Just as I Begin to Fade

Thirteen. Advice

The next morning would come along and Gwen would march straight into the library after hopping off of her motorcycle.

"You have to stay away from my mom," she assured the man as soon as she plopped down in the chair in front of his desk.

Pulling his glasses off, Lindsey squinted briefly. "Okay...?" he lingered.

She sighed and hit her head with the ball of her hand. "My mom likes you."

"We've spoken only a couple of times---we don't know each other and she really doesn't even know me. How can that be possible?"

The girl then popped up and started pacing back and forth. "That really does not matter, Bucky. She has slept with every man she has ever been with or known... or come into contact with. People in which I referred to as my uncles and because I know, that makes it just a little awkward... I bet you could imagine, given who she is."

"If it makes you feel better, I have no intentions of getting into bed with her," he assured bluntly. "I don't know her well enough for that anyways, so..." he shook it off because he did not understand her stress.

"You don't like her, do you?" she wondered.

"I don't know her," he shrugged, mentioning the rather clear fact once again.

"My mom doesn't know or remember half the men she spends her evenings with. Just watch your back, okay, 'cause she is not the type of person to give up. She's like a real life Siren; sings until she leads men to their deaths."

"Okay, look, you're doing that thing where you stress about your mother and her problems rather than your own."

"Okay," she crossed her arms and nodded.

"This weekend, something was bothering you. Why don't we talk about that instead?" he suggested.

"Ugh!" she plopped down once more. "My dad is an asshole and my mom is a drunk."

"Okay, so not too far off the beaten track..." he sighed.

"I just have to explain in my own way. It was a long day."

"I'm listening," he assured.

"So, for the last week or so, I got my mom to cut back on everything. But on Friday, after the parent-teacher night, she fell off the wagon, but I didn't hold it against her. She was doing so well as far as all substances went, by the way. So the next day, which was Saturday, I went to work. I then went to go see my dad after work and he fucking hit his girlfriend. I hate him so much right now. He lied to my face about it. Anyways, then I got home after taking care of his girlfriend, mom wasn't home. Guess where? She went out with my aunt, Lori and they bought various things and my mom was drunk," she huffed. "I hate my life. One asshole for a parent and one drunk."

"Y'know, I bet neither of those situations have to do with you so I wouldn't stress about it."

"But, Lindsey, my mother!" she pointed out in a fuss. "I don't want anything to happened to her. And I actually like Mindy, I don't want her to end up dead at the hand of my dad. Don't you get it?"

"I do, but you can't run their lives the way you want to run it. They can't runs yours the way they want either. Anyways, I was going to offer you this," he handed over a pamphlet. "Since you live with your mother full-time."

"What is this?" she opened.

"Al-Anon meetings. It's like AA, but for people who are related to the alcoholics or are friends with. You get together and you talk about your problems at home and since it's anonymous, it's safer to chat about things. That way, you won't have to worry about somebody listening in and, or trying to take you away from your parent."