That Night

Chapter Two

"So," my mom said as we walked through the door together that day. She slid her purse off her shoulder and dropped her keys in a bowl in the entryway.

I followed her into the living room, anxiously awaiting the fireworks to come. Yes, she had been on my side back at school, but that was only because she didn't want me to face suspension or expulsion. Though she wasn't as delusional as Harrison's parents, and she didn't have a warped, idealize image of what I was like, she still believed there was some good in me. She wanted me to get the best out of everything I did, especially school. Unfortunately for me, that also included getting the most out of my mistakes. In simpler terms: no mistake went unpunished.

"Will you please just get on with it," I pleaded with her. She had taken a seat in her favorite red armchair, while I was still standing, too nervous to sit. Silent Mom was worse than Shouting Mom. "You're really killing me here!"

"And you're really killing me," she retorted sharply. Mom crossed her legs, scrutinizing me thoroughly. "This is the third time I've been called to go speak with the principal this year. It's October, Dash. What's going on?"

I shifted, scratching the back of my neck. "I dunno."

"You don't know," she repeated, her temper accelerating. "Well that's just great, Dash. I suppose that means you don't have an answer to my next question either."

She paused, as if waiting for me to come up with a solution before she even asked. I met her eyes briefly before hanging my head again.

"What?" I asked when the silence was getting to be too much for me to handle.

"How do we fix it?"

She was right. I didn't have an answer.

"You have lunch detention the next five days. After that, you have three Saturday detentions," Mom told me, the disappointment in her voice almost tangible. It pained me to hear her like that.

"Now, you and I both know that the only change you'll get out of that is increased resentment towards school." I snorted. "That wasn't a joke." I fell silent. "The way I see it, we have a few options: one, I ground you for an indeterminable amount of time that will only end when I see fit." I shook my head fervently, imploring her to skip that option. "Two," she continued, holding up two fingers, "I can enroll you in cotillion classes, where you will not only learn various ballroom dances, but also proper manners and life tips." My shoulders dropped even further. "Three, we can send you away to boarding school, preferably some kind of rigorous boot camp where they'll beat you into shape. Four, I can forbid you from seeing Harrison for the rest of your life."

"Mom, please," I begged, sounding pathetic. I was a step away from getting down on my knees and kissing her shoes. "I'll change! I'll never do it again! Whatever you want me to say!"

"You didn't let me tell you option five," she cut me off, her voice softening. I straightened up, perplexed, and waited for her to explain.

"Option five?"

"Five, you can start spending more time with that girl you were with today," she said to me with a devious spark in her eyes.

I was floored. The whole thing was just a show to scare me out of my shoes before giving it away. I couldn't believe her.

"What?" I breathed, feeling the tension that was building up in my muscles loosen almost instantly.

A small smile crept onto her face, one that was very unfamiliar to me.

"I've never seen you like that before, Dash," she said, cautiously meeting my eyes. "I don't know who she is, or what your relationship is, but I like her, and I think you should spend more time with her. If she can make you happy with all that mess going on, then I think she's your answer."