Betrayed For Perfection
Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I do not own Seussical or any character in it.
Jojo's point of view:
"Here's your pencil. Here are your mittens, and here's your sword."
I stared uncomprehendingly at the third object my parents handed me. "My…sword?"
As I looked at my parents, hoping for answers, a tall, imposing man marched up to us. He halted with his hands behind his back, and he stood so rigidly that he might have had a metal pole in his back instead of a spine. His eyes reminded me of a hawks'; beady and watchful.
The strange man introduced himself as General Genghis Khan Schmitz. As he stared down at me, I got the uncomfortable feeling that he was here because of me. Otherwise, he wouldn't have paid any attention to me. When you're the mayor's son, you tend to get overshadowed by the importance of your parents. I was used to it by now.
Unfortunately, the General watched me as he spoke to my parents. He said that he would take me into the "military academy." I stared at him in utter disbelief. I could never join the military! I figured the man must have been crazy, so I stood there silently, waiting for my parents to tell him to leave. As the mayor, my father was bothered by people he wanted to get rid of often.
I stood there, listening to him drone on about the power of the military. I looked up discreetly at my father, wondering why he was taking so long to turn the man away. My father, however, actually appeared to be listening to him.
I pushed down the panic whelming up inside of me. He's only listening to be polite. He's not going to actually consider it. He's my dad. He won't let this lunatic take me away.
"Thank you for answering our request so quickly," my mother said to the General.
It stared in shock at her, but she determinedly ignored my gaze. General Genghis Khan Schmitz nodded, cold and unsmiling.
They wanted him to come. They asked him to do this to me.
The General walked over to me. "Ten hut! feet together! chin up! eyes on the prize!" he barked. I hastened to obey his commands. I glanced sideways towards my parents, hoping that they would say something, but they only watched. I couldn't believe my parents were just standing there, but they made no move to help me. As much as I resented it, my father looked rather pleased, and my mother seemed to be trying to hold back a smile. Great. The only way I can make them happy is by being sent to a military school.
"March!" commanded the General. I did as he wished.
My parents waved at me as I marched away behind the general, but I saw no need to return the gesture. They wanted me to be perfect, and according to them, perfectness meant showing nothing. Showing no creativity, like my thinking. Showing no imagination, which so often got me in trouble at school and at home. Showing no emotion, like how much it hurt to be betrayed by my own parents. I marched away with my back towards them, just as they had turned their backs on me.