Psychopaths Can't Love

CHAPTER 44

After school and after drama class, Dad picked me up in his truck as he always did. It wasn't until we got home that he wanted to have a serious talk with me. He probably didn't want me to get upset and do something crazy while he was driving.

"What is it?" I asked him.

"I got an email from your teachers today. They all said you haven't been turning in your homework."

"That's odd," I said as I grabbed a coke out of the fridge.

"What were you doing all those times I told you to do your homework?"

"Doing my homework, obviously," I said.

"Then how come your teachers haven't gotten it?"

I shrugged.

"Karve," he warned. "Where is your homework?"

"I don't know. I must have thrown it out by accident."

"How do you accidentally throw away your homework?"

"I had a lot of old papers in my backpack I didn't need."

"I told you you should be more organized."

"Anyway, you told me I could have my phone back, so hand it over." I put my paw out.

"You're not getting it back until you make up for all your late homework."

"But Jackie was going to text me about the volunteering information!"

"You're not going."

"What?! But you said I could!"

"That was before I found out about your grades. If you don't make a change, you're not going to pass your classes."

"That's so unfair! All I want to do is community service! Don't you think that's more important than stupid old homework?"

"No. You can do community service once your grades are up."

"You can't make me!"

"You're right, but I won't be giving you a ride to go see Jackie."

"Then I'll just steal the truck."

"Then I'll call the cops."

"Well, maybe I'll tell Jackie to pick me up then."

"How? You don't have a phone."

"Then maybe I'll walk!"

"You'd probably have to walk pretty far."

"I don't care."

"How will you know where you're going?"

I glared at him.

"Do you want me to call Jackie and let her know you're not coming or do you want her to figure it out on her own when you don't show up?"

"Give me my phone and I will tell her."

"No. I can put it on speaker so you can talk, but I'm not letting you take your phone."

"Fine," I grumbled.

Dad called Jackie and put the phone on speaker.

"Hey," Jackie said. "What's up?"

"Hello, Jackie. This is Karve's dad. Unfortunately, Karve hasn't earned his phone back, but he is on speaker here. Go ahead, Karve. Say what you need to say."

"Jackie, call the cops. I'm being held captive against my will," I told her.

Dad rolled his eyes. "He wanted to tell you that he won't be able to make it to the community service thing since he is behind on his homework."

"He's lying, Jackie," I said. "He's just being a jerk because he hates me."

"That's enough, Karve," Dad said. "Sorry about that, Jackie. I hope you can understand."

"Yeah. I understand," Jackie said.

"Thanks. Bye."

Jackie hung up.

"Are you trying to ruin our relationship?" I asked my dad. "Now she thinks it's my fault I can't go!"

"It is your fault, Karve. You didn't turn in your homework in any of your classes."

"I lost them! That's not my fault!"

"You should've told your teachers so they could give you copies of the homework."

"And do my homework all over again?"

"You should've been more careful not to throw your homework away. Most of your teachers say they can give you extra credit work to do, but your Social Studies teacher said you just have to study hard and get an A on your next test."

"But that's impossible! Nobody ever gets an A in his class!"

"Maybe they just haven't studied hard enough. You're a smart kid. I bet if you applied yourself, you'd do great."

"I'm not an appliance."

"Well, I won't argue with that," he said. "But you're still grounded until you get your grades up."

"Ugh! You're so unfair!"

"Is that your new catchphrase?"

I stormed off to my room and screamed into my pillow. My counselor had said it might help, but it didn't. I still wanted to break something.

Jackie probably thought I was a liar when I told her I was a secret genius. Now I had to come up with a believable reason why I hadn't finished my homework. I could just tell her I didn't have time since I had been spending my time with her and I spent my free time doing Dexter's homework. That could work.

Not much time went by until there was a knock at the front door. My dad answered it, but I went out into the hall to see who was there. It was the cops. At first, I thought I had broken another law until one of the cops said something about a kid held hostage.

Jackie. She had come through! I didn't think she would actually call the cops on my dad!

Dad explained the situation to the cops. They seemed to believe him but they still needed to check the house anyway.

They came in and passed me.

"Karve," one of them acknowledged me as he passed. He recognized me, but I didn't recognize him. There was nothing memorable about him. He was just another submissive cop following rules like sheep.

"Careful with my stuff," I told them. "I'm not afraid to sue."

My dad came along with them. They needed to keep an eye on him just in case, but they just left me in the hall by myself. I realized it was a good opportunity to sneak out, so that's what I did. I didn't care if the cops were going to come looking for me. They couldn't charge me for taking a stroll around the neighborhood.