times to stop doing that… they are two different people… stop it", Mrs. Cole corrected her husband but the man seemed unbothered.
He chewed on his apple and answered his wife.
"Well he needs someone to tell him… he can't just sit around doing nothing, do you remember the last time he played basketball? I thought he would be a popular player all over North Carolina by now".
The woman smacked the hand towel on the counter, folded her arms, and narrowed her eyes at him.
"You should be telling him what's right and not, all he does is hang around girls and party, he is no more a child", the man added.
"Don't you tell me how to treat my children, when you were out there for weeks or months, I was the one here with them, so don't you tell me what I should tell him or tell her", she snapped.
The man sighed softly, he returned the half-eaten apple back in the bowl and turned to his wife.
"He is no more a child, he needs to think about his future! Are you even hearing yourself right now? Bringing up the past into this! He needs to f***king go to college and set his life right", he angrily talked back.
Mrs. Cole looked away, she walked towards the sliced bowl of apple she had given her son and picked it up.
"You are the one that needs to stop treating him like a child Robert, he can decide whatever he wants to do and we have no right to pressure him into doing anything, it is his life… so stop being this way", she added and put down the bowl on the kitchen counter before walking away.
The man exhaled deeply, turned around, and stared down at the apples in the bowl.
"Now I am the bad guy", he muttered and shook his head.
Nolan sat on his chair and tapped on the table with his fingertips, the thought of the pressure his dad had put him on bothers him.
He tried as much as possible to ignore the thought of college anytime someone talked about it or heard the school announcement about the college fair but he knew he would not ignore it forever, he had to figure it out one day.
Nolan closed his eyes and opened it back, he exhaled in and grabbed his phone.
The post of Tara together with Jada in her car popped out on his Instagram, a smile appeared on his face while staring at the only person his heart seemed to always beat for, he stared deeply at the picture of her smiling and throwing the peace sign at the back seat.
Nolan zoomed in on her smile.
"She is so beautiful", he said and smiled from ear to ear.
At that moment, the disturbing thought of college disappeared, his anxiety was calm and the only thing on his mind was her sweet smile and cute face.
He entered his chats and entered her DM.
"Hey".