The World is Black

“Jason!” my mom called from most likely the kitchen. “Could you come down here for a minuet?”I wondered if Father would be there, it had been almost a week since I’d seen him last. I picked myself off my bed and climbed down the stairs. “What happened to taking out the trash?” She ask when I walked into the room. By the looks of it Father had just come home from work and was likely to soon return. He stood there for a moment, his face getting redder with each tick of the clock. I could almost hear his thoughts, ‘black pants, black jacket, black nails, ear ring, lip ring, spiked black and red hair…” he stood there so long I was beginning to wonder if he had died of shock.
“Jason,” he finally spoke in a calm and collected voice “why? I give you everything you could possibly want, and this is how you repay me?!?” there goes calm and collected. “What are you thinking? J.T. would never do anything like this. He knows how important image is, especially in an election year! Why can’t you be like a normal teenager? Go out for a sport, run for class president, there are so many things you could do so why this? Do you know what the public would think? The press would have a hay day with this. do you think that I work so hard so that you can…”
“I’m home!” my beloved sister’s voice rang from the living room. This may be the only time I was happy to hear her come home. “I hope you don’t mind but I told Ashley that she could stay the night. We have to invent this new routine, St Johns high won last year so now we have to crush them!”
“You know that Ashley is always welcome here.” His voice mimicked hers. Than his head swung back to me “we will talk about this later.” He scowled than proceeded to shuffle out the door to see his only daughter.
Why couldn’t I have been born into another family? J.T. was a bully, Jennifer and her friends never shut up, Father, well all Father cared about was his public image, and Mom, she’s just too busy trying to not upset Father. I wish she would leave him and his abuse, and take me with her.
I made my way back up the stairs and to my room. On my bed sat Jigsaw my goldendoodle, well actually he was Jennifer’s but she never took care of him. I don’t think that Jen has noticed yet that he isn’t in her room. Jigsaw likes me; he doesn’t care how I dress or what I look like. He just likes me for me. He jumped up when I came in and wagged his little tail. “Hay, Jigsaw! Did you miss me today?” he jumped up and tried to lick my face in response. “Are you going to do my homework for me? I didn’t think so.” My desk was so cluttered that I had to move all the junk just to set down. Soon I was called back downstairs for dinner. That was a strained silence. Mom always liked the table to be pretty and tonight there was a lace table cloth, candles, a pretty blue and white center piece. Even the blue china was out but it didn’t mater, Father would not be pleased. Father did not even show up. He had to go out on some business dinner and forgot to tell us, so once again there was an empty place at the table. an empty effort was made in pleasing the man who was never going to show up. Dinner was a quiet one, until Jennifer decided to speak up. “Guess what!” she suddenly exclaimed as if she had to shout over all the silence to be heard. “Tryouts were today and it was so much fun! Don’t you think so Ashley?”
“It was the most fun I had all day! Did you see that girl with braces?”
“I know! What could possibly make her think she could be a cheerleader?”
“I d k!…” the two carried a very unproductive conversation by themselves. I could care less about speaking myself so if their conversation was about anything other than that it could have been almost pleasant. After setting through an hour of this I was ready to bang my head against the table just to get their voices out of my head. So I excused myself early and went to bed.
The incessant bussing of my alarm clock woke me. Unfortunately it was either running late or it took that long to wake me because I overslept. I rushed to get dressed and grabbed a slice of toast on my way out the door. I ran out and got to the bus just as it was starting to leave. Everyone ignored me but that was normal. The bus stopped and classes started. Five hours later found me in the principal’s office. Well, kind of, I was in the front office waiting to be admitted into the principal’s office. The secretary looked down at me every few seconds through her thick glasses. “What did I even do?” I ask her.
“I would hope that you would be smart enough to figure that out for yourself. When I was a girl I at least knew why I was in trouble But that’s the problem with this generation they don’t teach the same things now that they taught when I was a girl. And another thing…” Her graying bun bounced with every word. The pealing paint on the drab walls fit my mood. I wonder how many other students had set in this exact chair and looked upon these walls wondering their fate. I just wanted to know what I had done to get sent here. If my father ever found out….
“Jason!” speak of the devil. “What did you do?”
“That is a good question.” I looked him over. It seemed to me that he had just come over from work, his suit and tie still on properly, wonderful.
“Oh, good!” The secretary exclaimed. “Maybe now we can get some work done!” she turned and went into the principal’s office. “Sir,” the rest was all mumbled so I could not identify the words. She turned around and addressed us, “You may go in now.”
The office walls were painted blue and the carpet was a dark red. Behind the solid oak desk sat a man in a black suit.
“Why was I called from work, I am a very busy man!” Father yelled at the composed man.
“I know but this is important. Your son was caught with an illegal substance.”
“What?!? Why?”
