SOS. Can I Stay at Your Place? (Sadly, based on a true story).

I race to my room and shut the door, backpack jingling like an untimely bell, beckoning parental suspicion. How could I face them? After what I'd done? I couldn't talk to my mom, or I'd give it away. I doubt my dad would look me in the eye if he knew.

You see, my dad is a professor. My mom is a doctor. And I'll be neither. Two power-housed brainiacs are supposed to produce some sort of Einstein, but with unrealistic expectations about anything, from an untucked bed to hanging all your coat hangers in one direction, my parents expect 110 percent, forgetting there's no such thing (as if 100 percent isn't already hard enough). Thus, my life is a dirty stain of failed potential, and today it's bleeding through. I'm just hoping they won't notice.

Knock, Knock.

I scramble to clean my desk space.

"Haoyu?"

I sit on my bed, straight as a plank.

Door knob turns.

I start biting my nails.

Door creeks open.

I stop biting my nails. It draws too much suspicion. And scolding.

"How was school?" My mom says, standing at the door.

"Good."

"Great. Well make sure to get started on your homework. Dinner will be ready in 3 hours."

She leaves, and I breathe a sigh of success. She didn't know...

"Haoyu!"

Oh no. It's father.

Door slams open.

"You failed out of math class???"

"Yes," I say, and start packing my things. It'll be a long night.