Psychotic Kids '-' Eli Moskowitz

That's Enough!

“Yeah but you can’t quit” I groaned, trying to keep up with Demetri in the school hallway

“I got yelled at, got my ass kicked, and then gave him my money. You know who lives like that? Hookers”

He was determined not to come back. I knew Demetri would be good at karate if he wanted to try. But Demetri was so used to, and set on being a weird loner, that he couldn’t think of himself as anything else. He wouldn’t allow himself the ability to change and grow.

“Okay, one: don’t knock sex workers, you gotta respect them they make more money then you do. And two: He’s not that bad of a guy, you gotta give him a chance, you don’t know him like I do”

“That, that’s hooker talk” Demetri scoffed “And, I’ve listened to you complain about how horrible your dad is for the past sixteen years. Beside I don’t need to learn karate when I have you”

We reached the end of the hall, where Kyler was standing. He looked at us and spun around. I couldn’t help but smirk a little bit. It was a nice feeling. 

“Huh”

“See, no one’s gonna mess with you” 

I rolled my eyes, shaking my head.

“Don’t get too cocky. That was my dad’s downfall”

Demetri rolled my eyes in a very cocky way. Demetri had always been cocky ever since I’d known him. That’s why the three of us all got along. Demetri was cocky, I was used to cockyness, and Eli was too quiet to say anything about it.

~~

Miguel had been making eyes at Sam all day long and it was driving me nuts. In his defense I hadn’t brought up the years of emotional trauma she had caused me with him. The two of them were practically drooling over each other. It was pissing me off so much that Demetri had to text Eli to come out of class as he pulled me into the hallway. Eli had this ridiculous, super power of being able to calm me down. I’d never really noticed it before, but when Eli was around, the red just washed away, and I was able to think properly. He’d become my saving grace over the weaks as my anger started to get less and less manageable.

“Okay everybody fall in” my dad announced, coming out of his office in the dojo “Where is everyone? Crater face? Nose ring? Slingshot?”

Yeah, dad was big on nicknames if you can’t tell. 

“They quit sensei” Miguel mumbled

“Are you serious?” my dad sighed “... I mean good. That was a test. I wanted to see who the quitters are. Not you guys. You’re in it to win it right? You could be at home playing your icomputers, playing your video games, eating candy… Instead you’re here, doing push ups, learning how to fight. Lip, look, even Lip’s tougher than those guys. He’s no quitter” dad pointed to Eli

“Dad don’t-”

“Shut up Harley” dad hissed at me 

“Could you please not call me that?” Eli mumbled

My eyes widened, I’d never heard Eli speak up for himself. I was proud of him, although I was also worried about what dad would do.

“Excuse me what?”

“I-I said could you please not call me that” he said again

“Um- I’ll warm em up sensei” Miguel stepped in

“Yeah-”

“No no no, Lip has something he wants to say” dad stopped us “Sorry, speak up Lip. Or is your tongue messed up too? Are you one of those challenged kids?”

“Um- the doctor said I could be on the spectrum” he nodded

“I don’t know what that is, but get off it pronto. Alright?” My dad was so dumb sometimes “If you don’t want me to call you Lip then don’t have a weird lip can’t you get surgery for that?”

“I was born with a cleft lip, this is the scar from the surgery” he answered

“You mean it was worse before that? Or did the doctor just screw up? Because if this is the after photo that sucks man, you should sue”

“Dad, that's enough!” I shouted

“Can we just please change the topic?” Eli mumbled

“You don’t think I want to? It’s tough when it’s right in front of me” My dad glared back at me for yelling at him, and I knew I’d be going push ups “If you wanna be something other than a nerd with a scar on his lip, then you gotta flip the script, okay? I make fun of my daughter every day and she’s the toughest kid I know”

“Who doesn’t eat anything because of the things you say to her!” Eli exclaimed.

I was in shock. Had all the guys noticed this entire time? Had they just decided not to say anything? I was scared shitless. Luckily, my dad did what he always did, and ignored my existence, but I knew this would come up with Eli later. 

“Get a face tattoo or gouge your eye out, we’ll call you patch, alright- no don’t do that you’ll still look like a freak”

“Dad!” I screamed

My dad shoved me back by my shoulders, sticking a foot out behind me and tripping me hard onto my back. I watched as Eli ran out of the dojo, his hand covering lip. I wanted to kill my dad, but he had his foot on my chest and I couldn’t move.

“Oh great, really another quiter?” My dad muttered 

~~

After practice I had to ice practically every part of my body, because I had to fight Miguel and my dad as punishment for making a scene against my dad. I was still angry after practice, and I needed to let off some steam

“Do you have to be so hard on them?” I stormed into my dad’s office 

“Oh come on Harley. They’re a bunch of losers”

“Yeah well some of those losers are the only friends I’ve ever had”

“Yeah that tracks” dad nodded 

“And they’re your students. You wanted a full dojo, you got one”

“Not full like that” he corrected

“Yeah, I get it alright? They’re losers. Maybe I’m a loser too” I shrugged

“And me” Miguel came out from behind a wall

“Are you kidding me? Are you both gonna cry now too?”

“No it- nevermind it’s just…”

“You don’t know what it’s like to be us dad” I muttered

“See you tomorrow,” Miguel scoffed, leaving the room.

I followed after him. I know dad was doing what he thought was right. But he was a real jerk. Beggars can’t be chores and if we keep losing students, we’re not gonna be able to run anymore. God sometimes him, and his goddamn ego are so selfish.

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