“An student who will remain anominis gave me a tip that he was selling drugs to other students and this was found in his locker.” He held up a plastic bag filled with a white powder.
“That’s not mine!” I tried to defend myself.
“Does the press know?” my father ask.
“You are the first to know Senator .”
“But it’s…” I stumbled over the words only to be interrupted.
“How could you Jason?” father ask. “Drugs? First it’s the clothes and than those piercings and now this! Why would you humiliate me like this?”
“I didn’t…”
“Don’t even talk to me.” he than turned to the principal and ask “could we just send him to detention or something and discuss this without any interruptions?”
“Of course, take this down to room 243 I think they will be more than accommodating.” He handed me a pink slip of paper and promptly shoved me out the door. I was than shoved by the secretary out that door and into the hall.
I walked for what seemed forever until I came to room 243. The door looked less cared for than most of the others in that hall, though they could all use some paint and would be better if they were replaced altogether. The door creaked as it opened. Behind the desk in the front was a built man reading the sports section of the paper. I walked over and handed over the slip of paper than went down the isle and seated myself in one of the center desks. I was not the only one who was in there. In the back was a nice little gang meeting, all wearing a red bandana and speaking in hushed tones. To my left was an “it”, I could not tell whether it was a boy or girl. “It” had long stringy hair, baggy clothes and was snoring loudly. On my right was a couple who was not aware that there was anyone else in the room. After waiting for ever the door opened. At first I thought it might be Father but I was lucky, it was another student. She seemed to be a denizen of these molding walls. When she walked in most of the gang members that were congregating in the back gave her a threatening glare. “take your seat Heather,” the man at the desk finally spoke. She didn’t look dangerous but a whispered warning from someone behind me told me otherwise. Her long hair was streaked blue and her bag had been drawn on so much I couldn’t tell where one picture started and another stopped. To say the least I was curious. She didn’t say anything, just took the seat in front of me and started to work on whatever class she was missing. “Heather,” the man ask, “where is you slip? You didn’t give me one.”
“I decided to save them the trouble and sent myself, they know where I am.” Than she turned to me and mumbled, “I might as well just start off here, I spend enough time in this room.” Now I was defenently intrigued.
“what are you in here…”
“shhh,” she interrupted me, “he’s coming.” Just as she said this the door opened and the principal walked in.
“Jason, could you step out for a moment?” I got up and walked out the door.
“ Your father and I have talked it over and you will not be expelled to save you all public humiliation” like any of this had anything to do with me, “public humiliation”? that’s a laugh!
“you will be going to your Aunt’s as soon as possible.” Father cut in.
“I see,” he just wanted to get me out of his way.
“you have been begging to go for months now, got it?” sure I ‘got it’ “we decided that with elections coming up now was the opportune time to save you from the pressures of the public.”
“and you expect me to go along with this?” I mocked him. “mom wont go along with this either.”
“she will once I tell her what was found in your locker.”
“it is not mine! I have never touched drugs, but I don’t expect you to believe me. You ever do.” He was having a hard time keeping his temper down. “you know what?” I went on, “you can just forget it, I’m tired of all your %*#&$! Forget that you even have a second son! Or better yet forget that you even have a family, your never around enough to notice any of us!”
“young man! I swear, If you don’t…”
“just leave me alone!” I ran down the hall and out the door. I kept running down the street, I didn’t care who saw or what they thought, I only wanted to get away. Get away from him, from his demands, from his image. He didn’t care at all what I did, he just wanted to preserve his public image. Let people think that he had it all, the perfect career, the perfect family, he was someone that you could trust with all your needs! They didn’t see the real man. I found myself on the bridge, the melting snow was feeding it so that it was swelled into a death machine for anyone who slipped and fell in. all it would take is a small hop and it would all be over. There was still some ice here and there, it would be seen as an accident, an injustice of life. No one would be the wiser. Maybe they wouldn’t even find the body, wouldn’t that look lovely? A frantic father looking for his son, and than the grieving father when I could not be found. It would be the best gift I could give him, free advertising, and he wouldn’t have to worry about someone finding out about his skeletons. Jennifer and J.T. were never around enough, but I remember, every time he struck her. Every time he beat her. They were too busy with baseball and gymnastics but I was there, I had to help stop the bleeding once he was gone. I woke my self out of the trance, I couldn’t end it. Not yet at least, I had to help her, I had to protect mom.
I walked the rest of the way home thinking about what I almost did. When I walked in he was no where to be seen. Mom said that she had been worried, apparently I had been standing at the bridge for longer than I had thought. Jennifer and J.T. were already home and dinner was already on the table. After setting through all the questions that I could bear I went up stairs and into my room. Jigsaw was waiting for me. Poor thing, I had forgot all about him. after playing with him I decided to get some rest so I could deal with another pointless day in this black world.