The fierce mother watched her son stumble around the dimly lit kitchen in search of something. It was obvious to tell the expression she had etched on her face reflected both disapproval and disappointment.
Maddox hadn't been alerted by her presence yet, and the teenager's blurry vision contributed to that factor. No matter to him either way, in fact, he didn't care.
To prevent himself from toppling over, he kept his balance by holding onto the edges of the dark granite countertops.
Maddox Reign was opening the large vertical pantries in a rush in search of something to help soak up the alcohol in his stomach. Finally, he had found it.
He opened the breadbox and held the prize in his hand. He had unknowingly smushed the pieces of bread in his clenched fist while he tried to lean all of his weight on the counter behind him.
Maddox raised his head and had finally made eye contact with his mother.
The corner of his lips tugged upwards into a grin.
He extended his arm out to her and held up the crushed pieces of bread to offer her some.
Nina raised her eyebrow up at him as she crossed her arms over her chest. Maddox slowly lowered his arm. She noticed the fresh bruise that had formed on his jaw and the dried blood that had barely seeped out of his right nostril.
"School starts in an hour." Her voice was calm yet stern.
Maddox disregarded her as he raised a piece of bread to his mouth.
"This is the 4th time this week."
Maddox rolled his shoulders but still didn't say a thing to her.
Nina slowly shook her head from the disapproval she felt.
"I can smell you from here X."
Maddox put the remainder of the bread down on the countertop before rubbing his hands together to get rid of the crumbs.
"Sorry." He curtly replied to his mother as he directed himself past her only to be stopped by his father who had suddenly also come into the kitchen.
Stanford gently pushed his son back into the kitchen to stand before him and his wife.
Maddox stumbled back slightly, when he stopped he leaned back onto the island and threaded his fingers through his brown hair before rubbing his face with his open hand.
"We got a call yesterday from the school," Stanford informed his son who felt indifferent to what he had just said.
"And?" Maddox slightly slurred out.
"And?" Nina scoffed at his simple reply, "And everything X, you haven't gone to school for three weeks." She inched closer to her son, "So, what do you mean by and?"
Maddox lowered his head to stare down at the marble floor. He found it pointless to even speak to either of them.
"I want the keys to your car." Nina extended her arm towards him, "Now." She asserted with an open palm.
"And until the school year is over, I'll be the one taking you to school and, your mother will be the one picking you up." Stanford was also disappointed in his son.
Maddox raised his head and then shook it slowly, "No." He replied to them.
He was annoyed with the two of them. They had contributed to the anger he had been feeling, weeks ago he saw his mother crying while his father ignored her for work. On New Year's Eve, they disappeared for an entire day and came back differently. Loving and unified. Maddox didn't know how everything changed so quickly but, it had. He stayed in the dark for a total of three weeks, neither parent concerned about him or what he been doing until they received that phone call the day before informing them about his excessive absences.
YOU ARE READING
STARGIRL
General Fiction"Her lips are like the galaxy's edge, and her kiss the colour of a constellation falling into place" (AM). - Every time he looked at her, he could feel his heart breaking. She was the girl with the gleam in her eyes plucked from the stars themselve...
