Beginning of the End

Chapter 2

"Made a new friend?" A voice coming from the kitchen surprises me.

I take slow steps towards the kitchen with Belgian following me. This isn't a typical situation so I'm not quite sure what to do. When she is finally in my line of sight, I can clearly see that she's been drinking. How? Because she has the beer bottle in her hand and two have already been knocked off.

"Why are you here? Aren't you supposed to be at work?" I raise my brows quizzically.

"Its six o'clock, Carter. My job finishes at 5:30," my mom gives me an incredulous look.

What the heck? She gets off at five thirty? Then technically she could've came and picked me up when I texted her that I was lost again but instead she gets drunk! Ugh!

"Why didn't you just pick me up then?" I question trying my best to remain calm.

"What do you mean?" She replies with a question like she has no idea what's going on.

"When I asked you the address! You could've just been a normal mother and asked me where I was and you could've came and picked me up before you started drinking! Why didn't you just do that?" I yell, Belgian whimpering in the background.

"You have no right to talk to your mother like that! Its not even that big of a deal, Carter! Why are you even getting all worked up?" She counters just as loud as I was.

"It is, it actually is! I just want a normal life! A normal... Mother! Not someone who comes home from her work and just drinks her life away not even caring about her daughter's whereabouts! Its been a year mom, a freaking year and your still not over it!" I spit harshly.

If I didn't stop myself, I would've said things that I would've regretted and I totally do not want that to happen. I wasn't even sure I knew the reason why I was pissed, but I just was. She glares at me for a moment but her eyes finally softened after a moment. I'm such a hypocrite too. I keep telling my mom that its been a year and she still hasn't gotten over it but at the same time I haven't as well. Plus, its been a year and I still don't know how to get to places, I still haven't figured this place out. Maybe because for the past year, I stayed at home locked in my room. Only getting out when I need food or when my home school teacher comes.

"Carter, honey look," she sighs and put the bottle down on the table. "I don't know what's going on, so please fill me in. What's wrong?"

Heck I don't even know what's wrong with me. Maybe everything! I audibly sigh and walk towards her and sat across from where she sat, thinking of what I can say.

"Look, mom, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have just yelled at you. I'm just stressed out about everything," I say, happy that I can let my guard down because I was with my mother.

"Honey, I understand, totally understand. You know I'm always here for you-" she gets cut off with Bel's bark and we both chuckle, "okay. You know Belgian and I are always here for you even though I'm a complete mess right now."

"Yeah," I sigh once more, not having anything else to say.

There was a comfortable silence for a moment with mom taking one more swig from the bottle and I patting Belgian. One minute we're fighting and the next we're having this type of conversation, we are totally going insane.

How did our life come to this? Oh right, because of that stupid night. It's actually funny how one night and one event can change everything so drastically. Looking at my mom now, she looks distraught, probably mirroring myself. Before my mom got a chance to take another swig out of the bottle, I snatched it out of her hand and she cursed and rolled her eyes.