Chapter 4 - A new beginning…
"Yeah well, some surprise huh!" I shouted.
"It's for your own good," replied Steve, "both your mother and I decided that it was best for you to start treatment today. Have you looked at your teeth recently!"
"Well, they looked a lot better before this shit was glued onto them!" I returned.
Both Steve and I proceeded to sit in silence for the rest of the ride home, with me glaring intensely at Steve through the rearview mirror. Upon arriving home, I threw open the car door and stormed over to the door to the flat. "It's locked," Steve exclaimed.
"Well obviously," I replied, "or else I would have walked inside wouldn't I!"
"Don't you dare spit at me, boy!"
Thrown slightly off guard, I fumbled with my words, trying to make out that it was an accident and I didn't mean to.
"Well, you're bloody well acting like you mean it!" Steve shouted back. "I don't care if all that metal gives you a lisp. You can still make an effort to avoid spitting at me!"
I muttered an apology and proceeded to make my way inside of the flat.
As I walked inside, mum pulled me into one of her famous bear hugs, "My beautiful baby boy, you look amazing!"
Well, I certainly didn't feel amazing, after all, I had just become brace-face supreme. She complimented me on my glasses and said that they suited me perfectly. I shook this comment off, trying not to think about the fact that, in my mind, my mother had just called me a freak right to my face. After the constant waves of love were finished with, I went into the bathroom to inspect my new metal and accompaniments, but yet again I was shocked by what I saw! Boy was this going to take some getting used to, to me it just looked as though the orthodontist had just taken a handful of wires, springs and metal plates and glued them in my mouth. I was given a small metal rod by the receptionist and told it was to tighten the expanders which needed to be done every day. Whilst I was given a quick briefing at the 'office', I still couldn't work out how it operated. Deciding that it was a problem for later, I straightened my newly acquired spectacles and went downstairs for an early dinner; I was ravenous.
Sitting down at the table, my mum brought over her previously well-received chicken noodle soup. My mum loved experimenting, always trying out new mixes of food, styles and cultures. Looking down at the steaming bowl of golden ichor, I licked my lips in anticipation and took a spoonful to my lips. The broth went down successfully and with great ease, whilst the chicken chunks got caught on the tongue-crib and the noodles got sucked up into the newly metallic roof of my mouth, stuck between the expander and my own flesh! It was a nightmare trying to fish them out and took many attempts. After the second spoonful of the tasty but bothersome soup, there came a knock at the door. Steve answered it and, to my horror, I heard Pete asking where I was! Bugger! I had forgotten that I was supposed to meet Pete an hour ago. Steve answered by explaining that I was eating dinner but would be over as soon as I was finished. Well there it is, no backing down now, Steve signed that contract with blood, I was going to have to face Pete!
