The next day, I woke up by a smash. My reflexes kicked in, I quickly out on some tracksuit bottoms and a shirt before running down the stairs.
On the way down, my memories of yesterday hit me as I was halfway down the stairs. The arguments. The suicidal prevention line. The infidelity. The upset.
Reaching the bottom of the stairs, I heard a second smash, and then some retching. Scared of what I was yet to be faced with, I walked into the kitchen to find my Mum surrounded in a pool of her own vomit, smashing the empty bottles of yesterday's drink session.
"Mum! Mum, stop!" I said, grabbing the fourth bottle she was about to smack against the counter.
There were another two wine bottles meaning she could've drunk six bottles of wine, that's unlikely unless she secretly has alcohol poisoning, so I presume her and Dad must've shared one or two before the truth yesterday was spilled.
As soon as Mum saw me, she collapsed to her knees and wept, kneeling in her own vomit.
"Mum," I said, trying to not cry myself. "Come on, I'll clean this up."
I got the bucket I'd left her with yesterday that strangely wasn't used, gave it to her and the bottle of water, and sat her down in the couch, giving her some more paracetamol and going into the kitchen to clean everything up.
After cleaning everything up, I took my Mum upstairs and put her into my bed, appreciating the fact that she wouldn't want to sleep in hers. I changed her sheets and tidied her room, checked on her seeing she was asleep, and went downstairs to make her some food.
I rang school telling them that I wasn't going to come to school today. They didn't say any more but the wish to me that they were hoping that everything was okay and hopefully I'd be in tomorrow.
I also drafted a text to Phil explaining everything, he replied saying that as soon as school had finished he'd be straight over to help.
Being as I was such a shit cook and I really didn't want to risk setting the house on fire, I stuck with pasta because it was so basic.
As I was cooking the pasta to al denté, there was a knock at the door.
I checked the clock to see that it was only half eleven so unless Phil was bunking, which I doubt, then it must be the postman.
I grabbed the keys from the side and opened the door, but no, it wasn't who I expected. It was my own vile Father, beer in hand and tears running down his red and unshaven cheeks.
"Dad, Mum and I made it clear enough yesterday that you need to fuck off. Unless you want your useless shit, wait at the end of the road and I get it and bring it out to you. Otherwise, fuck off before I call the police."
"Buuuuut Daaaaaan," he drinking slurred, extending the vowels. "I looove you and your Mum very much and I know what I did was wrong, but people make mistakes and accidents and mistakes, wait I just said that? Didn't I? Haha, but I love you son."
"Shut up! My poor and used Mother doesn't want to hear your bullshit when she's sleeping!"
"She's sleeping, awh! Let me see my wife of twenty one years!"
"No, Dad," I said and shook my head with disbelief, "please, just leave."
"Leave? Where to? This is my house." He answered, looking sad suddenly.
"This was your house, but it isn't any more. Dad, leave."
And with that, he turned around and threw the empty beer can on the floor of our drive way. When he was out of sight I picked it up and put it in the bin near Mum's car.
Shit, the pasta.
I ran through the house, shutting the doors and going to the slightly over cooked pasta. I drained it and stirred in the sauce, grabbing two bowls and putting the content of the saucepan into them, splitting them equally. I also got two cups of water and a tray.
"Mum?" I said, knocking lightly on the door.
I opened the door, Mum's eyes barely open. She sat up and thanked me. I sat on the floor so she wouldn't be entirely alone and I just comforted her.
"How'd you feel?" I asked her once she'd finished her pasta.
"Bad." She answered stubbornly, probably feeling unwell and tired.
"Okay, I'll leave you then, Phil's coming to see you later too."
"Okay, Dan, remember that even if your Dad doesn't love you and accept you, I do."
"I love you too, Mum, thank you."
-
Phil finally showed up and I cried on his shoulder in the hallway.
"Let's go in the living room." We walked to the living room and he just hugged me, saying nothing.
"You know Phil?"
"What Dan?"
"I wish we could turn back time, to the good old days, when Mum sang me to sleep, but now we're stressed out. We used to play pretend, give each other different names, I would pretend my name was Lara because of Lara Croft, we once built a rocket ship and the blew it in the sky so it went far away."
"I know it's hard sometimes, Dan, but I'm here for both of you, okay?" Phil said, after listening to my rant.
"I love you Phil, so much." I said and placed a loving kiss on his lips.
He pushed me so my back was on the couch and he was on top, saying sweet nothings between each kiss.
I sighed, "I've been thinking too much, help me."
"I'll help you, Dan, I would give up on you, never."
I smiled, appreciative of the fact that I have Phil.
"On a happier note, school ends on Friday for Christmas holidays." Phil told me, attempting to lighten up the gloom.
"Oh yeah, do you wanna spend Christmas here?"
"My Mum said that you and your Mum can come to ours for Christmas dinner of Christmas Day if you want to."
"I'll tell her when she wakes up, thank you."
-
I had to go to school today, there were only four days left and I'd already missed out on a lot of education.
I got ready after sleeping on the couch, letting Mum have my bed and wrote her a note saying that I went to school and left, meeting with Phil before walking to school hand in hand.
Chris and PJ were already there so we met at the gate and walked to form together, being allowed to sit in form with a teacher until the bell went.
"Are you okay now Dan?" Chris asked me suddenly.
"Y-yeah, I'm fine thanks." I responded, looking at Phil for reassurance.
"Dan," PJ began. "We know you're not one-hundred-percent, and when you're not okay, you're not okay. You don't need to bottle things up, that's the worse thing that you can do. If you need to cry, cry. If you need a hug, have a hug. It's okay to not be okay."
"I'm fine, but I will, thanks PJ."
After that, the bell went and my form began filling in and sitting down.
"Hey, Howell's back." I heard Alfie said when he walked in.
I ignored him, not wanting to deal with whatever he had to say and mentally preparing for what was going to come within the next four days.