Strictly Breaking the Rules

Standing Up

"Madison Leanne Topher!"

I knew it. I knew I had it coming. Trudging downstairs, my parents were waiting for me in their usual chairs, once they sat in when we had a family talk. Those family talks usually ended with me and Adrian getting in trouble. They both glared at me with murderous eyes. I kept my head down to avoid there gazes. When I reach the bottom step, I dangled my foot over the floor, I was contemplating on whether or not I should run upstairs.

"Yes?" I looked at both of their faces. Oh yeah, they were ready.

"Sit." Diane pointed to the victim chair. I sat down slowly, making sure I didn't have eye contact with either of them. I played with my fingers as they talked.

"It seems that grades are not up to standard." Richard said firmly. "Care to explain?"

I sighed. "I can't."

Richard leaned forward in his seat. "That's not an answer I want to hear. You know why your grades are slipping, and I want to know."

I thought up an excuse. "It's stressful. Adrian and I try to do well but it seems like everything we do isn't good enough for you guys, nothing ever is."

"Don't bring me into your discussion." Adrian yelled from the back of the house

Did I really say that? I think I did. I could literally feel their eyes on me, I just had a really strong feeling that they were. Maybe now that I said that they would loosen up and let me be an actual teenage instead of cooping me up all the time of the day.

I looked up. Richard face was so intense and red, I thought that he just might explode. Finally after an immeasurable amount of time, his mouth moved.

"You're damn right its not good enough."

Diane and I gasped. That was the first time I've ever heard my dad use that kind of language. No one in our house ever talked like that.

"Richard, don't." Diane clutched his hand.

"No." He snatched it away and rose up, walking over towards me, anger evident on his face. Yep, it was coming. Here it comes.

"Do you think any college is going to accept you if your grades aren't good enough. Your mother and I strive t o help you, but it seems like you'd like to be an ungrateful rat and complain about how we make things 'too hard' for you guys."

I didn't want to hear this."You don't know what it's like to be me."

Richard turned pink in the face. "Please do inform us on the hard obstacles you face on a daily basis."

I stood up so we could be face to face. "For one, you treat me like a prisoner. I'm only seventeen! I've never gotten to do anything that I want to do, its always what you guys want."

"Your career and college all depend on your grades." He snapped

"All you guys ever talk about is grades! Am I that untalented? I never get any praise, nothing is good enough." I retorted

"Do you honestly believe that your math grade deserves praise?" Diane stepped in. I knew this was bound to happen as well.

"No." I said under my breath.

"Speak up!" Richard boomed.

"I don't have anything else to say." I give up. There's nothing else I could do. I'd never win this war.

"Well I do." He crossed his arms over his chest. "You're grounded. Go get your car keys."

I glowered at him. "I put them in the key bowl. That's where I put them everyday, because that's a rule."