It took me a while to process what I had actually done just a few hours before. The end of school arrived and I made my way back to my Mum's classroom. I looked into the door and saw her there, staring out of the window. I opened it slowly and walked inside. She looked at me in disgust and turned around. I put my weight on the door and stayed there. She turned her head slightly.
"How many people know?"
"That there was a bottle of vodka on your desk at lunch time?..." She looked at me and started walking towards her desk.
"About half the school" There was an awkward silence between us both. I walked up the aisle of chairs towards her. Did I take this too far?
"So what happened?" I took a seat on one of the tables.
"Someone broke in and found the damn thing in my draw… and it's not what you think. It was left over from staff drinks; I just forgot it was there" Liar! It's hers. I'm starting to enjoy this just a tiny bit…
"It's okay. You don't have to explain"
"I'm not so sure…" She looked at me. I felt guilty… but she deserves this. She never does anything for me. Why should I do anything for her?
"Audrey was here... She saw the whole thing"
"She'd just think it belonged to one of the kids"
"Oh no, she knew something was up she's not stupid… I can't lose this job Connor!" I got up from my desk. It was like a dagger had just been stabbed into my chest. I felt so guilty. Enough was enough… I walked towards the door of the classroom and walked out, looking back at the woman who was so close to breaking down…
It was true. It was the gossip of the teachers too. I heard Chalky and that old crow of a history teacher discussing it between them as they walked past my locker. Could this day get any worse? I started putting my things back into my locker when I heard a small voice.
"You know your mum is trending all over the school?" I looked around and saw Imogen. My heart started beating quicker than before.
"Heard something about it…."
"To think she was dumb enough to bring vodka into the school." Imogen knew something wasn't right. After my slip up at dinner, there's no way she's going to let this go.
"You don't even know her…"
"I know she's smart. One of the best teachers in this school…. Just a pity you weren't there to take care of her this time." I dropped one of my books from my locker and to my surprise she picked it up. Her face lit up at the sight of Steven King.
"You're into Steven?!" a massive smile was painted across her face
"He's alright" I shrugged and smiled a little.
"Alright? The man's a genius!" I smiled a little. We started talking for a while before she invited me along to see a film! Me! She invited me along! I couldn't help but smile.
"Are you asking me out on a date?"
"Calm yourself, it's just a film" She smiled in return as we both walked off. I couldn't believe it. For the first time since we arrived at this school I felt like everything was okay. All the worries from my mum had suddenly been lifted and I felt like nothing mattered. I walked off into a small corridor and leaned against the window. Oh great… Mum.
"You um… shouldn't have taken the blame. This is my mess, not yours" Could she make me feel any worse than I do already?
"Well… you need to keep your job…and I need a place to live" I forced on a small smile.
"And you're right about the booze… it's time I laid off it for a while"
"For real this time?"
"I mean it… this was just too close for comfort.
"Well… good… I'm glad" I couldn't stop myself from smiling. Those were the only words I wanted t hear come out of my mum. I told her about my plans with Imogen and walked off. I opened the main door into the yard, it was raining. I saw Imogen beaming from the wall.
"You Coming?!" She yelled. I started walking when I got a text from Mum..
"HAVE A GREAT TIME. MUM. X I couldn't leave her like this. I needed to go home. I walked up to Imogen and said the lines I really didn't want to.
"Can we lay this off…?"
"Something I said?"
"No…"
"Well. Your loss!"
I smiled a little at her and she walked off. I walked home in the rain. I decided to text Imogen.
"I'm really sorry… Something come up. Maybe we can do this another time… C. x"
Oh god. Was the 'x' too much? Maybe? It was too late. It was sent. I walked home silently, putting my earphones into my ears and blocking everything else out. I reached the house and unlocked the door not knowing what to expect. It was quiet. I made my way to the kitchen and saw the sight I should have expected. Mum with a glass of wine.
"Well look who it is…"
"What're you doing Mum?"
"I am having a little um… celebration" she replied pouring another glass of red wine. I could have walked over and shook her. How could she? She said it was time to give it up! I felt like running. I couldn't handle this.
"Really… what's the occasion?"
"The occasion… Connor my darling…Is that I have finally worked it out… ha… It was a set up wasn't it?" I felt a slight ache in my chest again. I didn't mean for her to get this hurt over it… it was just so she could see what she was doing.
"Your little plan was to leave the bottle there all along… you thought you would show me up didn't you? Out me! Personally… I think that was a clumsy move, but the aftermath!" I couldn't listen to the drunken wreck which was standing in front of me. I felt like screaming at her. I switched off and let her get on with it. She went on about the confession…
"I only did it to make you see-"
"SEE WHAT?!... How TWISTED you are how much you want to hurt me?!"
"I'm trying to help you!"
"I don't believe ANYTHING YOU SAY… and you wonder why I drink.." That was it. That was the final straw. I left her to it and ran upstairs and locked myself away in my bedroom. I sat on the floor against my door listening to the bottles chiming against each other. About half an hour had passed and I could hear her snoring downstairs. I got changed and quietly crept into the Kitchen to make dinner… tinned spaghetti. I saw Mum passed out on the dining table. I turned on the gas and saw the tiny flame rise. Suddenly a switch clicked in my head. Fire… I dropped the tea towel onto the oven and went after the toast which had popped up. I turned around and saw the fire which had started to spread across the kitchen. I stood there and watched. Maybe this was the answer? I walked out of the Kitchen and made it look like I had come to save her. I closed the kitchen door and waited for her to lift her head. I re-opened the door and ran into her.
"MUM! MUM WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!" I dragged her outside.
