Whatever, Cowboy.

Consequences_15

"We're back!" Austin and Arizona's mother chimed with a bubbly tone, her arms limp as she swayed into the door.

"Keep it down, will you? She finally stopped worrying about you guys enough to fall asleep." Austin hissed, his phone sitting on the table in front of him.

"I'm sorry, Sweetie. If I would have known-"

"No. It is 4 in the morning and you guys couldn't have been bothered to call, to text, to turn on your location, nothing." His eyes shifted from his mother's eyes to his father's. "'You shouldn't be going to parties and getting a gut from alcohol.' Sound familiar?" Austin scoffed in disbelief of his parents and lifted Arizona's dead weight body from the coach. "I'm taking her upstairs, we can talk about this tomorrow before I leave for Tyler's house."

"Wait, Tyler? The kid you had a talk with last week? We haven't met him yet. Not like that." His mother pestered.

"Yeah, well, it turns out I'm not the only one not thinking about the family." Austin finished the conversation sourly at the top of the steps, standing by the railing for a chance of response. None was given. He carried Ari into her bedroom and carefully tucked her in, after the night they'd had, he knew she needed the sleep. He closed the windows and curtains, then he closed the door, making the room almost completely dark except for her reading light by her bed that is always on.

"Your mother and I are sorry, Champ." Austin's father admitted with puffy, drooping cheeks. "We know it's our fault for not coming home at a reasonable time, we got carried away while visiting our old hangout spot over in Charlie Town, Missouri."

"It's an hour drive there and back. That means you left at 3. Assuming you only stayed at the lake for 2 hours, that means you would've begun heading for the lake at 12."

"Yes, we ate at some fancy wine and dine restaurant and we were done by 11:30 or 11:45."

"I'm glad you guys were safe." Austin pried yet again, his hostility reasoned by the bowling alley incident.

"Did something happen while we were gone?"

"No. I handled it, nothing happened." Austin gave the room silence to lower the tension. "I don't mean to sound hostile anymore but please leave. I need a shower and to go to sleep. You should probably do the same."

Austin's father stood up from Austin's bed, the mattress rising back to its box form painfully. He pulled his son into a tight hug and squeezed his shoulders tightly, a truly manly hug.

"Dad. Shower? Bed? Remember?"

"Yes, of course. I'll see you tomorrow before you leave. Be good, Champ."