STARGIRL

66. OVO X

2 ½ months later —

Maddox didn't mean to get home so late, but he had lost track of time. There was only so much time in the world, and he managed to disregard it altogether.

When the teenager stumbled into his bedroom, he shut the door behind him and threw his keys onto the small accent table beside it.

In the dark, Maddox ran his right hand through his hair and with the other turned on the light switch.

The teenager did not expect his mother to be waiting for him there.

The first word to come out of his mouth was "shit" and was followed by a half-assed apology that Nina completely dismissed with a small roll of her eyes.

Nina was upset, and that came to no surprise because it was three in the morning on the dot, and to make it worse, it was a school night.

Sure, Maddox had been home late before, but this time it was different because he wasn't high or drunk.

The boy was merely late.

Maddox inhaled and then exhaled. He couldn't shake her deadly glare off him, "Mom, I lost track of time."

Nina, who was leaning up against his workspace, merely scoffed, "This happens every other week. Maddox, it's a school night!" Nina exclaimed as she took small steps toward him.

Maddox scratched at the nape of his neck, "It won't happen again. I'm sorry."

Nina held a finger up to him, "Blow on me."

Maddox's eyebrows knitted together, and he met her request with reluctancy, "What?"

"I want to check your breath."

He refused and shook his head, "I'm fine. I didn't do anything."

Nina continued to scrutinize her son, who was visibly annoyed by her, but she didn't care if he was.

Maddox refused to do it because he was being honest and thought she was acting paranoid.

Nina pushed past him, "It's late, and it's a school night. I'm angry that you don't even bother to let me know where you are or why you're not in your bed," She wagged her finger at him, "Do you think I don't worry about you?"

Maddox sighed and repeated himself, "I'm sorry. I lost track of time."

"Where have you been lately? You get home late, and luckily I'm always asleep, but tonight? You are going to sit in that chair and talk to me."

Maddox looked at his swivel chair and reluctantly dragged himself over to it and took a seat, "I have school tomorrow."

He only said that to piss her off.

It almost worked too because Nina almost blew a fuse, "Be quiet."

Maddox sulked, "I've been hanging out with a friend."

Nina crossed her arms and shrugged, "Okay? What friend? What were you doing?"

Maddox sat up straight and laughed capriciously, "Mom."

He raised both of his eyebrows at her to show his answer wasn't appropriate, and she couldn't help but shake her head uncontrollably, "Oh no, no, no, no, no. You're not getting out of this."

"I told you," He harmonized as he stood up from his chair. He went to escort his mother out of the room, but she wasn't leaving just yet.

"I still need to know about this person," She said to Maddox, "Especially if you've been with them so late at night. What do their parents have to say?"