Epitome

Chapter Ten

My mom isn't really very forceful. Ever since I was young (even before she got a divorce from dad) she has never been very good at the whole "punishment" thing. Which is fine by me.

But today was different. In fact, I hadn't even had time to wake up before she was in my room all angry and smoking like a dragon.

"Where's the Pontiac GTO? That wasn't even out in stores yet!" Her hair is in a tight bun around the top of her head. She only does that when she's really upset. It's a angry-tick, I think.

"I traded it for my friend's truck." Which is only a half lie.

Now she's fuming. Her lips pucker out and together likes she's just tasted something sour, and I almost smile. Almost. "I thought you would like it. You never appreciate me. I worked so hard to get that!" A thick mascara/eyeshadow/eyeliner filled tear rolls down her faces, and I cave.

"Awe, mom. I know you did. I'm sorry."I stand up and wrap my arms awkwardly around her, kind of like a pathetic sloth. "Please stop crying..." I mumble.

She wraps her arms around me and squeezes me until my back cracks. "Fine. But you're grounded."

I hadn't expected that. "Okay..." I say.

"But only because I know you went to see your dad." She has already taken a step back from me by the time she says this, so I can tell she is preparing for me to yell.

"What." I say, and my voice practically drops an octave. "I'm allowed to go see my father."

Mom looks at me as if I'm a puppy she just found wounded on the side of the street. "He uses you. He manipulates you into loving him.."

"No. No. You don't get to say anything about him-and I choose who I love!" I'm waving my arms around like a mad man, like the more hand gestures I make the more my point will drill itself into her tiny mind. I wish.

I leave the house without saying goodbye. Serves her right, she doesn't know anything. He's my dad and I don't have to have reason to love him. Speaking of which, that ten bucks isn't going to last  him. I hope he at least spent it on food. When I visited yesterday there was only beer in the fridge.

No time to worry about it though, I'm going to be late for school. So I get in my truck and just drive.

I eat lunch with Aden's friends today. When I sit down at the table, they all stare at me, which causes me to fluster. "What?" I say softly.

"Is this a thing, now?" Paul asks.

"Is what a thing?"

"You know... You hanging out with us." What? Is me hanging out with them bad?

"Am I not welcomed here?" I say. I looked around the table, and all of the boys are saying "no it's fine it's cool," or "psh whaaa? Of course your welcome," and I think I hear Jason say "just stay with us forever," but I'm not sure.

"Good," I say. They must just be shocked that I would hang out with them. They are kind of losers. Or, at least, that's what I like to think. They look like they're fit to be a boy band, with all of their flippy hair and pretty faces. "I'll be right back." I say, because all of this attention is making me uneasy. I head to the bathroom, and when I'm on my way back after freshening up, I run into Gemma.

"Hey do you want to eat lunch with us?" She asks me. She looks like she's in a good mood, so I guess I did settle her nerves this morning with my idiotic "don't worry" statement. Before of course I walked away when I saw Aden approaching.

"Sure." I say, but I think I draw it out a bit more than necessary. I'm focused on the boy behind her. He's standing sideways, so I can see him fully. But has this cocky smile plastered on his face. He's average height and pretty tan. He kind of looks like Aden, but his hair is a bit shorter. He's vandalizing a locker, and it's kind of amusing. Troubled youth...he looks at me, and now I can see his face fully, not just his profile. He's got a round face, but it isn't chubby. He's actually pretty fit. He looks like he just came back from a military camp or something, considering all of his rough looks and stiff posture. His bangs barely cover his eyebrows, but I can tell they are thick. His lips are thin, and his nose is almost too big, but it suits him. He's actually kind of cute. He's got nice eyes, and he isn't necessarily a pretty boy like all of the boys back in the cafeteria.