Bad News-Good News

That ringing sound was so loud that it felt like it was being done on purpose just to give Robert a headache while he was still in bed. He slowly poked out his head from beneath the blankets and opened his eyes.

“Can someone quiet that thing now?” He shouted.

There was no one inside the house and as he heard the phone keep ringing he was forced to get up from bed and walk downstairs to answer it.

“Ok I officially hate whoever it is, that is calling at this hour” He mumbled as he rubbed his eyes a little. “Yes?” He answered on his hoarse-sleepy voice.

“Robert, you are awake? This is your father how are you?”

As soon as Robert heard his voice his eyes widen open and the lazy-sleeping mood disappeared quickly.

“Yeah…oh it’s you” He replied to him showing with his voice his lack of excitement from talking to him.

“Is your mother home?” James asked.

“Apparently she is not, but do you want to leave her  a message?” Robert sarcastically said just to annoy him.

“No. I actually called because I need to talk to you”

“Oh wonderful!” He whispered covering the phone’s speaker with his hand so he couldn’t hear him complain.

“Remember the conversation we had about your suspension the other day?”

“How could I forget it?” He rolled his eyes.

“Well, I sent a letter to your school explaining how it hasn’t been easy for you to adapt to the life there and I apologized to the principal and the school council in general”

“Why did you do that?” Robert asked him. He felt like he was being treated as a little kid with a bad behavior and for which their parents need to apologize to others.

“Robert, the last thing you need is a bad behavior letter being sent to the next school you go to when we have to move out again, because if that happens you’re gonna end up being rejected by every school In the world”

“Well maybe is exactly what I want” Robert replied being sarcastic about it.

“Don’t talk nonsense Robert! You’re still not know anything about real life, about the real world that is out there, you think that your attitude is going to help you survive but you’re wrong the only thing that your attitude is going to give you is problems and disappointments, so you better start thinking about changing it” James told him rising his tone of voice.

Robert just closed his eyes and remained quiet as this was not unfamiliar to him.

“Is that all?” Robert calmly asked him.

“They told me they lifted your suspension so you’re going back to school this Monday and you better be there, do you hear me?”

“Yes, I’ve always heard you but I have never understand you”

“I just want you to become someone good and someone that me and your mother can be proud of Robert” James told him.

“Well dad I think that is impossible because you cannot be proud of disappointments can you?” He said to him, and then hung up the phone. He pressed his hand on a fist trying to contain the anger he was feeling inside and he closed his eyes trying hard not to cry. There were so many things he wanted to tell his father, things that he didn’t agreed with, and things that he hated about life and about their family, about him, but he just wouldn’t dare to tell him.  James have hurt Robert so much and even he continued doing it, he didn’t dared to do the same, after all he was his father and somehow he owed him some kind of respect.

Suddenly he wasn’t sleepy anymore, so instead of walking back to his bedroom like he’d usually do, he walked to the window in the living room to take a look outside. He saw his mother helping out Claudine riding her bike in the front yard. They were both smiling, and for Robert that was the most amazing thing he could see. His family happy despite of him not being happy at all. He realized that even his father was a big part of their family; his presence wasn’t completely necessary for his mother and sister to be happy. They could all find their own happiness doing the things they loved and enjoying life as it was.

The first day he went back to school seemed to be going well, despite everyone looking at him even weirder than when he first got there, he knew that after that fight he had gained all kinds of nicknames and that for most of them he was a criminal and a murderer, someone dangerous to be avoided at all costs. But on the bright side he seemed to enjoy watching the fear in their eyes as he looked at them.

“You should’ve put me in my convict suit and handcuffed me, that way everyone would feel safe” Robert said to the principal as he was sitting in front of him.

“Oh I’m sorry, is that supposed to be funny Mr. Graham?, because it’s far from funny. And I hope you are aware that we are doing this only because your father almost begged us to not write the bad behavior report on your personal file” The principal said looking him in the eyes.

“Am I supposed to thank you or my father for bringing me back to this prison?” He chuckled sarcastically.

“That’s for you to decide, but I just have a warning for you, if you do something like that again you will be expelled despite of what your father or anyone else says, do you understand?”

“Sure I’m not gonna be able to sleep at night knowing this…wow, is that all?” He replied without even looking at the principal.

“Yes that’s all, you can go to your class now”

“Thanks” He said getting up from the chair and walking out of the office.

During lunch time, Nerissa and Hazel were sitting at a table in the cafeteria, they had no idea that Robert was back in school.

“So you miss Devin?” Hazel suddenly asked Nerissa.

“I don’t think so” She answered as she opened her bottle of juice.

Hazel sighed and continued eating her lunch. How could she not miss the guy who had been her boyfriend for such a long time?. And how could someone like Robert got into her mind and heart so deep in such a short time?, those were some of the questions Hazel were asking herself at that moment.

“Speaking of him…” Hazel mumbled to nerissa as she saw Devin walking towards them.

Nerissa looked up and as soon as she saw him, she pretended not to see him and continued eating her lunch. She was a bit nervous about him, after all, they haven’t had a formal breakup or anything and yet, she was sort of dating Robert.

“Hey” Devin said standing behind Nerissa.

She ignored him and kept eating her lunch.

“I know you are mad at me and I understand, and I don’t expect you to just go back with me as if nothing happened but, I just want to apologize to you”. He said

Nerissa turned around and looked at him, then she stood up and looked him in the eyes.

“I don’t think you need my forgiveness and I don’t need your apology what is done is done Devin, if you were really sorry about it you would’ve apologize to me that same day and you didn’t so…” She told him looking him in the eyes and then slowly walking away.

Devin just looked at her, he knew that it was over between them; he looked at Hazel and then walked to another table.

Nerissa went outside to get fresh air, she felt upset about her unpleasant encounter with Devin. She walked to the nearest tree and sat on the ground resting her back against the tree trunk. Suddenly her vision was gone as she felt someone’s hands covering her eyes, someone who was behind her. She carefully caressed the hands and smiled.

“Robert!” She screamed in excitement as she turned around and saw him there.

“Hey beautiful” He smiled as he hugged her.

“What a surprise, I mean I thought you were still suspended” She said caressing his hair.

“Well thanks to my father,  I’m back” He said.

Nerissa smiled widely, she just couldn’t believe it. It was great to her to have him at school because it was the only place where her mother couldn’t see them together. They walked together back to the cafeteria, holding hands. All of the people that knew Nerissa couldn’t help looking at them; they couldn’t believe that she could be dating him. Someone like her, smart, nice, kind and beautiful with someone as strange as him.

But what others thought about them was the last thing they cared about. So they walked through the hallways holding hands not caring at all.