I stare at him in disbelief. I show no emotion on my face, just as always. I am just looking at him wondering how he could sit there and drill me mercilessly for as long as he has. I have not said a word and it is making him mad. I resist the urge to glance at the clock. If I did that it would only cost me another hour or so there. I decide to stop tuning him out and listen to what he is saying.
“This isn’t some kind of game. This is real life! You need to decide now. I don’t want you to end up like I did, all poor and not able to do anything. Do you think I like this life? When I was your age I-”
Damn it. This is going to take longer than I expected it to. He is launching into one of his sob stories of how his father, which happens to be my grandfather, held him back and did not let him do what he wanted to. I could recite this story back to him. I imagined myself doing this. His face gets red and his head swells up.  I almost laugh at the comical image in my head.
“You think this is funny?! I bust my-”
Shit. I must have smiled. I will be here even longer, it looks like. Here he goes with another sob story. I can recite all of these back to him. I cannot look at his face. For some unknown reason anger starts boiling up inside of me. I look from him to the window in attempt to drown him out. The tone of his voice changes from lecturing to condescending.
“I don’t mean to say you’re ignorant, but-”
If he says that one more time I swear he will regret it. What the hell? Who the hell says that to his own child? Out of the corner of my eye I see him shrug. I risk a glance. He has a haughty look on his face. He motions to himself. I look at the window again. I see a small beetle outside and follow it with my eyes. It crawls to the corner of the window and gets caught in a spider web. Stupid bug. I need to move, stretch. I wish he would just stop talking. What is he saying, anyways?
“You’re mom-” And that does it.
“Why do you always have to bring her up? Why? I see her three times a week! She doesn’t live here. She doesn’t know what goes on here. She’s barely a part of my life. She barely has an influence over anything I do.” That last part is a lie. I know that is all he wants to hear, damned control freak. I am looking at him now. He is uncomfortable.
“Bull shit. I know she tells you-” He tries to lie some more.
“She doesn’t say anything about you or home unless she wants to know how things are going here. She has her own things to worry about. She-” He cuts me off.
“Don’t interrupt me!” He says loudly. “I know-”
“I’m tired,” I say.
“Fine! Go to bed,” he throws his arms up. He acts like he is dealing with an unruly child instead of an adult.
I waste no time getting up and going to my room. I do not bother to listen to anything else as I leave him bitching about his life. As I walk down the hall my brother leaves my room. He looks at me with a blank look. I return it. I get into my room and close the door. I know it is not quite over yet. I sit down at my desk and wait for the next part, the sister.
“I can’t believe him! He needs to shut up! He acts like-” I tune her out too. Even though she may think she is helping me all I can hear is more bitching and complaining. Why can’t anyone just be quiet here?
I rest my elbows on my desk and put my face in my hands. How did this even start? I don’t remember. It could be from a lot of different stuff. It all ends the same though. This monotony is strangely tiring. Well, at least she does not say much this time. I do not know how much more of this I can stand until I do something bad. After she is done she goes on my computer.  I go brush my teeth and change into pajamas. I tell her I am going to bed. I ask her to turn the computer off and unplug it when she is done. She gives me a vague nod. I climb onto my bed and sit there.
He busts in and tells us to go to bed. What am I, seven years old? Fuck you. I can do whatever the hell I want. I want to say that to him but I don’t.  I tell him okay and stare at him until he leaves. I bend over to turn the light off then lie down. I turn on my mp3 player. I tune out all the noise outside my head and close my eyes.