Rewind

XVIII: Warning

I'm actually scared of getting home for I have no idea what's going to happen next. It is said that humans fear the unknown more than what they know because our imagination runs wilder than any reality. Right now I'm a living proof of that theory. My parents are strict, narrow minded and uptight, and this problem will certainly give them reason to believe that straying from my studies is a bad idea and I should stop all this none sense of living the present. Even if I try to tell them it has nothing to do with it, they will use this event against me every time. This is their evidence and as people of science they will not hesitate to use it against me to break every single attempt I make to change their minds.

I feel at loss here.

And now that I've had time to actually think of what happened I realise the unfairness of it. Even if they were at fault, Zeke and Butch were both suspended without a fair trial. In no moment the headmaster gave them the chance to plea their case or to at least explain what had happened. He didn't even look like he wanted to listen to. I'm aware that these kinds of situations happen too often, but that doesn't mean he should skip the protocol. In addition, they didn't even listen my part of the story and I was punished, too. If this had been democratic my parents wouldn't have been called and I wouldn't be in this predicament. And to make it worse, I have to go to college tomorrow with one of them. What is this? Secondary school again? It's totally unfair it actually makes me really mad. Suspending Butch won't do anything to stop him from bullying other kids. This fed up attitude of them won't fix the problem inside the establishment. Why does Zeke have to be suspended when he was just standing for other people? If the headmaster had seen the way that poor girl was shaking, at the edge of crying, then he would've realised Zeke was just trying to help and instead of suspending he could've just given him some other sort of punish and try to take control of the situation.

Why didn't I ever notice these problems? It makes me so angry that I was so caught up in the plans for a far away future and ignoring the reality right in front of me. How could've I been so oblivious to my world?

I feel this wave of shame wrapping around me like a soaked blanket that's asphyxiating me. And what's worse is that now my parents will try to push me to go back to that bubble in which everything else was so blurry that I couldn't bother try to see. I don't want to go back to that. I can't just stand aside when I see unfair acts are taking place, when I know there's something wrong.

I take a deep breath and I open the door to my house. I've delayed this moment enough by staying back with Sam, who scolded me enough for jumping recklessly in a situation in which I had no experience whatsoever. She was really worried and told me to never just butt in because I could get hurt but I couldn't agree with that. I didn't know until now but it seems that I can't witness injustice and just stand there like nothing. I don't want to get in trouble but I can't just let it pass either.

Once I set foot inside my house I get ready. I don't move further because I don't really know what to do now, whether to go and face my parents right away or pretend nothing is wrong and it's just like any other day. I realise that unless I want to make things worse for my case it's better that I go directly to my parents and receive my punishment. So, with a heavy sigh I head to my parents studio. It's probably the biggest room in the house and it's dedicated, of course, to knowledge. We have a huge collection of books of every kind-mostly science books though-and two large desks to study comfortably and even some sofas to read in the best position. However, it's a very sterile room, like the whole house. My home doesn't have this warm feeling or cosy ambient that you'd normally find. It's cold and sterile, like a laboratory, it's all mostly white. Sometimes I think it looks like a house in some dystopia book.

I know my parents will be inside the studio because it's where they normally go when they come home, the second place being the kitchen, but as this is not your usual day because since they've received a call from their daughter's college, I bet my life they are waiting for me in the studio.