did not want to witness any more.
"That's it, Adam, I've had enough! You break things in my house, you pay the consequences."
"It's my fucking room. I can do whatever the hell I want . Just—go away!"
"No. I'm not leaving till you get ready and go to school."
Adam shut his eyes. Sleep was here, right around the bin.
"Adam!"
Sleep was gone as sudden as a flick of the fingers. "Jesus Christ, lay off me! You can't make me do shit !"
She stepped over to him and went to grab his foot, but he pulled his leg away so quickly that he put a small dent in the wall with his heel.
"This is ridiculous! You've missed more days of school so far this year than you went."
"Big whoop! I fucking despise school!"
"Love it or hate it, you're going to deal with it." She went to grab his foot again. He screamed as soon as her flesh touched his.
"No. Not again. Day after day you do this—"
"Then get a clue! School's a bunch of horseshit! I do not belong there."
"Yes, you do. I am so tired of this. Every day after day you pull this stunt, and it's getting old real fast—"
“ You're getting old real fast! You get on my nerves every day, making me go— grrrr !"
They eyed each other down like two solemn gunslingers.
"I ain't going. Nope."
"Then your friend isn't staying this weekend."
Again, that murderous glare. "Yes, he will!"
"If you get ready for school, yes."
Adam stood up and pounded out of the room. If only I could dropout... that thought was glorious. Nobody to pick on him again, ignore him, cut him down like a dead tree.
As he rushed down the hall to distance himself from Angela, she stepped out of his room and said, "Adam, stop. Stop!"
"Tell it to someone who cares," he mumbled, too quietly for her to hear. Adam entered the bathroom and slammed the door, leaving a crack in the frame. Angela gasped.
Adam went to the tub and sat on the ledge. He knew she wasn't through but wished she was. Any minute and she'd come pounding on the door like a stubborn Jehova's witness.
Bang, bang, bang!
"Adam, open this door right now!"
He wiped away some oncoming snot with his sleeve.
"Adam, let me in! Now !"
"Go away."
"If I have to come in there—"
"Get away from me you fucking bitch! I hate you! You hear me, don't you?" He stood and went to the door. "I hate you. You're not a good mother at all. I hope you die. I hope you drop dead."
She stumbled away from the door, crying silently. She wasn't sure if he meant it or not, but it sounded genuine. Pain worse than childbirth.
She walked away, defeated, too drained of energy to combat her son any longer. Today he got his wish: no school.
He knew it was over. He even stopped crying. Today was all day television, food, a little writing, and maybe a call to Chris when he got home from school. Adam's life was really not so bad on days off from school.
Angela's life, however, was dampened on the days when he played hooky. How would he support himself, get a job, and experience life without a good education? She had tried therapists, psychologists, and psychiatrists, but none were able to get through to him. Like a mute, he simply refused to talk to any of them. Anyone who wanted to hurt him was an enemy; anyone who wanted to help him was an even greater threat. Adam thought society needed repaired, not him.
***
He slept most of the day, dreamed little, oblivious to the world outside as well as within.
At 2:12 P.M. he woke up and turned on the television. Jillian Johnson, a local newswoman with lots of cleavage, appeared on screen. She spoke into a microphone, "If you've seen either person, Ronald or Emma Lostone , please call your local police department."
The camera cut to a news anchor. " If you're just tuning in with us, Mr. Ronald and Emma Lostone, age 18 and 19, of Berry Township, were reported missing two days ago."
"Hmm," Adam mumbled. "Big news for this valley." Berry Township, an even smaller town than Blake County , was right across the river from the McNicols'.
Not
"That's it, Adam, I've had enough! You break things in my house, you pay the consequences."
"It's my fucking room. I can do whatever the hell I want . Just—go away!"
"No. I'm not leaving till you get ready and go to school."
Adam shut his eyes. Sleep was here, right around the bin.
"Adam!"
Sleep was gone as sudden as a flick of the fingers. "Jesus Christ, lay off me! You can't make me do shit !"
She stepped over to him and went to grab his foot, but he pulled his leg away so quickly that he put a small dent in the wall with his heel.
"This is ridiculous! You've missed more days of school so far this year than you went."
"Big whoop! I fucking despise school!"
"Love it or hate it, you're going to deal with it." She went to grab his foot again. He screamed as soon as her flesh touched his.
"No. Not again. Day after day you do this—"
"Then get a clue! School's a bunch of horseshit! I do not belong there."
"Yes, you do. I am so tired of this. Every day after day you pull this stunt, and it's getting old real fast—"
“ You're getting old real fast! You get on my nerves every day, making me go— grrrr !"
They eyed each other down like two solemn gunslingers.
"I ain't going. Nope."
"Then your friend isn't staying this weekend."
Again, that murderous glare. "Yes, he will!"
"If you get ready for school, yes."
Adam stood up and pounded out of the room. If only I could dropout... that thought was glorious. Nobody to pick on him again, ignore him, cut him down like a dead tree.
As he rushed down the hall to distance himself from Angela, she stepped out of his room and said, "Adam, stop. Stop!"
"Tell it to someone who cares," he mumbled, too quietly for her to hear. Adam entered the bathroom and slammed the door, leaving a crack in the frame. Angela gasped.
Adam went to the tub and sat on the ledge. He knew she wasn't through but wished she was. Any minute and she'd come pounding on the door like a stubborn Jehova's witness.
Bang, bang, bang!
"Adam, open this door right now!"
He wiped away some oncoming snot with his sleeve.
"Adam, let me in! Now !"
"Go away."
"If I have to come in there—"
"Get away from me you fucking bitch! I hate you! You hear me, don't you?" He stood and went to the door. "I hate you. You're not a good mother at all. I hope you die. I hope you drop dead."
She stumbled away from the door, crying silently. She wasn't sure if he meant it or not, but it sounded genuine. Pain worse than childbirth.
She walked away, defeated, too drained of energy to combat her son any longer. Today he got his wish: no school.
He knew it was over. He even stopped crying. Today was all day television, food, a little writing, and maybe a call to Chris when he got home from school. Adam's life was really not so bad on days off from school.
Angela's life, however, was dampened on the days when he played hooky. How would he support himself, get a job, and experience life without a good education? She had tried therapists, psychologists, and psychiatrists, but none were able to get through to him. Like a mute, he simply refused to talk to any of them. Anyone who wanted to hurt him was an enemy; anyone who wanted to help him was an even greater threat. Adam thought society needed repaired, not him.
***
He slept most of the day, dreamed little, oblivious to the world outside as well as within.
At 2:12 P.M. he woke up and turned on the television. Jillian Johnson, a local newswoman with lots of cleavage, appeared on screen. She spoke into a microphone, "If you've seen either person, Ronald or Emma Lostone , please call your local police department."
The camera cut to a news anchor. " If you're just tuning in with us, Mr. Ronald and Emma Lostone, age 18 and 19, of Berry Township, were reported missing two days ago."
"Hmm," Adam mumbled. "Big news for this valley." Berry Township, an even smaller town than Blake County , was right across the river from the McNicols'.
Not
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