The front door slams.
I jump up, knocking Tucker off of me and onto the floor.
Fuck, fuck, fuck.
I look at the clock, and it’s only11:30;she shouldn’t be home yet.
“What was that?”
“You need to get dressed.”
“What?! Now?”
“Yes. Get up, get dressed, and stay here until I tell you to come out. Got it?”
I put on a pair of shorts and a sweatshirt from a pile of clothes in the corner of my room. They could be dirty… they could be clean. I don’t really care right now.
I walk into the living room to see my mom wasted on the couch. I don’t even know how she got home in this condition.
“God, how much did you drink?” I grip her chin, moving her head side to side. I don’t expect her to respond, but she reeks.
“Found her in the alley behindSmitty’s Pub.” The voice comes from the kitchen, and once the fridge closes, I see Jay.
“Thanks for bringing her home,” I sigh. “She hasn’t gotten this bad in a while. I guess that’s not true, but she usually isn’t this plastered until well past two in the morning.”
“Avalon, you’re supposed to tell me when things get bad.”
“They haven’t been bad,” I lie. “Nothing I can’t handle.”
“I know you’re paying the bills.” He sits on the couch beside my mom and tries to give her water. She doesn’t drink it.
“How?” Even though I know the reason doesn’t matter. He knows, and I’m gonna hear how stupid it is for me to step up because then she’ll take advantage of it.
“Your mom talks when she’s drunk,” he replies. “I think you should come stay with me. I have plenty of space, and you’d still be close enough to campus to make it to class on time. I think it would really benefit you to—”
My bedroom door opens, and Tucker steps out.
“Who’s that?” Jay asks, shooting darts at Tucker with his eyes.
“Tucker.” We say it simultaneously, and I feel my cheeks turn red. I don’t know why; it’s not weird for a teenager to be having sex, but Jay’s known me since I was a kid. He worked with my mom until her accident, and even after that, he continued to look out for me. In some ways, I’m the kid he never had, so the thought of him seeing a booty call sneak out makes me feel uneasy.
“Sorry, I know you asked me to wait, but some of my friends are meeting for a drink, and well, I assumed we were… finished.”
“Right, sorry. No problem. I’ll see you around.”
Tucker looks at me, then at my mom and Jay on the couch, and smiles. “See you around.”
“Who was that?” Jay repeats as the door closes.
“Tucker. We already covered that.”
“And who’s Tucker?”
“A guy in my class.”
“So, you guys were just studying in your room?”
I roll my eyes.