"Enlisted...?" I asked dad, slowly sitting down on the opposite side of the dining table.
He nodded, "I'm sorry."
The army?? When did he even apply... I was confused and angry.
And since he had nowhere to leave me he was sending me to boarding school?
I was hurt, I mean my life wasn't great but at least Dad was there to help me along the way. I could be a pretty troublesome kid and I needed him. Frustrated, I got up and stomped my feet to the kitchen, picking up a banana and peeling it.
Dad followed me and sighed, "Otis I said I'm sorry, plus it's way too late now to go back! I have to leave next week, and since the school year starts Monday I'm dropping you at Charford tomorrow evening."
What. The. Heck.
Tomorrow? He was making me drop everything and leave within the next 24 hours??? Parenting 101.
This didn't seem like something he would do, it was more like something mom would've done. But alas she wasn't here, and I haven't been to her grave in years. Instead, the man I looked up to was sending me to a place for troubled kids partially because he wouldn't be there to look after me, and partially because I was a terrible son and he probably should have sent me away a long time ago.
I truly am the most difficult person and often feel sorry that he has to deal with me.
Dad leaned back on the slab and crossed his arms, watching me aggressively eat my fruit. "You should start packing," he almost whispered, tilting his head to the side and giving me a sympathetic look, which made me even angrier.
"Fine." I said through gritted teeth, deciding to not be disobedient for once. Throwing out my banana peel, I stalked off to the basement where my room was and started to pack.

Charford, which was the name of the boarding school that I would be attending for my junior year, was about a six hour drive away. I hated sitting in Dad's small car for more than ten minutes let alone six hours. The whole ride I stayed silent, refusing to talk to him no matter how hard he tried to strike up a conversation. Putting in my earbuds I completely tuned out the world around me.
We stopped for lunch but I refused to eat anything more than a small salad. My appetite was gone.
It wasn't just that I was being sent away that made me infuriated, but the fact that Dad would be possibly fighting in a war, with guns and weapons and UgH, what if he got hurt? What if he died? I loved my Dad more than anyone.
He was the only person I loved. I couldn't lose him, it would break me.
The school looked like something that would be seen in the movies. The buildings were made of stone and the place looked like a mysterious castle where creepy stuff went on. The vines crawling up the sides of the building covered the windows, and I felt like I was in a horror movie that was my life.
Dad got out of the car and I followed, grabbing my duffel bag from the backseat and slinging it over my shoulder.
"Alright my boy," he said, walking over to me and straightening the straps of the bag on my shoulder. I still hadn't said a single word to him, and I didn't plan on it.
"Ready?" He asked hopefully, but I continued to stare at the stone walls of my new school, refusing to look at him.
He sighed, knowing that I wasn't moving a single step forward if he was going to be at my side. I was just so mad at him for everything. It hurt a crap ton, and I felt like crying.
Dad tried talking to me again, but I just couldn't. I walked away, heading to what seemed like the front entrance.
Dad must have left, because that was the last time I saw him.
The halls were mostly empty, there were a couple kids milling about, but they didn't pay much attention to me. Not sure where I was going, I walked around aimlessly, observing the classrooms and pictures on the walls, not really caring if I was late for anything or needed to be anywhere.
I stopped in front of a display case and looked at the photographs, barely paying any attention to what I was doing.
"BroO we need to find the last guy who's rooming with us! He better not be a nutcase, don't you remember that guy last year?" A boy's voice from behind startled me out of my daze and I jumped around, a little skittish.
A short boy with dark curly hair and a devilish smile, stood next to another guy who was significantly taller with blonde hair and blue eyes. I noticed he had a little scar on his lip, and it reminded me of that lion dude from the lion king...? Scar or something? I don't watch a lot of TV so I don't know why I thought of that.
"HA!" The shorter one exclaimed turning in my direction, "Scared ya!"
"Yeah congratulations." I sighed, rubbing my temple and shaking my head.
He grinned widely, coming up closer to me, "Hey is your name by any chance Otis..." he paused squinting down at the paper in his hands, "Wells?"
I nodded, no emotion on my face.
"CoooLLIiOOo!" The kid yelled, throwing his arms out to the side and doing jazz hands.
"I'm Leo and this is Jason," he gestured to the blonde beside him. "Welcome to Charford. You're in the same room as us."