The Real World

It's finally nice out. No, it's always been nice out... I just haven't been out. School gulps up all my time. And then after school work... There's just no time to enjoy the beauty of outside. Luckily, I have a nice long driveway to walk down before I have to return to my house, AKA: The Real World. Even though being ins school all day is definitely not something I love, it is like a vacation away from home. This driveway is where I get to let my thoughts wander. Wander anywhere from boys to school to myself. I can think about anything with no interruption. Today was no exception. I took slow strides as I became closer and closer to my house. Before I knew it I was on the front steps. "Just get it over with", I thought. I walked right inside, not turning my head from my destination, and went to walk right up stairs to my bedroom. of course, I was interrupted. "Jamie, what the hell is this?" Mom always had something to complain about. Her being a "stay at home mom" job never ended, even when I grew up and was old enough to take care of myself. I'm 16 now, and still treated like a 7 year-old. No matter how much hard work I put into my school work, chores, and whatever else, it's never good enough. "What's wrong now, mom?" I moaned. "Can you ever do anything right, Jamie? I asked one simple task from you. One. To wash the dishes after you use them. And what do you do? You--" "Those are dad's dishes." I exclaimed.
I turned to walk upstairs, trying to end this conversation between us. Of course, she wasn't done.
"Yeah, well you better have that room clean, miss, or no friends over this weekend."
"I never have friends over, mom, because I don't want them to see what a fucked up home life I have. So I go to their houses. And my room is clean. So maybe you should check things over once or twice before you start bitching again." I said as I continued to walk upstairs.
"Don't you ever talk to me like that young lady, I'm going to tel your father." She turned and walked back toward the kitchen to get my dad.
"Whatever, mom." I mumbled as I walked away.

In my room, I shut the door soundly behind me and turned the lock. Knowing that this still wouldn't keep out the annoying rage of my parents, I found it necessary to do it regardless. I walked across my clean, white carpet to my radio. I turned it on at a good volume that could drown out the rest of the world. Before I could even reach my school bag to grab my homework, I heard a pounding on my door. "Open the door, Jam, or I'm gonna break it down." That was my dad's only defense. To open the door or he was going to break it down. He never did, even if I didn't open the door, he just thought he was tough by threatening me with it. "What do you want dad?" I calmly asked as I opened the door slowly. "You know what I want, Jamie. Apologize to your mother." A look of complete confusion came must have come across my face, because I had no idea what I should've been apologizing for. "For what? I didn't even do anything." Staring to get angry with me, my dad argued, "Jamie. Don't make me explain something you already know. You used language that you should never be using towards your mother. Apologize for it." Agreeing with what my dad said, I turned to my mother, "I'm sorry, mother dearest, I should never have spoken to you in such a harsh way, and it will never, ever happen again." I spread a creepy smile across my face, and as my dad turned to leave I continued with what I had to say. "And I apologize to you too, dad, for getting in trouble with mommy for the crap you left in the sink." I knew that this was only going to get my dad steamed, and I could've easily just ended this whole thing with my apology to my mother, but I needed to say it. "What did you just say to me, little lady?" "you know what I said, dad," I replied, "And it's true. So next time you want me to say sorry to mommy, why don't you find out why I was being screamed at in the first place?" I closed the door to their faces, and walked towards my bed. I faintly heard my dad screaming to the door, trying to shake it open, but it wouldn't. Then my mom chimed in by yelling at my dad, and before you know it the daily routine of mommy and daddy's screaming session commenced.

All I was trying to do was focus on my math homework, when I heard my phone ring from across the room. It was a surprise I heard it over my radio and my parents yelling. I got up from my desk and went to my bedside table. "Hello?" "Hey, Jamie." "Oh, what's up, Ben?" Ben was my next-door neighbor. He has been my best friend ever since I can remember. I used to walk home from the bus stop with him until I told him how important it was for me to walk it alone. He helped me sneak out of my house when it got crazy everyday. We even had a planned escape system. "Are you okay or do you need me to come get you?" "Well it's just another usual day here, so, yes, I do need you to come get me." "Okay, I'm on my way." "Wait, Ben, before you hang up. I am okay." I knew he heard what I said, and understood, but there was nothing he could say in return, so he just hung up the phone. I did too.

Moments later, I hear a few taps at my window. It was Ben waiting for me. Since I lived on the second floor of my house, Ben would bring over his ladder to rescue me from this hell. "Thanks, B." I said as I slid open the window. "Don't mention it, J." He helped me down the ladder and folded it back up. We walked over to his back yard that was close enough to my house to walk to, but far enough where my parents couldn't see me from any windows, especially when it was dark out which it was. Ben placed the ladder down on his porch and walked over to the trampoline. That's where we would hang out to get away from the world. We wouldn't jump and make noise and go crazy, we'd just lay there and look at the sky and ask each other questions. "Ben, are you and that Sammy girl together?" "No," he answered, "You don't think I'd tell you if I was with somebody?" "I do, I just see you two together a lot. And was wondering I guess." Ben smiled at me which made me smile. "She's tutoring me in algebra, Jamie. Don't get so jealous." I smirked and said, "I'm not jealous, Ben! I was just asking." "Yeah, yeah right."

Even from yards away from my household, I could still hear my parents yelling at each other. What they were yelling about I had no idea. But I knew it was happening. Ben flipped over and pulled a pack of cigarettes out of his back pocket. That was another thing we did when we got away from our parents. I wasn't proud of it, and that's why I didn't do it in front of anyone else. It wasn't a way for me to be popular or look cool or get attention, it was just a way for me to feel good for a while. And it did feel good.

"Want one?" Ben asked, "You really have to ask?" I replied. He handed me one and lit it with his green lighter. "Thanks," I said. I took a long drag and felt the world melt away. I knew what I was doing was stupid for a 16 year-old, and I tried not to do it anymore, I just liked the feeling of getting away from the pain for a little bit. Feeling the smoke in my lungs was so calming and soothing. I wanted that feeling to last forever. "Do you think this is wrong, Ben?" He exhaled and asked, "What?" "You know, us, smoking. We're only sophomores. And we have so much to look forward to. Should we really let cigarettes drag us down?" "You're right." He said, and he put his out on the trampoline. He lied there for a second, then took out another cigarette and started smoking it. "What the hell, Ben?" He laughed, which, as always, made me laugh. "I tried to quit and it didn't work. Sorry. Smoking makes me happy."

I exhaled the smoke from my lungs and threw my cigarette on the ground. "I have to go, the real world calls." I told Ben. "What, are your parents calling you?" He asked, "No, I meant math." He chuckled and I kissed his cheek. I turned to go back towards my house and glanced back at Ben. He was watching me walk away. As I got closer to my back door, I heard my parents inside, still screaming.