Me:I GOT A REVIEW!!!!
Iggy: Holy crap she's gonna faint!
Gazzy: Catch her, Iggy!
Me: **misses Iggy's outstretched arms by an inch**
Iggy: Oops...
Gazzy: Hey, if she's unconscious, can I say the disclaimer?
Iggy: Go right ahead.
Gazzy: Ok, she doesn't own me, or Iggy, or Max, or-
Iggy: Just get to the point!
Gazzy: Fine...she doesn't own Maximum Ride and she's not James Patterson.
Iggy: Thank you.
My dad held the door open for me as I shuffled inside. Neither one of us had said anything to the other in so long it was torturous. I just wanted to get it over with, accept my punishment and move on. Why couldn't he have yelled at me in the car instead of at home where my siblings could hear us?
I walked into the kitchen and looked around at the emptiness. Where was everyone? "Hey, where are Simon and Casey?" I asked, surprised at their absence.
My dad hung his coat up, "They're already over at your mom's house. Henry came over a half hour ago and picked them up," he told me, saying Henry's name with a hint of anger. I didn't blame him one bit. Henry may be my legal stepdad, but I hated that guy's guts more than tuna salad.
And trust me. There is nothing worse in this world than tuna salad.
Unfortunately, my dad reads minds, "Yes, you have to go over there tonight. And I know you and Henry…"
"…want each other dead?"
He frowned, "…have your rough spots, but try to be friendly, for your mom's sake."
I sighed, for your mom's sake. I can't tell you how many times I've heard him say that. If it were up to him, their marriage would still be in one piece. But they'd never really gotten along; they were always fighting, at night, when they thought my siblings and I were asleep.
But we never were. Casey used to come in my room and sleep with me when it got really bad. I even caught Simon crying in his room a few times. It was hard on everyone, and because of it, us kids started acting up too. Simon's only twelve and failing every subject he's taking, Casey's nine and has been to more therapy sessions than the average depression patient, and as you can already see, I'm a bit over-the-top crazy. And we're not even going to talk about my twin brother, Max. Every day I expect my dad to get a call that Max's gone to jail, or his girlfriend is pregnant, or he killed himself.
I just want a normal life. One where if a friend were to ask me "what's up?" I could just say "nothing" and really mean it.
I sighed and broke the silence, "So exactly how much trouble am I in?"
My dad motioned me to follow him upstairs. I felt my stomach cartwheel, this didn't look too promising.
He went in my room and sat on my bed, patting the empty spot next to him, "Sit," he ordered. So I sat. He smoothed my black hair out of my face, "Now," he started, "I want you to tell me what happened."
I shrugged, "I chased Dustin Whitman and Connor Calebrinii around the cafeteria over a pudding cup," I told him, "Apparently, that's considered 'causing a disturbance'. I thought it a form of entertainment. And a dang good one too."
He crossed his arms, "Oh really?" he asked suspiciously.
I mockingly crossed my arms too, "Yep. And if you don't belive me, ask the pudding morons themselves."
"No one gets detention for yelling, Rox."
I bit my lip. Ok, so maybe I wasn't telling the whole truth, but I walking a thin and dangerous line between lying and living or spilling and…well…dying. Maybe it's just me, but the first choice is looking the most appealing right now. "Well…" my dad gave me the death look, "Ok, so I may have broken a few tables, chairs, and other school property…but it's not like anyone's gonna miss them!"
His face fell into his hands, "Roxanne…" he moaned, "You didn't."
I brightened up, "So, we can just forget about it, right?" I pleaded anxiously.
"No," he said firmly, "It means you're going to sit down and write a sincere letter of apology to the school, then you're going to use your money to help pay for the damages.
My mouth swung open, "B-B-But daddy!" I squeaked, "You wouldn't make me do that, would you?" He gave me a look that told me even my famous puppy dog eyes would change his mind. Darn, I like my puppy dog eyes. But I was not going to give in. "You can't make me do that!" I protested, "That's not fair, I didn't mean to break anything!"
"But you did," he said calmly, "And so now you have to pay the consequences for your actions." He stood up and looked down at me, "Rox, I know you're frustrated about what's going on right now in your life, but that doesn't mean you can act like this."
