Mind games

Chapter one

"I began the day as I always had. It was almost so routine that it was hard to imagine how things could have been any different today, and yet, here I am, right?"

I gave a small laugh. It sat on the border line of nervous and psychotic. The guidance councillor was not laughing with me.

"Well, anyway, I had a completely normal morning, where I just dropped my little sis off, I biked to school, and then i got pulled in here. I don't really know why, but you don't seem to be very keen on telling me..." I trailed off here. He wanted me to continue speaking, but that really was all.

I sat there for a while, and wondered if he was waiting for me to say something more. But he made a large sigh, and grabbed a paper from atop a large clipboard.

"Detention. Tonight."

I looked at him, surprised. He continued to write on his clipboard, and began to speak.

"It will help you. Believe me, I know what you are going through right now. I really don't know what compelled you to graffiti that wall right up, but I was once in the exact same circumstance."

I really didn't care about the fact that he (wrongly) thought that I had graffitted anything. To be honest, I didn't have enough time to do most things, forget about graffiti. But tonight, I had to watch my sister, just like any routine Tuesday night. My parents would both be working late, a babysitter was too much- I went over the reasons I had to watch her every week because although I love her, she can be very trying.

"I'm sorry, but tonight won't work, I am watching my little sister, and I can't really spare the time, any other night really," I continued to babble as I got out of my seat. If I got out before he could tell me what time, I could simply say I wanted to show up, but i just could not today, any especially because I didn't know the time and-

"Tonight, and tomorrow, and until we think that you've learned your lesson. Four. Ms. Smiths room. Be there or else."

"Or else what?"

"Don't try me!" He shouted. "You have cost the school hundreds of dollars!"

"I didn't do it! Do you have any proof of me doing this?"

"We have all the proof we need. Bring your sister along with you if you must! Just be here tonight at six. If you don't we will expel you."

"For not showing up to detention?" I screamed. People outside of the room were looking inside with mild curiosity. I felt my face turning a bright red. "So you want me to bring a little girl to the detention room?"

"Yes. It will be fine! There's a teacher there the whole time."

And so at four after school on a Tuesday, I brought me sister to school with me. It was surprising that she actually didn't mind going. Of course, I had told her that it was a "super-special big girl day," and then she was all smiles.

"Will I get to draw just like a big girl?" She said, carrying all of her markers in a big unicorn tote bag.

"Yep.

"Will I get to put my art in front of the class like a big girl?"

"Nope. You can give it to mom, though."

"But I want to put it in front of the class."

Sensing a temper tantrum on the rise, I held her hand.

"Listen, Marie: I will do everything I can to get your art hung up, but it might not happen. Are you OK with that?"

She gave a big sigh, and made sure I could see that her eyes made a full rotation. After a few seconds, though, she was skipping again.