Troubled

SIXTY FOUR

KYLE GARCIA

The weather wasn't the only crappy thing about today. I knew the moment I woke up to the sound of pots and plates clattering in the kitchen. It meant bad news, mom was cooking. She only cooked when there was a slight hiccup with the pharmaceutical company. And dad was in the foulest mood and she was trying to get her head straight. I suppress a sigh and walk out of my room, hoping to breeze past mom and she wouldn't even notice my disappearance.

"Kyle?"

I sigh, so much for hope.

My fingers hook the straps of my bag pack as I readjust it on my back. Though it was useless as it was high up on my back.

"Yes mom?"

The smile on my face was fake as ever. I plastered it on for both our sakes.

"I made breakfast, come eat."

My eyes stray to the oats and strawberries. With the amount of mess in the kitchen for something as simple as oats, it wasn't a good idea to taste it.

"I'm okay mom, I still feel full from yesterday's dinner.."

Her slitted eyes told me it was the worst idea to say no.

"I'll just have a bite." I tell her before slipping into one of the dining chairs.

She carried on making more food, I dared to peep into it and regretted instantly.

"So, I hear you didn't visit Miss Suzie last Friday." She starts, her head was facing what she was mixing. She was not going to look up at me and that was the worst thing ever.

I force fed myself a spoonful of oats to delay my response that I would give either way, no matter how hard I tried to avoid answering, the question was thrown at me, and given her mood she wasn't going to take any of my jokes as they are supposed to be, just jokes.

"Yeah.. something.." I clear my throat. The oats were terrible, you wouldn't think someone could ruin strawberries until you met my mom.

"Something came up."

She looked up at me with a blank expression, reminding me of Cora. We hadn't spoke after my text since Saturday. Today was Monday, for two people who relied heavily on each other, and didn't go days without total shut down in communication, we had done a decent job. I had gone through at least two packs of cigs in the days we didn't talk, that's how pathetic I was apparently. Shamelessly relying on one person to become clean.

"I hope that something is worth the excruciating death you're putting yourself through."

My eyes flew up to my mom's face. It was the first time she told me plainly that the cigarettes were going to kill me. That was grandma's job. She always cried instead. I guess I brought out a new side in her.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean that. It's been hell at the office. And the new vaccine your dad just finished turned out to be fatal. It killed lots of the test animals, what's worse, someone at the office already started to ship them out. We are facing a huge crisis here, and I turned it on you. I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't blame it on the work, but Christ, it's exhausting."

My mouth fell open as I stared at the most confident woman I knew, she always looked so put together, you'd think her only problem was her smoker son.

"Just visit Miss Suzie today. You can go now, no need to force yourself through that."

She walked out of the kitchen before I could say anything. I know I should be grateful she gave me a way out, leave the food and go. But I feel so guilty that I finish the breakfast and put the dish in the dishwasher before leaving.

There was rain this morning. I don't know if I was supposed to call it rain, because it was a slight drizzle but it wasn't stopping any time soon. This type of rain you'd think would let down soon enough, but it doesn't.

When I get to school, I'm even late for first period, I don't care, I just wanted to see Cora. I hurry to her first class, I had already crammed her time table, yes, I know I am a creep. The biggest one there is maybe.

"Kyle?" I hear someone call out to me.

When I turn, it was Mr Stevens. The art teacher.

"It is you. I thought I saw you so I decided to check."

He was wearing a bright red sweater, it matched the even brighter smile on his face. At least he was smiling. I carried the gloom from my discussion with mom forward.

"Yeah, anything important?" I didn't care that I was being unnecessarily rude, at the moment I wasn't in the rest frame of mind, I wanted to talk with Cora.

"Very exciting development. I was right to give you that task. Cora's drawings have improved. They even haunt my dreams now."

I blink at him in confusion, Cora only started to improve during the weekend. Even tat that, it wasn't that scary as to haunt his dreams.

"She sent me a few stuff over the weekend via E-mail and I tell you, I haven't slept much. See my eye bags?"

He pulled at the skin underneath his eyes for reference. I don't see it but I just nod, I wanted him to leave.

"You're welcome, does this mean my task is over?"

He smile got even creepier.

"No, no, no darling, you only just begun, I want more, she can give more. I don't want this semi dark circles, I want huge dark circles. I want people running and screaming for the hills in fright."

My eyes were huge as they watch the art teacher go crazy. His eyes looked craze. His expression looked even crazier.

"She's just a kid, she'll get there one day, just not today."

He looked at me expression less.

"Oh darling. She's art. Her potential is far greater than you think. She can make you scream for the hills."

"Yeah, I have to to my class now, I'll make sure she makes you run. For now I have to run."

Far away from you, you're crazy.