''And do my math homework, because-'' I froze mid step. I had been talking to myself the whole time, good thing I look at the ground when I walk. The only bad thing about it, is that I tend to run in to things high up, like the bar only a few inches below the top of my head.

There, in the place where I had just about to land my foot, completely innocent, sat a ladybug just about to witness my ignorance of my foot placement when I walk.

''What are you doing, someone could easily step on you." I gasped. I bend down and made it walk on my hand. "Like me" I thought.

Phew, my goodness. I saved the adorable ladybug, silly little things. Can't they see the streets are NOT a safe place to sun? What am I thinking? Of course ladybugs don't know that. Yes, they find out at some point when someone steps on them.

I walked home with the ladybug still walking over both my hands. I counted its dots, six. The ladybug had six dots. But where am I going to put it when I get home? The sky was starting to get dark, and not because the sun was going down. I watched the weather report last night; it's going to be bad.

I couldn't just put it outside with that kind of weather coming up. I'll keep the ladybug one night then set it free in the morning.

I closed the door softly, trying not to disturb anyone.

''Jesse?'' My mother asked.

I nodded. And then remembered she couldn't look through walls. ''Yeah, it's me.''

I heard her laugh. ''How did your history test go?''

''Good, I hope,'' I had a good feeling about the test, but you never know for sure.

Good? Honey, the term 'good' is used as a generalization, please be more specific.

I walked into the living room. ''Why?''

She smiled. ''It doesn't matter,'' She shoved something under my nose, against my mouth.

I frowned at her. ''Wha-'' I couldn't finish my sentence, the moment I opened my mouth she shoved the thing in.

''Chew,'' She said.

On her demand I started chewing slowly. I don't know what she made me eat but... It was delicious!

''Mmmm. Waf if it?'' I asked with my mouth full.

''Swallow first.''

I swallowed. ''I said; What is it?''

''It's a cookie,''

''What kind of cookie, where did you buy it?''

She ruffled my bushy curls. ''I didn't buy it, I made it.''

All of the sudden the cookie felt heavy in my stomach. ''You-Made them?''

''Yes,'' She said smiling widely.

I did my best to smile back at her. ''What are the ingredients?'' See, I am naturally happy so faking a smile when you're not exactly un-happy but kind of skeptical as to what is going inside of your body is way more difficult than I thought.

My mom frowned at me, while still smiling. ''Does that matter?'' She asked, making the thought of smiling and frowning at the same time actually possible.

Yes ''No, not really.''

''The ingredients do matter after all,'' I groaned. Actually, I knew from the beginning that eating moms cooking isn't exactly safe. But I hadn't known that she was the one that had baked the cookies in the first place

''Oh, I had no idea! I'm so sorry honey, do you want something to drink?'' My mother had been apologizing for these past hours I had been sick.

But it isn't that bad. I mean no school! That's a good thing, right? And I can get as much sleep as I want. When I don't throw up, or feel dizzy, or have a headache. Yeah, besides all those bad points, I'm totally fine.

''Well, you have to wait a little longer. Sorry for that,'' I said to the ladybug.

I had put it in a glass with leaves; I had to keep constant watch though, because the little bug can easily climb up and out of the glass. And then it will only end up in my room, I could look for it, I probably would. But it'll be like looking for a needle in a haystack. And since there's nothing for it to eat in my room, the ladybug will starve to death slowly.

That doesn't sound very nice, does it?

The doorbell rang and I shot up strait. I hadn't noticed I had fallen asleep until then. I heard my mother walk to the door quickly and waited for her to say something. But she didn't. After maybe, two minutes of complete silence I got worried. Shall I go down the stairs and check?

Another minute passed by and I stood up with the blanket still around me. I was just about to open my door, when my mom finally started talking.

''What are you doing here?'' She asked, in a rather harsh tone. I wasn't used to my mom talking like that.

A gruff man's voice answered. ''You know damn well what I'm doing here.''

Some shuffling, ''No, you are not coming into my house!''

''We can do this the hard way, or the easy way. Your choice,''

I heard footsteps on the stairs and hurried back into my bed.

My mother opened the door carefully. ''Hey,'' She said softly.

I cracked one eye open. ''Hey, I heard the doorbell. Who was it?'' I made my voice a little uneven, for the dramatic effect.

I could see she hesitated. ''Sweetie, you know what I told you about your father?''

''He left us,'' I said slowly. I am having a bad feeling about this...

The door of my room opened again. ''Is that what she told you?''

A man walked in and my mother glared at him. ''I told you to let me do this Ares,''

''Yeah well, I'm not gonna' listen to your darling. Left you?'' he snorted ''Very creative, very creative.''

''Am I missing something?'' I asked in confusion.

The man, 'Ares', rolled his eyes. ''I am your father of course,''

My mouth fell open, making a popping sound.

''You can't just tell her like that! She's sick! What if she faints,'' My mother felt my forehead worriedly.

''Faint?" The strange man looked at my mother like she was crazy. "My kids do not faint.''

My mom stood up and faced him. ''That's what I wanted to talk with you about,'' she whispered furiously.

Ares' face expression changed. ''About what, what do you want to talk with me about? And what is that?''

I followed his gaze. He was looking at the glass, where the ladybug was walking on the edge of it.

''That is a ladybug,'' I said in a matter-of-factly tone.

''Why is that bug here?'' He asked.

I looked him straight in the eye. ''I saved it.'' I said plainly.

''You-you saved a bug? She saved a bug? What is going on here?'' See, some people might laugh at his reaction, but I was completely serious. Every life deserves a chance to be lived.