looked up at the sky. It was a clear blue, a perfect summer sky. Two teenagers, one with purple spiky hair and the other with baggy pants and glasses, passed by, laughing at some private joke. I had seen these two earlier one day. They were laughing even then.

And here I was, not even feel like smiling. In my head, I went over the scene with the parents just minutes ago.

"Your grades haven’t improved at all. Why? Aren’t you doing enough practice in school?"

At my father’s hectoring tones I had felt a familiar numbness spread like a stain from my heart into my stomach. It settled there, heavy as a stone, and I could wondered why I always felt like this.

I was stuck to the chair, facing my father's anger and my mother's suppressed emoti...

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