Celestia

3

The front door opens ever so slowly into the black living room. I tiptoe in and quietly close the door behind me, wincing when the door clicks into place. The only light on in the house is the one above the kitchen sink, and it washes into the room enough for me to make my way to the couch to take my shoes off. I'm too wobbly to untie them standing up.

I snuck out with Sawyer again. We parked out by Schneider's pond and drank in front of a fire. I smile to myself in reminiscence as I wrestle my sneaker off my right foot. Suddenly, the hall light switches on and I see Mom leaning against the entryway, arms folded in her robe and wearing a scowl.

"It's three o'clock," she states.

I'm busted and I know it.

"Oh wow, already? I didn't know it was that late." I play dumb.

"Cut the crap," Mom says firmly. "Where have you been?"

"I was hanging out with Sawyer. We were just driving around."

"You can't even stand up straight, Autumn! I know you've been drinking! God only knows what else!"

"So have you!" I retort. It's Saturday night. Mom can't get through one of those without her lips finding their way to a glass rim.

"Yeah, well you've obviously had a lot more than I have."

"You just have a higher tolerance by now," I shoot back, treading dangerously on already thin ice.

"You're lucky I didn't call the cops, young lady, because I thought about it."

"The only reason you didn't is because they'd take you, too."

Mom shakes her head. "I don't know what to do with you anymore. I give up. You're grounded for a month. No TV, no boyfriend, and you come directly home after school. If you're not in this house when I come looking for you, I will call the cops. They can do with you what they will."

She turns to walk away.

"I don't know why you didn't give me up years ago! You don't care about me, anyway!"

"Maybe I should've, then there's a chance you could've turned out to be a decent member of society!" She calls as she disappears into her room.

"What do you think you are?" I yell, anger boiling inside me. "An alcoholic and a crappy mother, that's what!"

Her bedroom door slams shut.

I wake from my sleep with a start. I raise my fingertips to my cheek to find a stray tear trailing its way down. I swipe it away and glance around the dark bedroom for a clock, momentarily forgetting where I am. Everything comes back to me when I realize there isn't one. I sit up and rub my eyes. That wasn't a dream I just had. It was a memory. A bad one. I look out the window, through the little space between the curtains. It's night, but the sky holds a dim, magical glow. I don't want to stay in this bed. I want a drink.

I get up and make my way into the hall. The door to Sawyer's room right across from me is closed. I wonder if he's awake too. I open the door and peek in through the crack. He's lying with his back to the door, the red blanket identical to my green one cocooning his body.

"Sawyer?" I call softly.

He doesn't respond, so I disappointedly shut the door back and shuffle into the main area. And then I don't even know what to do with myself. In the middle of the living room, illuminated by the lamps we left on, I stand there biting my lip and hugging myself, fighting back the wave of emotion that wants to come to the surface.