The beanbag boys

Harvey

Mom wasn't home again, tomorrow is my first day at middle school and she's not even here. Eliza my big sister is packing my bag for me and telling me it's all going to be okay. She's misunderstanding the situation, I'm not worried about tomorrow, I love meeting new people and making new friends. I'm just angry that mom couldn't be here to kiss me on the head and tell me to go to sleep ready for my big day like she did in kindergarten.

I didn't have many friends in my last school, they all bullied me for having a lisp. I forgive them for it though I'm sure they didn't mean it, life can be frustrating when you're just a kid and if by taking it out on me I made them feel better then I'm glad I took away their bad vibes.

The house is dimly lit and both me and Eliza are waiting to eat dinner, waiting once again for mom to come home from the night shift. Why am I awake at 12am on a Sunday the day before school starts? Because I refuse to eat when moms not at the table, sure the foods cold and my eyes are slowly closing and my sisters growing more and more frustrated by the minute but I can't imagine how mom would feel eating dinner all by herself so I wait for her. Every night.

Eventually she returned home with sleepy eyes shooting me a soft smile before her eyelids snapped shut, she lazily dragged herself up the stairs not giving us a second thought. I sighed to myself as Eliza shook her head.

"Harvey don't think anything of it I promise she cares she's just-" she started.
"Tired. I know" I muttered poking my fork into my now cold pasta. I dropped the fork on the plate and hurried upstairs tears brimming in my eyelids. I love her, and I understand working is tiring for her as a nurse, but I just want her to see how well I'm doing, how kind I am, I just want her to be proud of me.

I slowly peered around her bedroom door hoping to get at least a small chat with her but she had already passed out in her bed, I turned around and got into my own bed staring at the ceiling.
"It's going to get better" I said to myself quietly.

Eventually after about an hour sleep had taken over my own body and I had drifted off into a deep sleep. I had remembered to set me alarm for seven am for the next morning being sure not to be late for school. This year I'm keeping my head down, no girlfriends, just good grades and a good reputation and the rest will come together by itself.

The next morning I woke up before my alarm from excitement. I put on my outfit that I had planned out the night before which consisted of jeans and a white polo shirt with some brown shoes. I brushed my fluffy brown hair and brushed my teeth before hurrying into my seventeen year old sisters bedroom to say goodbye.

"I'll walk you if you like?" She offered sitting up sleepily, her hair was frizzy and matted and her mascara stained her eyelids from the night before.
"No El it's okay go back to sleep I got this" I smiled quietly shutting my door. I wrote mom a note saying what time I'd be back by on the kitchen counter before leaving.

Once I ended up outside of the school the nerves filled me up inside. My hands began to shake and my forehead began to sweat. Maybe I should just go home, I thought. Maybe I do need my big sister. But that was when I saw a boy from across me refusing to leave his dads side. Holding onto it tightly. His dad was trying desperately to convince him to go but he looked so frightened. I took a deep breath in and made my way over to them.

"Hello, I'm Harvey what's your name?" I asked as the brown eyed boy turned to look at me his brows furrowing.
"I-I'm Charlie" he responded.
"Great! I'm Harvey I can go in with you if you like?" I suggested as he nodded.