Kaplan.
"Why do you have to be so mean to everyone?" She asks once she comes back upstairs. "Booker didn't even do anything and you like lashed out on him." I almost laugh.
"I hate people." I say simply while looking at my phone. "It's almost ten, I'm gonna go home." I tell her and stand up to leave. I say bye to her parents and walk out towards my car. I drive to my house and park in the driveway.
"Cyrus?" I call when I walk through the door. I slip my jacket off and hang it on the hook, slipping my shoes off and I walk towards the stairs. I get to the fifth step up before the living room light turns on.
"Where have you been." My dad has crossed arms and his girlfriend is standing right next to him with a scowl on her face. "It is not okay for you to be walking through that door at this hour." He continues and I roll my eyes.
"I was out." I glare back at my dad. "Goodnight." I snap and start to walk back upstairs.
"We have to talk about this Kaplan." His girlfriend growled. I waved them off and kept walking towards my room. Cyrus glanced through the open crack in her door. I stuck my tongue out at her and walked inside my own room.
This was no different than any other night.
I pulled my shirt off and slipped out of my pants. I kicked them under my bed, making a mental note to pick them up tomorrow. I laid in bed and covered myself with my blanket. The bandana I have been wearing all day, was taken off my head and thrown somewhere across the room.
The only advantage to having a rich ass dad, is getting nice comfort. I just wish I actually went to sleep on the comfortable bed. This would be three days straight that I haven't slept for more than four hours.
~
"Get out Kaplan! You have been in there for over an hour." Cyrus complained. She kept banging on the door while I was spamming Macy with a bunch of pictures of my goofy faces. I do this just to piss Cyrus off. I unplugged my straightener and opened the door. I think, I heard her mumble ignoramus when I passed by her.
"Oo. Big word for a sixth grader." I turned around and stuck my tongue out at her before she could close the door. She rolled her eyes at me and then slammed the door shut. I laughed to myself and walked into my room. My belt clinched my stomach, forcing me to unbundled it and toss it on my bed. It might be smart to tie my shoes.
I grabbed my backpack and phone charger then walked downstairs. Before Cyrus came down, I started making some eggs for us. I got each of us a blueberry muffin. Right when I was finishing the eggs, she appeared.
"Eat before you go to school." I told her, setting the plate down on the counter. I handed her some ketchup and put hot sauce on my own eggs. Putting her muffin in a bag, seeing as it is already 7. "Here. When you get hungry you can eat that." I handed her the muffin. She finished her eggs and started putting the bag in her backpack.
I took both of our plates and rinsed them in the sink then put the dishes in the dishwasher. I grabbed my bag and my keys then waited for Cyrus to come back downstairs from grabbing her shoes.
She slid them on quickly and we left through the front door. She opened the door and I shut it behind us, locking it after. She pressed the button on my remote that unlocked the doors to my cars, and ran through the rain to get inside. I did the same thing, except I didn't run. I just sped walked through the rain, I still looked hot doing it though. And getting into a nice car, it's even better.
I started the engine and pulled out. Cyrus turned on the radio and adjusted the heat, all of the things that annoy the shit out of me most. Monday through Friday, it's a five minute drive of thirty second songs, until she gets bored and changes the stations or there's a commercial.
The longest five fucking minutes of my day.
I pulled into the back of her school and parked in a spot that is never filled, unless I park in it. I waited for her to get out, but she didn't. I looked over and saw her staring at the dashboard. She almost looked constipated.
"Why are you just sitting here?" I asked her shutting off my car. She looked at me and then the school gates. She looked at me once more and unbuckled her seatbelt. "Hey," I stopped her. "Are you feeling alright? Do you need to stay home or something?" I hate doing this.
She rolled her eyes and got out of the car. I huffed and started the car again, pulling away down the road towards my school. Once I got there I parked the car and locked it.
I walked through the back gates and made my way to find a bunch of people I, sort of, knew. I say hi to all of them and keep walking when I see Macy. She was holding hands with her boyfriend, Scott.
We said hi and I started up a conversation with them both, seeing as they are friends of mine. The bell rang shortly after they got into some type of couple banter. I walked to my first period and mentally cheered when I saw a younger guy at the front of the classroom, drawing on the whiteboard. He is not our teacher.
