In The Back Seat.

It happens like this: I gather my stuff for school like every other day. I've woken up way too early to even care if I've put makeup on, although I never forget a dusting on mascara.

"Keep your head down, baby," She says quietly, turning her head in my direction. Something in her voice is raspy and wrong. And I suddenly know I'm trapped. In the back seat. With a manic mother driving me.

I'm getting in the car, that's how it started. "Oh hey, I just got a text, from my principle. He says it's bring your kid to work day. Wanna come?"

What kid wouldn't like to blow off school for something like that? It's an obvious answer and I hop in.

We had stopped off at the bank. I looked in her hand and she must of had a couple hundred dollars if I remember correctly. My heart started to pound lightly. It's okay. Your paranoid. She's your own mother. I told this to myself over and over. Why should I be so scared?

She pulled over to a Dunkin Donuts drive-thru. She ordered a bottle of water and spent some time talking to the cashier about the weather.

This is weird. Really weird. Anyway, the water just sits in the cup holder.

"Mom, aren't you going to drink any?" I asked. It took a couple tries of me saying it over and over before she took notice of me.

"Oh look, I ordered it but I guess I didn't drink any." She laughed. There was that tone of raspiness I remembered all too well. Something was wrong. And there was nothing I could do about it.