Uncle Danny was unbelievably calm the next morning. I couldn’t quite figure out the reason for his silence. He seemed like he had lost himself in his dream last night, just like I do sometimes.

I nervously coughed and sat down in a chair. He slid me a plate with two chicken sandwiches, some potato chips, and some ketchup. I ate in silence, not daring to speak a word. But his silence was awkwardly uncomfortable, and I choked on my food.

“Be careful, child. Here, drink some water,” Uncle Danny handed me a glass full of water, and I drank it calmly, bewildered by the sudden change in his personality. I kept drinking until I emptied the glass. I put it down on the table and continued with my food.

“Do you want more chips? I have some stored for you in the kitchen,” he asked amicably, completely surprising me.

“Wha-what?” I asked, to be sure.

“If you want some more chips, I can bring them for you from the kitchen,” he said matter-of-factly.

I was really shocked by his good-natured behavior but was also trying to figure out if it was real. I mean, I had never seen him behave this way, especially not with me. He was the kind of guy who beat me almost every night in his drunken state and then acted as if nothing had happened the following morning. His usual behavior was not like this. He always bossed me around, forced me to do his household chores, and treated me like I wasn't his family. He wasn’t the kind of guy who would make tasty chicken sandwiches for me and ask if I needed more chips. Only he knew what was going on in his mind, making him act so strangely.

“No, Uncle. Thanks. I’m...fine,” I said, trying to hide the utter bewilderment in my voice. Then, a good idea popped up. “Umm…Uncle, can I have a word with you? About something important?” I said hesitantly.

“Sure, child. Always.”

“Mr. Anderson wants to see you.”

I saw an abrupt change in his expression after hearing what I said, but he masked it completely. Then I realized that his sudden change of mood must have had something to do with where and how he spent last night. Maybe he had sex. I heard some guys in school saying that sex can change your mood. If you're grumpy and sad, it can brighten your day. But who would want to have sex with a grumpy man, anyway?

“For what reason, dear?” he asked, trying to stay calm as much as possible, but he couldn’t fool me.

Well, I was not a smart kid, but Danny’s behavior completely shocked me at first, and then seeing him return to his normal self and trying to hide it from me made him look suspicious. But I couldn’t show it on my face.

“He wants to talk to you about my studies,” I admitted.

“Are you not doing well in your math class, Joe?” he glared at me. Though he tried to keep his suddenly changed behavior on track, for a fraction of a second, I saw him scowling at me.

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“I-I made a small mistake…and…”

“And he announced a guardian call,” he supplied.

“Uh, yeah, I think so,” I nodded.

“Okay, no problem. I’ll go and talk to him.” With that, Uncle left the table, leaving a completely puzzled me alone in the corridor.

I quickly checked the clock.

9:30 a.m. It was time to get ready for school.

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Uncle Danny was sitting with Mr. Anderson in his office. He called me in, and I took a seat beside my uncle.

“Your nephew is not paying attention to his studies. I have never seen him being attentive in my math class. What would you say about this, Mr. Watson?” Mr. Anderson asked my uncle with his gentle yet firm voice. I was worried about what Danny was thinking right now, and though I couldn’t hear it, I knew it was something dangerous. But I remained silent.

“Well, I have never seen him paying attention to anything. So, it’s your business to change him. You are the teacher, not me,” Uncle stated with a blank expression on his face.

Maybe he was right. What I wanted to pay attention to was completely my choice and no one else’s business. Yet, his answer was perfectly absurd, especially since he was my guardian who was supposed to guide me on the right path. And since studying is everything to a high schooler, it was supposed to be his choice to make me enthusiastic about it.

“Well, Mr. Watson, I thought you were his guardian?” Mr. Anderson asked with the same expression on his face as Danny’s.

“Not really. What he does is none of my business. I only take care of him because I’m obligated to,” Uncle Danny stated matter-of-factly.

Did I hear it right?

He is obligated to take care of me?

I guess it was kind of true. Actually, a whole lot of truth, but I didn’t want it that way. I didn’t want to be part of someone’s obligation.

I remained still, but inside my mind, a violent storm was forming. Rage, tears of emotion, and solitude were all building up inside my head. But all I could do was not show it through my expression. It’s called self-control. I couldn’t have learned it so well if I weren’t living with Danny Watson.

Mr. Anderson glanced at me, then at Uncle Danny. Then he said, “Okay, you may leave, Mr. Watson. And thank you so much for your time.” He smiled professionally at Danny.

“No problem, Mr. Anderson. Have a great day ahead.” I stood to leave too. But Mr. Anderson stopped me in my tracks.

“Not you, Joe. Take a seat. We need to talk,” he motioned to the chair in front of me.

I said nothing in return but reluctantly obeyed his order. I sat down face-to-face with Mr. Anderson. He gave me one of his fake professional smiles.

For a moment, I forgot what I was feeling seconds earlier. Then that feeling came back again. All I could feel was the burning sensation in my heart, a sudden rage of anger, and a hollow feeling of being abandoned.

I balled my fists and gritted my teeth hard. I wanted time to stop. I wanted to cry out loud with no one around me. For a split second, I wanted to lie down in my mother’s lap. I have felt so many feelings in my entire life, but this one was overwhelming. I knew I had no parents and no siblings, but truth be told, I somehow had believed that Uncle Danny was my family—the only blood relation that I had, that I knew. The only person who never left me, even though he tortured me a lot.

Suddenly, I felt betrayed. I felt vulnerable. And to top it off, I felt completely hopeless.

“It’s your duty to take care of your studies, Joe. Yes, I am your teacher. I need to pay attention to your studies since...since you have no decent guardian to rely upon. But you have to cooperate with me. Would you, child?” For the first time in my life, I saw a hint of emotion in Mr. Anderson’s eyes. His voice somehow seemed strong, but I sensed a little bit of care in it too. This led me to believe that maybe, just maybe, true things still exist on earth.

But I was so shocked by my current situation that I feared if I opened my mouth, only sobs would come out. So, I nodded my head instead.

Mr. Anderson nodded too and offered me his warm smile. Then he told me to go to my classroom and that he would be there in a few minutes.

I did as I was told. I was too numb to use my brain against it.