How to Make Your Parents Miserable

The wind was blowing hard, and the rain was pouring down so fast that I could barely see out the windshield of my dad's new sports-car. I had to rush out of the library to get to the car before I melted but I still ended up soaked. My slippery hands gripped the wheel tightly trying to keep the car going straight on the glistening street.

 

I stayed focused completely on the road until I passed by some weirdo who appeared to be going into a paranoia frenzy on the sidewalk. He was screaming about how the government was listening to his thoughts and planned to kill him. I know that is really odd but in my corner of the world it's not uncommon.

 

I really do consider this little town my world because I am the only kid in my entire neighborhood. I essentially do most of everything for the people since they are all so old they can't manage to even eat on their own. Personally I think they should be sent to a home. Not one of those crappy ones where the people drug you up and don't take care of you, but a nice one, you know?

 

Anyway, I was driving passed that paranoid guy and I lost my concentration for one second before the air bags blew up in my face. I had hit a light post (apparently really hard). At first I didn't quite grasp what had just happened. Then all at once, it hit me.

 

"Crap!" I whispered my reaction with the up most anger I could muster. What had just happened? I winced as I forced open the door and got out to see the damage, realizing that I had hit my head pretty hard when I crashed. "Oh...my...Gosh, Oh my gosh, Oh my gosh!" I was completely shocked at how bad it was. The entire front end of the red corvette was caved in where I hit the light post. I had officially entered my crazy mode. This is where I completely forget about all the other people driving by and staring at me while I scream and rant and cry in a very public place. This time was actually the first time I went into my crazy mode, but it was definitely not the last. It seemed to happen quite a lot after the car situation.

 

Surprisingly, the car drove me home fine, but it was unfortunate since I was positive my parents were waiting for me to get home and were not expecting this mess. They were probably going to freak out. I pulled into the driveway of my normally quiet home. I stared at the faded yellow panels of the house for a few moments before I decided to go confront my parents about it. But of course it was too late. They were walking out the door toward me. Then, they stopped abruptly. Thank goodness I was an eloquent speaker and as I explained they seemed to calm down. they even smiled at me as they listened to how I explained about the paranoid guy, but in the end it was an act. Just them trying to appear calm when really they were furious.

 

"Understand? Of course we understand." They said, but then they said the one thing I had expected. "Of course you are grounded. Oh, and we're going to have you pay for the car's

repairs." The last part was said really fast, as if they were trying to sneak that tidbit in there, but I was smarter than that. I heard it clearly and I was not going to let it slide past me like that.

　

"Whoa now how am I expected to pay that off? i can't afford that and besides you sid you understood. It was an accident. I was distracted." I yelled slightly louder than anticipated.

 

"Oh well." They said rather harshly. "You made the mess and you'll clean it up. So figure it out." Then they left in my room alone. I lied down on my blue and green comforter and stared at the mismatch wall patterns. Stripes, squares, polkadots, squares again. Oh! Then more stripes. If you haven't caught on by now, I was there for a long time and I was really bored.

 

Eventually I gave up on wallowing in my own self-pity and decided that it really wasn't all my fault that the car was damaged or that I was grounded. It was my parents and that weirdo's fault. I had it all planned out in my head that I would dedicate the rest of the time that I was grounded to making my parents lives miserable.

 

It was easy to make my dad upset. Wear lots of make-up and hang out with some creepy looking guys, but my mom was harder. Making her mad was easy. Most of the time I didn't have to do anything to make her mad, she'd just blow up randomly, but making her miserable was much different and much more difficult. I was never a very prudent person. So of course I went with the most ridiculous choice to make them the most upset. I had my sights set on it completely. I had chosen over every other thought that had passed through my mind. After all my parents always told that I should aspire to do something more drastic with my out-of-school activities.

 

***

It was Tuesday morning at school and everyone was outside in their little groups. They were mainly teasing and calling out rudely at all the strange kids who stood by themselves or read book instead of doing something "important." I was nervous about what I was about to do, but when I remembered my whole situation with my parents I received a surge of boldness.

 

"Hey everybody!" I yelled loud enough to catch most everyone's attention. " Party at my place." I was more nervous now that the news was out. I could not change my plans now. The deed was done. People started hooting and hollering. Some people asked if my parents would be home. I told them "no" and that they would be gone pretty much all night, which was true. They had decided to out on a date night. It was the perfect place too. Nice quiet street where lots of old people lived. It would definitely make a scene. Perhaps larger than anyone would have even expected.

Author's Note

Story for a school writing competition tryout it had to have the title " How To Make Your Parents Miserable" and include six words that were listed on the application. I am definetly not done but I need advice on it. What should I change? Did you see any typos? Anything to help make it better. Plz plz review. Be honest or I will not make it on the team. I really want this. So please HELP!!!!

Reviews

[13.9]

Overall, I would say you have a fairly well-written story. I did spot several misplaced or missing commas and a couple of sentences that were phrased somewhat awkwardly; those parts could benefit from being reworded just a bit. Something that stuck out to me, in the third paragraph specifically, was where you use the phrase "kind of." I'm honestly not certain if that's correct grammar or if it's just a colloquial phrase; it may help to replace it with "essentially." If you message me, I can do a line-by-line for the grammar/punctuation at least.
Also, as far as the required terms go, the word "paranoia" is actually a noun and you seem to be using it as an adjective. (Although, I can see why that ended up happening. It /would/ be a difficult word to place.) For the story, I really wish you had used some more description. If there isn't a length limit on the application you're pushing, I think it would help us connect with your main character better if you actually described her emotions and immediate thoughts more rather than stating what she's feeling and explaining her general situation.
Again, overall, though, I do think this is pretty good. I have to say I'm impressed with your ability to piece this together given the conditions of your assignment and I'd be interested in reading the finished version. Good luck with the competition. ^^

[MusicJunkie66]

I loved it, I thought it was hilarious!!

[Poetic Beauty]

This story is easy to relate to. The details in this story are wonderful. I love the part about the paranoid man on the street. Great job.

[.]

A rollar coaster of a read. Starting out with something dynamically terrifying and turning it around into a how to get back at the parents! *Giggles* i noticed a few spelling errors, but if you read it out loud to yourself, you'd catch them.

I really liked how the character in this story put the notion of throwing the party back on the parents with the line, "After all my parents always told that I should aspire to do something more drastic with my out-of-school activities."

That added for a wonderful look into the mindset of the youth. Great job on this story. I'd love to have seen where the tale might have gone, if it had continued.

*Hugs* - Tara M Stone

[♥(heatherawesome..]

awesome and you know how to make you parents miserable and i am going into thecontest too and i would like some advise plz plz and you did awesome

[chaotic katie]

love it savy g2g get started on mine

[deeps]

How to Your My Parents Miserable

I Um think you meant to put the word "Make" Into your title.
I think this is wonderful. I enjoyed your story alot.
Lots of detail and wonderful imagery. Very well written.