"You didn't call me last night."

"I'm sorry, Mel. I had a lot of homework."

"That's okay. Well, I have to hurry and get home. My mom wants me to get home as soon as possible so I can help her with something." She turned to leave. "But I'll call you after I'm done."

"Mel, wait."

But she was already gone.

_____________________________________________________________________

"Cody, come here."

I walked into the kitchen. "Yes, sir?"

"Telephone's for you." He put the phone against his shirt so the person on the other line

couldn't hear. "I thought I'd told you not to let your friends call here."

"Sorry, sir. I tried to tell her."

He handed me the phone, putting it on speaker so he could hear our conversation. "Tell her you're busy."

"Yes, sir."

He took a seat at the kitchen table.

I put the phone to my ear. "Hello?"

"Hey, Jackson."

"Hey, Mel."

"I was wondering if I could come over so we could work on our history project."

I could feel my father's eyes on me, listening carefully.

"I'm sorry, Mel. I can't today."

"Why not?"

"I have homework."

"On a weekend?"

"Yeah."

"In what class?"

I could see my father getting up and heading toward me. "Melissa, I really can't talk right

now. I-"

My father snatched the phone from me. "Cody, don't be rude." He spoke into the phone

with a kind voice. "This is Cody's father. Of course you could come over, dear."

"Thanks. Where do you live?" She'd never been to my house before.

I watched as my father told her the address, wondering what he had planned.

"Thanks." Melissa hung up.

My father set the phone on the hook.

"What are you doing, sir? I thought I wasn't aloud to have company.

"I want to meet this 'Melissa' girl."

____________________________________________________________________

"Hey, Jackson."

"Hey, Mel. Come on in."

She stepped inside.

I headed for the living room until my father stopped me.

"Cody, aren't you going to introduce me to your guest?"

I walked toward him, Melissa following behind me.

"This is Melissa. Mel, this is my..."

My dad looked at me.

"...father." I swallowed.

He wore a fake smile on his face, shaking Melissa's hand. "It's nice to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you, too, Mr. Jackson."

"We're gonna work on our history project in the living room, sir." I said the last word

softly, hoping Melissa wouldn't hear.

"Okay." He gave another smile.

Melissa and I headed into the living room, taking a seat onto the couch.

"What was that all about?"

"What?" I asked Melissa.

"You called him 'sir.'"

"Oh. Nothing."

"Well, he seems nice."

"Um...sure."

_______________________________________________________________________

"Bye, Mr. Jackson."

"Bye, Melissa. Feel free to stop by any time."

I stared at him.

He looked at me innocently. "Well, don't be rude, Cody. Show her out."

"Yes, sir," I mumbled, heading toward the door and opening it.

Melissa looked at me strangely before stepping outside. "I'll see you later, Jackson."

"Bye, Mel."

I shut the door, turning to my father.

"She seems nice."

"What are you doing, sir? I thought you told me I couldn't have anyone over."

"I changed my mind."

I looked at him.

"Go do your chores, Cody."

"Yes, sir."

________________________________________________________________________

I set the dishes into the dishwasher, turning it on. Then I picked up the clothes basket,

heading toward the kitchen table. I began folding the clothes.

"Cody?"

I stood up, heading toward my father, who was lounging back onto the couch, watching college football. "Yes, sir?"

"Give me the remote controller."

"Yes, sir." I reached next to his foot, picking up the remote. I handed it to him, then

headed into the kitchen, taking a seat at the table to continue folding clothes.

"Cody?"

Again, I walked toward him. "Yes, sir?"

"The remote isn't working. Turn the volume up for me."

"Yes, sir." I headed toward the TV and crouched down, turning the volume up. "Is this

good, sir?"

"A little louder."

I turned it up some more.

"Perfect."

I stood.

My father was agitated. "Move, Cody. I can't see."

"Sorry, sir."

He threw a pillow at me, completely missing his target.

It hit the can of beer on the table, knocking it over.

"Look what you did, Cody!" He moved his feet from the table to avoid getting his shoes wet.

"I'm sorry, sir."

"Clean it up!"

"Yes, sir." I picked up the empty can, tossing it into the trash. Then I got a washcloth from the hall closet.

I sat on the floor, cleaning up the mess on the coffee table.

"You made me miss a touchdown, Cody!"

"I'm sorry, sir."

When I was finished cleaning the spill, I threw the washcloth into a hamper, then took a

seat at the table to continue folding clothes.

"Cody?"

I stood up and walked to him. "Yes, sir."

"Get me another beer from the refrigerator."

"Yes, sir." I headed into the kitchen and opened the almost empty refrigerator, pulling out a can of beer. I handed it to my father. "Here, sir."

He took it.

I started to walk into the kitchen when my father called my name again.

"Cody?"

I turned to him. "Yes, sir?"

"Set this onto the table."

"Yes, sir." I took the can from him, then set it onto the table.

"When you finish folding clothes, go to your room."

"Yes, sir."

________________________________________________________________________

I lay on the mattress, laying on my side.

The room was empty, with nothing but a small mattress. A small pile of colorless clothes lay in the corner. There were things written and drawn all over the walls: some scratched, some spray-painted, some just marked with a pen or pencil. There was a single window, with bars keeping me from freedom.

I rested my head on my outstretched arm.

A tear rolled down the side of my face.

I wiped it away, but more came. I finally gave up, letting them fall.

All of a sudden, the door opened from behind me.

I sniffled, quickly drying my eyes, then turned over.

"Melissa?!"

"Hey, Jackson. Your father said I could come on in here." She was looking around the bare room, not noticing I'd been crying.

"What are you doing here?"

"I came by to work on the project some more."

"Oh."

"Nice room you have here." She began reading the walls.

"Uh, let's go into the kitchen." I turned to hurry out of the room.

She gripped my arm, pulling me back. "Did you write this?"

I looked at the poem she'd just read. "Yeah."

"It's so sad. You don't really feel like this...right?"

Yes.

"No," I said.

She smiled. "I'm glad."

"Let's go into the kitchen."

She followed me out the door, taking a seat at the kitchen table.

We began talking about the project.

After a while, my father walked into the kitchen. "Oh, hey, Cody. Did you finally get out

of bed?" He looked at Melissa playfully. "He is so lazy sometimes."

She giggled, looking at me.

"Isn't that right, Cody?" He patted my back threateningly.

"Uh, yeah."