READ THE WARNING

Chapter ten

~TW~ drugs, smoking, sexual references, implied homophobia, cannibalism, gore, domestic violence

Alex had nearly turned his entire house upside-down looking for his cocaine, and still it was nowhere to be found.

As he was searching, he heard a car pull into the driveway and he looked out his window.

His mom was home.

It was actually unusual for her to be back this soon. 

He opened the door and went out to the porch as she was getting out of her car.

"Still didn't think to tell me before you left?" He asked.

"Oh, Alex, you're home. I knew I wouldn't be gone long, it didn't matter that much."

She walked onto the porch and hugged him. The hug had zero emotion and zero care. She was just trying to make him feel better so he wouldn't yell at her, he could tell.

He didn't hug her back. They just quickly walked inside.

"What were you doing?" Asked Alex.

"Not really much of anything." Said his mom. She always said that.

According to Sammy, Alex's mom was out hooking up with other men. According to Amy, their mom was looking for their dad. According to Anthony, she was finding different ways to numb the pain. Alex wasn't sure he believed any of those.

Alex believed his mom was intentionally growing distant. She didn't want anything to do with her kids. She just wanted to go out and gamble and get high and talk to losers and know she had a house being looked after she could go back to.

"Well, the place has been looked after pretty well." Said his mom, looking around. "Other than how badly it smells of cigarette smoke, things seem to be in order."

Alex pulled out his phone to text Caroline and let her know she couldn't stay over that night.

"Oh, you've got a phone!" Said his mom, looking back and smiling.

"Yeah, I do." His flat answer was followed by an awkward silence.

"How are Amy and Anthony? I haven't seen them in so long."

"Maybe you should visit them, then. That's what a good mom would do." Said Alex.

"Oh, you know I can't go to that place, not with all the freaks running around."

"If I can, so can you." Said Alex. His mom never answered. She didn't appear to be listening.

"Sammy texted me yesterday saying you've been having women over. Is that true?" Asked his mom. Alex almost fainted on the spot.

"No, I-"

"Oh, I'm so proud of you!" Exclaimed his mom. "I've thanked the Lord about a thousand times. We all thought you would never get over that silly phase of yours. You know, liking men and stuff."

Alex badly wished he hadn't kicked Sammy out, just so he could kick him in the dick right then and there.

"Your hair's getting longer. When's the last time you cut it?" Asked his mom.

"A while ago. It might've been last year by now." Said Alex, twisting a strand of his hair on his finger. His hair was almost down to his waist. Last time he cut it, he'd cut it to shoulder length, so it had to have been a bit.

"You really need one, you look like a girl." Said his mom.

"No one has mistaken me for a girl since I was twelve years old, I think I look masculine enough now that people can tell the difference."