The Connection in Our Stars

Never Understanding

Connor slammed the door as Larry, (Connor never cared to call him his dad), continued to shout from downstairs. Once again, they got into a fight and Connor hadn't even any pot today. Though thanks to Zoe, she just had to go on accusing him that he was, all because he wasn't talking at the dinner table. Did she ever take into consideration that maybe he wanted a quiet dinner this time? Connor gritted his teeth as he ran his hand through his long hair. He needed a smoke and need one NOW.

Screw it, he thought as he lit up a joint and took in a deep breath and blew a smoke ring, looking at the painted that were scattered across his ceiling. Connor thought he would do his, if he can even call them that, family a favor and try not sneaking in a good fix. It was not easy, as being bluntly honest, but he was pulling through til...

Connor was upstairs, applying a fresh coat of nail polish to his nails. He looked down at his finished hand to admire the sleek blackness of it. His hand twitched, wanting a reach for his stash of pot in his drawn, but he held strong. Connor so focus on the polish, distracting himself from the urge.

Once he blew on his nail dry, Cynthia shouted, "Kids, dinner!"

Now, Connor respected her, for reasons being that she was the only one who didn't yell at him for being a disappointment. And yes, he did see her a his mom, but just can't himself to say it. Anyway, he sighed and pushed his chair out. He walked down the stairs, hands shoved in his sweater pockets, back hunched. Along with being hard, straining himself from smoking also put him in a horrible mood. He was irritated, so he only hoped, a word he didn't use often, that they would leave him alone tonight. As he sat down, the reactions were the same a uasal, Zoe giving him the stink eye, Larry just barely giving a glance, and Cynthia giving a smile, but was fidging.

Once she sat down, the table was dead silnce til she spoke up, "So, are you ready for school?"

Connor only gave a grunt in reply as he swallowed down Cynthia's cooking. At least the focus of not focusing on the horrible taste was keeping his mind away from pot. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Zoe glaring at him, but then proceeded telling of how she excited at idea of seeing her friends again. Oh big whoop, it's not like she already talks to them only like hundred of times on her phone. His ears then tuned out the rest of the conversation and continued through his mild suffrage of his meal. It wasn't til that he felt someone flicked his ear hard and his head shot up, eyes steely on his 'sister'.

"Aren't you listening? Mom asked you a question." Connor looked around to see Cynthia looking concern and Larry, his eyes sharp as a nail, on him.

Connor didn't feel like answering, he just wanted to get through this meal. But he was giving his all today, so he might as well he.

But alas, Zoe just had to jump to conclusion when he hesitated, "You been high again, haven't you?"

Right then and there, if started a chain reaction. Cynthia hand flew to her mouth, Larry gave an over-top sigh of fursated, and Connor just wanted to punch Zoe in the mouth.

"This why I told you we should send him to military school, he keeps smoking pot left and right!" Larry scolded.

Connor rolled his eyes. He heard this threat many times before, but never took it seriously because his so-call 'parents' never have followed through with it.

"You shouldn't be getting high Connor, tomorrow is your first day of school!" Cynthia said, worry lanced in her voice.

Connor knew she was only trying, but she didn't get what it was like for him. Connor Murphy, "The School Shooter", the nickname he was given by his peers just because of his long hair, sloppy sweater, and he was caught with pot once or five times.

The situation was also not getting any better when Zoe open her mouth, "Don't try with him, he won't listen to you anyway."

"Well maybe I don't want to listen to you!" Connor shouted, slamming his fist on to the table, dishes clattering by the impact.

As Cynthia gave out a small gasp of shock, Larry slammed both hands on the table, standing up and pointing a finger at him, "Apologize to your sister, now."

"No." Connor immediately said and got up, heading for the stairs, this fight was so not worth his time.

"Connor Murphy! Get your ass back down here this insantent!" Larry shouted at him.

"Make me." He replied back in a monotone voice.

Cynthia was close to biting her nail and Zoe just turned back to her dinner.

"Keep talking like that and you will go to juvie instead of military school!" Larry was now red in the face.

"Whatever." Connor then started running, not bothering to look behind.

Now here he was, alone in his room, sitting on his bed, the smell of pot filling the room. As his brain was starting drifted away, he noticed his pink, rubber ball on the ground. He picked it, gripped it, and bounce it off the floor. Repeating the process of catching it and throwing down harder with each throw, his started thinking of how the sound was irritating the people down below. Eh, like Connor cared anyway. The pot was then finally getting to him as he threw the ball down as hard as he could. With the amount of force he used, it should of hit the ceiling, probably making a dent in it, but it didn't make a sound. It didn't even come back down, not like Connor cared.