"i'm home!" michael yelled as he shut the front door. he kicked his shoes off next to the door and made his way to his room. he dropped his bag onto the floor and flopped onto his bed. he pulled his phone out and started texting calum.
"michael gordon clifford get here now!" he mother yelled. michael's mum never added his middle name unless he was a big trouble. michael swallowed the lump in his throat as he made his way towards where he heard his mums voice come from.
"y-yes mum?" michael said nervously.
"what the fuck is this?" she said as she slammed down a piece of paper. michael studied the piece of paper and discovered it was his report card.
"m-my report card."
"no shit. look at the grades."
"there's all a's."
"you got a c. see, right there." michael's mum said as she pointed out the c that was written next to the title maths. "really michael? i thought you were smart, but you're not. i raised you to be a smart child, not a dumb one who gets c's in maths. you're an embarrassment. all of the other mums have sons getting straight a's and i have a dumb son getting c's."
"but mum i got all a's except for maths. i really struggle with maths."
"not good enough, michael. you should try harder."
"i'm sorry." michael said, looking at the ground.
"look at me when you talk." michael's mum said as she smacked him on the back of the head.
"i'm s-sorry."
"you fucking better be." michael's mum said as she grabbed a handful of the front of michael's shirt.
"m-mum what are you doing?" michael said, his voice laced with fear.
"teaching you a lesson," michael's mum dropped michael to the floor and kicked him in the stomach.
"this is what you get. you deserve this for being so stupid." she kicked him repeatedly in his abdomen. screams of fear and pain pour out of michaels mouth.
"mum please! i'm sorry for being dumb. i'll work harder. i'll get straight a's." his mum stopped and looked down at him.
"you better. just remember i only do this because i want you to do well."
"i know mum, i want to do well for you but it's just so hard," michael sobbed.
"oh baby, it's okay," michaels mum said softly as she helped him stand "go have a nice warm shower and do some study. i'll make you dinner." she kissed him on the forehead and michael smiled weakly then limped to the bathroom.
michael knew his mum loved him and wanted him to do well but he wished she'd express it in a different way.
