Mother

Chapter 13

Julio's POV*

As I left the kitchen  trailing  behind Ivan, the heaviness of the conversation hung in the air like a storm cloud. Dad had been so serious, talking about "making things right," but it just felt like another empty promise.

I didn't even want to hear it. Six years of the same old excuses, and now he thinks he can cook some eggs and make everything better?

What a joke.

"Julio, do you think Dad's really gonna try this time?" Ivan's voice pulled me out of my thoughts. His question was sincere, but I could hear the uncertainty.

"Ivan, don't get your hopes up," I muttered, glancing at him. "He's said this all before. He's just feeling guilty because he knows he screwed up. This isn't gonna change anything."

Ivan fell quiet after that, and we both split off to our rooms. After getting ready I went to the garage and found Ivan already waiting for me. I entered a random car hoping Ivan could drive us to school today.

 The car ride was silent, i looked at Ivan, and I could tell he was thinking about it, probably hoping Dad was serious this time, but I wasn't going to let myself get pulled into that hope. Not again. The last time I believed him, he sent the twins away to boarding school. After that, it was like I couldn't even look at him the same way.

By the time we got to school, I was still fuming, my hands stuffed deep into my pockets. Ivan glanced at me as we walked through the front doors, looking unsure of what to say.

"Are you coming to art class today?" he asked, trying to break the tension.

"Yeah," I grumbled. "Might as well."

We made our way to class, but my mind was still stuck on Dad's words. The anger simmered inside me as I walked into the art room and dropped into my seat.

I slouched in my chair, arms crossed over my chest, staring blankly out the window. Ms. Thompson our new homeroom/art  teacher had introduced herself  and started the class, going on about how art was about "expressing yourself." Honestly, I couldn't care less. I'd already tuned her out the second she started talking. It was just another class I'd have to sit through until the bell finally rang.

I glanced over at Ivan. He was actually concentrating on his drawing, which annoyed me. I couldn't understand how he could take this stuff seriously. Art? Really? It wasn't like it mattered. We had real problems at home, and sitting here drawing whatever random thing Ms. Thompson was asking for felt like a waste of time.

The boys in the back were starting to get restless too, snickering and talking out loud to each other. I leaned back in my chair, barely even glancing at the paper, when Ms. Thompson came over, trying to keep her friendly teacher smile intact.

"Hey boys, have you come up with an idea for your drawings yet?" she asked, her voice that annoying mix of patience and encouragement.

I could feel her eyes on me, but I didn't even bother looking up. Nico muttered, "Nah, not doing this," making sure she could hear the defiance in his voice. I wasn't about to pretend like this was something I cared about either.

A couple of the other boys snickered, slouching lower in their seats. Anthony, sitting in the back, chimed in, "Yeah, we're not into this kiddie stuff," his tone mocking. It was stupid. All of it.

Ms. Thompson's smile stayed, but I could see the cracks in her patience. "Well, this isn't about being perfect at art. It's just about expressing yourself. Why don't you give it a try?" she said, trying to keep things light.

I let out an exaggerated sigh, loud enough so everyone could hear. I finally looked up at her, rolling my eyes. "Nah. This is stupid. I'm not wasting my time." My voice was flat, the sneer on my face making it clear I wasn't budging.

The room went quiet, and I could feel the other kids eyes on me now, waiting to see what would happen. I didn't care. This was dumb, and I wasn't about to sit here pretending like I was interested in drawing just because Ms. Thompson said so.

Ms. Thompson's tone shifted, more serious now. "Julio, in this class, we all participate. You don't have to be an artist, but you do need to give it a try. That's all I'm asking."

I stared at her, my face hardening. "You can ask all you want, but I'm not doing it." I shoved my chair back with a loud scrape, the legs screeching against the floor, and stood up. I was done with this.

"Julio," Ms. Thompson said, her voice firmer, "sit down, please."

But I didn't listen.  grabbing my backpack, I slung it over my shoulder, and walked toward the door without even bothering to look back. I wasn't about to sit through this crap. I didn't care if it was my first day with this teacher—she had no idea what was going on in my life. None of them did.

Ivan, still sitting at the table, hesitated for a second, glancing between me and Ms. Thompson.  shrugging, he stood up too, giving her a  tight lipped smile. "Sorry, Ms. Thompson." He murmered before following me out of the classroom.

—————————————

This chapter is a little bit shorter than the other ones. 901 words😊