I could hear my dad yelling at me from downstairs. Dinner was probably ready, but as usual I wasn’t hungry. He just liked to see me eat so he could feel like a good dad or something. I kept my music playing and sauntered downstairs to the kitchen.
“Could you take your headphones off Wyatt?” My dad asked me. I lifted them off my head and put them around my neck with the music still playing loud enough for me to hear it.
“And could you turn off the music while we eat? Geez Wyatt do we have to do this every time we eat food. It’s constant and I’m sick of it. So from now on there’s no music allowed in the kitchen.” My dad thinks he can just make whatever rules he wants so that he could get me to have conversations with him.
I played with my food for a while and avoided every question my dad asked.
“So how was your day?” He would ask, and I would just reply with “ok.” And that’ how it worked with us. He tried to talk to me, and I didn’t try to talk to him. And plus the fact that I had hit Trent after school. He would get so mad, and probably ground me, or some lame punishment that he thinks of.
I’m supposed to get good grades. So I get average grades. I’m supposed to dress nice. So I dress in a t-shirt and jeans. I’m just sick of what my dad wants me to be, and I want to be whatever I am. Mom always told me I could be whatever I wanted to be, or whatever I was best at. But when since she isn’t here my dad want’s me to go to a good college, get some dumb boring job, and be successful.
After my dad finished his food I told him I was full, and got up from the table to put my dish in the sink. I think he got tired of trying because he didn’t say a word when I grabbed my skateboard and walked out the door. I didn’t know where I planned on going at 7:00 at night, but I had to get away.
I just rode and rode for a while until I passed the park. It was this little park surrounded by trees, with a playground in the middle and a swing set next to it. It’s rarely used, and almost a little haunting when you look at it for too long. But since there was nobody there, and all I wanted was to be alone, I picked up my skateboard and walked through the grass to the swing set. It was starting to get dark, but it didn’t matter to me. I just sat down on the swing set and when I moved the rusted swing squeaked.
I sat there until it was completely dark, and even then I still swung back and forth while listening to the squeak of rusted chains. There were street lights that illuminated the park slightly, but it still had a mysterious darkness that cloaked the area.
I grabbed my phone out of my pocket and saw that my dad had messaged me a few times asking where I was. I knew I worried him, but I had this idea in my head, that if I ignored him and stayed away from him I wouldn’t get as close to him as I did with Mom. I wasn’t making the mistake of getting close to anyone. Because my life was just one big bad ending.
As I was looking at my phone I heard something right next to me. I looked up and saw someone sitting on the other swing right next to me. It scared the hell out me, and when I saw the person I freaked out and fell off the swing.
“What the hell is your problem?” I asked the person. They had the hood of their jacket pulled over the head, and from my view on the ground I couldn’t tell if it was a boy or girl.
“Am I not allowed to sit here?” A girls voice said.
“Your allowed to sit there, but you're not allowed to sneak up on me and scare me to death! Geez you almost gave me a heart attack.” I retorted back. I got up and brushed the wood chips off my back.
“Why are you at the park so late?” She asked me.
“None of your business. It’s not that late anyway. And I’m Wyatt by the way, strange person who scares people.” I answered.
“I know you. And I was just curious, I’m here because I like the way the stars look here.” She said.
“Well I’m happy you know me, but I still don’t know you. And I didn’t ask why you were here. In fact I think I’m going to be somewhere else very soon.” I said turning away from her.
“Ok goodbye, see you tomorrow?” She said as if expecting me to say yes.
“I really don’t know you, and I don’t think I will be coming back here at night.” I said. I grabbed my skateboard and walked away from the strange girl. I didn’t care enough to ask her any more questions, and I really just wanted to get away from her.
How the hell did she know who I was? And why was she wearing her hood up, and keeping her face turned away from me. Whoever she was, she creeped me out totally. And now I’ve learned my lesson about going to parks at night.
I skated down the streets and liked how there were gaps of darkness where the streetlights didn’t reach. I turned the corners, and finally reached my depressing looking house. In the dark it looked especially sad, and the grey house looked darker than any of the other houses.
I got the usual scolding from my dad, and then went upstairs to my bedroom. Putting on my headphones once again I lay down on my bed and drifted off into sleep. I was dreading tomorrow, because that meant school. And school meant Trent. And Trent meant possible death. Wait let me rephrase that. Trent meant impending doom.