I knew he was right, I was frustrated, and who wouldn't be? I just wanted to go back to the way thing used to be, before all the fighting started.
He read my mind again, "Look, how about you do what I've asked you, and I won't ground you or take your laptop away? Deal?"
I smiled, but it was forced, "Deal."
As soon as he left I took out my oh-so-handy-and-thankfully-not-taken-away laptop (whom I have named Robert) and opened Instant Messenger. Immediately, xXSnowBunnyXx invited me to a chatroom.
xXSnowBunnyXx: AHHHHH! YOU'RE ALIVEEEE!!!
Wartorn_Angel: hey mira. yeah, i'm still in trouble, but my dad's (mostly) let me off with a warning
WhiteFang16: lucky!!!!!!!!!! u wouldn't believe what my mom and dad did to me!!!!!!!!!
xXSnowBunnyXx: yeah, but see, no one cares about your life, Dusty
WhiteFang16: i care about my life…
SunnySkies;): I care about ur life, baby!
xXSnowBunnyXx: ana, you keep out of this!
SunnySkies;): sorry
WhiteFang16: hey! don't yell at my girlfriend!!
xXSnowBunnyXx: I WASN'T YELLING!!!!
WhiteFang16: YES YOU WERE!!
Wartorn_Angel: BOTH OF YOU SHADDUP I HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU!!!
xXSnowBunnyXx: what is it?
WhiteFang16: shoot
SunSkies;): kk
I took a deep breath, they were not going to believe any of this.
Wartorn_Angel: do you guys believe in flying children? and do the names 'iggy' and 'fang' ring a bell?
WhiteFang16: no and no
SunnySkies;): nope, sorry
xXSnowBunnyXx: no and Maximum Ride
Maximum Ride? I opened Google and typed it in. It's a book, written by James Patterson, and it's about…..
Oh. My. God.
Wartorn_Angel: OMG GUYS I THINK I JUST SAW IGGY AND FANG FROM MAXIMUM RIDE!!!!!
xXSnowBunnyXx: lol, sure you did
WhiteFang16: uh, yeah, book characters coming to life. makes perfect sense.
SunnySkies;): that sound nice…
Wartorn_Angel: no, i'm serious! Dusty, that guy from detention was iggy!!! i saw him and a guy who he called fang walking home, and then they took off flying!!!
Nobody responded for a few minutes.
WhiteFang16: i think you should lie down…
Wartorn_Angel: i'm feel fine and i'm not crazy
WhiteFang16: my mom says lack of sleep can make a person delirious
WhiteFang16: uh oh…speaking of my mom, g2g!!!
WhiteFang16 has signed off
SunnySkies;): i should probably go too, byebye!
SunnySkies;) has signed off
Wartorn_Angel: mira, you believe me, right?
Wartorn_Angel: right?
Wartorn_Angel: you still there?
xXSnowBunnyXx: i think dusty's right, get some sleep. See you tomorrow
xXSnowBunnyXx has signed off
"They didn't believe me!" I cried out, "Why didn't they believe me?" Oh right, because finding fictional characters walking around town sounds ridiculous. I fell backwards on my bed and stared at the ceiling. Why, why did it happen to me? No one ever believes me! Only Phil is lovesick enough to agree with me. Alright then, fine, I'll just ask Phil tomorrow at school about it. I'll get a complete idiot to agree that I'm crazy! It's PERFECT!
And now I'm being sarcastic with myself….maybe I am crazy.
"Roxie!" my dad called up the stairs, "Your mom's here to pick you up."
Ugh…
Me: PLEASE REVIEW!!!
Iggy: Seriously. Cuz when you don't, she cries and tries to hug me.
Gazzy: And he hates hugs unless they're from Ella!
Iggy: EXCUSE ME??!!
Gazzy: Uh, I mean, eh heh...Rita help me!
Me: Anyway, thanks so much to Love is the Key to the World for your review!
Iggy: You name's pretty.
Gazzy: Why thank you!
Iggy: I wasn't talking to you, idiot.
Gazzy: Oh...
:P
