My Opinion Doesn't Matter

“I have so missed you guys.” Michael said, hugging Laura and I. At the moment we were sitting on the couch watching TV together while our father worked and our mother hurried and ordered our maids around to get ready for the party tonight. Nothing was really on, but that didn’t matter. We were just catching up on things instead of actually watching the TV.

“I know.” I told him. “It’s been different around here since you left.” I admitted. I was now in the center of attention. Everything revolved around me, well my profession. It never revolved around just me. Like what I wanted, nope. My opinion in things didn’t matter.

“I thought so. Mom and dad are probably riding your ass about colleges.” I gasped and smacked his arm. It took him for a second to realize what he said. We both looked over to see Laura, intently watching some cartoon that was on.

“She better not have heard you.” I warned. Michael shrugged.

“It’d be funny if she said it.” I rolled me eyes. We’d never hear the end of it if she did. “So have they been?” I looked down. I didn’t want to say yes, but I did.

“Yeah, they are.” Michael frowned.

“Don’t worry. It’ll all be over soon.” I sighed.

“I hope so.” I really did hope, but I knew it would never end. They hadn’t known that a few days ago I got a letter from Princeton saying I was accepted. I took it and hid it before they could get a hold of it. If they saw I was accepted I would be made to go, but if they didn’t know then I wouldn’t have to. “I doubt it though.” Michael shrugged.

“Just do what they say and it will be.” Too bad I didn’t want to do what they wanted. What they wanted weren’t in the plans that I created.

“Too bad-“ I couldn’t continue my sentence before Beth strolled into the living room and cut in.

“Sorry to ruin you’re catching up, but Ronnie, your tutor is here.” I groaned and slid down the couch.

“Go get them Ronnie.” Michael said, patting my back.

“I don’t want to.” I mumbled under my breath as I pushed myself off of the floor and to my feet.

“See you guys later.” I said to both Michael and Laura, who at the moment had taken her eyes off of the TV.

“Bye.” They chorused. I slowly followed Beth out of the room and down the hall towards the front door. It had been closed, but not all the way so I knew Beth hadn’t closed it. Someone who didn’t care that much did. That’s when I saw him, Kaden.

He was leaning casually against our front door in a pair of faded jeans and a plain black t-shirt. His brown hair brushed out of his dark chocolate colored eyes. I caught myself checking him over too long, noticing he had noticed before me. I had the urge to wipe that smirk off of his face. He was one of those guys that always had it caressing his lips.

“Your mother had the family room cleared out for you two to study in.” Beth informed us. She took Kaden’s sweatshirt that was in his hands and he nodded a ‘thanks’. She smiled and then scurried off to help get ready for tonight.

How I hated parties. The whole day was spent getting ready for that night that only lasted a few hours and then it took the whole next day to get the house back to where it was before. There was more time spent cleaning up and setting up then there was the actual party. It was really a waste of our staff’s time.

It was better when we went to parties at other people’s houses even though I couldn’t find a place to hide-out in, our staff didn’t have to kill themselves to get every tiny thing as perfect as it could be. I would help if my parents didn’t stop me from doing so each time. They felt it wasn’t right. ‘That’s what their paid for.’ Was what my mother always said. ‘You can be doing better things than that.’ Was what my father would say.

“Hello?” I turned my gaze from Beth’s disappearing figure to Kaden’s blank face.

“What?” I asked. He narrowed his eyes.

“I’m not here just to stand in the doorway, where’s your family room?” Oh! I had forgotten he was here as I went off into my ramble.

“Oh, um, ugh, this way.” I said, stepping aside so he could walk with me. I led him down the hall and into the last door on the left.

Our family room was bigger than most people’s; well our whole house was so I guess that’s not a shock. There were two white, large leather couches that lined the east wall and a black leather chair between them. A loveseat was on the wall to the north facing the wall which was lined with windows, letting the view of the backyard and the sun come in, shining off of the white and navy blue walls.

A large coffee table was set up in the middle. Usually they would have coasters for drinks on the table along with magazines and things to read, but of course my family wasn’t the normal family. Our table had a platter filled with lovely smelling candles and stones to go with the calm feeling of the room.

“It’s nice.” Kaden commented, walking right on in and to the black leather chair. “Calming.” He muttered, sitting in the chair and getting comfortable. I rolled my eyes as he closed his eyes and rested his arms behind his head.

“Of course you would go and sleep.” I mumbled, walking into the room after him. “So what are we doing today?” I asked, sitting next to the chair, except on the leather sofa.

“I told you yesterday.” He stated. I rolled my eyes again.

“Oh yeah, like I actually remember.” I huffed, leaning back further into the couch. Did I have an attitude? I sprang up realizing what I said. My hand shot to my mouth. “I meant- um I mean… I ugh- um…” I heard a snicker from beside me and I looked over to see Kaden laughing at me. I felt embarrassed, my cheeks burning up.

“You’re taking that quiz to see what you need to work on.” My lips formed an ‘O’ and I nodded.

“Well, where is the quiz?” I asked.

“Online.” Kaden answered.

♠

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” I whined. My laptop froze again. “I’m not starting over, again.” I sighed, putting the laptop onto the coffee table and looked over at Kaden who was looking outside.

“You failed the quiz the first time for not answering a few questions-” Kaden started to say before I cut him off.

“I didn’t know the answer!” I said, defending myself. I truly didn’t. Something inside me made me warm all over. I was happy not to answer those questions.

“Second, your laptop froze like 10 times in a row, making you start over.” He said, counting on his fingers. A third shot up, but I said something before he could.

“This laptop is crappy. That one’s not my fault.”

“Can’t you just buy another laptop?” He asked, turning from the windows to face me.

This was my first laptop I had even gotten and I didn’t want to let go of it. It had some of the stories I had written on here and I didn’t want to take the time to transfer them all over because if I did then my parents would probably find out and disapprove of me writing them. It was like my first journal well, my only journal since I still had that hidden under my bed.

“Yeah, but I never felt like getting a new one. I don’t use it that much anyways.” He eyed me carefully, probably because I took forever to answer him, but then he nodded and shrugged.

“Well, I guess then we can’t do it.” He told me, walking my way.

“Won’t Mrs. Juan get mad?” I asked, confused. He shook his head.

“What she doesn’t know won’t hurt her.” I never liked that statement, but hearing it right now with everything I just went through made it seem truthful.