FireLeaf

Chapter Nine- Golf Ball's Parents

Golf Ball's parents were so proud that she had gotten into the school. Herself, not so much. Well, she was glad that Tennis Ball and Basketball, her two best friends since as long as she could remember, were also accepted into the boarding school. She hoped nobody would make fun of her height here, since they should be the best students of the year. She also hoped that she wouldn't get the reputation of "Bossy Bot", a rude nickname a boy called Eraser had made up for her when she was in fifth grade.

"Golf Ball!!!!!!!!!!!" her mother shouted from the bedside loudspeaker on Golf Ball's night stand, "Why are you consuming the time? Hustle up and get down here, you're expected to leave in half an hour!"

"Coming, mom!" Golf Ball shouted. She got out of her king-sized bed and got dressed. She then grabbed her suitcases and walked into her elevator. She pressed the button for the fourth floor, which was the kitchen and dining room floor. The door closed, and a voice spoke "Going down to Floor Four, Dining and Kitchen." Golf Ball watched the fish in the built-in aquarium surrounding the elevator. She laughed when a shark suddenly popped up near the glass. It was Fin, one of the ten thresher sharks in the aquarium. The aquarium surrounded the elevator had a tube connecting to Floor Seventeen, which was the pool and aquarium floor. That way, the fish could swim from one aquarium to another.

The elevator reached Floor Four, and the voice in the elevator chirped: "Have a nice day! See you soon, Golf Ball!"

"Oh, good, Golf Ball, you have finally arrived." Golf Ball's mother sighed and ran a hand through her gray hair, which was tied in a tight bun as usual. She was four feet two inches tall, but NO ONE made fun of her height, since she was terrifying when she was angered. 

Golf Ball, on the other hand, was only three feet and eight inches tall. Her silver hair was in a braid and she had contact lenses. She used to have glasses, but everyone made fun of her, so her parents bought her contacts. 

"Your breakfast was losing its warmth, dropping rapidly in temperature. Here, please do take a seat." the chair next to her mom slid out and Golf Ball sat down. "Golf Ball, I need to have a discussion with you about that academy." 

"Yes, mother?" Golf Ball asked. 

"I need you to push yourself to your limit every time you have to participate. Show your peers that you rise over all of them. You may not get lower than an 100% on any assignment, even a miniature one, AND IF YOU DO, I WILL HEAR FROM YOUR EDUCATOR IMMEDIATELY AND YOU WILL BE PUNISHED."

"Okay, mom! Geez..." Golf Ball hated her parents. They talked like old fashioned weirdos and were always forcing her be the best. Once, she got 99.5% on a homework assignment since she accidentally put two periods at the end of one of her sentences. Her mom blew up and yelled at her for a few hours straight. She sent Golf Ball up to her room and told her not to come down until she called.

That night, when her father returned, he got so mad that he banned her from eating meals with the rest of the family. 

STAY OUT OF MY SIGHT, YOU FAILURE, AND I WILL NOT FORGIVE YOU UNTIL YOU GET AT LEAST AN 500% ON YOUR NEXT ASSIGNMENT TO MAKE UP FOR IT. Is what he actually said and Golf Ball did a ten-page report for her English teacher, knowing that he would give her extra credit if she wrote an essay about the week's topic.

"Remember, Golf Ball, make us proud." her mother said.

"Yes, I know. Where's father?" Golf Ball asked just as a robot brought her a plate of bacon and eggs. She ate daintly since her parents had so many rules about how to eat. She was even required to eat pizza with a fork and a knife, and NOT allowed to use her hands!

"Oh, your father is busy with his work. He told me to tell you to not disappoint him, and I agree. Do not fail us."

"Yes, I won't." she muttered. "How about Volleyball? Where is she?"

Volleyball was Golf Ball's sister. She was the only person in her family that Golf Ball actually liked, and she was hoping that her sister would see her off before she left.

"Oh, your sister is studying for her test. I told her that she was not allowed to come downstairs until she memorized her entire unit reading in her science book. She wanted to say goodbye to you, but I forbid her. She needs to focus on her studies, not bidding farewell to a relative that would come back in a mere year."

Golf Ball grit her teeth. A mere year?! That's three hundred sixty-five days! 

"Hustle up with your breakfast. Our chauffeur will drive you to Tennis Ball's house."

Golf Ball sighed. Ugh, her parents were the worst. But at least she would get to see Tennis Ball soon!