As Tom was still sitting next to his bed, he heard the familiar sound of someone coming into his house. It was his parents! How was he going to explain this to them?
He stood up and looked at himself in the mirror, noticing that a few more changes had occurred to him. There was black eyeliner around his eyes and a lip ring in his lower lip. He let his head drop, causing his emo hair once again to hide most of his face. Maybe that was a good thing.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. He turned his head, causing his hair to swoosh to the side.
"Uh ... who is it?" he asked, feeling a little relieved that his voice at least stayed the same. As long as he stayed in his room and just talked through the door, everyone would know that he was home but wouldn't have to see him.
"It's your mother. Why is this door locked? Open up."
Tom began to panic. If he didn't open it, his mom would get concerned. Then she'd get his dad. And then he'd get concerned. Concerned enough to use the skeleton key that they had stored in the basement, for emergencies.
But maybe he could talk his way out of this before that happened.
