School is over. It was boring, and I'm tired. The weight of my backpack is crushing me into the ground, foiling my desperate attempts to escape the building. Zack is sitting on the floor by my locker, nodding his head to a song on his iPod and staring at the feet of passersby. He takes out an earbud when he catches sight of my boots.
"Hey, Darcy."
"Greetings, Livingston." He nodded to the music for a moment, saying nothing. "...Is there anything you need?" He nodded again and looked up into the air to search his mind for the purpose of his sitting in front of my locker. He opened his mouth and pointed at me.
"I was going to ask you if you wanted to hang out after school."
"That sounds awesome... But my mother will slaughter me."
"Did you call her?"
"I told Alexa to text her for me. She likes her more."
"No good could possibly come out of you being there right now. How about we swing by your house and then we can go to mine and read some interesting books." By 'read' he meant smoke. By 'books', he meant weed, and by 'interesting' he meant the best.
"I don't know if I can, I have a paper to write."
"That's fine, I'll help you and then we can read. You'll just go home at the end this time." Believe it or not, Zack is just as smart as his brother, maybe smarter. But he's very different from Carl. After their mother did what she did, they took their lives in two very different directions. Carl has never stopped trying to impress her, and make her feel like her children still give a shit about what she thinks or does.
Zack never tries to impress. I'm pretty sure that bitch has been dead to him since grade 5. The reason for that is the subject of many rumors, mostly because he never talks about it. I'm the only human whom he has ever told the true story, and for now it'll stay that way.
Sorry.
We got to the parking lot and drove off. I resist the urge to flip off Alexa as she prances over to her bus. Zack knows the route to my house like the back of his hand, so we're parked outside the grey-and-white shithole in a matter of minutes. It becomes clear to me that I don't want to go inside. My body remains motionless, my eyes locked on the front door. I don't want to know what will happen behind it.
"Do you want me to go up with you?"
"No, my mom would throw a fit."
"Well, if you're going to do this yourself you should probably get out of the car."
"I know, I know, just give me a minute." I sit awkwardly for a few more seconds before jumping out of the car and unlocking the front door.
"Hi mom." She looked up from her work with mild irritation, which bloomed into rage the moment she saw me.
"OLIVIA. JUST WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN." Her dark green eyes were wide with fury.
"I went to school early, don't worry about it."
"I wasn't worried, Olivia, I wanted you to walk Scott to school. He was late."
"Oh, I'm sorry."
"You should be. He has been acting even stranger than usual since therapy ended. His principle called, too. Can you believe that bitch? She just won't stay out of our business, will she?" She continues from there, but it's painful to listen to.
"And your goddamn father..."
"Mom?"
"That lazy, good-for-nothing..."
"Mom!"
"Always defending his sister, too."
"MOM! For the love of Christ, be quiet for just one second!"
"Don't you dare disrespect me! God, you are just like your father."
"I just came home to tell you I'm going to Zack's house."
"Zack? The crazy-haired kid? I don't know about him, sweetie." Of course, she doesn't 'know' about anyone.
"We've been hanging out together since we were little, mom. He's going to help me with a paper."
"Is that him in the car?"
"Yes."
"Will a parent be there?"
"Yes."
"Who?"
"His dad." I know this answer is nowhere near good enough for her. She's always particular about the company she lets me keep. Anyone with a dick isn't on that list.
"That's not good enough, honey. Where's his mom?"
"In congress."
"What?" It might seem odd to have the same best friend for years and a mother who doesn't know his mother's name, but there are a lot of things no one tells my mom.
"She's Elizabeth Kinney."
"Oh."
"Yeah 'oh'. I'll text you in a bit." Still rather taken aback upon learning whose vagina Zack popped out of, she nodded absentmindedly as I began my exit. But I remember a question I had wanted to ask her for days.
"Mom?"
"Hmm?"
"Do you still love Dad?" She pauses and stares absentmindedly at the floor.
"Not right now, honey. Things are too difficult." And the award for Worst Response Ever goes toooo..... Aaaaangela Darcy! I run out the door and seconds later I'm inside Zack's car.
"Let's go." I said, looking at the street behind me. He nods, then pulls out of the driveway.
~
Wonderful-Everclear