"Welcome class." He had a much deeper voice than I expected. "I'm Mr. Bradley, I am a temp for your teacher Mrs. Gooding. She went into labor last night so I will be with you for the rest of the school year." He smiles and sits on his desk. He grabs a clipboard and I look over at my friend Billy. She gave me the same smirk.
Call us immature, the rest of the class will I know. But this teacher was hot and I like messing with people's heads. This guy seriously is like fresh out of college or something. I don't know why that's a point. I just think that's a very important detail that should be shouted from mountain tops.
"Billy Gregs." He called. I rose my hand and everyone laughed quietly. I shushed whoever I could see and went back to focus on the guy.
"It's Bilay." I corrected him and he laughed, apologising like an idiot. I looked back at Billy and she smirked. He called more name, other people having the same idea and messing with him in ways I'm slightly jealous of not coming up with.
"Kaplan Ross." He gets to my name and looks around the classroom. Billy rose her hand and corrected him as well saying my name was pronounced Ka-P-Lane. I laughed to myself and mentally high fived her.
~
So now that I know everyone, kind of." He glances at some of the students that corrected him. "We can get to work. How many of you have heard of the movie Lifted?" He asks. The whole class groans and he laughs. "Well okay. We can watch The Lion King?" He holds up the movie. Some people disapprove and others clap their hands.
I get up and walk over to Scott and Billy when Mr. Bradley put on the movie. I rested my legs over Billy's lap and played Temple Run on my phone. I beat my high score and shut the game off. Once I started to watch the movie the bell of the classroom speaker chimed, telling us there was an announcement.
"Kaplan Ross please report to Principal Darcy's office immediately after first period bell." A snobby office TA said, obviously not surprised I was going to the office.
I groaned and Billy looked at Mr. Bradley. I laughed again and grabbed my bag. The bell rang a little after and everyone piled out of the classroom. I said bye to Billy and other people I rarely talked to before making my way to the office. This place is like a second home to me.
"I was called upon." I mocked the snobby rich boy. He rolled his eyes and pointed to Darcy's office. I slapped the door obnoxiously. He opened it with a disappointed sigh and I stepped inside and sat down in one of the empty chairs in front of his desk. "What did I do this time Darcy?" I crossed my legs and stared at him with a blank expression.
"For once you didn't do anything." He rolls his eyes with a sardonic smile. "Well anything that we know of." He laughed and I went along.
"Then what am I doing here?" I stood up and put my bag over my shoulder. "I have pranks to pull, people to harass, drugs to do. I have a lot on my plate." I said sarcastically and he shook his head with another disappointed sigh and sad look.
Honestly, I think Darcy will be the only adult to see through my bullshit. But I won't say that out loud. Or write it. He is good friends with my absent father, who just doesn't know how to shut the hell up about his kids.
"We are excusing you for the rest of the day." He said and stood up to hand me a pass. "You need to pick Cyrus up at school now." I furrowed my eyebrows at him and took the pass. "I tried calling your dad but he won't answer."
"What do you mean? What happened to Cyrus?" I interrogated. He shrugged his shoulders and I sigh. I yank the door open and slam it closed.
I drove to the middle school and parked in the back, locking my doors. "Cyrus Ross." I told the lady at the front desk when I got inside the office. She escorted me to the principles office.
"Oh snap." Mr. Howard spoke, setting his right year old coffee mug down. "Kaplan? I never thought I would see you again." He is an arrogant prick. I hate him. He opened the door some more and there sat Cyrus and three other girls. I glared at the other girls while Cyrus dropped her head to stare at her lap. When she glanced up at me, I widened my eyes.
"Come on Cyrus." I told her and Mr. Howard tried to stop me. He grabbed Cyrus's arm and sat her back down. "You don't touch her." I growled and grabbed her hand, standing her back up, and pulling her behind me. If it wasn't for my slight shock that she has a swollen eye, I would have punched him.
"She has to stay here Ms. Ross. We have business to take care of." He said sternly. I almost did punch him but my good hand was holding Cyrus behind me. Besides, my hand is too pretty for his nasty ass face.
"You have plenty to deal with. You don't need Cyrus." I snapped before walking away with Cyrus behind me. We walked to the car and I drove away before I spoke. "What the hell happened?" She flinched and I sighed. "Sorry." She hates it when people curse.
