The Pearl of the of Sea

Chapter 7

A few weeks pass by and school starts. Steve gets out of bed and goes to wake up Tom as he snores away in his wheelchair, "Hey Tom, get up, it's time for school."

"I don't want to go to school!" Tom pushes Steve away.

Steve pulls Tom's wheelchair out of the corner, "Come on you have to go to school, here I'll help you get dressed."

Tom takes his shirt off and throws it at Steve, "Alright."

Steve goes to take off Tom's pants, but has trouble, "Neenah!" He looks around the apartment, "Neenah! I need your help!" he throws his arms up in the air, "Where the hell is this girl?" he then goes outside and sees her making out with an older guy with black greasy hair, a nose ring, and tattoos, so he pulls the guy off of her, "Get off my daughter you creep!"

Neenah pushes Steve, "Dad, he's not a creep, he's my boyfriend!"

"He's too old for you!" he then drags her inside the apartment, "Come on we have to help your brother get ready for school."

"Ugh...I hate you, dad!"

Steve starts to help Tom get dressed, "Come on Neenah help me get Tom's pants off."

"Ewe, I hate doing this." Neenah helps Steve get Tom dressed up for the first day of school.

After Tom is dressed he looks up at Steve as he's about to take him outside, "I have to go to the bathroom." Steve hands him a bottle and Tom looks at it, "I have to poop."

Steve rolls his eyes and pushes him into the bathroom, "You should have said so before we got you dressed."

Awhile later Steve pulls up to Brick Memorial High School with Neenah in the front seat and Tom in the back with his folded-up wheelchair. The high school is a two-story building with light brown bricks and it has a walkway with a green roof that leads to the front door. Steve puts the car in park and looks over at Neenah, "So my little girl's starting high school."

Neenah rolls her eyes, "Yeah whatever, what's your point, dad?"

Steve smiles, "You're growing up so fast, I remember holding you as a baby and now I'm watching you enter high school." Steve looks over at the building, "Your mom and I both graduated from this school." Steve goes to kiss Neenah, but she gets out of the car and starts to walk away, "You're not going to give daddy a kiss?"

Neenah turns around, "Dad, I'm 15 years old and if it wasn't for you I would be a sophomore right now, instead of a freshman!"

Steve turns to Tom, "Your sister still blames me for why she stayed back in the fourth grade." Steve then takes off his seatbelt, "After your mom left she did very poorly in school and she had to repeat the fourth grade, she was so upset, I'll never forget how she cried."

Tom opens the door as Steve gets out of the car to help him out, "I don't think it's so bad, I mean I'm sure she still loves you." Tom hands Steve the wheelchair, "At least you can walk."

Steve unfolds the wheelchair and puts his hand on Tom's shoulder, "Tom, honestly I rather not be able to move any part of my body then have my own daughter hate me." Steve lifts Tom into the wheelchair and he shuts the car door and pushes him towards the entrance.

Tom turns around after Steve gets back in the car, "I love you, dad."

Steve looks at the window, "Thank you, at least one of my kids loves me." He drives off.

Tom pushes himself up to the door, "Ok, how am I going to get in?" Someone opens the door for him, "Thank you." He looks at the person, "Annemarie, you know just because I'm single doesn't mean I'm going to like you."

Annemarie gives him a dirty look, "I was just being nice!"

Tom points at her, "I appreciate your kindness, but I'm not going out with you."

"Alright, fine, but can I still hang out with Jeff Dyson?"

Tom's jaw drops, "No, he's my best friend! Stay away from my friends you stalker!"

Annemarie laughs, "That's not what he said." Annemarie walks away, "Jeff told me you care more about your girlfriends than your own friends!"

Tom rolls himself around the building, inside the high school are white walls and white floors. The doors to each classroom are a light brown and the lockers are tall with an off white color. Tom goes to head into his homeroom and sees Angela making out with Jesse against the lockers so he goes and runs over Jesse's feet.

"Owe dude what the hell!?" exclaims Jesse as he jumps back.

Angela hits Tom with her notebook, "What is your problem, Tom!?"

Tom rips Angela's notebook out of her hand, "What's my problem!? Really!?" Tom points at Jesse, "He's my problem!"

"Oh, Tom get over it, we're done!" Angela rolls her eyes.

Tom starts to raise his voice, "No! I will not get over it, I love you more than anything and you dump me for this imbecile!" Tom punches Jesse in the stomach.

The principal, who is about five foot eleven, has hazel eyes, dark hair, and a mustache, walks by and sees Tom hit Jesse, "Excuse me, Thomas, I'd like to see you in my office." He turns to Jesse and Angela, "I would like it if you two would come too."

They all go down to the principal's office. The principal's office is a big office with a fish tank behind the desk and a big couch by the window and two seats facing the desk. Jesse and Angela both sit in the seats and Tom rolls his wheelchair in between them. The principal sits at his desk and folds his hands on the desk, "We have been having many problems from you Thomas."

Tom looks at Angela who is giving him an evil smirk and then at the principal, "What do you mean. Mr. Noble?"

Mr. Noble raises his eyebrows, "I mean, you have been harassing Angela online for the past several weeks."

Tom shakes his head, "No, that's impossible I don't have internet in my apartment!"

"Well the police were able to track down the IP address and it links to the clubhouse at your apartment complex's computers."

Tom puts his head in his hands, "I...I...I don't know what to say."

Angela speaks up, "He just won't leave me alone, I'm thinking of putting a restraining order on him."

Tom grabs Angela's arm, "No, don't I love you!"

Angela releases herself from Tom's grip, "Well, I love Jesse now!" she looks over at Mr. Noble, "You see, he's obsessed with me!"

Tom whispers, "I love you."

Angela gets up, "Well, I don't love you." She and Jesse go to walk out, but Tom stops her.

"Can I at least get the ring back?"

Angela looks at the ring Tom gave her, "You mean this one?" she laughs, "No, it was a gift from Jesse not you!" she turns and walks out.

Tom leans over and yells, "That ring was over five thousand dollars!"

"Tom!"

Tom looks over at Mr. Noble, "She said she loved me, she lied to me!"

"Tom, I know, but this is serious, if she complains about you again, you're going to the police station. Stalking is a very serious crime."

Tom just sits there as the principal talks to him about the consequences of stalking. He stares blankly and he just tries not to cry, "Yes, I understand." Mr. Noble opens the door and lets him out.