Manny Manuel
Mauel Mandíbula, right down to his limp, late-pubescent Mexi-bro mustache, is a typical recent high school graduate trying to cut it during his first uncertain year of college.
Everything about Manny's appearance is unassuming and average, save for his brilliant, perfectly sculpted teeth. Perks of having two renown dentists as parents, I guess. Unfortunately, his social skills are a bit lame outside of creatively trashing his friends on Super Smash Bro's, so those brilliant whites go mostly unseen.
Its not that he doesn't like people. He does - he really does. He's just used to taking the back seat. All of his friends are rowdy, good natured, fun-loving, girl-crushing, hot Cheeto-snorting dumbasses. He is rarely the main actor in any of his group's outrageous shenanigans, but he's never counted it as a cost. He loves being an audience of one among a crowd of crazies.
Part of it is the safety of observing what happens to his friends as they move through all the "firsts" in their lives. Sam, a charismatic tall blonde, was the first to kiss a girl. Ricky, his goofy cousin, was the first to smoke weed. Tommy, his little brother, spent his junior year actually TRYING to get jacked at the gym...and he actually did. Josh bought a car before any of them; A glorious, hardly humming Trans Am with duct tape covering 90% of the driver's seat.
Manny gets to watch it all, and then pick and choose what he wants for his own life. He knows he moves slower, more carefully than his friends. Most days, he's happy with that. He tells himself it makes him smarter, and helps him avoid painful missteps.
Other days...Lonelier, honest days, he wishes he could be the guy that HAS the adventures.
FIRST.
He hopes he's smarter than his friends by taking things slowly. He protects his ego with that hope, but deep down he wonders if he's just more cowardly than everyone else. Brave people move first. Cowards move last, and to be honest, Manny still hasn't done much of anything yet.
Manny has never been pressured into much by his family or friends, most of whom he hasn't seen recently due to his school and work schedule at his college's sandwich shop. He's always floated along most of his life, complying with the general requirements of his parents and larger society. "Get A's and B's, no drugs, no car wrecks, no fights, don't be evil, blah blah blah..." Hitting the basic marks were always easy for him. He never really HAD to be pushed, thanks to his baseline, compliant nature. Consequentially, he's pretty laid back. He's down for everyone else's ride, really.
Problem is, right now... there's no one around to "ride" with. After graduation and the start of college, Manny has been simply going through the motions. School, work, walk home, sleep...School, work, walk home, sleep. The routine has been the same for three months now. Late, after-work texts to his little brother go unanswered till morning. Most of his friends were underclassmen in high school and are still going to bed early on weeknights. Weekends for Manny are usually filled with work shifts, and you cant exactly call your friends and slice sandwiches at the same time.
Well, not without being fired anyways. THAT would be an awkward call home.
His good nature has allowed him to go along with his parents' advice about education, getting an apartment, and working part time. Manuel knows his parents were well-meaning sending him to college and setting up some sort of path towards "not broke" future employment, but he's really not sure what he's supposed to be getting out of this experience. So far, he feels like there is less and less in his life; not more. He can't really put his finger on why or how that loss happened.
Was it the moment he graduated? Or the day he moved? The drive is only 45 minutes away from home. Was it when he started his job on the weekends? Or when he started morning classes? Its like everything that was ever life-giving for him - his friends, his family, everyone that ever made him laugh - somehow quietly wandered away.
Still though, he is committed to "the plan." He knows his parents care for him and are intelligent, respectable people. Their advice has always been sound. They've always supported him and sought what was best for him, and their love has always been very real.
Their devotion and fairness has always commanded the respect of both of their boys, even into high school and, now, adulthood. Manny is both loyal and patient. For now, he will hold out and observe how this new era in his life unfolds.
Children
Remove these ads. Join the Worldbuilders Guild
Comments