Page 65 of Run Away Home: Tempered

“I won’t fight with anyone anymore, okay? I’ll let everyone say mean shit to me, and I just won’t do anything about it. That’s what everyone seems to want.”

“If someone says something mean to you, tell the coach.” He takes off his jacket.

“And be a snitch? No freaking way!”

“Who says mean things to you, anyway?”

“Everyone!”

“Even Matt?”

“Especially Matt! He thinks he’s so smart, and so perfect, and so...better than everyone else.”

“Try to talk to him about it. Tell him that what he says upsets you.”

“No! I don’t want to talk about my feelings. I want to yell at people and punch them in their heads.”

“Whoa. I hope you’ve never ‘punched anyone in the head’ before.”

“Not yet. I take all my anger out on the game, and then I feel a little bit better. Not all the way, but a little bit, at least.”

Hayley joins us. “Who are we punching in the head?”

“No one,” Peter answers. “We don’t punch people.” He leans down by the TV and starts unplugging it. Seriously? He doesn’t understand, and he never will.

“What are you doing? I thought you said you were sorry for getting angry!” I yell.

“I am sorry for getting angry. I’m not sorry for punishing you.” He lifts the TV and carries it into his room.

“ARE YOU KIDDING ME?”

“What? I thought you said you were smarter than me and have better stuff to do? Use your smart brain to find better stuff to do until your punishment is over.” He takes the TV into his bedroom and puts it on the dresser. I follow him. I can’t think of anything good to say...so...

“YOU SUCK!”

I hear Hayley laugh from the living room. I run back in there.

“STOP LAUGHING! YOU SUCK MORE THAN HE DOES!” I yell and point at her.

“Maybe when you feel like this, you should exercise,” Peter says from behind me. “Maybe we should go for a walk. You said lacrosse helps you—”

I am so angry. I won’t let him finish his sentence.

“I HATE YOU!”

“No, you don’t.”

I know I don’t...but right now...

“YES, I DO! I HATE EVERYONE. MAYBE YOU TWO WERE MEANT FOR EACH OTHER! YOU’RE BOTH MORONS!”

Peter rubs his face with both of his hands. Hayley’s staring at him.

“Yelling and throwing a fit doesn’t make me want to give you the TV back. It actually has the opposite effect,” he says.

I take a few deep, angry breaths. I clench my fists together. I say nothing.

“Good...We have to work on finding a way to calm down together,” Peter says. “Let’s take a walk now.”

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