Discovering Alice

Chapter 5

Wednesday. I couldn’t help but avoid Cory for the first two days of school, and I started this morning off doing the same. I didn’t know what to say to him, I didn’t even know why that guy was there; so how could I explain to him? I sigh and push my long blonde hair back, it is windy outside and I could feel a storm coming on. I was walking home, since I was avoiding Cory I had to walk. It was a sacrifice I was willing to make though. I hug my arms tighter to myself; I was a block or so away from my house. Mom hadn’t come home Sunday night, but when she stumbled in Monday after school, I let her have it. Or tried, anyways, she ran off to her room and locked the door. But today I was determined to talk to her about it. When I see my house, I run up to the front door and open it, already knowing she’ll be home.

“So did Mr. Clean find you?” I have my arms crossed tightly across my chest. I almost have my foot thumping on the ground, I am beyond pissed.

“Mr. Clean?” my mom looks like shit, her newly dyed red hair was tangled and away from her face. She smelt of alcohol and who knows that else. “Oh, you mean Freddie. He said he’d stop by Sunday . . .”

“It’s Wednesday. He already came by.” I wish I could show her the mess that he created. But I cleaned it up the second after I rushed Cory out of the house. I didn’t want him to see the way my hands were shaking, or how if I tried to talk then I would surely cry. I was seriously freaked out. Because guys don’t show up like that, all raging, until you piss them off.

She looks up at me, shocked. She doesn’t say anything though. But what was there for her to say? “I don’t know what business you’re getting into. But you can’t do that; you have Alice to take care of.”

My mom smirks at me, a taunt on her lip. “You seem to do pretty well taking care of her yourself. She’s in better hands with you then with me.” With that, my mother gets up and goes into her room. I would follow her, because I’m nowhere near done with telling her what she needs to be doing, but she closes the door and locks it again. I go into my room, not knowing what to do with myself since I’m ignoring Cory and Alice is sleeping.

When I wake up my room is dark, which means it’s probably six or seven in the evening. I look around the room and I see Cory sitting next to my feet, I flinch and he looks up at me. He’s sitting there in a green shirt that makes his eyes look greyer, his leather jacket is draped over his lap and he’s looking at me in a way that makes me instantly feel bad for ignoring him.

“Why have you been ignoring me?” he doesn’t look happy with a crease between his brows. I don’t want to admit it, but I hear hurt in his voice.

“I’m sorry. I just didn’t want you to ask questions I couldn’t answer. I don’t even know what happened on Sunday, how could I answer your questions too? I tried to talk to my mom and . . .” I’m cut off when Cory puts his hand over my mouth. That irritates me a little bit, didn’t he want an explanation?

“I get it. But man, you rant a lot.” He smiles at me and starts to scoot closer. He removes his hand from my mouth, and I think I know what he’s planning to do. But as much as I like him I can’t let him kiss me, so I get up and walk to the door and look out.

“Did my mom let you in?” I ask him, I don’t make eye contact with him. I don’t want to see the look on his face right now. I was trying to calm myself down, I didn’t want to ruin the friendship we had with a relationship. Then who would I hang out with? I was perfectly fine being alone until he came along and made things interesting.

“Yeah, I told her I was a friend from school.” I’m glad he didn’t say “you kind of look like her” or something like that. Maybe he knew it would’ve made me mad. I’ve never exactly told Cory my feelings for my mother, but he wasn’t stupid. I finally get the courage to look over at him, and he’s staring out the window. Why didn’t I let him kiss me?