When She Smiled
How The Other Half Lives
His heart pounding, Bryce sped away as fast as he could from Brookstone Ct. What was he thinking?
Hitting himself in the head, he jumped off his board, deciding to walk the rest of the way. Of course he knew she was the one playing the music. He’d seen her in the window. He felt like such a stalker. Hoping she didn’t think that, he rounded the corner and walked up to his front porch.
“When will you learn to not touch my stuff?” yelled an angry man from inside the door. Bryce recognized the voice as his father’s. Closing his eyes tight and sucking in a deep breath, he twisted the door knob and stepped inside.
“Pops!” he addressed his father, standing over his younger brother in the kitchen. He noticed tears in his brother’s eyes and a look of fear that he had been all too accustomed to seeing.
“Chill out, he’s just a kid!” Bryce ran over to help Chris to his feet before turning around to face his dad.
“He just doesn’t know what “Don’t touch” means! Don’t they teach you kids anything in school these days?” His dad said, frustrated. He walked over to the fridge and pulled out a cold beer, popping off the cap on the side of the counter.
After making sure his brother had safely run off to his room, Bryce closed the refrigerator door that his father left open.
“Dad, you can’t keep yelling at him. He’s only 7 years old. You’re only scaring him.” Bryce said, leaning heavily on the counter.
“Well maybe he should be scared. Maybe he should learn early that he should keep his grubby little hands away from my work stuff.” His dad said, taking a swig from his beer.
Bryce just looked at his father. He’d been losing his temper over the smallest things since their mom walked out 4 months before. He’d never seen his dad get so angry. He wondered what it all meant.
“I got homework.” Bryce said as he walked out of the kitchen toward his bedroom, not wanting to deal with his dad at the moment.
Hitting himself in the head, he jumped off his board, deciding to walk the rest of the way. Of course he knew she was the one playing the music. He’d seen her in the window. He felt like such a stalker. Hoping she didn’t think that, he rounded the corner and walked up to his front porch.
“When will you learn to not touch my stuff?” yelled an angry man from inside the door. Bryce recognized the voice as his father’s. Closing his eyes tight and sucking in a deep breath, he twisted the door knob and stepped inside.
“Pops!” he addressed his father, standing over his younger brother in the kitchen. He noticed tears in his brother’s eyes and a look of fear that he had been all too accustomed to seeing.
“Chill out, he’s just a kid!” Bryce ran over to help Chris to his feet before turning around to face his dad.
“He just doesn’t know what “Don’t touch” means! Don’t they teach you kids anything in school these days?” His dad said, frustrated. He walked over to the fridge and pulled out a cold beer, popping off the cap on the side of the counter.
After making sure his brother had safely run off to his room, Bryce closed the refrigerator door that his father left open.
“Dad, you can’t keep yelling at him. He’s only 7 years old. You’re only scaring him.” Bryce said, leaning heavily on the counter.
“Well maybe he should be scared. Maybe he should learn early that he should keep his grubby little hands away from my work stuff.” His dad said, taking a swig from his beer.
Bryce just looked at his father. He’d been losing his temper over the smallest things since their mom walked out 4 months before. He’d never seen his dad get so angry. He wondered what it all meant.
“I got homework.” Bryce said as he walked out of the kitchen toward his bedroom, not wanting to deal with his dad at the moment.