*smacks everybody with large pieces of wood* Come on guys, can't let this die before it even starts.

Mateo
~~~~

The only thing worse than actually being punished is the waiting. I had an entire hour between the police station and my house to worry about what my mom was going to do to me when she showed up. She asked me to do one single thing: stay out of trouble for just one week. How long had I lasted? A day, maybe two, doubt it was three. I wondered how pi**ed she was going to be at me. She was really mad at me earlier and I'd done nothing to help her calm down. I sighed, watching the storm brewing outside. Who was I kidding? She couldn't be more pi**ed at me.

"Your bail's here."

With a defeated sigh, I headed out to the waiting area. Malik had tagged along, it only added to my humiliation. Mom had one of those 'disappointed' looks about her. I just hung my head and walked over.

"Hi Mom...Hi Malik..."

She sighed, I could see the anger rising in her. "I ask you to do one simple thing for me Mateo: just stay out of trouble. But can you do that? No. You have to go and get yourself arrested."

"Let me explain -"

"I don't want to hear it Mateo. I am sick to death of listening to your pathetic excuses. If you can't be trusted to do anything outside the house then I'm going to have to ground you."

I shocked. "What!? You can't do that! I'm twenty years old!"

"And you still act like a child. You're grounded Mateo, whether you like it or not."

"For how long?"

"Until I grow sick of the very sight of you, which I must warning you is drawing very close."

That one hurt. That one hurt a lot.

"Let's get the hell out of here," she said with a sigh. "The sooner I get you home the sooner you can get your damn clothes on."

It was a long walk back home. Mom didn't look at me once. I don't think I'd ever seen her so pi**ed off. To be honest, I had my doubts that even Dad would be able to calm her back down. That's how bad it was.

The second we got home, I disappeared to get some clothes on. I'd been walking around butt naked for almost three hours and I was really beginning to miss my pants. The breeze was starting to get a little uncomfortable. It was getting kinda cold too...

Mom blanked me from the second I got back downstairs. She just carred on talking to Malik as if I wasn't even there. I hated it. When she went to get something from the kitchen about my five minutes later, I cornered her.

"What's with the cold shoulder? You've never been so hard on me before."

"I just can't be bothered with you Mateo. You're a selfish, ungrateful bast*rd of a son and I am tired of dealing with your screw-ups."

"Oh just stop it!" I shouted. "You haven't got a clue, you're so damn proud. You made me a screw-up, you can't punish me for turning into one."

"Where do you think this sh*t up Mateo? You caused all this. I never asked you to go out sleeping with everything you get your hands on, but you do. The things that I do ask to do, you don't even try to do. Tonight is a clear example of that and I just can't take it anymore."

"Everything has to be about you doesn't it? Tell me, honestly, did you ever give a sh*t about me? Really? When I was little, everything I did I did to make you proud. Sure, I made a mistake now and then, but that was all you seemed to care about. It was like you were waiting for me to screw up. In the end I just stopped trying. It was just so much easier to do what you expected than to try and prove to you that I was better than that. At first I thought I must have done something to make you feel that way but then i realised, I couldn't remember the last time that you showed me any kind of affection. Come to think of it, I couldn't even remember the last time you'd told me that you loved me. What kind of mother can't show any affection to her own son? That's what I'm asking you." I paused for a moment. "But hey, maybe I'm wrong. Maybe I've 'screwed-up' again, but I'm giving you a chance to prove me wrong. So go on, say it, tell me that you love me."

I waited but she didn't say anything. I kept my composure, I didn't want her to know how much it hurt,

"I figured," I spat. I stormed out of the kitchen but before I left and paused to add in one last thing. "I wanted to be just like you once." I shot her a look of disgust. "Glad that didn't work out."