Only One

Chapter Thirty-One

Watching a Spongebob marathon was not what I wanted to be doing tonight, but sadly it was. It was around eleven, meaning I've been watching this for five hours. I should probably get to bed, I tell myself. I got off my bed and headed over to the window to shut the blinds. Looking out, I saw Parker in his room holding what looked like a book in his hands. My hand was on the cord and just when I was starting to pull down I heard a loud bang with made me jump and scream. What the hell was that? Parker's head perked up. He was looking at me.

I quickly spun around so I wasn't facing him anymore. I grabbed my phone and unlocked it, putting the dial screen on. Then I opened my door and went down the stairs as quietly as I could. The noise came from the kitchen. "Mom?" I asked. No answer. "Mom?" I called out again tightening my grip on my phone. I pressed my body against the wall and peered my head around the corner. There was a figure standing in front of the fridge. The only thing that puzzled me was that it wasn't open.

Without thinking about how stupid this was going to be I ran forward and sprang on their back. They let out a scream from under me. It was a feminine scream. I got off of their back immediately. And the the wordstumbled out of my mouth. "Oh my God! Oh my God! Mom I am so, so, so, so sorry. I had no idea it was you." I turned around and fumbled for a light switch. Once it was on I looked at her and saw that her eyes were red and puffy.

"It's fine. I never should have been rummaging around in the dark anyways." She crouches down and clutches her hand.

"What happened?" I asked.

"I was putting my plate in the sink. And I didn't want to wake you since I know you are a light sleeper," she explains.

"Mom a light would not have startled me from my sleep," I tell her. "Besides I was awake and watching TV."

"Are you sure?" She asks.

"Positive," I reassure. I turn around, but spin back around so I was facing mom again. "Why were you putting your plate away now?" I tilt my head and look at her.

"Because I didn't put it away before," she says.

"Why didn't you though?" I ask.

"Because I was doing other things while you were out." She had a sharp tone to her voice.

"Don't her mad at me! You told me it was fine," I say trying to keep calm.

"When has it ever been fine?" She snaps. "I thought you missed having dinner with me."

"I do mom, but maybe I also miss hanging out with friends too!" I cry.

"Maybe you wouldn't miss them if you hunt out with them more," she tells me.

"Has it ever crossed your mind that I don't have time to hang out with friends? I don't think it has. It you haven't noticed mom I do everything around the house. I mow the lawn. I do the laundry. I clean around the house. You don't do any of those things!" That's when the tears started streaming down my face.

"Do you know what it's been like for me?" She shouts. "I lost my husband!"

"And I lost my dad!" I yell even louder. "I actually understand what it' seem like. I loved him just as much as you did. I was just as sad as you were mom. I didn't feel like doing anything. But you know what I did? I moved on and started living life again because that's what dad would have wanted. But you wouldn't know how to move on since all you do is work and then come home and do nothing!" I reached her breaking point. I didn't care if she was my mom or not at this point. What I said was true.

I turned on my heel and headed for the front door. "Where are you going?" Mom screeched.

"Anywhere but here. I'm done arguing about the obvious," I snap. I had my hand on the door knob, but mom's hand was on the door shutting it closed.

"Don't walk out on me young lady," she hisses. Then she grabbed my wrist.

"Let go," I growl.

Her grip tightens on me and she repeats herself. "Don't walk out on me."

"I'm eighteen mom. I can do whatever the hell I want to and I think that includes leaving," I tried yanking the door open, but mom was too strong for me. I yanked again and finally got it to open up. I ran out and immediately for wet. Great, it's raining. I sank to the ground and screamed. I let everything out. All the pain and suffering from over the years. When I was done I got up and sprinted across my yard and up the Brookes'. I rang the bell and waited for someone to answer. No one did. Then I pounded on the door multiple times.

"Someone please open the door," I pleaded. My voice came out in short and uneven breaths. I wiped my phone's screen with the bottom of my shirt since it was getting more wet than it needed to. I sighed and knocked one more time. Then I waited. I wasn't going back home. I couldn't. I wiped my eyes with my arm and tried to stop crying, but I couldn't.