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As he ran, they followed him and started chucking bricks at him and yelling after him to stop. Gerard was very confused as to who she was and as to who these guys were. Maybe they have mistaken me for someone else. But that’s impossible, because I look different than anyone else. I stick out like a sore thumb. Rather confusing, all of it.
Before they could chase him any farther, the bell rang, and Gerard skirted back to history class. No one noticed him sitting at his desk, scribbling in his notebook, staring at the wall. Sometimes he wondered if the teachers knew he existed at all, and if he was even graded. He might as well not exist.
At the end of the day, he walked to the graveyard, composition notebook in his hand, backpack over his shoulder. The graveyard seemed less friendly somehow, he felt as if someone were watching him. But he brushed aside the superstitious crap because he was very tired. He found a very old tree, incredibly tall, and sat under it. As he sat down, a cool breeze escaped from the branches overhead and blew into his face. He closed his eyes, taking in all the nature smells he loved. He breathed in the ever-familiar smell of rain in the woods, because that was what the graveyard always smelled like. The smell must have come from the forest behind the graveyard. Sometimes, he would bring a small bundle of sage to the graveyard and burn it. IT was the only place he could burn it because he couldn’t in the house.
His mother thought it smelled like pot.
He didn’t have any sage now. However, he was very sleepy and took a nap under the tree.
Quickly, he went to the back door and twisted the knob. It opened and he went inside. Before he could even close the door, his mother pounced on him. Her hair was a mess; her eyes were mean and nasty. An ugly look was set upon her face. She was very very angry. In fact, she was irate.
“Where the hell have you been, Gerard? I have been waiting for you to come home for forty-five minutes. And, you left your brother unattended. You left your nine year old brother alone, hungry, waiting for you while it’s getting dark outside.” She screamed, her voice loud enough to shatter glass or destroy something.
Everything was suddenly too loud and too bright. The kitchen light hurt his eyes. Gerard could see Luke cowering in the corner, covering his ears, obviously terrified of his mother’s voice.
“Look at me.” She screamed, grabbing him so that he was forced to look at her. “You know you’re not allowed out this late, you know you’re supposed to be home for your brother. You know, but you don’t care. From now on, I’m putting him in the care of the next door neighbors. I have no time for your lazy butt to actually accept your responsibilities.”
Gerard found it hard to look at him. He didn’t want to admit it, but she scared him.
“Ok.” He said softly.
“Good,” she said. “Go to your room. Go do your homework. Luke, come over here. We need to get you into the shower.”
Gerard passed through the dining room, messy as it always was, papers strewn all over the table. He ran up to his room, up the darkened staircase. Run, he thought, run as fast as you possibly can. He reached his room and shut the door. His beating heart and quaking breath slowed rapidly.
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