two can play at this game | cg

4

the affair
——————————————————
I stumbled through the front door to see a complete mess. A small dresser by the stairs had toppled over, our phone broken and laying in a pool of shattered plastic on the floor. "Fuck.." I muttered, racing up the stairs to see if anyone was home. "Mom? Mom!" I yelled, swinging open several doors on the second floor without any luck. "Shit!" My head began to spin from a mix of weed and anxiety as I combed a few fingers through my hair.

I took out my phone and called around the usual spots - The Alibi Room, the nearest hospital and the police station - but there hadn't been any sign of her. I looked around one last time before bolting out the door, starting my witch hunt.

[twenty minutes later]

Several blocks away from our house, I found the first clue that would help me find my mom, a familiar shoe lying on the porch of a house. A discarded shirt laid in a crumpled mess next to it and I sighed, running up the steps and hammering on the door. A young woman answered and the distant sounds of moaning could be heard. "Hello.. Can I help you?" She asked, tapping on the doorframe impatiently. "Hi, I'm looking for someone and their shoe was on your porch.." I said, picking it up, along with the shirt.

The woman sighed and pointed inside. "Well, this person is upstairs with Frank. You can wait inside if you want?" She offered, widening the door for me to enter. I nodded and followed her into the house, looking around at what seemed like the living room. There was a couch so I took a seat, just as somebody ran down the stairs, stopping mid-way. I turned around and my eyes widened. "Carl? What are you doing here?"

He finished walking down the stairs and jumped over the couch, sitting next to me. "Well, this is my house.." He chuckled, "The real question is what are you doing here?" I looked upstairs and then back at him. "I'm sure my mom is upstairs fucking some guy named Frank right now. I'm just here to wait for her." I informed him.

His giggles turned into a laughing fit as the young woman, who answered the door, came and sat in the arm chair opposite us. "So, you two know each other?" She asked, raising her eyebrows at me. "You're not one of Carl's girls are you?" Her laugh sounded slightly nervous. I shook my head with a sigh, "Never in a million years. We're in the same grade." He nudged my arm in response to my first statement but the woman seemed to find it funny.

"Well, I'm Fiona, Carl's older sister." She smiled at me and I did the same. "You want anything to drink? You could be waiting a while.." She offered through gritted her teeth, walking towards the kitchen. "I'm fine, thanks." I replied before diverting my attention back to Carl. "Why don't we go upstairs and re-enact our parents?" He wiggled his eyebrows and licked his lips before I smacked him over the head. "You're such a gentleman," I said with pure sarcasm in my voice. "But I wouldn't mind getting a tour of the house."

His eyes lit up and he grabbed my hand, leading me up the stairs. He opened a door with caution tape stuck to it, unveiling a bedroom. Opposite the door was a small bed, an older boy sat on its edge with a magazine near his crotch. "Hey Ian." Carl said, ignoring the fact that the boy was jerking off. He looked up in horror and leapt under the covers, shouting "What the fuck dude? Knock next time!" He pulled on his jeans under the comforter and got up just as I walked in, my eyes covered by my hand. "Everyone decent?" I asked, feeling a bunk bed with my extended hand. The older kid mumbled from his side of the room and I uncovered my eyes. "I'm sorry that Carl walked in like that.." I apologised before looking around.

"It's alright, some people just don't know the meaning of privacy," He glared at Carl. "I'm Ian." The boy said, offering me his hand before shoving it back in his pocket after realising what he had just done. I nodded and quietly giggled before turning to another small bed that I assumed was Carl's. Posters of women in bikinis that were sitting in Lamborghini's covered his wall, making me shake my head.

"Nice room.." I said, before we were interrupted by another boy walking in. He took a quick glance at us before grunting and grabbing a backpack from under a desk in the corner. "If you two are gonna fuck, please don't use my bed." He demanded before leaving again. I let out a short laugh before asking "You must have girls round here a lot then, huh?" Carl nodded and smirked. "You could add to that list if you want.." I turned to face the door, rolling my eyes more then I ever had before.

"Who was that? He was kinda cute." I asked, knowing this would piss him off. He stared at me with a 'bitch, I know you didn't just say that' expression on his face, making me chuckle even harder. "That's my brother, Lip. He's out of your league baby, you wouldn't be able to handle him." Carl warned me but I fought back. "Well maybe I'm looking for someone a little more mature, not just a teenager who can barely keep his dick in his pants." A loud sigh escaped his lips and he crossed his arms. "Oh shut up." A grin spread across my face and we continued the rest of the tour in silence, without anymore interruptions.

After finally arriving back in the kitchen, I noticed my mom was sat at the table, sipping on a beer. She had her clothes on, messily buttoned up, and her hair was tied back, resembling a birds nest. "Jesus mom, you look awful.. We really need to get you home!" I fussed, helping her out of the chair. She looked slightly surprised to see me but hobbled towards the front door anyway. "Thanks for letting me wait, Fiona. I really appreciate it!" I called without a response, except for Carl running to open the door for us.

"Here's my number. If she ever comes back, please call me so I know she's not passed out in a ditch." I reached out my spare hand and passed him a piece of paper with my number scribbled on it. He bit his lip before shoving it in his back pocket. "I'll see you tomorrow, baby girl." I felt his hand slap my ass as we walked out and I shot him a scowl. "You're lucky I've got my hands full, Gallagher." I threatened before shuffling down the porch steps, my mom dragging behind me.

[end of chapter]

i'm so happy i went with this chapter over the alternate one i'd written. the original one was so fucking cliche and would've taken the story in an awful direction so yeah