Nicholas Overwhelmed [Published Version]

Chapter 4: Am I a Problem?

I look at Brayden telling dad something when mom comes up to me. "You okay my little pumpkin pie? I bought you something." She handed me a Mickey Mouse plush. He's my favorite character. I whisper, "Thank you." I also say, "Why don't you divorce dad? He's an idiot."
    "I know. I'm an idiot for marrying him." I chuckle. "I'm sorry about Brayden, he's my next stop to talk too. Now get ready for school!" She tickles me. I hope I get friends at my new school because I have nobody at my school right now. Everyone already has friends! I always wish in my head, will someone ever get who I am, now that I know I'm sensitive? I get my backpack on when I see Brayden getting talked too. Dad's dropping me off today, so I head to his car.
    After 2 minutes of driving, dad stops. He stops at the bus station. "I don't like you, so get out and get on the bus." I don't get up. I think of Rosa Parks and about her bus situation. "GET....OUT!" I don't even move my fingers. My dad comes and opens the door and unbuckles my seatbelt then, he takes my hood, and flings me into the grass. I got a scar on my knee. I call mom and tell her what dad did to me all because I'm sensitive, it's like another type of racism.
Mom comes and picks me up. I get in her car and mom says, you're not going to school, we're going home and don't worry I bought a bees nest so your dad can feel pain, just like he did to you.
    When we arrive home, we slowly open the door and put the bees nest inside and close the door.
    "AHHHHHHHHH!!!! MY HEAD!!!! MY LEGS!!! OWWWWWW!!!" We laughed. "Revenge!" We both say at the same time. My mom goes to check the mail and I'm waiting in front of the door. My dad sees me. "YOU! YOU DID THIS!" I don't do anything. He flings me into the car and then flings me onto the grass. My head starts bleeding. My mom sees me. She does the same thing to my dad, but worse. He had to go to the hospital. "Hey Mom?" I ask. "Am I a problem to dad?"
    "No! Sweetie! You're never a problem. Your dad is the problem." As my mom and I head back home without a care in the world about my dad, we start packing. My mom does not even worry about packing my dad's stuff.
    "Hey mom?" I ask. "Have you ever felt like you don't belong, like you're just in the middle."
    "Yeah! A lot of times, especially when I was your age. Why do you ask?"
I say, "Oh, no reason." I smile. I take out my final homework.
My school is hosting me a goodbye party. I'm going to miss Ms. Jenny.
    As we arrive at my school, I see everyone on their phones.
    "Hey you wanna-" I ask someone. They walk away. "Hey! You like-" They ignore me. I go to my mom and start crying. "No one likes me." My mom hugged me. Ms Jenny comes over. "Nicholas, what's wrong bud?"
    "No one likes me here. I'm different. I am a problem aren't I?" My mom and Ms. Jenny nod no.
    The party is over and that's the end of my fifth grade year in San Francisco. We head inside and my dad is writing something. He hands it to me. "I'm sorry bud. I'm sorry for everything I did to you. I really am." I look up at him. "You are?" He nods. "You know how much damage you did to me and the family? Idiot."
    "I deserve that." He says. "I know what I did and...I...too am sensitive. I just didn't want you to have the same experience as me. I tried to toughen you up. But I just hurt you even more. You see, when I was your age, I got made fun of so much and....and..." He started crying. "I...got kicked out of my school and had a group of friends but they were 'mean' in my opinion." Hearing dad say that, I hug him so     tight and say, "Am I a problem?" His face looks so shocked that I just said that.
    "What..why...huh?" He says.
    "Am I a problem?" I answer back, waiting for an answer.