Maybe I should be nicer to Dad, I thought. Maybe I'll say something nice. That's when I piped up and said, "None of your damn business, Pop." Why did I say it? Because I didn't want to get soft. Can't get soft, cause that's when you get beaten. You become too complacent, you think things aren't so bad, you feel kindness and goodwill toward your fellow man, and bam, next thing you know your family is broke and your dad is in jail. That's what you get for letting your guard down. I was keeping my guard up. Not letting it down. Nope.
On the car ride home, my mom didn't say anything about my insubordination. This is the advantage of being mean all the time. When you're only a little mean, everyone is proud of how you behaved. My mom couldn't yell at me because, let's face it, I've said plenty worse than "none of your damn business."
-Brett Gerson, Pool Boy by Michael Simmons