Notes

Chapter 1
Darkness had set in for a split second before he heard his name from his mother. Rob looked up and saw his mom standing over him in his bed. He could see that the light had poured in through the window. "Oh shit," he thought to himself. "You overslept again. Get ready for school." Rob looked over at the clock. 8:15. If he hurried and grabbed a Monster from the fridge for breakfast, there was a small chance he would be ready for school. "He hopped out of bed as his mom stood in corner looking cross. "You know, this is the third time this week that you've done this. "You need to be able to get more sleep. Because I sure as hell don't wanna be sitting in a room with a truancy officer discussing what;s gonna happen to you." "I know I know" I'll try harder to get up." "You will," she replied. "Ten o clock bedtime tonight," She said as she left the room. Rob did't care though. He knew that she would end up forgetting about it, and the illy charade would continue on. He stuffed huis bag with notes and grabbed the phone from his charger. He plugged in the headphones he always kept on, and raced out his bedroom door. As he went downstairs, he almost tripped coming up and laughed to himself, as he had the knack for tripping over anything, including flat, smooth surfaces. He opened the refrigerator door and look for the cans of Monsters he always kept. When he couldn't find any, he realized that he had drank the last one the night before, in an effort to stay up for homework, which he unsuccessfully left incomplete. He raced for his wallet upstairs, and spent a minute to find it. He ran back downstairs, and realized that he wouldn't have enough time to stop by the corner store and buy one. "Feck," he muttered to himself. "What did I hear you say?!" his mom shouted from the other room. "I said Feck mom; with an 'e'." "Close enough. I don't want that kind of language in the house." "Yes mom," Rob replied as he rolled his eyes. Then from upstairs he heard the scampering of little paws coming down the steps. Then his puppies, William and Jim, raced down the steps, jumping up and down on him, "Sorry dudes," I have to get to school," he said as he kissed them both on the heads goodbye. He walked to the door with one strap on his back and Jim and William following him. He kissed his mom goodbye as she sat on the computer paying bills. "Love you mom." "You too. I hope you have a better day today," she said as she gave him a half smile. "Me too," he said as he walked to the door. And as soon as he opened it, Jim and William bolted out the door like speeding bullets from a gun. "Frick!" Rob shouted as he ran outside to find them. "Don't worry about them, I'll get them," his mom said getting up." "Thanks mom, I love you," he said as he kissed her again." Rob grabbed his bike from the porch and started the ride to school. He hoped that the puppies wouldn't follow him on his way, and looked back. Thankfully, they didn't. He carefully put on his headphones and put on music. He realized that he had slipped another close encounter the f word, and he figured that his mom had gladly let him go for it. "Thank the Lord," he said under his breath.

Even with the fast pedaling, and the determined mind set on not being tardy again, Rob was still late for school by half a minute. He could hear the bell ring from around the corner as he narrowly passed a car trying to get in front of him. He made it to the front and parked his bike, and calmly walked over to the front of the door. When the doors were locked (as they always were when the bell rang) he banged on the door and waited for Miss Trent, the secretary, to come and open the door for him. "When she finally came, and saw him, she wore a sour look on his face, as he had seen her wear when she saw him late for the past week. "Robert, again?" "I know; I'm sorry." "Don't apologize to me, you know you can't be doing this all the time." "I know. I stayed up late for homework." "Baby, school isn't that hard. You gotta get started earlier on it." "I know, I'll try today," he said as she wrote him a tardy pass. "Thanks," he said as he started to walk to class.