"Well, I have a few assignments I didn't turn in.” Seeing the look on his mothers face he quickly added. "But they weren't, you know, big assignments, it's like a homework here and there.” "You are going to sit at that desk and you are not to get up until every assignment is complete and turned in.” Mara said decisively. "I have dealt with you whining and procrastination long enough.” "What's the point mom, we can't afford college anyways and most trade schools don't need my high school transcript.” Baron rebutted as he sat down. "I don't like school. That's the end of it.” His mom sat down next to him, delicately placing a hand on his shoulder. "I have worked too hard—we have worked too hard for you to give up now. We left our country so you have a chance to get ahead. You can't stop working, and we'll find a way to get you into a school. I think —” she broke off into a dry, hacking cough. "I need some water.” Baron sat down on his bed and looked around the cramped apartment. Just like the exterior of the building, the walls of the inside had paint flaking and falling off. The ceiling was lower than it should have been. When the building was built years ago, the workers had made many mistakes, the utmost of them being that one level was feet smaller than all the rest. From the inside, it looked only a little bizarre with the windowsills touching both the floor and ceiling. Baron looked around at the sad little place, admiring the beauty in the imperfection while also hoping that in his life he would be able to get something a bit better. His mother, still coughing, came out of the bathroom and sat on a chair, staring without soul at the low ceiling above them. “Baron. You know what I do is for your best interest.” Mara said while still looking at the blank popcorned ceiling. “You have to do good if you ever want to make it out of this place. You have to succeed. I want you to fail and get up again more than you know—but if you never get up, you keep falling deeper into your own despair. Do you hear me Baron?" Baron looked over at her, then looked toward the floor. “Yes. I hear you. I just wish it was easier, I wish things would go my way just once. Falling into line like a perfectly designed puzzle. You know?” Confused at the absence of a response, Baron turned around, looking to his mom, or where she had been. “Mom?” he asked again, this time confused why she would have run off so quickly. Standing up, Mara emerged in his view, pale white as a ghost, blood coming out of her mouth, lifelessly laying on the cold floors. Baron rushed over to her side, pushing her trying to get the only person in his life to see the stars again. “Mom, Mom, we have to get you up. We have to go, Mom, MOM no no no no no; NO.” He looked at her wide eyes, losing color by the minute and stroked his hand over her; maybe hoping that if she felt him enough, she would be able to come back. Maybe by some miracle she could survive. There was no funeral. Baron didn’t have enough money, nor did he want anyone else to be involved and ruin any moment of his mourning. He took her outside into the thick
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