hold my hand, darling. i'll guide the way

useless

The walk back home was riddled with trouble. The sky was dark and Jungkook's cane was his only defense. He slid it over the bumps on the ground and tried to take large steps.

It was a little past five in the afternoon when Jungkook finally made it home, and he knew he was in big trouble because there was a cop standing outside on the front porch, chatting with his father. His feet slowed down and he stopped a few feet away.

"Where have you been?" His father rushed up to him and wrapped big arms around his shoulders, pushing him into a hug that made Jungkook tense up. "I've been worried sick! Why haven't you been answering my calls? Why didn't you text me back?"

"Sorry," Jungkook said, studying the ground. "My phone was dead."

It was a lie. Jungkook hated going on his phone. He hated going on it because it made him feel incompetent. While normal phones operated by touch, his was designed to respond to his voice. He could do whatever he wanted with it simply by speaking aloud. He didn't even have to look at the screen. He hated going on it and so his phone was almost always at full battery percentage.

"Well, what took you so long to get home? Your school has been out for two hours, Jungkook. You should have been home at 3:20, not 5 o'clock! Do you know how worried I was when I came home from work and you weren't home? I called the police!"

The cop on the porch fidgeted awkwardly.

"Sorry," Jungkook mumbled. "I stopped at the park."

His father's eyes narrowed. "You stopped at the park?" It wasn't a question. "Why would you stop at the park when your phone is dead? You know better than that! What have I told you about going places without telling me!"

He was shouting now, and Jungkook felt tears brimming at the corners of his eyes. His father didn't get it. He didn't understand.

Sometimes, Jungkook just needed to be alone.

"You know what? I don't even want to look at you right now. Go to your room, no dinner tonight." His father turned away and crossed his arms.

A tear slid down Jungkook's cheek. It was so tiring to be so helpless. He was useless. His eyes were useless.

What was the point in being a teenager if he wasn't even allowed to explore the world? His own father didn't even want him out of the house because he was a weak fragile little thing that could break at any moment.

Jungkook wiped away his tears and trudged up the stairs. The cop nodded to him on his way up.

He wished he could be as strong as a police officer.