I had gotten home around 3:20 after school. I live on a pretty quiet road. There's not any kids and I liked it that way because it's very peaceful and quiet and there's no obnoxious little kids screaming. The only kids on our street were Demon, Ashton, me and Riley. She lives about a mile down the road from us. My family is pretty much friends with everybody on our street and I'm surprised that they like us-I mean my mom and I. They get a little edgy when ever the subject of Ashton or Demon comes up. They don't like Demon or Ashton because of obvious reasons. But they liked me simply because I never caused vandalism like set their garbage cans on fire in the middle of the night, or get drunk in their yards and trample their flower beds, or take a piss in someone's front yard like Ashton did earlier this year. They usually thought I was a nice kid. Plus, causing vandalism wasn't really my cup of tea. So I stayed out of their way and was always polite to them and they'd always return the favor.

I didn't have any homework for once so I had time to stare at the ceiling in my room. But a sigh of grief slipped out of my mouth when I stepped in the kitchen and noticed a small slip of paper on the counter. My mom always gives me a little list of chores to do after school and she expects me to get it done after she gets out of work.

I read:
Spencer, I had to cover for someone at work so I won't be home until 9 or 10 at the latest. When you get home,
•Get Stir Fry out of the basement and feed him
•Pick up the living room
•Do laundry
•Make sure Ashton takes his sleeping medicine
Thanks!
Love, mom

I don't want to go in the basement. I never liked ours. It smells weird. I don't know why Stirfry likes it so much down there. I don't like basements and I never had. I've seen enough of horror movies and tv shows and I officially know what scares me.

General Stir-fry is my cat's name. When I was about 4 years old my dad had found him behind a Chinese restaurant on his way home from work one night. He was a grayish-silver tabby cat and had these yellow eyes. Back then he was just a 3 month old kitten. Now he's this twelve pound feline. One other unique thing about him was that part of his tail was gone and he had a notch in his ear. He looked like really mangy cat that's been in too many fights.

I eventually decided to act like a big boy and grabbed Stir-fry's treats from the top of the fridge and forced myself to head down in the dreadful under building, he calls his hidey-hole.

My basement was beyond dark. It was advanced darkness. I didn't like the dark as a kid and quite frankly, even as a sixteen year old boy, I still don't.

I swallowed the huge lump of fear in my throat and manned up. I stepped down the first stair and shook the bag of treats, symbolling that he needs to come upstairs. As usual he didn't come up right away. So I stepped down the next two stairs and yanked the string, turning on the not-so-bright, dim light, giving off a low luminous glow.

After shaking his treats for awhile, he eventually came bolting up the stairs, giving me a heart attack in the process, and I went to go cower in peace.

After Stirfry was fed, I grabbed me and Ashton's hamper and tossed our dirty clothes in the wash. I picked up the remotes to our tv, pillows back on the couch, and put Stirfry's cat toys away in his box. Before I told Ash to take his sleep meds, I drew a tiny picture of me literally picking up the living room and flipping it.

I went upstairs to my room after everything was done and I shut my door and leaped into my old, dingy, full size bed. I felt the nice wave of warmth of linen run over me as I fell into the peaceful darkness that was sleep.

I had woken up from the sound of the door slamming shut downstairs. I looked at my clock. It was a little after ten. My mom was just getting home from work. I grabbed one of my plush blankets and wrapped it over myself, looking much like a generic version of a Jawa from Star Wars. I went downstairs and saw her putting things away. I also saw her chuckle at my stupid drawing.

"Hey ma." I said.

"Hey there." She said quietly. "What're you still doing up?"

"I heard you come home. How was your day?" I asked.

"It was okay. I like your drawing." She smiled.

"Thanks. I made it for you with my own two little hands." I joked, while giving her puppy eyes, which made her smile and hug me.

"How was your day?" She asked me.

"Oh, the same as normal." I said. "Sit with the socially awkward delinquents I call my friends, be bored during class, and get pushed around by asshole Andrew at school. You know, the usual."

"I wish you wouldn't put up with him."

"He's Angie's boyfriend. If I do something back to him she's gonna hate me forever. I just wish she knew how much of a jerk he really is."

"If Angie knew what was going on I bet she'd dump that loser."

"She'll probably see eventually."

"Well if I get a call from the school, telling me you punched some small dick jockey boy just know that you won't be in trouble at home."

I chuckled. "Thanks, ma."

"Thank you for doing chores tonight. I appreciate it. Did Ash take his sleep meds?"

"Yes."

"Good. I shall take mine and go to bed myself. You should go to bed too. Don't be a night owl like your brother."

She gave me a kiss goodnight and slowly walked to her room. It's always nice talking to her. She's always had my back in most situations like the one I'm in with Andrew. She's been working late nights recently so I'm happy to help around the house more. I guess it was my way of having her back.