Handling Girls The Nick Blade Way

Chapter 4

I managed to find Aaron.
"Where the fuck were you guys?" I asked him.
"Lewis was busy humping  girl back there, Chris tried to flirt but got turned down and Riley just left, so I'm free right now." He replied.
"Nice. We'll leave?" I asked. "The party is dying down anyways."
"Yeah. Lemme get the guys." He replied.
An hour and convincing Lewis that he can't walk around the parking lot naked later (Don't ask), we managed to get everyone in the car. Aaron decided to drive, as the rest of them were too drunk.
I reached home to mom waiting in the hall, with a cut on her finger. That shit was turning green. I didn't say anything and decided to take her to the clinic. Lucky for me, Lewis had taken his pants off again, so, Aaron was convincing him to wear them, still parked in front of my house.
I ran over to him. "Bro. Car. Mom's hurt."
He handed me the keys and literally kicked Lewis and Chris out of the car.
I drove her over to the nearest clinic. I just realised by then that the sun was coming up. I rushed her over to the emergency ward and saw that the receptionist there was Freya. I didn't know her very well, just that she goes to the same school as Beth. We've barely met more than once.
"Hey" I said, trying to keep calm.
"Hi" She smiled.
"Yeah, mom's hurt." I said, motionning to mom. Freya opened her mouth to say something, but I cut her off. "Don't ask."
"Okay, I'll get a nurse." she nodded.
A nurse came over in a few minutes. She looked tired, but tried her best to stay bright..
"Just go with her." I told mom.
"Nick..." She started but I interjected. "Shut up and go. I don't want to know how or why."
She gave a defeated look and got up.
I sat there fiddling with my phone when Freya came and sat next to me.
"Hey." I said, looking up.
"Is everything okay?" She asked, putting an arm around me.
This is too much physical contact with a person I barely know.
"Uhh, yeah, it's cool." I said, my voice cracking.
"It's okay to talk about it, y'know." She said. "It's not normal for a person as chilled out as you to look so screwed up."
Although I'm going to regret this, I guess talking to someone would help. I took a deep breath. "I'm pretty sure my asshole of a dad must've done this. I mean, he doesn't have a job, it's okay. He gets drunk and beats me up? It's chill. But if he lays even as much as a finger on my mother, I will ceremonially fuck him up."
I didn't realise I'd been clenching my fist so hard my nails dug deep into my palms until she touched my hand.
"It's okay. Everyone has their fair share of problems." She said. "Don't beat yourself up too much."
I nodded.
"Why would your dad get pissed?" She asked. "If you don't mind, that is."
"Fragile fuckin' ego." I said. "He can't handle being unemployed and useless. He tries to blame me or mom for it. It always ends bad."
I saw my mom coming back from the corner of my eye and got up.
"We good to go?" I asked Freya.
"Yeah, just need your insurance card." She replied.
I took it from mom and handed it to Freya. Once the formalities were over, I turned to leave but Freya called me back.
"Yeah?"
"If there's anything, text, call or whatever me." She said, handing me her number.
"Of course." I said, although I knew I wasn't going to pester her with my sob story. "You're a friend now. You know too much." I grinned.
"That I am." She smiled.
The ride back home had a sombre silence to it. I didn't think mom would dare to speak right now. She better not. I mean, shit has gone down and if she tries to act like nothing happened, I'll lose it.
I dropped her off at home and drove over to Lewis'. I was pretty sure he must've been too hungover so I just walked in.
"Morning, Mrs. Matthews." I greeted his mom.
"Hello, Nick. How have you been?"
Alcoholic dad, mother who just can't seem to know how to handle a situation, and me go through shit cause of it?
"Never been better." I smiled. "I just came to leave the keys."
"Oh, no problem, dear." She said.
I was about to leave when she asked me, "Pancakes, dear?"
I heard my stomach growl, but politely declined. I needed some place to be alone.
I got some McD's and went over to the only place where I'm ever fully at peace. It was an abandoned railway track. A train used to pass through our town but our town couldn't afford the renovation costs so the train stopped passing through our town. After years of abondonement, grass grew on the tracks, trees grew around the place, and birds had set up camp over here since forever.
I plugged in my earphones in, looked out at the scenery, and took a big bite off my burger.
I was at peace.