Rebel: Michael Clifford

Chapter 1

"Carmen," my dad says in the disappointed tone I know so well. "art is not a career. You need to pursue something stable, like a lawyer." and here comes the ever so familiar lecture about how I need to be more like him.

"Dad," I cut him off. "I'm going to be a photographer, it's my life I'll do what I want."

"You'll do whatever I want you to do as long as I'm paying for college." he protests.

"Then I guess I'm not going to college." I roll my eyes as I try to walk past him but he grabs my arm and pushes me back.

"Don't talk back to me!" He yells. "I am your father, you'll do as I say!"

"I am my own person, I don't have to answer to you!" I shout back.

"If you don't have to answer me then don't even bother coming home tonight."

"Whatever." I say walking past him and out to my car.

Why are parents so judgmental? Seriously, no matter what I do I get criticized. 'Carmen, don't spend all of your time studying.' 'Carmen, why have your grades dropped.' Um, maybe because you told me not to study as much.

I speed out of my driveway, hurrying to school. Thanks to my dad I'm late. But he doesn't care, he'll care though, when I get in trouble. I'll get yelled at for some thing that's his fault.

When I walk into school the bell for first period has already rang. The hallways are vacant except for, the one and only, Michael Clifford.

"Out of all the people who could be late for class, I'd never expect it to be Carmen Rose." he laughs.

"Can it, Michael Clifford, I'm not in the mood for your shit." I say walking past him, but he decides to join me. "can you please leave me alone."

"Carm, I have to go to the office too."

"Oh really? you aren't skipping class all together." Michael is not exactly a good person, he skips class and pays people to do his homework. He's been held back too.

"I got caught." he shrugs. "I have to go to class now, and I have to get a tutor, but no one wants to tutor me."

"Gee, I wonder why." I say sarcastically.

"Me too." he replies. "I'm the nicest person I know."

"You must not know a lot of people then." I laugh as we walk into the office.

The lady at the desk gives Michael a tired glance. "late again Clifford?"

"Like always." he smirks, taking his pass.

"Do me a favor," she says handing me mine. "make sure he actually gets to class."

"Of course." I smile. that shouldn't be hard since we both have calculus.

We walk the short distance to our classroom and hand the teacher our passes.

*~*

When I enter my bedroom my body goes rigid with shock. I can't believe what I'm seeing.

My walls are completely bare.

They have been stripped of all the pictures I had taken and put there.

I know who did this.

I frantically search my house for my father. I find him in the basement, shredding my pictures.

"STOP!" I shout, grabbing the few he hadn't ruined yet. "WHAT'RE YOU DOING?!"

"I'm sorry," he says sternly. "but thus is what I had to do to get through to you."

"You've ruined all my hard work." I'm trying my best to keep from crying. Then something hits me, my camera.

I run back to my room and all but tear it to shreds. But my camera is no where to be found. I fall to the floor and start sobbing.

There's a fain knock at my door and then I hear my mother's voice. "Carmen, what's wrong?"

"Dad, ruined my photos and took my camera." I cry. It took me years to save up for that camera.

"I'm sorry sweetie." she gives me a sad smile. "you know your dad always has to have his way."

I should've known she wasn't gonna do anything. There's nothing left that I can do. I just wish I could show him that he can't control everything in my life.