voodoo doll // c.hood

10; the last straw

C A L U M

"Stupid, stupid, stupid!" I groan out aloud, cringing once again as I walk home thinking of how I acted so idiotically in front of Amity.

I've just finished 'serving my time' in detention and I was taking the longest way home, trying to put off confronting my parents as much as possible. Not that I don't love them, because honestly I do, but I know that as soon as I get home I'll be hassled and hassled with endless questions to why I am late from school, then they'll say something typical about soccer and I'll lock myself in my room for the rest of the night.

A gentle breeze blew causing the leaves on the trees to rustle ever so slightly. Since I'm taking the small, back streets home, it's quiet and virtually unpopulated, leaving me to my own thoughts. And of course I'm thinking of one thing as I walk this lonely road, which is how I acted like a complete wanker to Amity.

I can't believe I didn't stand up for her, I basically acted as if I didn't even know who she was. I should have stopped Colton. I should have called him out on being a dick head before he even had the chance to retaliate.

Why I am even friends with that jerk? I have literally nothing in common with him. Yeah, we're both on the soccer team together but nothing else unites us as friends. He doesn't even like FIFA. Not to mention that he is an inconsiderate moron that is an unnecessary jerk with a big ego who doesn't know when to shut his god damn mouth. Now that I think about it, I don't even really like him at all, but I guess the price of fitting in is you have to deal with the vain, popular students that are annoying and awfully persistent.

Wanting to focus on something besides dick heads- including myself-  and Amity, I rip off a bunch of low hanging leaves from a tree which shades the path way and play with them between my fingers. As I release them, the gentle breeze carries them away, taking my mind to a different place.

Too bad my house was drawing nearer and nearer. Sooner than I expected, I was already at the edge of our front lawn. I stand aligned with the front door.

"I guess it's time to face the music." I sigh, clasping onto the straps of my backpack and marching towards the door. I swing it open very slowly and close it in the very same manner, trying to make as little amount of noise as possible.

“Maybe if I just race to my room, I can avoid them and won't have to deal with the consequences” I think to myself.

So I begin to creep down the hallway with very soft steps as each foot touches the ground. I pass the lounge room, where my dad was situated watching some sports channel. I'd almost made it pass without him noticing, until the floor board beneath me creaks and echoes throughout the hallway. This catches his attention so I make the very rash decision to jog briskly to my room, but this is where I make my mistake.

"Calum, son! Is that you?" My dad calls and I cuss under my breath.

"Almost made it." I mutter.

"Calum?" Mum shuffles out of the kitchen with a tea towel in her hand, wiping off what I presume is food from her preparation of dinner.

"Hi, mum." I greet, awkwardly. "Hi, dad." I look down at the floor, avoiding their gaze.

"Son, what on earth are you doing home at," my father glances at his watch, "almost 6:00pm at night?!"

"Oh, is it that late?" I question, scratching the back of my neck and shrugging, receiving only a disapproving look from mum in reply. "Okay, okay. I may or may not have been in detention." The room was silent. "Leaning more towards may..." I add.

"Why were you in detention, young man?!" My mum scolds.

"I got in a fight with another kid, picking on me for stuffing up the soccer game. I couldn't let him ridicule me in front of everyone, because if one person starts doing it then the whole school thinks it okay to do it." I gulped, realizing how hypocritical I was being due to what had happened with Amity today.