Nicholas Overwhelmed [Published Version]

Chapter 9: Pressured

    I keep thinking about what the website said.
When we arrived at school, I asked Jace and Oliver, "Do you guys like Henry?" Oliver mumbled, so I barely knew what he said. Jace said, "I mean, he's okay. He's nicer online."
I answer, "Yeah, I know. He has to be, his parents are there and his dad is really, what's the word...crazy." Jace kind of agreed with me. We saw Henry and he started talking. I just skipped ahead and started walking to my class. We had a spelling test today and one of the words is "pressured" and when I started writing the word, I thought to myself, "Am I being pressured too much lately?"
I got that thought out of my mind and started walking home. When I went inside, I heard my parents arguing as loud as they could. I remember Miss Florida saying something like she is engaged and she won't be coming to teach us for a whole month.
                    ~
"No! Of course not! I don't care about the kids and you! You guys are all dead to me! Especially that sensitive one of yours," My dad said, screaming.
"Really! Okay, fine, then we are getting a divorce!" My mom said fighting back. Then our doorbell rang.
"Hi! I'm Gloria! So nice to steal your husband from you this evening!" She started cackling.
"Wait, you're Nicholas's teacher. Miss Florida!?"
"Oh! Not Miss, now Mrs!" Then I came down. Miss Florida said, "Nicholas! Oh what a wonderful surprise! Oh by the way...I QUIT!" That news did not hit me as much as I thought.
I yelled, "How are you even going to even make money? Idiot!"
My mom yelled back, "Yeah! Idiot! You too Noah!"
Then Gloria and Noah left. Brayden left with them. "Brayden! NO! You're staying here!"
"No! I'm not! I'm going with the BETTER mother." Mom marched upstairs. I looked at Julia, she nodded her head, and went upstairs. Now it was only me in the middle of the room.
At school, I told Jace everything that happened. Our substitute was Mr. Knock.
"I'm sorry." Jace said. Then, Henry had to come say, "Eh, it's life." Then he took out a drink. I said, "You know that ruins your teeth, right?"
"No it doesn't."
"Yes, it does."
"No, bro stop."
"Okay...okay...I'm just telling you because you got your braces off."
"Whatever."
In my head, at that time, I wanted to say, "You're just an idiot. You don't know anything. You just want attention." Then, Jace comes.
"Hey, everything alright?" he asks.
"No," I say, "nothing's alright."
Jace then walks away.
I walk home and I see mom on the couch on her phone. She's laughing, "Oh - my - god! Having your dad gone is so great! How was your day?!"
"Uh...good?"
"Okay, good! By the way, we are going to have the divorce soon, so you know." I just say, "Okay!"
But, the way Henry said those things to me still makes me feel like I'm a problem somewhere and somehow.