She didn't answer, like I expected. I rolled my eyes and parked on the side of our house. She got out and waited at the front door for me to unlock it. When I did, she walked straight to her room.
"Hey, Cyrus!" I called after her. I followed her up the stairs only to be stopped by the door being locked. "Cyrus open the door." I knocked but she didn't answer.
I knelt down and picked the lock with a pocket knife on my keychain. It opened and Cyrus was laying down on her stomach on the edge of her bed.
I sat down on the other side of her, "cyrus, what happened at school today." I demanded softly. She didn't respond so I stood up and walked out, towards my room.
I plopped on the bed and dialled my dad's number. It went to voicemail after four rings. I rolled my eyes and went downstairs. A bright idea came to me and I started to make grilled cheese in hopes that Cyrus will come downstairs and speak.
A knock on the door made me put the first grilled cheese on a plate. I looked through the peep hole and saw a stuffy woman with a clipboard in her arms. Dad told me to never answer the door for salesmen. Or sales women.
__________________________
It was 11 at night when my dad and his bitch stumbled through the door. I stared at them with crossed arms the same way they did to me many nights. Dad stopped to look at me while his girlfriend hung up her coat.
"Yes Kaplan?" My dad asked taking off his shoes. His girlfriend was glaring at me while I stood up, arms still crossed.
"Why didn't you answer your phone?" I kept as calm as I possibly could. My dad's girlfriend rolled her eyes and I sent her a death glare to shut her up.
"I was busy all day Kaplan. Why are you interrogating me? You should be in bed." My dad spoke, walking into the kitchen. His little tramp follows behind him, grabbing a wine glass.
"Busy doing what? Can't be that hard to tell someone if they are going to jail or not?" I snap. Emily rolls her eyes while I mimic her actions in that fourth grader way.
"It is hard. I'm a judge, I am the one to determine whether or not a person spends their life in prison or free." He pours himself a glass of water while his girlfriend pours a glass of wine. "What I do is important. One screw up and I could be the one behind bars."
"Those people aren't as important as your daughter." I growled and waited for him to curse me out or even yell at me. I rolled my eyes when he didn't respond at all.
"What happened to Cyrus?" He asked as I was making my way up the stairs. Wow. I could have been talking about me. Fuck, it's killing me that Cyrus is the baby of the family.
"Kaplan, what happened to my daughter." I was slightly offended that he referred to his youngest daughter like that when his other daughter was standing right here.
"Because you cared so much before." I snapped. I rolled my eyes at my dad and his girlfriend before turning to walk away again.
"Kaplan you have no right to speak to me that way." My dad said. I heard his footsteps following me upstairs. I turn around and snapped back again.
"You have no right to forget about your daughter." I pointed to Cyrus's room. My dad sighed and shook his head.
"I didn't forget. I was earning money to give you kids everything you need." Oh my god not this again.
"Yes father. I get it. We never get enough. I'm always pissed off because I want money. Cyrus got hurt because she wanted money." I rolled my eyes for the thousandth time.
"She what?" Emily gasped. She walked next to my dad and narrowed her eyes at me. "Kaplan answer." She demanded. I rose an eyebrow at her.
"Why should I? You didn't care enough to answer your phone. You weren't the one that picked her up from school. Have you even noticed that she is going through something?" I challenged my dad and his ugly monkey. I crossed my arms over my chest again and waited for anyone to answer.
"I am her mother. I am your mother too so I suggest you do as told." I nearly laughed at Emily's words.
"You will never be my mother." I spat venom at her. "You know what? Fine, if you are Cyrus's mother so damn much, why don't you take care of her, like a fucking mother should!?" I screamed. She flinched and my dad stepped up.
"Kaplan! She is trying to be like your mom now-"
"And what about my actual mom, dad!?"
"You have to treat her the way you would if she were your own mom." My dad ignored my interruption.
"Bullshit! She is nothing like mom! I am gonna treat her like the bitch she is-" I gestured in her direction.
"KAPLAN ENOUGH!" My dad screamed finally screamed while I was finishing my sentence. I stopped my words and just stared at him.
The soft man that held me when I was growing up is not that same man right in front of me.
"Yeah dad. Enough." It meant so much more than I let on. I walked back upstairs and locked my door. I threw my shirt off and slipped out of my pants. I threw them in the hamper and sat on my bed. I crossed my arms over my chest and thought about any thing to calm me down.