Falling Slowly

Pt.1|Ch.12

•••••Austyn's Perspective

'With the bravery of so many young boys'

"No,"

'The bravery of these young boys'

"No."

'These young boys' bravery led to the end of child labor in America'

I took a deep breath, staring the words down.

"Maybe you should take a break." My mom sat down next to me. "You've been writing this thing for the past two days without seeing the light of the sun."

"That's school for you." I mumbled, rubbing my eyes.

"Why don't you get out of the house for a little bit? See if any of your friends are doing anything tonight, maybe?"

"I have to finish this, though." I shook my head. "This is an important essay."

She nodded. "I know that, but you're working yourself to death. You still have half a week to finish it, and for the sake of your health, I think you should give it a rest."

I shrugged and put my fingers on the keys to retype the sentence again, but the computer was suddenly pulled out from underneath my hands.

"Mom!" I protested.

"No." She replied firmly. "Austyn Skye, I banish you from this house for the rest of the day. You are not allowed to come back until ten o'clock tonight. You are not to work on the essay, talk about the essay, or even think about the essay. Am I clear?"

I nodded. "Yes, mom."

"Good." She put the computer under her arm and stood from the couch. "I'll see you later. Call me if you need anything, but don't come back home unless it's an emergency. Oh, and you can take the car."

"Thanks, mom. See you tonight." I said, standing up and exiting the living room. I walked down the hallway to my room and headed inside, closing the door behind me.

After I'd changed into something more comfortable, I pulled my hair back and slipped a pair of converse on.

My phone was sitting atop the small nightstand next to my bed. I picked it up and opened Aiden and I's thread.

Aiden

«Hey, do you mind if I come over?»

«Not at all! Do you still have my address?»

«Yes. I'll be there in a couple minutes.»

«See you in a few»

I shut my phone off and slid it into my pocket and made my way to the front door, grabbing my jacket and car keys before heading outside.

Aiden's apartment wasn't too far from mine, but it was far enough that I dared not walk there, especially if I ended up having to walk back at night.

She opened the door seconds after the first knock and pulled me inside. "Good afternoon!" She greeted me cheerfully.

"Hi," I laughed at her enthusiasm. "Thank you for letting me invade your space for a bit. I've been working on this essay for the past few days, and my mom kicked me out of the house to get me away from it."

"Oh, so you're here to get your mind off school?"

I shrugged. "Pretty much."

She smiled. "I have the perfect remedy."