Chapter Five

“Mom?”She whispers around the corners, an apparent happiness in her voice that hasn’t been there for the three years. “Mom, I’ve got excellent news.” She whispers again with rising excitement.

“Darcy? Is that You?” Her mother's voice echoes, sounding strange. “Your school called Darcy, I’m pissed.” Her mother’s words are slurred and said with such a force that Darcy is over come by the stench of her mother’s breath.

“Mom, it doesn’t…”  She dodges a half full bottle of schnapps flying her way. “Mom, I’m sorry, I know I messed up but I’m going to fix it I really am, I got a job, Mom. The boss won’t let me…” She ducks another bottle, “won’t let me miss school, he says he’ll fire me if I do…”

“Darcy Es…Es…ESTERS!” Her very drunk mother struggles to say her husband’s name. “They’re coming here DARCY, HERE. Our family is going to be taken apart; they want to MEET with me! This is entirely your fault Darcy, your father ruined our family, and now you’re doing this to me, all your fault.”

“No, No, mom please, I can fix it, I can. I know I messed up, but I’ll fix it I promise I will. I’ll do everything I can. When are they coming mom?” Darcy chokes out, sobs rising in her throat.

“Tomorrow” Her mother growls, takes a swig, and then collapses into the sad woman the girl has always known. “I’m sorry, baby.”

Daring to step forward the girl helps her mother up and to the shower. She puts the alcohol reeking clothes into the laundry and starts it. With a sigh, she begins to clean; thanking God she let Toby give her a ride home, allowing her more time to clean. She cleans for hours.

“3 23” She sighs to herself, climbing into bed. Thinking she might as well miss school tomorrow and finish up all the cleaning that still needs to be done.        

“Darcy!” her mother calls from the other room. She is the scared, sad drunk Darcy loves once more.

“Coming Mom”

“Darcy, how we gunna do it, hunny? How we gunna fool them, they’re gunna take you away from me, if I’m, I’m like this when they come tomorrow.”

“Oh Mom, I won’t let anyone tear us apart, I’ve been cleaning all night, and I’ll clean all morning. I just want you to rest, rest and sleep until they get here, I’ll make them dinner. I’ll fix it mom I’ll make it okay, I will.

            With one last heaved sigh her mother fell asleep, the girl slips away. Feeling guilty, she decides to clean more. With another hour or so of clean under her belt, the young girl crawls into bed and falls into a dream less exhausted sleep after shutting off her school alarm, at 5:00 am.

            “Darcy?” She wakes to the sound of her name coming from the kitchen. Feebly rubbing her eyes she sulks out to where the noise come from to find her mother sitting at the kitchen table being waited upon by Toby.

            “Toby? What are you doing here?” She gasps confused and feeling as though she may be dreaming.

            “I came to see you, to make sure went to school, and your mother told me everything, before she…uh... passed out for a while.” Toby shrugged feeling uncomfortable.

            “1:00!” The girl shouts, realizing that she slept for so long. She dashes forward to embrace Toby then sprints back to her room, dresses and continues cleaning. After a short while Toby joins her.

            “Your mom is resting in her bed. You house isn’t in shambles.” Toby states matter of factly.

            “Not anymore,” She sighs, “I was up until five this morning cleaning it up, the assistant principle called and he is coming for dinner tonight, he thinks ‘my home may no be a suitable place based on my behavior and attendance over the last few months.” She says her tone mocking the asst. principal.

            ‘Well, we’ll just have to show him how wonderful your family is.” Toby laughs as a look of shock and confusion covers the girls face.

            “Um? Are you delusional or am I? Because I’m pretty sure I saw you serving coffee to my drunken mother while I slept until One o’clock on a school day.” She says to him.

            “Darcy, we’ll cook a wonderful dinner, wake your mom up before he gets her and he’ll be impressed, then he’ll move on to thinking your mentally unstable or on drugs and we’ll fight through that too.”

Reviews

[Therene]

VERY NICE! I like how you opened the chapter. Just enough pull to lure the readers in.

It's amazing how "twisting" the words and the scenes can do so much. :D

I'll be reading your previous chapters in a day or two.

Keep up the good work. :)