Maybe Before Today

Chapter 12

     When I woke up the next Monday, something felt different. My house was practically silent. The usual chaos of the morning with my mum rushing around trying to find her glasses, my dad reminding her that she left them downstairs the previous night and my mum telling him to "give her a break" was gone. It was as though all the tension in the air had broken and everything was as it had been before they started fighting all the time.
     I could hazily remember that my mom hadn't been home for dinner the previous night. She had left about half an hour after she and my dad got home from church, which was nothing out of the ordinary.
     But something was different. I didn't know what or why.
     As usual, my dad came to make sure I was awake, and I asked him. And he sat awkwardly on the end of my bed.
     "Your mom never came home last night."
     I sat up sleepily. "Where is she?"
     He shrugged. "I texted her. She just said not to worry about it."
     I knew things between my parents had not been going well for quite a while, but my mom had never not come home without explaining the reason - definitely not when she had work the next day.
     "Is she gonna be home tonight?"
     "Presumably. We'll see."
     He looked completely unaffected and it was freaking me out. I wasn't sure if my brain's decision to panic was justified and my dad was the one acting weirdly or if I was the one overreacting.
     "Whatever it is ... don't worry. I'm sure there's a perfectly reasonable explanation."
     On that last sentence, his voice did waver. And I could see the calm facade crack just for a second. But then he took a deep breath, stood up - and smiled. "You better start getting ready for school."
     I nodded. "Yeah."
     Then he left my room.
     As I was putting on my mascara, my phone buzzed. Once I was finished, I sat on my bed and saw a message from Ziggs.

Ziggs (Smurf)

I'm not gonna be in school today btw

Me

how come?

Ziggs (Smurf)

got a cold. again.

Me

And leaving the house when you have a cold is deadly? /s

Ziggs (Smurf)

aww are you gonna miss me?

Me

you wish /j

Ziggs (Smurf)

well I'm gonna go back to sleep
try not to miss me too much!

Me

I will try my best /s

     To tell the truth, I was somewhat relieved. They always knew when something was up with me. And this meant they wouldn't be able to pry this particular thing from me. I would miss my best friend, but maybe it was worth it not to worry them with more of my family drama.
     When I arrived at school, Lex wasn't in English. I did have a minor momentary panic that I was going to be alone all day, but Lex texted me to say that she was just running late getting her sister to school and that she would be there soon. I felt relieved, but also really happy at the prospect of being alone with her. And also quite nervous. But it didn't mean anything. I always got really anxious about social situations.
     It meant nothing.
     But my the time the little battle going on in my head was over, Miss Marquez was looking at me sternly, having seen that I was on my phone.
     "Sorry," I said, sliding it into my bag.
     "Don't let it happen again."
     I nodded, looking quickly back to my work. I had never gotten into trouble from an English teacher before. And I doubted I would ever forget the feeling. Why some people deliberately created trouble with teachers I could not understand. It was awful.
     A few minutes later, Lex rushed in, apologised for being late and sat down next to me, scrambling to get her folder out.
     "What are we doing?" she whispered.
     "Folio essay. Proofreading."
     "Oh shit. We're meant to have that written by now?"
     "No." I paused. "I mean I'm proofreading. I think most people are still coming up with ideas."
     "Wow. I wasn't wrong when I called you a nerd."
     "No, you were not."
     "Well, can I read yours?"
     "Don't you have your own to write?"
     "Nah, it'll be terrible anyways. At least this way I'd get to read a good essay."
     "I wouldn't be so sure."
     "Come on..."
     "No. It's... It's not finished yet."
     "Will you at least tell me what it's about?"
     "Um, it's about vampires. I think it would be better as a play instead of a short story, but I had to write it like this."
     "Why don't you write it as a play just for yourself?"
     "Honestly I might if I can find time."
Among my busy schedule of watching Netflix and eating cake and doritos I wasn't sure where I would find the time.
     "Would you let me read it then?"
     I blushed. "Maybe."
     "Has Ziggs read it? And, speak of the smurf, where are they?"
     I laughed. "They haven't. And they get really dramatic when they catch a cold. I would bet you anything that they sneezed once and decided they were dying."
     "Was going to ask if you'd bet letting me read your story but I don't think there's a chance in hell of me winning that bet."
     "I'd say that's accurate."

     "So, you thought any more about your costume for the Halloween party?" Lex asked as we sat down outside at break.
     "I'm thinking I might just wear a sweater and tights with this - I got this really cute new skirt a few weeks ago that would go great with my pink sweater-"
     "As your costume?"
     "I wasn't joking about the cat ears."
     "Do you have something against Halloween?"
     "I don't have anything against Halloween. I do, however, have something against going to a party where people are drinking and making out in dark corners and asking invasive questions and making you do stupid things and passing it off as a game."
     "So you're not a fan of truth or dare?"
     "It's stupid. Why do people who don't know my name need to know my deepest and darkest secrets?"
     "Well, what are your deepest and darkest secrets?"
     "What?"
     "Come on, I at least know your name."
     I might have been questioning my sexuality a little bit and might have been questioning the future longevity of my parents' marriage, to name a couple.
     "Who says I have any?"
     "You literally just did."
     "Well... Once when I was a kid I poured my milk before my cereal."
     She looked at me, deadly seriously. "You what?"
     "I'm sorry!"
     "I can see why you don't want that being the first thing people learn about you."
     "They'd hate me forever. You probably do too."
     "Nah, I'll get over it. I know enough about you that I can't judge you solely on one old mistake."
     I smiled.
     "But seriously, do you just hate everybody in our year? Is that why you hate the parties?"
     "Most of them. Yeah. There's one, or maybe two, people I don't mind."
     "Really? Who?"
     "Hey, you already got my deepest secret. I wanna know yours."
     She exhaled, staring at the table in seemingly deep thought. "Nope. I got nothing."
     "Really?"
     "Nope. Nothing."
     She was obviously lying. But then, so was I.

     Ziggs would have been pissed if they found out how much fun Lex and I had without them. Well, they would go in a huff with me for two seconds then laugh and be my bestie again. But I didn't think there was any point in enduring the two seconds. I didn't know why I was so reluctant to tell them about how much fun I had with Lex. Well, I did. But why would I have admitted that when I could just have ignored it?
     But the smile that was plastered over my face as I walked home nearly faltered when I walked inside and saw my mom there. Then, I realised how quiet the room was. I assumed my dad must still have been at work. But no. He was sitting on the couch, typing on his laptop.
     "Alice, how was your day?" my mom asked.
     "Pretty good," I said apprehensively.
     Then her handbag caught my eye.
     "Mom, isn't that the bag you lost a few months back?"
     "What?" She looked at it. "Oh. Yeah. I found it today. Thought it was gone forever." She smiled, but it seemed tight. It seemed forced.
     Then, as she walked out of the kitchen, I caught my dad glaring at her before giving me a similar - but somehow much nicer - smile, before asking me about my day completely as normal.

~

(A/N: I have four more parts written that just need to be edited😌😌)