Sterling's Home For Troubled Boys

Chapter 1

Atlas' POV

"Atlas! Are you even listening to me!? This is serious shit! You can't just keep getting into fights, baby!" my mother scolds me from the front seat. I sit in the back seat, my father is silent. I can tell he's more pissed off than ever, he's dead silent, there's a vein popping out on his forehead, his fists are clenched, as well as his jaw.

"Atlas!" my mother shouts, "look at me!" she demands, trying to sound as gentle as possible but yet she fails horribly. "Look at me Atlas.", there it is. Her "death voice" is what I call it. Talk about bipolar. She's gentle one second, but the next she uses that damn voice. It used to scare the shit out of me, and don't get me wrong, it still does, just not as much as it used to.

I slowly look up, my eyes making contact with hers, which are glaring at me from the mirror. There they are, the matching dead eyes for her death voice. Both my parents use those eyes while they're mad. I've learned to mirror them, but it just doesn't hit the same, or at least I think so.

"Mijo..." she starts, her voice gentle but her eyes are giving the same dead eyes, "This fight tipped the bucket...you got expelled for christ sake! So that's why your father and I have decided to send you off to an...institution for troubled boys like you".

My eyes widen, "Are you fucking serious. You sending me off. But not just anywhere, to a fucking institution for "troubled" boys!?", I grit out, my fists clenched in anger.

"It'll be good for you Mijo...please trust me...I just want what's best for you. And these outbursts aren't healthy for you..." her eyes soften and voice remains gentle. I can tell she's sincere. Fucking hell...I hate it when I hurt her.

"...for how long?" I ask her slowly, she gives me a shocked expression, not expecting me to give in.

"Until they think you're eligible to go back home without any incidents...you'll go to a school over there, but you'll live with the owner of the institution, Mr.Sterling, and the other boys. We are temporarily giving him guardianship of you. Can I trust you lovebug?" She asks, I can tell she's sad that I'm leaving, but it was her and dad's idea.

"...yeah...I'm sorry mama..." I say quietly. She smiles softly and the discussion ends there.

I'm only going for her. I may hate her at times, and she does as well, but she's still my mother. Sure she's done and said shitty things to me, but for some reason I can't find in me to truly hate her. But if she wants me to go, I hope Mr. Stirring or whatever the fuck his name is, is prepared to deal with me. Because I plan on making shit difficult for him.