Welcome to Trainwrecks: Season 2 (2005-2006)! If you haven’t read Season 1, please start there! Trainwrecks is a free-to-read fiction serial that follows a group of six Seattle-adjacent friends from the year 2004 to the year 2015. Join Luna Cruz, Sebastian Velasquez, Dimitri and Victoria Hale, Duke Kingston, and Jasmine Nolan as they stumble their way from adolescence to adulthood, falling in love, making mistakes, overcoming their pasts, and staying together through it all.
For series introduction, character profiles, relationship charts, and general orientation, check out the Table of Contents!
Previous Episode | Table of Contents | Next Episode
Dimitri sneezed no less than four times before entering his house, cursing spring and his seasonal allergies. He’d worked the morning shift at Uwajimaya, and every flowering plant between there and home had taken the opportunity to assault his nostrils. Sure, Seattle looked wonderful, but at this rate he’d spend the next two months in a Claritin induced coma.
He rearranged the grocery bags in his hands so he could drop his keys into the cereal bowl by the door. His mother was in the living room, seated on her favorite recliner and typing up a storm on her laptop. Despite swearing she would never write another novel every time she finished one, she was already fifty pages into her next manuscript, and excited about her new idea even though she complained about it every chance she got. “Welcome back,” she said without looking up.
Dimitri sniffled, deposited the grocery bags on the kitchen counter, and ripped a paper towel off the roll to blow his nose with. “Beef was on sale, so I grabbed enough for gyudon.”
“I knew there was a reason I didn’t give you up for adoption.”
He put the groceries away, then walked into the living room, threw himself on the couch, and felt around for the remote control. “Mommy, the flowers are trying to kill me again.”
“Those bastards,” she muttered.
He clicked the television on, but decided to watch her write instead. “Have you and Dad decided what you’re going to do with the house?” he asked.
“Sell it, I think.” Makoto tore her eyes away from her screen to survey the living room: its outdated furniture, dusty knickknack covered surfaces, the television that hadn’t been replaced since the 90s, the speed limit sign on the wall. “Reminds us too much of the life we didn’t have.”
Dimitri nodded. He figured that would be the case. James and Victoria’s place was newer, nicer, and located in a much safer neighborhood. It wasn’t like his mother worked outside of the house, so she could move to Seattle proper if she wanted to. Still, as awful as Dimitri’s childhood had been at times, this was the only house he’d ever lived in, and the thought of parting with it made him feel bad, like they were giving up on the family they could have been. But the alternative was—what, he would inherit the house? He didn’t want it.
“There’s an office space on the townhouse’s garage level James said he could convert into a bedroom for you,” Makoto said.
Dimitri waved a hand over his head. “Don’t bother. I’ll find my own place.”
She stared at him. “You’re moving out?”
“I’m turning twenty-one in August, Mom.”
“I didn’t spend sixteen hours in labor with you so you could move out.”
“If it makes you feel better, we’ll still be in the same county. Besides, I don’t want to be in the house with you and Dad while you’re fornicating.”
Makoto narrowed her eyes. “I got some bad news about your sister’s conception, Poindexter.”
Dimitri flipped through the handful of television channels that could still be seen clearly. He knew his mother didn’t actually want him to stay with them. Complaining about him moving out was just her way of reminding him that she loved him. His nose started running again, and he grabbed his partially used paper towel to dam up his nostrils. “I hate spring. Why do we have to do this every year?”
“Plants want to reproduce too,” Makoto said. “If your allergies are acting up, your dad must be miserable right now. You get that from him, y’know.”
Dimitri remembered. One of his earliest memories was the two of them going through an entire tissue box in an afternoon, sneezing in tandem. “It’s because he’s white,” he said.
“Half white.”
“Half white still equals a hundred percent white.” His cell phone vibrated in his pocket. He glanced at the display and bolted upright when he saw the name on the tiny screen. His mother watched him curiously as he flipped his phone open and held it up to his ear. “Dimitri Hale speaking.”
“Hey Dimitri, it’s Joe Ramos. How are ya?”
The image of a middle-aged, suit-clad man standing between him and a judge flashed through his mind. “Congested,” he replied, because he was suddenly too nervous to say anything else. “How’d, uh… how’d the hearing go?”
