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Teenage Ghost
Josh stood up from his seat, he’d heard what they had to say. He’d heard that rerun a million times. He was tired of them telling him what to do, as if he couldn’t figure out what to do. Tired of them running his life, it was his life.
“I’ve always been a good student.” Josh started off, only to hear his mother make a ‘Ha!’ noise under her breath. “I’ve always worn what you wanted, ate what you wanted, done what you wanted. I’ve always listened to you. For years until just now, when I decided to be in control over my life. You are just mad because you no longer have control over me. That doesn’t make you bad parents, it means I have a life of my own and you don’t run it. I understand that’s hard for you, giving up control.”
“As long as you are going to school, we do control you.” His dad assured him.
“Good luck with that.” Josh shot back immediately, then turned on his mother. “And I don’t need you to own a phone. I’m sixteen, I can get a job.”
Josh turned back to his dad, “You don’t like how I look, I don’t like how you made me look for fifteen years. I never got a say in any of it. Well now you know what it feels like to not have a say. I don’t know what you did with my clothes…”
His mother’s accent was thick as she replied flatly, her arms crossed. “We threw them away.”
Josh’s voice was extremely close to ‘Outside Voice’ levels, “You have no right to go in my room and throw my things away!”
“Do you think your father and I work this hard everyday for you to go around dressed like some kind of demon, psycho killer?” she asked sarcastically. She pointed at the black eyeliner around his eyes, and the black fingernail polish he wore on his nails. “Why are you wearing makeup like a girl, painting your nails like a girl. What is wrong with you?”
“There’s nothing wrong with me.” Josh narrowed his eyes at his mother. “What is wrong with you?”
“What is wrong with me?” Mrs. Whitnick pointed to herself incredulously. “I want to know what you did with my son, and when is he coming back.” she accused the boy she didn’t recognize in front of her.
Josh turned back to his dad, “You can ground me all year if you want, I don’t care. I will be who I am regardless of if you like me or not. I will dress the way I want, date the girl I want to date, act the way I want to act. You will not stop me.”
Josh’s tone turned calmer, “I’m sorry I’m not the person you wanted me to turn out to be.” He shrugged indifferently, “I’m tired of living a lie, and pretending to be someone I’m not just to make you happy. What about me? I deserve to be happy, it’s my life.”
“El diablo está dentro de mi hijo.” his mother exclaimed as she tossed her hands up in the air and let them fall. She was done talking to him, talking to him any further would do no good. Wasted breath, wasted time. She shook her slowly back and forth, had it all been wasted?