The Better Part of Me

four

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"Why did you agree to the date?"

"How could I not say yes to him? He was very intimidating."

"You didn't want to go on a date with him?"

"Well, not exactly, I just didn't want to start anything with anyone because I had so much happening in my life, especially with what had happened with Aliana before we got to that party."

"That's understandable. Did this happen before or after the altercation with your mother?"

"Before."

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ALCOHOLIC

A person suffering from alcoholism.

My mother had been drinking for more than half of my life. After the death of my father, my mother had turned to alcohol for comfort. Most of my childhood was spent being the parent my mother never was.

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"Did she hurt you?"

"It was my thirteenth birthday, I had spent the day in my room like every birthday and was crying to myself when my mom busted into my room reeking of alcohol. It was the same every birthday but this time it was different, she was angrier than my other birthdays. She saw me crying and said, 'How dare you cry over this day? You have no right to be sad about something that was your fault. You did this, Charlie!' She walked over to where I was sitting on my bed and grabbed my hair, jerking my head from side to side and yelled, 'This is your fault! I wish it was you, Charlie! I wish Charles was here instead of you!' Don't get me wrong, I know what she said was wrong, but at the same time, I knew I deserved it because I knew she was right."

"Charlie, you have never deserved any of the treatment you endured, especially not the mistreatment from your mother. You had the right to grieve over your father and just because she was hurting doesn't mean you weren't allowed to."

"I killed him! I deserved all of it!"

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I left Blake upstairs after our heated kiss to search for Aliana since I didn't want to be home too late. I looked into the crowd around the game and didn't see her, but who I did see was Chad pressing Madison up against a wall, they were devouring each other and I gagged just at the sight of them.

I went to the kitchen and couldn't find her. I figured she might've been in the bathroom, so when I headed towards the end of the hall and saw the long line, I searched for her face and spotted her as she was the only girl in the line to be laid on the ground, passed out face first on her chest.

I shook her awake, "Ally...Ally...ALLY!"

She finally lifted her head and gave me the cutest wobbly smile she could muster.

"Charrliiie, *hiccup* I've been loookinggg for youu *hiccup* silly," she said as she bopped my nose. I looked down at her and did my best to pick her up by her armpits and put one hand over my shoulder.

"Waaiitt, nooo. I need to peeee."

"Ally you can use the bathroom at my house. I'm pretty sure you would kill me if I left you to pee in that dirty frat bathroom," I said as I dragged her out of the front door and into the chilly night.