Why Would You Even Think That?

3

I open the door to the car and sweep off a pile of my mom's ungraded math assignments."Hey Noah! How did you get mom's car I drove here." I ask "Dad dropped me off and you left the door unlocked so I let myself in." He said and I looked away embarrassed, of course, I forgot to lock the car. "How's college?" I ask about changing the subject. "Who cares about college I want to know how your senior year is going." He said but the tone of his voice told me he yearned to tell me something. "What's wrong?" He looks at me "where did you get the idea something was wrong?" "It's pretty obvious that you're not telling me something." I reply he laughs "darn. You always know when something's up don't you Abby?" He gives me a strange look and says before I have time to reply he says "you can't tell anyone this ok?" He sticks out his pinky and we wrap them together like they're hugging. "The real reason I cam back home is that I dropped out of college." We pull out of the driveway and he shuts the door and runs inside before I can react. I get the mail as I walk up the driveway to my ugly brown house. When I open the door immediately I see two ripped trash bags on the ground. No doubt dad was going to throw them out but had to work. "Hey mom, hey dad!" I yelled before running up to my room. I walk into my room that's about the size of Nick's walk-in closet. Seriously all my friends have these huge bedrooms and houses. My room has a broken ceiling fan, a twin bed with sheets that used to be my parents, and a rickety old desk for all my possessions and schoolwork. The only thing I like In my room is the bi flag pinned up on the wall over my bed. I came out to my parents right before we moved. I left my dad a note right before we left the house so he could cool down before I saw him again. I told my mom in the airport and she freaked out. They were even more freaked out when I told them that my "best friend" Maria was actually a little more than that. I thought she was my girlfriend, turns out I was a  booty call. Of course, by the time they found out she had dumped me. Of course, my friends don't know. That would freak them all out especially Nick. I collapse on my bed and think about Noah. Why did he drop out? Eventually, that becomes too hard so I think of Leah until that becomes too hard. Then I do my homework, halfway through my U.S. History essay on why Columbus shouldn't be celebrated I get called down to dinner. We eat our steak and potatoes in silence until Noah says "I dropped out of college." My dad gets up and goes to the wood shop in the garage. He whenever he's angry he makes furniture. After that we finish in silence, I go back to my room and plug in my headphones so I don't have to hear them argue. I fall asleep to "Get your freak on" by Missy Elliot with finished homework strewn around me in a circle.