“Don’t go to school at all! And don’t let me go
either, right?”
Brittany’s ignorance shocked everyone.
She sat on Jason’s lap in the middle of class
and made out with him.
And moaned like she was in a porno.
The people who used to envy their love
couldn’t stand it anymore.
They started to complain.
“Is this a motel? Can’t they keep their hands
to themselves?”
“I’m gonna throw up. I’m not even legal yet.”
く
“Is no one going to tell them to stop? Brittany
threw her bra on my desk last week.”
The complaints piled up.
The teacher heard about it, of course.
She was friends with Jason’s mom. She’d
been cutting Jason slack out of respect for
her.
But Jason’s behavior was too much.
She demanded that Jason’s mom take them
both home.
There was another screaming match in the
office.
Jason’s dad finally managed to calm everyone
6
く
down. He promised to take his son and his
“bride” home.
For the last few weeks before finals.
I went to school, came home, and studied.
Jason dropped out to take care of his
pregnant girlfriend.
He went grocery shopping, cooked meals.
He read baby books, getting ready to be a
good dad.
They did everything couples do in their little
garden.
Neighbors would point and yell at them:
O
L
“You’re too young to be getting married and
having babies!”
“You’re gonna suffer! You’re ruining your
lives!”
Brittany just flipped them off.
“You’re miserable because you married the
wrong person. Jason and I are in love! We’ll
be happy!”
But Jason and Brittany were living off his
parents‘ money.
They were living in his parents‘ house.
They didn’t think about how they were going
to fit five people in a tiny two–bedroom
apartment.
L
Jason’s parents were working–class people.
They were still paying off their house and
cars.
It was hard enough to support Jason.
Now there was Brittany and a baby on the
way.
They weren’t seventeen anymore.
They knew that everything cost money.
But they couldn’t give up on their son. They
just hoped he’d pull himself together and get into college.
He was a genius.
く
6
June was hot and tense.
As a National Merit Scholar, I still took the
SATS to apply to my dream military academy.
When the tests were over, my mom met me in
a fancy dress.
She hugged me and asked if I was tired.
I snuggled up to her, feeling safe and loved.
Jason came out of the school, too.
He didn’t look happy or sad.
My mom sighed. “What a waste. Early
marriage is the death of potential.”
C
<
“Your teachers say he could have gotten a
scholarship, too, if he hadn’t met Brittany.”
“What is it about her? She’s a bad influence.”
Everyone thought Brittany ruined Jason’s life.
My mom thought so.
His teachers thought so.
But I knew that everyone was in charge of
their own destiny. Jason chose his path.
I scored 1590 and got into my dream military
academy.
I became an officer, determined to go where I
was needed most. My mom cried for days.
0
But I told her: “You can’t just think about the
short term. You have to look ahead. I don’t
care about finance or tech. I want to go into
politics and be a good public servant.”
Everyone was shocked that I wanted to be a
politician.
It wasn’t a common career for women.
But it was my choice, and my parents
supported me.
“That Brittany didn’t even take the test. Jason
got a decent score, but his parents want him
to go to college. They said they’ll take care of
Brittany and the baby. But Jason doesn’t want
to go. He wants to wait for Brittany to have
the baby and then go to LA.”
く
My mom shook her head.
She was disgusted.
“He’s crazy. Does he think LA is paved with
gold? He’ll be crushed with two people
depending on him.”
But I thought Jason was finally being a man.
He knew his parents couldn’t support him
forever. He was going to try to make it on his
own.
Brittany was also ambitious.
She didn’t want to live off Jason’s parents.
They weren’t old enough to get married.
0
Both families threw a quick party, and they
were a family.
As soon as the baby was a month old, they
left for LA.
I was at the academy, working hard.
I was up at dawn and in bed late, getting
yelled at by my superiors.
My skin was tanned.
My hands were calloused.
My legs were covered in bruises.
I went from delicate to strong in the heat.
For four years, I barely talked to my family.
G
く
I lost touch with my friends.
My mom told me that Jason’s mom had
retired and was taking care of her grandson.
Jason and Brittany were doing well in LA.
They started a business and were making
money.
But she didn’t know the details.
She just heard it from Jason’s mom.
“But I think she’s lying. I haven’t seen Jason
and Brittany in years. If they were doing so
well, why would they leave their kid with his
grandma?”
I told my mom to stop gossiping and go
exercise.
