• Change of Heart


    “Vincent Anderson turn that noise down right now!”

    I only just heard her shout over the sound of my music but my mind didn’t really register what she said. Any way I was absorbed in the book I was reading.

    “If you don’t that racket off I’m taking your stereo away for a month!”

    This time it was my dad shouting but it still didn’t register in my mind because I was still absorbed in my book.

    “That’s it, I’m coming in.”

    The door burst open and in came my dad. He stormed over to where I was sitting and started shouting.

    “How many times do I have to tell you to turn that down?” he asked pointing at my stereo.

    “Woah, sorry I didn’t hear.” I replied walking towards my stereo to turn it down.

    “Well that isn’t good enough!“ my dad shouted, before pulling out the plug for my stereo.

    “What are you doing?” I asked trying to stop him

    “I’m taking this away for a while.” he replied picking up my stereo and walking towards the door.

    “No! you cant!” I shouted too late, he had already walked out of the room.

    I sat back down and picked up my book again. Id had enough of him. Id had enough of both of them. My mum and my dad. They grounded me or took something away from me basically every day. Its not like I do anything bad. They just completely over react to everything. But now I’ve just had enough. I’d already been thinking about leaving for a while now and it didn’t seem like such a bad idea. I could stay at Sarah’s house. Sarah was my girlfriend and the only person that really seemed to understand me. I decided that I’d leave the next time my parents were out and go to Sarah’s house, but start packing straight away.

    I started looking for a suitable bag but I could only find my school bag and I would need that for the next day, unless I left tonight. Then I remembered, my parents were going to my Aunt Claudia’s house tonight, I’d overheard my mum on the phone, and I might be able to convince them to leave me here.

    I tipped the contents of my school bag onto the floor and shoved it under my bed.

    “Vincent what was that?”

    My mum must have heard my school things hit the floor.

    “Nothing mum, I just knocked my bag off my bed” I replied, trying to make up an excuse.

    “Well pick it up and get ready to go to your Aunt’s!”

    This would probably be my chance to convince to leave me here, but I’d have to think of an excuse quickly. I looked around. There didn’t seem to be anything in my room I could use an excuse. But then I looked down and saw the pile of school books I’d tipped out of my bag. I’d tell my mum I had a load of homework I has to do and maybe she’d let me stay. I walked out of my room and down the stairs to the living room to find my mum sitting on the settee.

    “Are you ready to go?” she asked.

    “No” I replied “I’ve got a load of homework to do for tomorrow.”

    “Well you should have got it done earlier shouldn’t you?” she responded as usual.
    “Can I please stay here while you and dad go to Aunt Claudia’s house?” I asked her in the sweetest voice I could.

    “Hmmm… well I suppose you’ll have to” she replied. “But no friends around!” she shouted as I ran up the stairs.

    Now all I had to do was wait till they left and then I could leave. I sat down and started reading my book again. A short while later I heard my mum and dad shouting up the stairs.

    “We are leaving now, behave while we are out”

    “I will. Bye” I shouted back

    ‘If only they knew’ I thought to myself as I watched them leave from by bedroom window.

    As soon as the car had left the street I started shoving clothes into my bag. Then I ran down stairs and put some food and bottles of water into my bag. As soon as my bag was full I put a hoody on and walked out front door. I immediately felt free. I looked at my watch and realized it was getting late. I’d have to hurry up if I wanted to get to Sarah’s house before it got too dark. As I was walking I started to think about what would happen if Sarah wasn’t there or her parents didn’t let me in. I looked at my watch and realized I’d been walking for about half an hour and that I was almost there. But then I realized how late it was. When I finally got to her house all the lights were off and there was no car in the drive. I knocked on the door but there was no answer. I picked up some stones and was thinking about throwing them at Sarah’s bedroom window when I started to think about how much of a bad idea all of this was. Even if Sarah was here her parents would just end up telling my parents and I would just end up back home. I dropped the stones and slumped down against a wall. I was stupid thinking this would work. I got up and started to walk home when I saw my parent’s car driving a long the road. I must have been walking for longer than I thought I had. I started to run back towards my house. I knew some shortcuts to get back, but I still wouldn’t get back in time. I was running flat out and getting home a lot quicker than usual. I turned the last bend and saw my parent’s car park up in the drive. I managed to jump over the back fence and get through the back door just as my parents got through the front door. I silently ran up the stairs and into my room. But then I remembered my bag full of clothes and food. If my parents found it they’d kill me. I opened my cupboard and through my bag in and sat back down. I grabbed my homework book and a pencil just as my mum walked in through my bedroom door.

    “Hello Vincent, have you finished your homework?”

    “Yes mum” I lied putting my book down. “I’ve been doing it the whole time you’ve been out.”