Behave Yourself

You're supposed to be working

Chapter 45

*Short Chapter*

Thursday, 10:43 am

In the bunker

Katie's POV

Uncle Dean: You're supposed to be working.

Katie: I am working. I'm just taking a break to stretch my legs.

Uncle Dean: Like the leg that you're supposed to be staying off of?

I'm on crutches, so technically, I am staying off of my leg. I'm not applying pressure to my ankle, so technically, I'm staying off of it.

Katie: I'm using my crutches. It's fine.

Uncle Dean: Kid, you can't keep walking around on that ankle, and then complaining that it hurts. It hurts because you won't sit down.

Katie: What does that have to do with anything?

Uncle Dean: You're still standing on that ankle.

Katie: No, I'm not. I'm on crutches.

Uncle Dean: You're not supposed to be up, at all. You're supposed to be doing your school work. Get back in there.

Katie: No. I'm-

Dad: Katelyn Grace. He warns as he walks in to the living room.

Katie: Hi, Daddy.

Dad: Don't. Why are you arguing with Dean?

Katie: I'm not. I was just-

Dad: Arguing because you don't wanna do your school work.

Katie: I've been working for-

Dad: An hour. You've been working for an hour. You haven't been working for long enough to need a break. So go back in there and do some work. You can take a break in a few hours, after you've done more than one subject.

This is ridiculous. I wanna take a break, so I should be able to take a damn break. This shouldn't be a debate. It's not up to Dad. It's up to me. He's not the one who has to deal with Algebra. I am. So I'm the one who gets to decide whether or not I take a break.

Katie: No.

Dad: "No"?

Katie: No.

Dad: Katie, I'm trying to be patient with you because of your ankle, but you're making it very difficult. You're either gonna go back in there and do your school work, or you're gonna get spanked, then you're gonna do your school work on a sore ass.

Katie: I don't want a spanking.

Dad: Then go do your school work. I'm not gonna tell you again.

I don't want a spanking. Having a broken ankle is painful enough. I don't need a sore ass, too. I guess I'll just go do the stupid work, so that I can be done with it.

Katie: Fine.

I leave the room and go back to the library, where I left my lesson playing. I was gonna let it play while I bugged Uncle Dean. But that plan failed. The lesson's not even done playing yet. I've been gone for a while, and it's still playing? How long is this thing? I check the lesson and see that it's an hour and a half long. There's no way in hell that I'm gonna sit through an hour and a half of Algebra. Hell no. Absolutely fucking not.

Katie: There's gotta be a way to skip this. I say to myself.

Dad: Well there's not.

I jump in surprise, having not known that Dad was in here.

Dad: So listen and take notes.

"So listen and take notes". Who the fuck do you think I am? I'm not some fucking nerd. I'm not gonna waste my time taking notes, when I'd rather be doing literally anything else.

Katie: I can't listen if it's boring. And if it's too boring for me to listen to, then how do you expect me to take notes?

Dad: Do I have to sit in here to make sure you do your work?

Katie: No. I'm perfectly capable of doing it by myself.

Dad: You're not acting "perfectly capable".

Katie: I'm perfectly capable of doing any other subject, that's not this one. This one's boring and stupid, and I can't focus on it because of how boring and stupid it is.

Dad: I'm gonna help you, so that you can be done for the day. Would you be able to focus then?

Katie: Maybe.

Dad: Kid, if you want somebody to sit with you while you do your work, all you have to do is ask. You know that, right? All you have to do is ask, and one of us will gladly sit through your lessons with you. He says as he sits down next to me.

Katie: It's boring to me, so it's probably boring to you, too. You don't have to sit through it if you don't want to.

Dad: But we'll sit with you, if you want us to.

Katie: But-

Dad: But nothing. If you get lonely while you're working, and you want somebody to come sit with you, ask. We'll be glad to come sit with you and help you while you work. Ok?

Katie: Ok.

Dad: Now that I'm here, do you think you need help with your work?

Katie: Yeah.

Dad: Alright. What part do you need help with?

Katie: I don't know.

Dad: Do you want me to walk you through it?

Katie: Yeah.

He walks me through my Algebra lesson, and I try my best to pay attention. My best isn't working. This is so boring. How the hell am I supposed to pay attention to something, when it's this boring? I'd actually rather drink expired milk. A full carton, to be specific. I'd rather be doing anything else. ANYTHING! Anything that doesn't involve Algebra. But what else have I got to do? I'm still grounded for dying my hair. I thought for sure that Dad would unground me, after I broke my ankle. I thought he'd feel bad and lift my grounding. I was wrong.

Dad: Alright. Looks like you're done for the day. He says, pulling me out of my thoughts.

Katie: Can I go do something else?

Dad: You can go do something else.

Katie: I'm gonna go play Minecraft. I say while leaving the room.

I'd go back to my original plan of bothering Uncle Dean, but he's sleeping, on the couch. So I'll just go play Minecraft, until he wakes up.