“It’s good news, kid. Your record’s being sealed.”
A wave of relief washed over Dimitri, so intense that he didn’t know what to do with himself. Did he stand up? Stay seated? Did he pick his mother up off the couch and hug her until she threatened to stab him to death? And his father—he had to tell his dad. “That is good news,” he said.
“You still thinking about school?”
“Yes sir.”
“Good.” He could hear the smile in Mr. Ramos’ voice. “The only thing standing in your way now is you. Don’t let that incredible mind of yours go to waste.”
“I won’t,” he said. “Thank you.” Once they exchanged goodbyes, Dimitri dropped the phone. His hands were shaking so badly that he couldn’t hold it anymore. “They’re sealing my record,” he said.
Makoto shoved her laptop aside, all but leaped from the recliner to the couch, and crushed him against her in an embrace. Dimitri wrapped his arms around his mother and closed his eyes, letting every one of her shuddering sobs remind him of how far they’d come since they were two addicts hiding from each other in shame. Everything he’d ever done, good or bad, he’d done for her. “I’m going to make you proud, Mom,” he said.
“I’m already proud of you, you turd.” She drew back and cupped his face in her hands. “If you worked at Uwajimaya for the rest of your days, I’d still be proud of you.” She offered him a tremulous smile. “Now quit being so obsessed with me and get a life already.”
Dimitri pulled her back into a hug. “No way. You think I trust Dad to take care of you?”
“Believe it or not, I do.” She kissed the top of his head. “You should call him.”
“Yeah, I should.” He didn’t know if he could trust himself to do so without losing it yet, but he’d have to try. It was his father who’d started this whole process five years prior, showing up in Dimitri’s hospital room, haggard and sick with worry. It was James who’d spoken to police, who’d found Mr. Ramos, who’d filled out the court papers and paid the fees, who’d looked after Makoto when Dimitri wasn’t able to, who’d taken him to the rehabilitation center and watched the nurse lead him away with such a stricken expression that Dimitri had forgotten how to hate him for a few minutes. It was his father who had never given up on his future, no matter how many times Dimitri swore he didn’t have one.
He gave himself a few minutes to calm down, then scrolled through his contacts until he reached Mom’s Ex. James answered on the second ring. “Afternoon, Son.”
“Hey Dad.”
“Everything alright?”
“Yeah… I just got off the phone with Mr. Ramos.”
James’ response to the news was so enthusiastic that Dimitri had to hold the phone away from his ear for several seconds. “Tell your mum to put some clothes on! We’re going out to celebrate just as soon as Tori gets off school!” he shouted.
The next several hours were full of activity. Makoto called her sister, who dropped everything she was doing, drove to the house, and hugged Dimitri while bawling incoherently. Sebastian and Jasmine, whose high school was up the road, showed up on their doorstep shortly after and almost tackled him to the floor. Luna did tackle him to the floor when she and her mother appeared half an hour later, which resulted in a dog pile that upset the entry table and knocked over the cereal bowl where he and his mom kept their keys. By the time James and Victoria arrived, they had a full-fledged party on their hands, and the plans to go out changed to plans to order food and stay in. Even the Kingstons came by, with Duke giving him a quiet but heartfelt congratulations, complete with a smack on the back.
For Dimitri’s part, he was able to blame his red eyes on his allergies, and his constant sneezing as everyone brought their pollen-covered clothes into the house was the perfect cover-up for his displays of emotion. But what he couldn’t hide was his smile. Surrounded by his loved ones with his whole life ahead of him, he felt better than he had in years, like he was five years old again and making plans, reading through a stack of library books while trying to decide what he wanted to be when he grew up.
And for once, he didn’t feel like mourning that child. He didn’t want to dwell on all the ways things could have been different. Because somehow, after all that he’d been through, everything had turned out right.
Author’s Note: Not to be outdone, Dimitri is also on the up and up! Where will life take him next? We’ll see very soon…
My annoying savant deserves this TT_TT
WOOOHOOOOO GO DIMITRI!!! I'm so proud and happy for him!!! And so is everyone else (even Duke)!!!!! Can't wait to see what lies ahead... 👀👀