The Angel of Outer Banks

Liar

My day had gone from great to terrible in a matter of seconds. One moment I was staring into the eyes of my friends, and the next, I was being stared down by a lion of a mother. I had never seen her this mad.

I stopped at the bottom of the porch stairs. Her nostrils were flared and her eyes were crazy, but she pushed herself off of the banister slowly and deliberately.

"Where have you been?" She demanded, crossing her arms. Only then did I see the beer can clutched in her hand. Her white manicured nails were like little daggers, all lined up. I stared at her guiltily. We both knew that she knew where I had been.

"Where have you been?" She asked again.

"I know, Mom. I'm really, really sorry." I replied.

Her face twisted up into a stormy scowl. She hurled the beer can at me like a stone, and I barely had time to shield myself before it hit my arm and beer flew everywhere. It had been aimed right at my head.

"Yipes!!" I exclaimed.

"Get in the fucking house right now." She yelled, and I went, straight through the doors and up the stairs, "You're grounded, by the way." She spat after me.

I shut the door to my bedroom, crumpled up in my bed, and cried. Why did she do that? She had never, ever tried to hurt me before, but I shouldn't be surprised. I can't believe I thought I would get away with what I had done. I can't believe I had disobeyed my mother. I deserved every bit of what I got.

After a while, I hopped onto my computer and started playing Cities Skylines, my all-time favorite game. I reached for my phone and headphones and began to scroll through my music. It was mostly Lana Del Ray, but the last thing I wanted to hear right now was my mother's voice.

I barely knew any other artists, but I began to try and recall the other songs my friends had asked me to sing. I remembered one name in particular, Ice Spice. I looked up her name on Spotify and tapped on her top song. It was called, 'Boy's A Liar.' I rolled my eyes and muttered, "I know..."

Her sound was definitely different than Lana's. The upbeat tune that came through my headphone speakers made me feel seen, and maybe even a little hopeful.

I could only manage to avoid going downstairs until night had come and it was past dinnertime. 

I walked downstairs and into our huge kitchen. Everything was sleek, spotless white. White tiles, white cupboards, white marble countertops with even whiter swirls streaked through them. My mom was sitting in the living room, watching TV, and I became anxious just at the sight of the back of her head.

I started cooking scrambled eggs, being sure to cut them up into little chunks with my spatula, which was the way I liked it. My mom turned to me.

"Could you get me another beer from the fridge?" She asked innocently.

Out of reflex, I began humming the Ice Spice song while I opened the fridge.

I brought it to her, and she took it but gave me a questioning look.

"What's that song you're humming?" She asked in a slow, drunk voice.

"Oh. Nothing." I replied quickly.

"Why don't you sing it out loud for me? Go on."

"I don't want to," I said.

"Sing it." She said more sternly.

"You're drunk, Mom," I replied. I hated saying it, but I hoped it would get her to calm down.

"Yeah, I am. It's my day off, and I was up all this morning worried sick about you. Sing it for me."

I began to sing. It was her genetics that had given me this talent, but for some reason, I felt like I was using it against her.

She faced away from me as I sang. Her incredible stillness made me more afraid.

I got a little carried away. Maybe it was because I was so afraid, or because I couldn't help but be entranced by Ice Spice's music. I sang the last word of the song. The TV shut off. The room was silent.

"What a terrible song." She said, not turning around, "Why were you listening to that? I thought you liked my music."

"I do, Mom," I said. That was all I could muster up, anything more would be a lie, and I didn't want to get hit with a beer can again. I couldn't tell her that I had heard it from my other friends. I couldn't tell her that I had gone out of my way to avoid her voice. 

"Finish your food and go upstairs." Lana stood up from the recliner and walked towards her bedroom. "Don't let me catch you listening to that stupid song ever again."

I finished my food. As I went upstairs, a new thought popped into my head. I should just leave. 

I wasn't sure why I wanted to do that. It wouldn't solve my mom's anger with me. Maybe I had a little bit of a rebellious side too, like Sarah. I certainly felt like I had fit in better with her and her friends than my mom, especially now.

No. My mom was just trying to protect me. I would be a terrible son to run away after everything she's done for me. No matter how much I tried to fight with myself, something still felt wrong. I should run away. She hit me.

I sat down on my bed, and that's when I heard a hard, rhythmic tapping on my window.