Togetherness

18

In the awkwardly silent nurse's office, Parker taps his foot while I'm bored out of my mind. Parker got a glimpse up my shirt and saw the giant bruise so now we're here. The nurse had two or three people waiting in a line outside of her office and that was about fifteen minutes ago. The line's disappeared and we're next, which is good, considering I'm about to punch something I will not be sorry for. The nurse pops her head out of her office and faces us, gesturing for us to come in.

"Okay, so why are you here?" She asks.

"Um..." I say, unsure where to start.

"So, this idiot tried to rape me in the girls bathroom but David came in and stopped him," Parker says. "But in order to do so, he punched said asshole and they were fighting and stuff. Before the dude left, he pushed David into a wall, which resulted in this." He lifts my shirt up, gesturing to the large purpling bruise on my ribcage.

"Wow. What's this student's name that you were fighting?" The nurse asks.

"Tim Venillichi," Parker answers.

"Oh, yeah, he's a troublemaker."

"Well, I mean, yeah," Parker responds.

The nurse puts ice and a wrap on my ribs and sends us on our merry little after talking to us about Tim, saying he'll get in major trouble for what he did. The boy deserves to die for all he's done but we're not that lucky.

After school, I stayed at Parker's house for an hour or two before realizing I need to go check on my mom. She probably got blackout drunk again yesterday and is passed out on the couch still.

I kiss Parker goodbye and drive home. When I walk through the front door, a bottle flies past my head, smashing against the wall behind me and spewing whiskey everywhere.

"Oh, it's you," she slurs, swaying ever so slightly. "Thought it was your no good father comin' back or somethin'."

"Mom, Dad's been gone for months. You know that, right?" I ask cautiously.

"Oh...oh yeah, I knew that." She bumps into the wall a little.

"Mom?"

"What, sweetheart?"

"I think you should stop drinking. It's getting out of control."

"You're never home so why do you care?"

"Mom, I have school during the day. That's why I'm never here."

"Yeah, whatever! You're just gonna leave me like your dad did."

"I'd never do that!"

"Sure." She burps and makes a face. "Go to the store, we'll need dinner for tonight."

"If I go, you need to promise me you won't do anything you'd regret."

"I promise." She hiccups. "Scout's honor."

I narrow my eyes but slowly nod.

I go to the store, buy some dinner, and come back within two hours. When I walk into the house, I see Mom passed out on the couch with blood running down her arm from a tiny hole. A leather strap is wrapped around her forearm while a syringe sits next to her on the arm of the couch, empty.

....shit.