Read Online Misdirected by Ali Berman - Free Book Online Page B

This is not my room. This is not my life.

 
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    Chapter 10
    Getting Out of Bed Is for Suckers
    My parents don’t bother me for the rest of the night. Which is a good idea on their part. I probably would have yelled at them for dragging me to this stupid freaking place. But they aren’t so cool that they let me stay in bed the next day.
    At 7:15 a.m. my mom knocks on my door, walks in with Holly, sees that I’m still in bed with my head under the covers and tells me to get my ass up. Well, she says it nicer than that.
    â€œSweetie, I know you had a rough night last night. But you’ve got to get up. School starts in thirty minutes.”
    â€œI’m not going.”
    â€œThat’s not up for debate.”
    â€œYou’re going to drag me out of bed?”
    â€œIf I have to.”
    â€œGo away.”
    I hear her sigh and then feel the bed dip down where she sits. Holly jumps up too and lies over the back of my legs.
    â€œWant to tell me what happened?”
    â€œNo.”
    â€œIf you want me to give you a mental health day, you’re going to need to sell me on the fact that you need one.”
    â€œTess’s parents won’t let us be friends.”
    â€œWhy not?”
    â€œBecause I’m an atheist and I wouldn’t lie about wanting to be saved. So now I have a total of zero friends.”
    â€œWhat about the boys you went to church with?”
    â€œThey’re mean and hate gay people. And other kids at school aren’t exactly lining up to talk to me.”
    â€œThey just have to get to know you. Give them a chance.”
    â€œIt’s not about what kind of person I am. It’s about what I believe.”
    â€œOkay. It’s the beginning of the semester so I’m giving you one day to wallow. Tomorrow, you’re going back. I don’t want to hear a word about it.”
    â€œOne day. Yeah. I’m sure my life will get better after one day. I hate it here.”
    â€œWe all have to make adjustments. A new place is hard for everyone.”
    â€œYou aren’t being forced to go to a school where everyone hates you. I want to go home.”
    â€œThis is home now. And I know it seems bad. It will get better.”
    I should thank her for letting me stay home. I should say that I hope she’s right. Instead, I turn my head into my pillow and ignore her. Because at this moment, it’s her fault I’m here. It’s her fault that I left my friends back home. I just wish she’d go away.
    She puts her hand on my back so softly it’s almost as if it isn’t there at all. Instead of making me feel better, I just hate her more.
    â€œJust get out already. You can’t fix this.”
    â€œOkay,” she says, sounding hurt. And while a part of me feels guilty for making her feel bad, at least I’m not the only one. She gets up and closes the door behind her.
    I go back to bed, this time with Holly curled up at my feet. My mom can stuff it, but Holly makes me feel better just by being in the room. She always does.
    I wake up about once an hour, remember that there‘s no reason I should be awake and go back to sleep. At around noon I stumble downstairs and eat some cereal. On the fridge is a picture Pete sent us. He’s in uniform giving some scraps to a skinny stray dog. I take the picture down and look at the back. It says, My new friend One Eye comes by twice a day for breakfast and dinner .
    I go back up to my room and sit at my computer. I’m long overdue for an email to Pete. When I open up my mail, there is already an email from him. Bastard wrote to me first. Dammit! I’m such a crappy brother.
    Kid,
    It’s 4 a.m. here. I have to be up in half an hour but I can’t sleep. Mom tells me you’re having a hard time in the new school. I wish I were there to set those loser kids straight. Instead, I’m here doing whatever it is we’re doing. Keeping everyone safe, I guess. I