School was finally over and I was stunned when I got my final grades, all my goofing off and having fun I failed English. The principal brought my mother down to the school and they made a deal to where I could still graduate with my class, but I had to take summer school.
This sucked I had just turned eighteen before the end of the school year and our families annual two week camping trip was coming up as well.
Wait a second maybe they would leave me home and I would have the whole house to myself. I followed my mother out of the office and out to the parking lot, I waited as she took my new baby sister out of the stroller and in to the car seat.
As we drove home she was very quiet, I could tell she was pissed off for me screwing around all school year and now having to do summer school. I went to turn on the local hard rock station and she reached down slapping my hand away from the dial.
"Mitch, I'm very disappointed that you did not show responsibility in your school work and you did not keep your promise to your father and I on bringing your grades up." She said.
"Sorry mom." I sighed. "So what are we going to do about summer school and the annual camping trip?"
"I will talk to your father and we will let you know later." She replied not looking at me.
We got home and I went straight up to my room, I lay on my bed just staring at the ceiling for almost an hour. I heard footsteps in the hallway and then a knock on my door; it was my mother wanting to come in. She waited for me to tell her to enter and she came in, she pulled the chair away from desk so she could sit down.
"Mitch, your father and I agree that you should not be able to go on the trip. So we decided that he will take your brother and sister with him so they don't have to miss out on it." She explained. "Furthermore the baby and I will stay home with you, I will make sure you pass summer school so you can go to college in the fall."
"Aw mom, I'm old enough to stay home by myself." I groaned.
"Well if you could have if you had shown us responsibility with your school work and kept your promise to do better" she said getting up from the chair. "Don't worry we will find time to have some fun too."
Great two weeks alone with my mother and my baby sister not only that I had to do summer school. Missing the camping trip with my dad and siblings, we always had a great time on the lake and sleeping in the cabin my dad had bought several years back.
Well the rest of the week passed and graduation day came, I was allowed graduate with my class. As part of my punishment I could not go to any of the cool parties the others kids were having. I was relegated to staying home, having cake and ice cream with some relatives that came to see me graduate.
The next week passed by quickly, it was next Saturday and it was time to leave on the trip. My dad and brother had all the gear stowed on top of the SUV; my sister had all the rest of various bags of groceries in the back. As my brother got into the front seat on the passenger side and my sister in the back seat, my dad stayed out to say good bye.
"Well Mitch, I hope you learn your lesson son." Dad said.
"Yeah this really sucks." I replied sullenly kicking the ground.
"Hey get done with summer school and maybe we will find time for a weekend fishing trip before you go off to college." He said trying to offer some kind of consolation.
"Yeah I guess that would be cool." I replied.
"Great." He said patting me on the shoulder.
My mother stood holding my baby sister waiting to say her goodbyes to my father; she had just gotten done with my brother and sister in the SUV. Even though I was the oldest at eighteen, my brother at sixteen and my sister at thirteen my parents were surprised by a little bundle of joy.
My father is forty five and is a very successful investment banker, he had just started at the firm twenty years ago when he met my mother who worked there as a receptionist.