FINDING MARS

FIRST DATE

CHAPTER NINETEEN

   The next morning, I slowly woke to the sound of birds singing outside. The sound made me smile while I stretched out the knots in my sore body. I could lay here all day, but I need a drink of water. So, I reluctantly drag myself out of bed and head downstairs. Mum's still in bed, so I'm being as quiet as I can. I tiptoe across the creaky floorboards, careful not to make a sound...
When I make it to the kitchen, I grab a glass from the cupboard and run the cold tap. I'm not a fan of tap water, but needs must. That's when I remember Mum's wine. I'm curious to know if she drank it. So when I open the fridge, I sigh and shake my head before also checking the bin.
"Damn it!"
She not only drank it, but she also had another two bottles stashed away in the kitchen bin. I can't deal with this shit again. It's too much to deal with on my own. I'm just not the one to fix it. I've tried and obviously failed.
Not wanting to deal with this shit today, I head back to bed and hide under the blanket for a while. As I lay there, my mind races about what to do about Mum. The only thing I can think of is involving Grandad. He's the only one who can get through to her now. I've kept it quiet for as long as I can after convincing myself that I could help her. Only it's not worked. Mum needs help, and I'm not the person to do it.
Shaking my head, I reach over and grab my phone, pull the charger out and switch it on. The second it settled it was ready to go, I received a text.

*Good morning, sweetness. I hope you slept well and didn't wake up with a bad headache. I was wondering if you'd like to meet up today. I know it's soon, but I really want to see you again. I've not slept all night just thinking about you. I just need to see you again to prove I didn't dream you up.
Let me know.
Ash. X*
Oh god. I forgot about him. Christ, he's not only an eager beaver, but he's an early riser too. I wonder if he got any sleep at all? I mean, I slept like a baby - even after all the booze he supplied us with. Hell, I'm surprised I even woke up so early myself. Usually after a good session, I'm in bed all day.

*What were you thinking?*
It didn't take long for him to respond.
*What's your favourite thing to do?*
This made me grin.
*Got to be the beach.*
It took a little longer for another text to come back, but when it did, my stomach danced.
*What's your address? I'll pick you up. Dress in tight, warm clothes and boots.*
While reading his message, I bit my lip.
Oh god, do I want my mum to meet him? Better still, do I want him at my house? What if I find I don't like him? Let's be honest, I did have a lot of booze last night and it was dark too. What if he's not my type? The other option is that I can either spend the day at home with Mum or go out with him. I could go out and do something by myself, or even call Shell. I best not call Shell though. She'll no doubt have a hangover. She was drunk after the first drink we had. To be fair, I think she sobered up by the end of the night though. She was too busy keeping an eye on me. I should really apologise. I mean, I would have felt like the third wheel if it was the other way around, so no doubt she would have felt the same.

*You still there?*
His text made me grin.
*I'll meet you somewhere. Things are kinda happening here right now, so it's not really a good time to bring you in. Just let me know where and what time. I'll be there.*

The only thing I'm not happy about is him, telling me what to wear. I guess he must have a reason for it though, so I do as he asked. After I grabbed a quick shower, I dressed in tight, warm clothing with my black Martens. I also grabbed my black denim jacket and bag, and after placing it over my shoulder, I left the house. I didn't tell Mum about where I was going - I left the house before she woke.
When I made it into town, I called my grandad after leaving my car in a parking space. I had to pay to leave it there. Unfortunately, I had no idea how long I'd be, so I made sure to pay for a good few hours.