Roots - h.s

28.

    "Why don't you eat something?" He asks, leaning over the counter to look at me.

    "Because I'm working on my last essay for Yale, and I don't have time to eat, I need to work, duh?" I ask, and he sighs.

    "You can't work if you don't fuel yourself." He fights back.

    "I run on hard work, and blood, and sweat, and tears. Food is for the weak." I tell him.

    "No, food is for humans, just like sleep. Though you act like it you're not a robot, come on, eat something." He nods his head and I ignore him.

    "I'm almost done, leave me to my work you pest!" I snap, and he smirks, but he shakes his head too, looking down. "What?" I ask, shaking my head.

    "There's really nothing wrong with you, and I don't know how."

    "Thank you?" I question.

    "I mean you've been through hell and back and you're... You're just a good kid." He walks around the counter, and gives my shoulder a pat before walking behind me. "And you are officially un-grounded." He chimes, and I whip my head around.

    "Really? It's only been a few days though." I ask.

    "Yes really... I have no reason to punish you.. I mean you didn't even get caught." He laughs, and I scoff.

    "Where was that attitude three days ago?" I throw my hands up.

    "Don't you have an essay to write?" He asks, and I roll my eyes, turning back to the essay. I continue on, hearing the soft hum of the tv show my dad puts on but I don't pay much attention to it as I finish up on this essay. I have to edit it, and then again, and again. But for now it's boyfriend time.. Well not right away. I shut my laptop and hop out of my seat.

    "I'll be at Harry's!" I call out.

    "You just got ungrounded, and you're already leaving me?" He asks, and I smile.

    "Um yea? I haven't seen my boyfriend since you overreacted. So goodbye for now." I skip off, and open the front door, skipping across the yard, and to Harry's front door. I knock and right away Anne opens the door, and puts her hand on her hip.

    "Sterling... What are you doing here?" She asks in the normal parenting tone.

    "My dad let freedom ring, and I really really really pretty please with eighteen cherries on top want to see your son.. Please." I clasp my hands together, begging her, and she sighs.

    "You know he's grounded.. You're lucky I didn't call Carson's parents. My sister would kill me if she knew I was keeping this from her." She tells me, and sometimes I forget Carson and Harry are related.

    "Okay but hear me out.. I can make a great case." I tell her. She raises her eyebrows at me as she crosses her arms over her chest.

    "Go ahead." She waves me on.

    "When has he ever done something other than work on school, and be the shiny smart perfect son that he is? Never.. And we're teenagers. So three days is like three years.. Especially when you're keeping us from the people we want to see the most so I promise he's learned his lesson just like I have.. And I promise we'll never do anything illegal again." I hold my hands flat together, begging once more, and she shakes her head as she holds the door.

    "I thought you were going to promise you'd never do anything that stupid again." She looks at me and I shake my head.

    "Well that would make me a liar, and I would never lie to you.." I give a wide smile, and she keeps her look blank, not giving into me. "We're both going to fall into deep depression without contact." I whine, and she cracks into a smile. She opens the door with a sigh, and waves to the stairs.