An Echo in the Wind

Chapter 5

Wednesday's classes go by more or less the same. We sit with Nik, Kevin, and Shade again at lunch again. Kevin gets all our numbers and creates a group chat that he calls Best Fries Forever. Nik says it's stupid and changes it to F is for Friends Who Do Stuff Together. 

They really are a bunch of children.

That went on for awhile until it finally became Game of Phones because apparently they all like that show. After I tell them I've never seen it, Nik insists we have a watch party this weekend at his house. 

After school, I stop by my house since I have a little while before I need to get Austin from soccer. My moms car is gone again. I assume she went to look for jobs again. In the back of my head, I think she might be at a liquor store or bar, but I shove that thought away, trying to believe she's better. 

I leave the house a few minutes before 5, not wanting to get yelled at by Shade again today. I kill the engine and walk onto the field, leaning against the bleachers. They're wrapping up practice, so I just wait. 

They finish a few minutes later and I wait for Austin to come over to me but he smiles and waves at someone sitting on the bleachers and walks over to them. I peer around the side and see my mother sitting a few rows up.

She gets up and walks down the stairs. I see a slight stumble in her step. She's drunk. It's something I wouldn't have noticed if I hadn't suspected her of drinking again. 

Oh hell no. 

I storm over to them. I glare at my mother, "What are you doing here?"

"I had nothing else to do today, so I came to watch Austin practice," she didn't even slur her words, she was getting good at hiding it, but I could smell the alcohol on her breath.

I snatch Austin's arm out of her hand and push him behind me. 

She looks at me condescendingly, the way a mother looks at her toddler who's just stolen a piece of candy. It's not a look she has the right to give me. "Come on now Austin. Your sister seems to be in a mood today. Let's go home and make dinner."

She holds out her hand to him with a fake smile on her face. Austin just clings to my waist, hiding behind me. 

I'm about to scold my mother again when someone walks up to us. It's Shade. He looks between us, a little confused, "Is everything alright? Do you know this woman? She said she was Austin's mom and was just watching the practice."

I shake my head and smile at him, "Yes, she is. Everything's fine, thanks."

He looks like he wants to say more, but leaves us alone at the dismissive tone in my voice. Through my anger, I had forgotten that there were other people here. This isn't the place to be having a verbal argument. 

I clear my throat and lower my voice to a whisper, "I know you've been drinking again. I saw the bottle in your room the other morning."

"You have no right to be going through my stuff young lady. Come on Austin, we're going home."

She holds her hand out again, but he still refuses to take it. I put a hand on his shoulder protectively, "No way in hell is he getting in a car with you. If you want to mess up your life and risk your life, fine. I obviously can't stop you. But you will not risk his."

She huffs and I take Austin's hand, leading him to the parking lot. I buckle him into the back seat and start driving. 

I remember that we barely have any food in the house, another thing my mother fails to do. I swing by the grocery store on the way home.