Taking Hits | P. Parker

| 002 - Quiet |

"Peter Parker," I hear a voice yell, waking me up and I look over to see that my roommate is already gone. "Get down here, now!" The headmistress calls again from downstairs and I force myself out of bed. I make my way over to the small closet that I share with Jason, my roommate, and pull on a shirt before making my way down the stairs into the lovely group home's lobby.

Note the sarcasm.

I wonder what I could have possibly done this time to anger her as I turn the corner. I turn to see her watching my every mood like a hawk. She doesn't yell, as usual, but as usual her face shows strictness. I feel a ping of guilt for whatever she is about lecture me about even though there is a huge chance I haven't done it. I glance at the floor and try to stay awake.

"Yes?" I ask, trying to wake up still. I have lived here for the last year and I hear her sigh. She may not be yelling at us but the way she can change the way I think, twist my mind, it's like taking hits emotionally. She has never physically hurt any of us though which I guess is good.

It hurts my throat slightly to speak. I have learned not to argue with her because it will only make me feel even worse so I just stay quiet. It's not worth the extra guilt plus whatever punishment she is about to give me.

"Peter," She says my name and I look up at her. "Please explains why you did this." I look over at the broken vase that sits on her desk. The desk itself isn't in the best shape. The desk is covered in papers, none of them sorted and there is ink spilled along with different confiscated trinkets.

I rack my brain trying to remember if I have even seen this vas's before but come up empty. Maybe I have broken it by accident. I shrug, keeping my voice quiet still and try to think of an answer.

"I don't think I didn't it ma'am." I mumble and look at my feet respectively. The shards of glass are spread across the ground, some shards probably invisible to my eyes at the moment. I silently am thankful that I am wearing shoes.

"Do you know who it could've been Peter?" She asks with what sounds like confusion in her voice. "This vase really meant a lot to me Pete, it's really sad that it has been broken." She adds and I shuffle back a couple inches, not knowing how to respond.

I secretly know that she doesn't believe me. She likes the other kids more then me and doesn't believe that they would do something else. It's not fair but I don't mind it at all, it keeps the other kids away from the mind tricks she is known for in this building. Still it's hard to try and know the truth when someone is telling you it's wrong.

"I'm sorry, I don't know." I say and glance up at her. I never know what is going on behind her almost red colored eyes but I know that she understands people more then she lets on. "I was upstairs all day and I wasn't down here at all." I start to go on but her silent stare is terrifying. I know she doesn't believe me, no one ever believes me so I have decided it's just easier to stay quiet. Only speak when spoken too.

"Are you sure Peter?" She asks and I rub my arm before looking back down. Did I break it? "Well, it's ok. I forgive who ever made the mess but can you clean it up Peter?" She asks but doesn't give me a chance to respond. "Thank you, can you also meet me in my office when you are done?" But before I can even respond again she is out of the room, leaving me and a mess which I have to clean up.

I open the closet door where we keep all of the cleaning supplies and find the dustpan in the back of it. I pick it up and walk back to the mess, quickly cleaning it up just in case any of the other kids decide to come down early.