To Be Determined

Chapter 1

Content Warning: Abuse of alcohol

The air was crisp and cool on this particular early summer afternoon as I stepped on the damp pavement with a destination set to 122 Howell Drive. I had just left the boathouse where other crew kids put back their shells. Normally, Myles, my coxswain, gave me a ride home, but he stayed back to help Coach Riggs with some maintenance, and I only live a couple of streets from the pond, so I didn't mind the trek back.

    I counted the freshly bloomed daylilies and minded the uneven sidewalk on my stroll until I approached a quaint bungalow; my home. The familiar brick felt welcoming after an exhausting practice, and I was delighted to know that dry clothes awaited me inside. I noticed Mom's SUV wasn't home yet, but Dad's truck rested under a shady tree.

    "Hello? I'm home," I announce to the apparently empty house. Mom doesn't get home until about six, and Max has play rehearsal.

    Where's the old man wandered off to? I wondered.

I peered out the back window towards Dad's man cave, and nodded as I saw the flickering colored lights emanated from the television. 

    After climbing the stairs to my room, second on the left, I opened my creaking dresser to pull out a pair of loose gray sweats and a cropped tank top. Riggs worked us extra hard today after our 8th place win at last weekend's regatta. The comfy outfit swaddled my sore muscles as I laid on my cloud-like bed. All I wanted to do was drift into a sweet slumber, but unfortunately finals were coming up and I didn't know shit about isosceles triangles or the origins of democracy.

    I lazily reached for my backpack, nearly falling off with the comforters. I fished out some flashcards and my brick of a history textbook and began writing down insignificant dates and events. My mind wandered from the ancient Greeks and landed on a peanut butter, brownie, coffee ice cream sundae which was unfortunately interrupted by the slamming of a car door.

I checked my window to see Mom's silver Toyota Highlander parked hanging out of our driveway.

Could I have really daydreamed two hours? I checked my wrist watch to see that it was only 4:30. That's odd.

I hopped off the bed and strided down the hallway and stairs to see a disgruntled Mom at the kitchen island.

"Honey, would you grab your father from outside?"

"Sure, Mom."

I jogged across the grass to the shed to find my Dad passed out, watching Fox News, barely holding onto a beer bottle.

"Dad", I said.

Nothing.

"Dad! Wake up." He stirred.

"DAD!" He shot up, dropping the bottle with a clatter.

"What?! What's going on?", he slurred.

"Mom wants you inside."

"Mom? What time is it?"

"4:30 ish. Now come inside." I walked ahead as he stumbled behind, barely making it up the back-porch steps.

"Andrew! I am so glad to see that you are home. I thought you had gotten into a car wreck", my mom said with a tinge of sarcasm.

I walked over to the couch anticipating I wouldn't want to be in the room with whatever was about to happen next.

"Why would I have been in a wreck? My truck's outside, perfectly fine."

"Where's Max?" I interrupted, which probably wasn't the best time to ask.