Chapter 1

15 minutes. No, 30 minutes. Maybe even an hour. The anxious high school senior couldnt figure out how much time had passed since class started. There was no clock in the room, and there were no electronics allowed during class, so there was no way to keep track.

"Eric, since you seem to be paying so much attention, why dont you come up and do the next problem on the board for everyone?"

His math teacher, Mrs. Pikes, called him out for staring off into space for too long. She loved to do that.

"Well, see, I hurt my writing hand pretty bad last night, or else I would. Sorry."

"Hurt it doing what, jacking off too much?" Someone called from the other side of the room. The class burst into laughter. Mrs. Pikes shot a glare at him, then said, "Office. Now."

The kid got up out of his desk and left. "Worth it," he murmured as he shut the door behind him.

Mrs. Pikes then looked back to Eric. "Now, Eric, if you could please -" the bell cut her off before she could finish. 'Yes!' Eric thought to himself. "Make sure you read chapter 7 tonight and answer the questions. Have a good day."

Eric had all his things in his backpack and was getting ready to leave until he heard, "Mr. Brandson, may I speak with you a moment?"

Eric rolled his eyes before turning around to walk to her desk. "Eric, this whole zoning off thing has really started to become a pattern with you. What's going on?"

"Nothing. I just have better things to think about I guess."

"Oh really? You have better things to think about then the material for the class you need to pass in order to graduate next month? You're sitting at a 56 in here. Do I need to call your parents again?"

Eric's eyes went wide. "No, no, no! Dont call them."

Mrs. Pikes leaned back in her desk chair. "Then you had best start paying more attention. You better have the homework done and ready to go by tomorrow or I will have to make some phone calls."

Eric looked down to the floor, at his shoes. "Yes, Mrs. Pikes."

She then waved him out the door, and Eric left.

Thankfully, it was his last class for the day. Eric walked down the hallway to the double doors that led to the school parking lot.

"Ah shit... where did I park?" He looked around a bit before finally seeing his vehicle, a 98 Lincoln continental. It wasnt the best vehicle in the world, but it did what he needed it to do, and that was fine for him. He threw his backpack into the backseat, got into the car, and drove off.

Eric pulled in front of the elementary school, in front of the 4th grade section. The elementary school got done at 3:15, 15 minutes after his school got done. He looked around until he saw his little brother, and rolled down the window. "Andre! Let's go!" Eric shouted.

Andre waved goodbye to a few of his friends, then ran to Eric's car. " Hi Eric" he said as he entered the car.

"Hey little dude." Eric said. 'Little dude' is what Eric always called Andre. Whenever Eric was in a good mood with him, that is. "How was school?"

"It was fun! Our P.E. teacher had us play dodgeball, and I got so many people out! It was so much fun! How was your school Eric?" Andre said.

"Eh, it was school."

He drove them both back to their house, and parked the car in the driveway. They both went inside. Eric plopped himself down on the couch in the living room, in front of the TV. Andre went to the dining room table, which was right next to the living room, and began drawing his little doodles he did after school.

"Hey, Eric?" Andre asked.

"Yeah?"

"How come you and mom got mad at each other last night?"

Eric thought back to the night before. He and his mom got into a shouting match in his room. Not only was Eric failing 3 of his classes that he needed in order to graduate on time, but his mom had also found a pack of cigarettes in his car. His mom disapproved of nicotine and forbid anyone in her household from using it.

Eric got mad when she confronted him. He's 18, and next month he'd be out of the house, hopefully somewhere that wasn't Warrensburg, Missouri, which was where he lived, and whether he had his diploma or not. Then he would be able to do whatever he wanted, without being under her thumb all the time. The thought put a smile on his face. A world where his parents couldn't tell him what to do.

"She just doesnt understand me, or the things I do very well. And when I do something she doesnt understand, she gets mad and shouts. Like she did last night."

Andre nodded, but he still had a slightly confused expression on his face.

"Look, next month, when I'm graduated and done with school, I'll move out. Then you wont ever have to hear me and mom shout again. Sound good?"

Andre nodded, but again, with that same confused look on his face.

