A thoroughly modern childhood

Rashid lay head first on his desk. He dragged his tired eyes open to listen to the teacher yelp his name. His thoughts were far far away. They flew like paper planes over the lush mountain side.
‘Rashid, its exam week. You have to study.’
Rashid opened his book. The bags under his eyes told of long nights. ‘Everybody orders,’ he whispered under his breath, ‘Nobody asks...’
‘Rashid, you have to study hard boy. You have a very important exam next week.’
Rashid held his quivering eyes. ‘You have one exam, Miss. We have a million,’ he muttered under his breath.
‘What was that sorry?’
‘Nothing Miss...’
...
‘I’m going to run away,’ Rashid whispered. He was tied with rope to a lamppost. The rain came lashing down. He closed his eyes. And found himself safe in his father’s luxurious car. It was night time and the hills flew by. The orange lights were like dots in the dark landscape. There was just something about driving... Rashid rested peacefully.
‘Oh Rashid, wake up,’ Syrah the class monitor said. She untied him. ‘Why don’t you face the bullies Rashid? Why do let them do this to you?’
Rashid opened his eyes and breathed in the free air. ‘Thank you Syrah... In ten years time, I will be eighteen. I will get a job and repay your kindness.’
‘Why do they tie you up?’
‘This doesn’t leave a mark,’ Rashid said. He picked up his bag bulging with a weight too heavy for his shoulders.
...
‘Your drenched Rashid, get in babe, quick.’
Rashid stepped into his mum’s quaint little VW Golf. Driving along the high street, with his baby sister, in her car seat, he had another thought.
‘Mum. Yasmin can’t speak, how do you know who she wants to stay with?’
His mother looked at him in the rear view mirror. ‘She’s staying with me darling... babies always stay with their mother.’
‘So if I choose dad, I won’t get to see her for most of the time?’ He said, as if it were a rhetorical question. His mother carried on while Rashid looked out at the world, through the window. He saw Syrah waving at him and he nodded in acknowledgement. He looked back at the rear view mirror.
‘Mum, I’m sorry I made you cry. I don’t know how to think correctly...’
....
Rashid read his books, did his maths, tidied his bedroom, brushed his teeth, turned off the lights and got into bed. To please his mum. In bed, he lay looking at the ceiling fan as it went round and round.
....
His nightmares woke him up. Wearing only a vest and shorts, he crawled to the corner. The Witch, she lay in the opposite corner. He opened his door slightly. He could hear his parents arguing. He crawled back to his space. He made a quick dash to get his duvet, before returning to his corner.
‘When do I get a lawyer?’ he thought as he drifted off to sleep. And he dreamt a great dream. He was his own man, driving his own car, through the evergreen English countryside. He opened his eyes, for a second to see snow fall outside his window. He looked at the witch in the corner.
‘I will live to fight another day, just you wait and see... good night,’ he said letting go.
He breathed in and then breathed out. Once again, he drifted off to the warmth of a good night’s sleep. Not even pneumonia could trouble him now...