School Days

3) Shipping Dilemmas Pt 1 (Robin POV)

I took a bite of my oatmeal, making sure it was cool enough to eat without scorching my tongue (trust me, the texture of burnt taste buds is the last thing anyone wants to experience). Thankfully it was. My mother stood a few steps next to me, getting ready to go to work for the day. It was always the same old, same old, regardless of if it was a school day or not. To explain, I am an only child and my mother is the sole provider of our home. I've used to have a father— does he even deserve to still be called that? But let's just say things were complicated between my parents. To explain, my father wasn't exactly the best person. Not only was he absent most of the time, but when he was present, just being around him was a anxiety inducing novella in itself. Part of me could have almost sworn he was in a cult or something... no— he was definitely in a cult alright. Glancing back at the strict rules my mother and I had to abide to when he was around were almost identical to giving up your own mind and free will just to appease some god of sorts. If, it even could be called such of course.

No wonder my mother often wanted me to go over the Lowell's house.

But nevertheless, his antics are forever done and over with thankfully and good riddance to that. If there is anything I won't lie about, it's about the tedious custody battle my mother went through during their divorce. Let's just say I've never witnessed so much terror in my mother's eyes. It was as if my father placed the fear of god in her. Thankfully she managed to get a lawyer who was able to convince the judge of my father's instability and morbid tendencies. Ever since then, he's been out of my life and I wouldn't have it any other way to be honest. And no, I don't want to even know about his current whereabouts either.

Thankfully I'm not the only one with such an lousy excuse for a father. I remember Shulk telling me that his father was no saint either. Wasn't fond of the fact that not only did his mother have trouble conceiving (both Shulk and his brother are miracle babies in a sense), they also weren't born the way he wanted them to be. What I mean by that is both of them tend to really struggle with social interactions despite their high intelligence. He was so disgusted with them just because of their brains are wired differently from the average individual and went far enough to refer to them as freaks and mistakes. Shulk remembered his explosive outburst vividly and he was only five when this whole shebang happened. Let's just say his grandfather being livid would be an understatement. This could also probably explain why his brother definitely has issues when it comes to things such as relationships in general. Just being seen as nothing but a grotesque monster is enough to cause anyone distress and self-esteem issues really. Still doesn't excuse his behavior nowadays though.

Anyhow— I should really stop thinking about this. The last thing I need is to sour my own mood. And in the morning nonetheless. 

Still, to think that today's the first day of my senior year. My last and final year of high school for crying out loud! You really don't realize how fast time flies until it smacks you in the face with full force. I take another bite of my oatmeal while my mother turned her gaze towards me. She smiled from ear to ear, adjusting her bun on the back of her head.

"So," my mother asked gently, "Are you ready to start your senior year? And to think you were once so small." She flashed another smile afterwards after fawning over my younger years.

"Well," I answered, taking the last bite of my oatmeal before resuming on. "Despite feeling a bit nervous, absolutely."

To be honest, the first day of school was always kind of daunting for me, even when I was just a kid. I always saw school as nothing but a measly chore, one which kept me prisoner for so long, succumbing me into an endless sea of exasperating, groan inducing lectures filled to the brim with information I already had learned prior. In addition, some instructors fail to emphasize the importance of learning enough while others shoved it down our throats, having impossibly high expectations which exceed beyond our maximum capacities. It also did not help that some of my peers base their entire school career and self-worth based upon marks such as grades alongside their cumulative grade point average while others could honestly care less. Then there are those who base their entire persona based on their social standing in the school hierarchy and make that their entire personality trait. Talk about being both hollow and plastic.