"But if you're gone, who's gonna pick me up from school? And who will draw with me? And who will kill the spiders in my room when they crawl in my bed?" He asked.

"I'm sure mom could do all that stuff. Hell, I bet soon you'll be walking home and killing your own spiders."

Andre nodded once again, but this time, with a more sad expression.

"Hey, dont worry little dude. You'll still see me after I leave. I just wont be in your hair that much."

Eric roughed up Andre's hair as he said the last part. Andre playfully swatted it away and looked up at Eric with a smile. "Okay, Eric."

3 hours passed after that. Eric was still on the living room couch. He was texting people on his phone while the TV played in the background. Andre was sitting on the floor next to the couch. He had his little tablet in his hands and was watching videos on the internet.

They both heard the door creak open, and their mom, Susan, walked through. She closed the door behind her, and looked at Andre.

"Hi sweetie," she said with a bright face.

Then she turned to Eric. The expression on her face lowered and became more of an angry one. She walked past the living room and into the kitchen. Eric rolled his eyes and went back to his phone.

Andre got up and ran to his mom in the kitchen. "Hi mom! Look what I drew!"

He handed her the piece of paper, and she took it. "Aw, how nice. I'll keep it forever." She then took the paper and stuck it to the fridge using a magnet.

"Andre, why dont you go to your room for a little while? I'll call you back out when dinner is ready okay?"

"Okay!" He exclaimed, before running off.

His mom then went into the living room and began talking to Eric.

"Did you throw them away?"

"What?"

"Did you fucking throw them away, like I asked you to?"

"Yes."

"And your teachers? You talked to them?"

'My god, does she ever shut up?' Eric thought to himself.

"No, I didnt."

"Why not?"

"I forgot."

"Well you had best stop forgetting if you wanna graduate next month. Times gonna fly by before you know it, and you're gonna regret it if you dont start getting your shit together now." She explained.

"Mom, can you ever just let my problems be my problems? I'm 18, I can handle my own shi-"

"Watch your mouth. Only the people who pay bills in this house can say those words."

"I can look after myself, okay? I dont need you on my case all the time."

"Apparently, you do. You barely give a crap about anything anymore, so I'm gonna do it for you until you are out from under my roof. Once you're gone, you can fuck up all you want."

Eric just looked up at her with an annoyed expression, as if trying to tell her he doesnt want to talk anymore. She sighed.

"Honey, I love you okay? I just want to see you succeed. I know you hate me right now, but you'll thank me later on."

"Yeah, okay, great. Got it."

Eric's mom just looked at him with a disappointed expression for a few seconds, then went back into the kitchen.

An hour had passed. Eric, Andre, and Susan were all sat at the table for dinner. Eric's dad, Greg, was away on a business trip in Florida, for the company the family owned. Susan would fly out and join him the next day.

"So, Eric, while I'm gone, make sure you keep the house clean. Make sure Andre takes a shower once a day. There's meat in the freezer you can thaw and cook for the weekend. Your father and I will be back Monday."

Eric nodded, eating more of the noodles from his spaghetti.

"And don't bring that girl over here while I'm away. I'm sure she's a nice person, but I dont trust her in my house with you when I'm not in it."

Eric rolled his eyes. "I wont, mom."

She turned her head to Andre. "You be a good boy when I'm gone. If I get a good report from your brother, maybe we can talk about getting that new video game console you've been wanting."

Andre's eyes lit up with excitement. "Really?"

"Yes, but ONLY if your brother tells me you were good."

Andre looked at Eric. "I'll be good, I'll be good! I promise!"

Eric smiled at him. "I'm sure you will, little dude."

Susan smiled at them, then got up from her chair. "Put the dishes in the sink. After I wash them I'm going to go to bed." Eric and Andre put their plates in the sink, then went into the living room and turned the TV on.

"I'll be gone super early in the morning, so make sure you get you and your brother up on time for school, okay?"

"Yeah, I will. Dont worry."

Once Susan was done washing the dishes, she yawned. "I'm off to bed. I'll see you boys Monday."

"Goodnight, mom." Both Eric and Andre said in unison.

They didnt know it yet, but that was the last time they would ever see their mom again. They had no idea, the next day, their lives would change forever.