It was a bright day in the state of California, one of the most beautiful days the state had seen in over 10 years. Everyone was outside, not a single person was inside, well except for Casey. Casey was a smart and charming young lad. He had long straight black hair that hung down to his shoulders, blue eyes that had shimmered under the sunlight. Everyone used to love Casey, he was an incredibly sweet kid, he was always there to help you when you needed it, one of the most caring boys of all time.

There was only one problem that everyone saw with Casey, he smokes marijuana. To Casey it wasn’t a big deal, it was something that helped him get over his anger issues and helped him put aside his problems and look at the bright side of life, look at the tea cup half full instead of half empty. It helped him in ways that his loved ones could not understand, it wasn’t because he wanted to “ruin” his life, that was the exact opposite of what Casey wanted.
When Casey was 18 he was kicked out of his house, his parents absolutely hated him. His father repeatedly told him that he was a screw up, a waste of a life. His father even told him that the reason he was having high blood pressure problems was because of Casey, told him that it was 100% his fault that the problems came into his life so early, and if he died because of it that it was nobody else’s fault but Casey’s. Casey was heartbroken, had never heard things so harmful and heartbreaking, and it was all because he smoked marijuana.

Casey is now currently 23. He lives with his friend Cameron whom is 22 and has been best friends with since the beginning of high school. They both work as tile workers. Tile work is something that has always interested Casey, it was fun to him and he enjoyed doing it. Cameron had been introduced this job by his father, all through high school he had worked with his dad on tiling jobs and they did an amazing job at what they did, Cameron was definitely getting the job from his father. When Casey and Cameron met, they were just lads, 7 or 8 maybe. But at that time, they hated each other. There was no real reason for it, they just did. They didn’t get along for the longest time until high school came along and they had sat down and talked to each other. There, you could instantly tell the two of them had become best friends, something nobody could break apart, the two of them were always going to be apart of each others life.
Cameron had introduced the tile job one day and explained to Casey what you did and how it worked. Casey was instantly hooked on the job, he loved it. He had experience in it before during his freshman summer working as an interior designer’s assistant, doing a lot of tile and he absolutely loved it. But when Casey was working with tile he didn’t have the right equipment and didn’t even do it right the first couple of times, he still loved it. Until one day Cameron introduced his family’s way of laying tile, and the equipment that goes along with it that make it that much easier to do.
About two months later Cameron had pulled out some pot, and offered it to Casey. Well, thats when it all began. Casey absolutely loved it. It made him so happy it drove him crazy, it was for sure something he would definitely do again. You could say that it was Cameron’s fault that this event occurred, but Casey refused to believe that. He knew that Cameron wasn’t set out to ruin his life or start stuff with his parents. It was just something they did that nobody else approved of.
Casey had only one thing that he had wanted to achieve in life. It was Casey’s goal and priority to prove everybody wrong, to prove that even though he smoked marijuana that he could still be successful in life. He knew that they had no right to judge him on something that he chose to do, when they knew that all along he was still a good person whom looked forward to seeing the bright things in life. He knew that it was wrong to keep a grudge on someone whom you’ve had in your life for as long as they’ve been alive, then just be able to completely shut them off and remove them from their life completely. Casey was set out to prove them wrong, and that’s what he did.

Casey hasn’t spoken to his parents since he was kicked out. They hated his guts for smoking, something so small that they practically disowned him from the family. This over anything killed him, absolutely destroyed him, never has Casey been so upset over something in his life. It’s been over 4 years since he’s even spoken a word to his family, over phone or in person. Either way, Casey knew that they hated his guts.

Casey couldn’t understand, he was wealthy and living the life that he’d wanted to live. Enjoying life instead of hating it, I mean isn’t that what life is about, enjoying the things you have and worrying about the lesser things in life? What he hated was not being able to see his family so he decided he was going to make a visit. He decided it was time to prove them wrong and show them that they cannot judge him and say he will be a failure in life, because he did it. He’s smoked pot since he was 14, and now he is successful and in a career he enjoys doing that he wants to do as long as his body will allow it.
Visiting his parents was something that had crossed his mind numerous times but he never had the guts, was always too scared to speak to or visit them, assuming they would instantly judge or make up some excuse about something and kick him straight out of the house, right then and there leaving him with no hope left for his family. He didn’t want to have to believe that if something went wrong during this trip that he could possibly lose his family for good. It was a great risk to go, if he did revisit his family it could either start something even worse or it could make everything better. But knowing Casey’s parents, expected the worst.
“Yo man, i heard you were heading out to see your family?” said Cameron.
Casey was inside packing when he had heard his phone gone off. When Casey had gotten inside to see whom called him, he’d noticed he had a missed call from Cameron.
“Hey man, it’s Cameron. I heard the news and we need to talk about it. Call me back as soon as you can. Hurry up man!”

