Chapter Six - Things - They can get better
Things were better that day. Sora's dad was talking to him... although every sentence seemed to be about how Sora needed more confidence. His mum was talking to him as well... though all her sentences also seemed to tell him that he needed to improve his attitude etc. But this was just normal. Wakka was being friendly again which made Sora very happy. He liked Wakka and hoped they too could be friends. Tidus however, was rather busy with multiple detentions. So Sora offered to type up his Chocobo Language Essays for him. Unfortunately, his parents had never really understood the concept of doing more than you have to for people. This, Sora thought, must be where his sister got it from.
Admittedly, it took him longer than he thought to complete both essays... three hours longer actually... But he'd done some other homework at lunch so it wasn't like he was in line for multiple detentions himself. Besides, Tidus deserved a break for once and Sora held no grudges; he was only too happy to help his best friend. But his parents didn't see it that way (what a surprise!).
"Dad, the printer's not working," Sora groaned. His dad was not happy. He sighed,
"Fine I'll come up and look then." Stupidly (and rather typically), it was only then that Sora realised that Tidus' name was on the work. He rushed upstairs and successfully deleted the header just in time. But then the printer message came up:
'Printer Error Code 2574: Document Tidus' Essay was unable to print'
"Oh shit," Sora thought. "I am in serious trouble..." And he wasn't wrong.
"Sora," His dad said, in that way parents do, to warn you without meaning to, that something bad is coming. "Why does this say 'Tidus' Essay'? Did that boy force you to do his work for him because he couldn't be bothered?" With his contemptuous tone and insults towards his best friend, Sora's father had struck a serious nerve. Trying not to sound seriously pissed off, Sora replied,
"No. Tidus did not 'force me to do his work for him etc' I offered to do it for him. He had I lot to do and he had helped me with my work before.
"But you have so much work of your own to do Sora!" Oh dear god his mother had arrived.
"You shouldn't let people walk all over you son," his father sounded like an army leader. "That's the only reason you have friends. Because you do all these things for them as soon as they put on an 'I'm sooo stressed' act. They know you'll just run up and do it. And that's why they stick with you. But they don't respect you. You have to make them respect you!" Sora had never felt so angry in his life. He could not believe what his father had just said to him. Though this was his dad's weakest spot - he didn't do charity unless he got a lot of credit for it. And this, he saw as charity.
"Dad. I know you think of me as a doormat but that doesn't mean everyone else does."
"I don't think of you as a doormat son. I just don't want people to take advantage of you and treat you for granted."
"Well they don't," Sora felt a tremble in his voice. He knew his Dad had his best interests at heart, but the way he said it was just so cruel. Sora wasn't a baby. He was sick of everyone thinking he was. The other day, someone had asked him if he had started 'big school' yet? He was in the fourth year for god's sake!
"My friends care about me not because I do stuff for them, but because they like me as a person. Is that so hard to believe Dad?" Sora tried fighting back tears but the doubting look in his mother's eyes after his question made it difficult.
"Of course not son. Goodnight." And they left him. Alone with a Chocobo essay and a printing error.
"Hmmm..." Thought Sora. That sounded like a good metaphor to describe his life. At least he thought it was a metaphor.
Later that evening, after deciding against chemistry revision about a minute after starting it, Sora was lying down, thinking of all the reasons why his life sucked. He thought to himself:
"1) I'm selfish for going on about myself all of the time when there are children starving in Africa and other people with much worse situations.
He then remembered that Tidus had threatened to tell him some to 'shock' him if he ever got too depressed. He hoped that day would never come.
2) My parents are assholes quite a lot of the time. Enough said.
3) My sister is a bitch with a life mission to be better than me which:
a) My mother is only too happy to encourage her with. And
b) She frequently succeeds in.
4) I still have to share a form room with my 'friends' who deserted me and although it's better now I visit Tidus and Wakka's form room when I can, at every spare moment the old lot are tormenting, harassing and interrogating me about every aspect of my life. What have they ever told me about them? SOD ALL that's what.
5) I can't decide whether I like this guy from the club or not. The age gap is an obvious problem. But anyway... he would never be interested in me.
6) Leon & Yuffie & Sex & Leon & Sex & Yuffie. Life is unfair.
7) Riku will NEVER know I exist.
8) I have shit loads of work to do. So much that I haven't even been able to revise for my upcoming exams. I'm so screwed and my mother is going to kill me. My dad will just ignore me if I don't get A's for everything. Not to mention the fact everyone is saying I'll do really well when I wont which puts me under so much pressure.
9) Other stuff I can't remember.
10) I was raped when I was 6.
