Bates & Landon [Wattys2015]

BATES

Bates

The smile never left my lips -- even when I walked up the steps to my house after the party. After the encounter with Landon.

I held hands with Landon.

I danced with Landon.

I hugged Landon.

I kept a conversation going with Landon.

Landon.

Landon.

Landon.

I chuckled lightly, feeling somewhat happier and like I was on a high.. Jessie seemed glad that I got to hang with her -- but he seemed more happy than he even should. Maybe it wasn't just from me being with Landon. Maybe it was because of Alice. Landon just might be right about them.

I opened the door and looked around the room and froze.

Oh no.

My mom, looking pissed, was seated on the couch. She had taken a shower -- I could tell -- her hair was still wet and her mascara was smeared under her eyes and her lips were in a tight line. "Bates,"

"Mom," I say lowly to her, eyes meeting hers as I shut the door and walked further in.

"Where were you?" She asks me, glaring.

I give her a look. "Why would you care?"

"Excuse me?" She snaps, looking somewhat hurt and mad at the same time.

I keep my eyes level with her. "You heard me, don't make me repeat myself."

"Bates, where the hell were you!?!"

"With friends." I tell her, my voice cold.

"You were at a party, weren't you?" She spoke out, voice full of command.

I am silent for a while, but finally I nod my head. Her expression holds nothing but anger. "You left your little sister . . . in the house. Alone."

I'm too upset to think of anything else except how bad of a mother she truly is. "So what?" I snap. "It's not like you've never done it to me before. Hell! You did it countless times. Even when Emmy was a baby, dammit!" I feel anger boiling inside me. "Don't you dare be a hypocrite."

The expression on her face is satisfying enough, and I leave her sitting on the couch, alone. I go into my room and lay on my bed, not even caring that I didn't get out of my clothes.

I shouldn't have left Emmy alone, I think, she was all alone. It wasn't that long though.

Oh God, please don't say I'm going to become like mother.

That though repeats and repeats itself in my head until I finally fall asleep.

•••

"Bates!" Emmy's voice fills my mind, I look up to see her sitting on my stomach.

I yawn. "Yes?"

"Mommy's here! She's making breakfast!!" She beams, I try not to frown so I just keep a straight face, looking away.

"Oh really?" I grab her, picking her up as I stand up and start walking into the kitchen.

"Morning!" My mom grins at us, holding a cigarette in her hand while she cooks eggs.

"Morning, mommy!" Emmy says as she skips towards my mom, hugging her waist. God, Emmy was so happy that mom was here. I didn't want Emmy to get attached to mom always being here and then mom will get back to old habits.

That would upset me more than my moms absence every could.

"Morning sweetie." Mom looks up at me. "Good morning, Bates."

I didn't know why she was even here. Why was she suddenly cooking breakfast and actually home?

"Here you two go," she said as she set two plates full of eggs on the table in front of us.

"No thanks, I'm not hungry." I dismissed myself and went to my room to get dressed. Pulling on a random shirt and quickly slipping on jeans and my converse, I head into the living room.

"Hurry Emmy. We gotta walk extra quickly today."

"No, I can drive you two." Mom says, smiling lightly. The bags under her eyes were a deep purple and she looked sickly pale.

"No, Emmy and I --"

"I want mommy to drive me!" Emmy beamed at our mother.

"Fine. I'll just walk by myself." I said and walked out the door.

What was up with my mom all of a sudden? There was no way she would just stop partying and hooking up with people. No, I wouldn't let my hopes go sky high them crash down.

She couldn't just come back home and act like everything was fine. Not after what all she's done; making Emmy blame herself, make me feel like I was a disappointment and much, much more.

I hated how she was acting..

I couldn't stand it.

I looked at the school not that far ahead, sighing. I didn't want to go. Well, I usually never wanted to go. But today -- it was stronger. I wasn't going to go to school, I decided.

If it was any regular day -- meaning that my mom hadn't come home -- I would go straight to the house, but I couldn't. I didn't want to deal with her.

I turned around and saw the bus some of the students took to get to school. Hopefully, one of the J's would be on the bus. Except they weren't.

But Landon was.

When she saw me, she grinned. "Bates," she greeted me, walking up to me, "hey."

"Oh, hi." I gave her a nod of my head and looked back towards the bus. "Does Jessie or Jonas ride the bus?"

She shook her head. "No, just me. Alice had her mom drive her today, so she didn't ride the bus. Um, were you looking for them?"
"Uh, yeah." I nod my head. "I was. Never mind, I'll see you tomorrow." I walk the opposite way of the school.

"Are you not coming to school today?" She calls after me, running to catch up with me.

I look at her, shaking my head. "No, I'm not."

"Why is that?" She said, pulling down the sleeves of her jacket. She was wearing skinny jeans and some shirt I couldn't see past the jacket with converse -- like me.

"I'm just not going to," I shrug, looking at her then away, "go ahead and go into school. I'll see you later, Landon." I wave her goodbye and walk away.

"Wait!" She cried out, sprinting after me, barely holding onto her bag. "I'll come with you."

I arch an eyebrow, turning to look at her. "No."

She frowns. "What do you mean no? Y -- Yes, I am coming with you."

"Why do you want to come with me so bad?" I question her and stop walking to look at her in the face.

She looks at me straight in the eyes, not daring to look away. "So I can keep you company."

I let my eyes flutter close. "You don't need to miss school,"

"Neither do you," she throws back. When I open my eyes, she's grinning at me.

I sigh loudly, eyes closing for a minute longer. "Fine, fine. Come on, let's go."

She laughs, seeming obviously relieved and walks closer to me -- our shoulders bumping. "So where to?"