Hi everyone!! I don't know what to do anymore... Okay so my parents are really manipulative. My step dad always tells me basically how useless and Im not passionate and stuff. But I really am so I don't know where the hell he comes up with that, and he always puts me down. So I can't wait to leave and get a good education so I won't have to deal with his crap anymore. And if you think I'm being an asswhole saying this, well this isn't even the top layer of what he does to me emotionally. Anyways, I need advice for a more fast approaching situation. He wants me to go adopt a highway with him, which I don't particularly mind, but he wants to go for three hours, and the thing is I have a bad back bc of past dance and present sports. I can't handle three hours of bending over. I asked him to shorten it, but he refuses. He says he and my mom are making me go for the benefit of collage application, but that is the biggest lie I have ever heard. He happens to be prez of this association, and he HAS to do it. But really he's making me go so I can suffer along with him. And if you doubt that, we'll try not too, I know his personality. Plus, it's supposed to rain durin the time we go. He gave me the option of going or not, and naturally I declined. But then he said he would find something for me that I HAD to do for three hours that I would hate, for punishment of not going. So I am forced to go. But inside I know this isn't right somehow, and I feel I have nowhere to turn. He's really mean too, I hate talking to him but I have before. So what the hell do I do??? Please help, any advice is appreciated!!

For those of you who might not know, adopt a highway is cleaning trash off the side of a highway

You should just buck up and do it.
Make your step dad look dumb.
And you won't even look like a pussy anymore.
B̶e̶c̶a̶u̶s̶e̶ ̶r̶i̶g̶h̶t̶ ̶n̶o̶w̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶ ̶d̶o̶ ̶k̶i̶n̶d̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶s̶o̶u̶n̶d̶ ̶l̶i̶k̶e̶ ̶a̶ ̶g̶i̶a̶n̶t̶ ̶v̶a̶g̶i̶n̶a̶.̶

Thank you for the advice. :)

>>3 is actually just an asshole, don't take what he says too seriously. The fact that your parents are mean doesn't make you a pussy. On the other hand, you might as well go this time. If you're under eighteen and/or depend on your parents, nothing good can come of trying to defy them. Just..uh.. try not to bend over too much? :T

>>5 I'm not an asshole.
I'm a good person.
OP does sound like a pussy, I am trying to get him to see that sometimes life is hard and you have to work when your body is in pain.
It's part of being an adult and not a pussy.

OP, don't be a pussy about the things I say, I only say them with you in mind. :))

>>1 if you recognize the fact that your parents are manipulative then you should be capable of not being manipulated by them or even fool them to your advantage. My parents constantly try to put me down so I understand how you feel. You'll be leaving the nest soon anyways so just toughen up and go pick up trash, we all occasionally have to do things that we dislike.
>>3 lol

I was on the car ride with my step dad and I was giving the mad kinda attitude so he got mad saying he didn't want to go either and I said, so why am I going? An he said, your mom and I have already repeated ourselves. And so I said, but is this *really* about college applications? So he got pissed off, turned around like a maniac driver, said You don't fuckin want to believe me, fine you can go home and I'll find something you detest so much, that you can do for three freakin hours. And when we got home he yelled at me to get out and I said, have a nice day in a nice tone, then he drove off. And my moms mad too but I told her I honestly don't believe he was doing this for my benefit. And if the dad's the prez the collage is gonna think it's rigged to anyways I had him sign a paper saying I did so. I'm now awaiting my fate... And i don't think it can't be too bad tbh, but I don't know what the hell he'll come up with.

Is your mom as manipulative as your dad? Or does she try to sympathize with you? If its the latter, you could try and get her to talk to him?

My mom usually sides with me bc my dad usually takes things to far, but this time she won't even talk to me. I've been upstairs cause it's an awkward situation, and when I finally went downstairs she never said a word to me. She sneezed and said thanks after I said bless you, but I could tell be her tone that she didn't want to talk to me. Soo I'm back to upstairs cause I don't want to run into my stepdad first thing when he gets back....