The Mountain

Home?

When Mathew woke up, he pondered a question as he changed into his school clothes. “Where’s home?” he asked himself silently, as he got his books and walked out the door. Of course, any normal person would figure that their home would be where their family is, and normal people usually do have families. But not Mathew. Mathew didn’t think of his dad as family, as family meant something deeper than just any drunk parent. It meant a place where he could be happy, a place where he was truly loved, a place… that just didn’t exist to him. Mathew pondered this throughout the day, continually asking the question to himself repeatedly… but so no one could hear. But it got to a point where he didn’t realize he had said it loud enough at the lunch table for his friends to hear. “What?” asked his three friends in unison. “Huh?” said Mathew as he looked up. “I thought you asked a question” said Liz. “You ok man?” asked Carlos “You look sick man… and not the cool kind of sick.” Said John. “I’m fine.” said Mathew glumly. “I don’t believe you mat…” said John “Yeah mat you look like your drunk” said Carlos teasingly. Mathew almost lost it. “IM FINE!” Said Mathew banging is fist into his food, which splattered all over his new shirt. He quickly got up and excused himself from the table saying: “I’m fine…” while some girls giggled as he walked past. He was almost to the bathroom when Alicia (his crush) bumped into him as he turned a corner. “Oh!!!” Alicia cried as the food stained her shirt. “I’m so sor-“ He then realized it was her, and tried to walk past her before… “You imbasult, you retard! Look what you did to my shirt! All he could do was stand there while she lectured him. And as if things couldn’t get worse, Brock came around the corner. “What do you think you’re doing with my girlfri-“ Then he saw their shirts. Mathew tried to run, but eventually brocks’ gang came around and pinned him down, and brock beat him till he couldn’t remain conscious. The last thing he remembered was his friends gaping in horror as he got beat up, not stepping in to help, and Alicia shouting cusses as he got beat up by brock and his gang. When he woke up, he was in the medical room of the school. The doctor checked him over asked him questions, but didn’t ask why or how it happened. And next thing he knew, both he and brock were suspended from school. Then he quickly ran home he didn’t stop for anything or anyone, not until he had gotten to his house and locked the door. “Where’s my friends? Where’s my family? Where’s my home?” he sobbed. And later he got the quarter end grades as he got home… and he cried himself to sleep. All by himself.