This thought worried Casey, he’d had no clue that Cameron found out about him leaving. To Casey, Cameron had no clue that he was going to make the visit out there. but apparently he had thought wrong. He had no clue how he was going to react to it. Was he going to freak out? Tell him that he wasn’t able to go because of work? Thoughts flushed through Casey’s mind, until finally he’d built up the courage to call him back.
“Hello?” said Cameron.
“Hey man, its Casey. You called?”
“Oh hey, what’s up man, I heard the news.”
Suddenly then thats when Casey froze, he was worried. What would happen? Is he going to be upset, and freak out or be completely chill with situation.
“Oh you did? Well, yeah, its true.” Casey said nervously.
“So you are going back to South Dakota to visit your parents and makeup with them, eh?”
“Yeah dude, i'm going to attempt it.” giggled Casey.
“Well man, you’re not going alone. I haven’t spoken to my family in a while and i think it would help you if i went along with, you okay with that?”

Cameron and Casey lived just down the road from each other, literally a 2 minute walk away from each other. When Casey got kicked out he lived with Cameron for about 3 years, so Casey was considered practically as another son to Cameron’s family.
“Yeah man that would be great!” said Casey. “So if when i talk to my parents and if it doesn’t work out, do you think it would be possible your parents would let me stay at your place until we head back out here again?”
“For sure, they wouldn’t care you’re practically another son to them man,” snickered Cameron.
“Thanks dude, that means a lot that you’re helping me out with this. It’s extremely nerve racking.”
“I bet, no worries though dude, everything will work out in the end, and if it doesn’t we’ll go back and get our work done and go out for a drink just the two of us bro. Sound good to you?” asked Cameron.
“Ight man, thanks a lot. When you get off work?”
“ I’m on my way home now, i’ll be home in about 30 minutes, ight man?”
“Okay man, see you soon,” said Casey. “Oh, and can you stop by the store and fill up the gas tank and grab some snacks for the trip there by chance?”
“Yeah dude, for sure. See ya soon”

To Casey’s amazement, that actually went incredibly well. That was definitely something he wasn’t expecting. Until, it kicked in. It was a stressful thing, something Casey had never felt. His heart was beating rapidly to the thought that he is officially going to be on his way to see his parents again for the first time in years. Casey was packed up and ready as we speak.

Casey sat there for the entire ride, doing nothing but thinking, thinking of what was going to happen. If his parents would believe that he was doing well and living a happy life. Would his parents believe that? Maybe he was just stressing, maybe they are over it now. No, that can’t be it. They are too weird to just forgive him; Casey knew his parents. They were the type to hold grudges and completely shun you from their lives completely for life. Thats just who they were, Casey couldn’t change it.

34 hours later, they finally arrived. Black Hawk South Dakota, Casey and Camerons’ place of growth. Where the two of them grew up and made so many memories, well mostly Cameron made memories anyways. Casey’s parents didn’t trust him so it was incredibly rare if he ever got to go out with friends. That’s the reason Casey was kicked out in the first place. When he turned 18 he instantly left his house and went out and partied with his friend, not saying a word to his parents. Well, thats not how it “rolls” in that family. If you live under that roof, regardless your age, you are still expected to follow curfew and the many rules they had. That included letting them know who, what, when, and where he was going. There was no way Casey could ever get away with going somewhere without telling them, they always found out. When Casey came back, his parents instantly drug tested him. Of course, Casey being a pot smoker, failed the test and showed up with THC in his system. His family just couldn’t take it anymore, told him “that was the last straw” and kicked him out to the curb.
Casey was planning on leaving his place when he got home anyways, but he didn’t think his parents would actually kick him out permanently and remove all contact with them completely, without a single way to come in contact with them without visiting the house. It was hurtful, and selfish, heartless thought Casey and it was obviously something they’d wanted, they obviously didn’t want him around. So he respected their wishes, left and never returned, and never made contact between them since then.
When Casey arrived at his house, it was different but he couldn’t quite tell how. The house looked the same as the day that he’d left, the 4 x 12 foot deck that stood out in front of his house. In front of that the two pine trees him and his father had planted long ago, fully grown and looking healthy and beautiful as ever. The sight of his old home was breathtaking. He couldn’t quite put his tongue on what was so different though, the atmosphere or something? The atmosphere around this house that he’d remembered when he lived here, it wasn’t negative as he had remembered it. It was filled with life, and joy, and happiness. That’s when Casey realised, that they were right all along. He was the reason the house always had a negative attitude towards it.
Casey, couldn’t take it. Through the windows he could see his younger brother Jacob, and his mother enjoying their day. They looked so happy, were acting as if today was their last day of life. Casey couldn’t bare it, he’d seen how happy they looked, and turned around. Leaving the property and making his way to Camerons, never to turn back and see his house again.