Spray Painted Hearts

Chapter 2- Michael's P.O.V

'Dear Mr Coombe,
I am sorry for the language I used in the essay. I am aware now that the essay was to explain positively about our view of school because that's what you wanted to hear. I didn't realise that you didn't want my actual opinion of this shit hole.

I am sorry that I described the school as 'a fucking waste of our time' and an 'ugly shit hole' because I honestly thought you already knew.

When I resit the essay, I promise that I will refer to the school as the heaven you see it in your delusion and I will also use words you'll appreciate.

I am again sorry for answering the essay with my opinion and not with what you wanted to hear.

Yours sincerely,
Michael Clifford.'

"Well, Michael, at least you apologised." My therapist says carefully after reading my apology letter to the principal, "Um, kind of anyway."

"I think the letter sums up the situation perfectly don't you?" I ask innocently.

"That wasn't the point Michael." Jade says with a sigh, "The point was to get you out of a suspension."

"I don't care about the suspension, it's wrong that I'm getting suspended for having an opinion. And I wrote an apology letter. It says 'I'm sorry' more than once." I point out.

"Michael." She sighs again, "What will your father think?" She asks. I smile at her, suppressing my anger.

"He'll tell me he's disappointed in me blah, blah, blah, no friends over for a week, no Xbox etcetera etcetera etcetera. And yet that will only last for a day and soon Cal will be coming around and I'll be playing on my games again." I tell her. I mean what I say too, but I'm not feeling as nonchalant as I sound because the look of disappointment my father gives me is enough to break a person.

"What would your mother have said?" She asks softly. I clench my fists and shoot her a glare.

"Don't bring my mother into this." I say threateningly. Her eyes perk up because she knows she's hit a nerve.

"Think Michael. What would she say?" Jade asks in her soft voice she reserves for trying to defuse my anger.

How dare she bring my mother into this! Mum's gone and she's never coming back. There's nothing this woman can do that will change that. Unfortunately.

"How would I know? She left before I could ask her." I spit out.

"Michael. You knew your mum better than that, what would she say?" Jade asks. I hate this woman a lot. She's my fourth shrink since I was eight and diagnosed with ADHD and Impulsive Reaction Disorder (IRD doesn't exist readers!! I've made it up for the story. Well, I don't think it exists anyway...) which basically means I'm a hyperactive shit head with a short fuse, mood swings and when put in a stressful situation I can react impulsively and with anger. My therapists have all tried to fix me, but they never can. Jade's a teenager behaviour expert and my last hope.

"I think my mother would tell me she is proud of me for sticking to my opinion." I say, but the truth is, I really have no idea what she'd say. She left me and my dad when I was seven and I never got to know her well enough because she was rarely around. One day she just never came home and she's an ongoing missing persons case, but Dad and I both know she just left us. She wasn't kidnapped or murdered. She just left.

"Are you sure that's what she would have said?" Jade asks and I lose it. I slam my fists down on the coffee table between us and scream with clenched teeth.

"How the fuck am I supposed to know?" I yell, standing up and storming around the room.

"Michael, please calm down." Jade says carefully and I whirl on her, seething with anger. The annoying thing is, I don't even really know why I am this angry. Anger just surges through me and there's nothing I can do.