mood rings

white

White- the person is experiencing high levels of stress, and high levels of anxiety

I looked down at the slip of paper, my hands shaking. They wouldn't stop trembling while I tried holding in the tears.

"You're going to regret this when you're working in some fast food restaurant for minimal wage. Dan, you're a smart kid with lots of potential to do something great. You've always been a intelligent kid, you just seem prone to bad decisions. That doesn't make you a bad person. I hope you reconsider this, but here. Please."

The counselor's words seemed to be on repeat in my head. I had always thought she hated me. But maybe it changes when you see a seventeen year old dropping out of school.
Ralph had somehow gotten me a job at a bar as the janitor, and I had applied to work at Taco Bell.

Without the money coming from my dad, and the money spent of the court and lawyers, her job just wouldn't give us enough money to keep our house. The bank gave us a small load, but that wouldn't last long.

The thing I hated the most was knowing that I would have to tell Kyle.

Once I had made a joke about dropping out, and he started a speech on reasons I shouldn't.
People like Kyle make me upset. They care way to much, and then in the end they just get fucked over.

---

I looked down to my hands, the folded piece of paper seeming to taunt me. It was silently mocking me.

"Was there anything in particular you wanted to talk about?" Kyle asked, his fingers carefully plucking out strands of the grass.

"No." I said quickly, avoiding his gaze.

"I can't tell something's bothering you. What's the paper if you don't mind me asking." He asked, his legs stretched in the street.

"Well uh you know my dad and everything." He nodded his head, waiting for the rest.

"I'm uh dropping out so I can make more money. I'm really fucking sorry." I finally said, thankful for my sunglasses. Otherwise he would be seeing the tears beginning to form.
Since I was a kid, I had always hated people to see me cry. It made me feel weak and vulnerable. Dad had always said that men don't cry, only boys. That was the last time I had ever let anybody see me shed a tear.

I could tell he was trying to come up with what to say.

"Look at me." He said quietly, his voice barely audible. He then carefully took off my glasses, using his finger to wipe away the tear that had began to fall.

He then took me by surprise and wrapped one of his long arms around me, pulling me closer to him.

"Shh. It's okay." Kyle soothed.

"Dan you're going to be okay. I'll make sure of it." He said, and then placed a soft kiss on my forehead. That's when I absolutely lost it.

I couldn't hold it back any longer. That's when the tears flowed harder, and I couldn't keep my sobs in any longer.

"I promise."