Switching Lives

Agree to Disagree

I only have two more days until summer and those two days couldn't come fast enough. It's seems my teachers find more ways to hate me and Kate has found more food to spill on me. Most of my grades are currently low A's or high B's while everyone else in my classes have high A's. Even the kids who don't care about school have better grades than me. What I never understood was why they hated me. Up until a year before Aiden was gone the teachers loved him. Then he met this guy and the teachers turned on him. Being close to Aiden seemed to have demoted my position on the teachers kid-of-the-year award and for reasons I will never know.

I shake out my thoughts as I reach my apartment door.

"Dad?" I call out as I make my way to the kitchen. "Dad?" I call again when I see him staring out the window above the sink. He turns towards me.

"Oh Margo. I didn't hear you come in. How was school?"

"You really want me to answer that?" I ask raising an eyebrow. When it seems like he's not listening anymore I walk over to the sink. "Dad? Are you okay?"

"Huh? Yeah I'm fine sweetie."

"You're lying. What's up?"

"Well um, funny story actually." He mutters. When I don't speak he continues. "Well you know how we've been tight on money right?" I nod. "Well we might be losing the house."

"But Dad-"

"Honey, I know. But we don't have a choice. I haven't sold anything in a while and I don't have the money to pay rent. Not by myself-" He pauses again and runs his hand over his face. "I thought about this for a really long time and I know you won't agree with my decision-"

"Dad. What are you talking about?" I ask getting scared by each second that he doesn't answer. "Dad?" I repeat. "What are you talking about?"

"You're going to live with your Mom." There's a minute of silence. Then two. Then three.

"No. No. I refuse to go. I'm gonna stay and help you work this out. It's almost summer. I can get a job and-"

"Margo. You're going to live with your Mom. I've already called her and she said you are more than welcome."

"No Dad! I'm not going! You can't make me!"

"You are under my roof! You will listen to my rules!"

"You just said so yourself! You won't have this roof much longer! I need to stay and help you! I don't need to stay with Mom!"

"Margo you are only sixteen. You shouldn't have to be worrying about this kind of stuff just yet."

"But instead I should be going to see my Mom who abandoned me when I needed her most? Are you fucking serious?" I yell.

"Watch your tone!" Dad yells back.

"No! She left us! I refuse to go live with the woman who slept around while everyone else was mourning! Her own son! And she couldn't help anyone but herself! She's a narcissist bitch!"

"Margo! Watch your mouth!" I went silent. I've never heard my dad yell that loud. Even when Aiden had girls sneak out in the mornings, came home drunk, or even threw his parties here. I feel a tear fall and soon the whole flood starts.

"Dad please don't make me go. I don't want to go. I want to stay here with you. This is my home."

"A home should never be the place where your bullied and abused by classmates and teachers Margo."

"But you're my home. I don't care if we're living in an apartment, a shack, a box, or under a bridge. You're my only family. You're all I have left! Please, please don't make me go." I beg. He comes over to me and cuffs my cheeks. We stare at each other and he wipes my tears away.