The Broken Date

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Jack's POV:

"I'm sorry, Chris. Zoomey is not a word."

"Of course it is," Chris insisted, refusing to pick up the letters from the board.

"Don't be stupid," I said.

"Don't call your brother stupid," My ma said from across the room.

"Chris, I'm not going to play Scrabble with you if you insist on making words like zoomey," I said, not meaning to sound as angry as I did.

"But zoomey is a word," Chris whined. "Don't you ever feel zoomey?"

"Aaaaagggh!"

"Jack, don't scream at your brother. Why can't you two ever play a game without screaming at each other?" My ma was watching an old movie on TV and listening to the Scrabble game at the same time.

"I'm going to bed," My dad said. "I like to turn in on Sunday night. It gives me a good head start for the week." he started toward the stairs.

"Head start for what?" My ma had to comment on every word that was said, whether it required comment or not. "Are you in a race."

My dad ignored the question and continued up the stairs.

"Why do you have to pick on Dad?" I asked irritably."Because I get tired of picking on you," My ma cracked.

"No, you don't. You never get tired of picking on me," I said.

Why was I doing this? Why was I starting a fight with my ma for no reason at all?

"Ok, ok," Chris said. He pulled up the letters and slammed some new ones onto the board with his stubby fingers.

"Zoomoid?" I cried. "Are you crazy?"

"Don't call your brother crazy," came the remark across the room.

"Leave us alone and let us play!" I screamed, feeling myself lose control but not able to do anything about it.

"Don't scream at me, Sean." My ma started switching from channel to channel with her remote control unit.

"Don't call me, Sean!" I shouted. "I hate when you call me Sean!"

"Ok, ok," Chris said, holding his hands over his ears to block out the shrill voices. "I'll change the word. I'll make it zoom."

"Just calm down, my ma said. "Don't get hysterical."

"How about zoomer?" Chris suggested, plunking an E and R down on the board. "You know, the plane is a real zoomer."

"I quit! I've had it!" I tilted the board, spilling all of the letters onto the table, pushed back my chair and ran up to my room."

"What's the matter with her?" I heard Chris ask.

"She's upset because Mark's father was in a car accident," My ma explained.

I should only know why I'm upset! I thought.

"But why'd he have to wreck the game?" Chris asked disgustedly.

I slammed the door to my room.

I was furious at myself for behaving like such an idiot. And now I'd have to spend all of breakfast apologizing to Chris for spoiling the game, and to my ma for throwing a fit.

"Aaaaggggh!"

I picked my chemistry notebook off the desk and heaved it at the wall. Its spine hit with a loud thud, and all of the pages flew out and scattered over the floor.