Fade to Black

CONTENT WARNING - Another heavy chapter - please refer to opening chapter's content warning if you are sensitive to severe drug use and mental health issues.

My mind was racing. Theresa and I had blown off school that day and spent the morning at the diner in Durham. I hung out at her house until she had to head to her grandmother's house for the holiday. I returned home to an empty house, I hadn't seen Ashley all day and I knew the girls were going on a school volunteer trip to package holiday meals for the poor until 3, so I didn't think anything was off...until the phone rang and it was Kendall calling from the gas station.

I sped to the station in less than three minutes and I almost puked when I saw Ashley's Cadillac twisted around the cement barrell. She was inches from the pump. Inches from incinerating herself, my sisters and anyone else who had been around...and now I stood with Ace Merrill, who looked at me like he had seen a ghost.

"You have to tell me everything that happened."

He had trouble making eye contact with me. I knew in my gut that it was bad, but his aversion to me made my mind think the worst.

My eyes narrowed at his prolonged silence. "Listen, I'm putting you in a terrible situation and I know this is the last thing you want to deal with. But you've had the pleasure of seeing my fucked up mother in action before and you clearly did something to get my sisters away from her and I need to know what's going on."

He sighed and rubbed his eyes but continued to be silent. "Look, we don't have to be delicate here. You know she's fucked up on pills, I know she's fucked up on pills. Let's skip the bullshit pussyfooting around and cut to the details of what happened here."

"A couple weeks back she came in bombing in here, breakneck speed. Almost hit a pump. Tommy straightened her out, but it kind of shook us up. Today, I see her coming in the same way. Eyeball was in her path, picking up a soda bottle that had rolled away, he jumped away and she swerved and spun out. Almost hit the pump and when she spun her gas tank almost went straight into the barrel. A few inches one way or the other we'd all be goners."

I almost threw up. I felt dizzy and reached for the counter to steady myself. Ace had jumped toward me, I probably looked like I was going to faint. His arm slid around my waist as I steadied myself on the counter.

"I'm sorry you had to hear that from me." We stood there for a moment, his eyes burning into mine, his arm still around my waist. I bet when Ace Merrill woke up this morning that he never expected that he'd get roped into something like this. My mind drifted back to our first awkward interaction at the gas station and how oddly comforted I was by his appalled reactions to Ashley's performance. I guess a part of me was happy to hear this story from someone who wasn't going to sugar coat it.

"Where is she?" I snapped back to reality.

He cringed again. "I had Eyeball take her to Tommy's office, there's a couch in there…" he trailed off.

I hadn't noticed Eyeball walking around the gas station and surmised he was still in there with my mother. I think we both knew there was a decent chance that Eyeball wouldn't have the self control Ace did when Ashley threw herself at him.

I looked out to the car and saw the girls chatting in the backseat. I couldn't leave them there. If Ashley was in the shape I expected, I'd have to take her home separately… but I couldn't leave them sitting around a gas station...fuck what was I gonna do?

"I can lock up the shop if you want the girls to wait in here. from what I saw earlier, I don't think you want them to see her like this." Ace's voice interrupted my panicked thoughts and I sighed, relieved he was trying to help. I had never really spoken to this kid but good god was I grateful he was here. He owed me less than nothing and yet he tried to help me.

I nodded and I walked out to the car to grab the girls. "I might be a few minutes...do you girls want a Coke? You can hang in the shop while I get mom." Kendall seemed to understand the severity of the situation and motioned to Olivia to follow me. It broke my heart that Kendall had a sense of what was going on, no kid her age should have to deal with heavy stuff like this.

The girls shuffled back into the store and I dug through my purse for money for Cokes. "On the house." Ace reached in and grabbed two cokes from the machine.

"No I have money-." He shot me a look as if to remind me I had more pressing issues.

I turned to the girls. "I'm gonna go take care of mom, you guys cool here for a minute by yourselves?"

"Can Ace stay? He's nice!" Olivia chirped.

I was taken aback, as was Ace. I don't think the kid notorious for beating the piss out of four middle schoolers got that kind of reaction from little kids often. "Ace has to come with me, but I'll be back soon, okay?" She smiled. Kendall rolled her eyes. "We're fine here. Go deal with Mom."

I followed Ace out the door as he locked up. "I'm so sorry-."

"Stop apologizing, I feel like I'm gonna owe you one in about two minutes when we inevitably see Eyeball taking advantage of your mother."

"Eyeball isn't to blame. This is all Ashley, can't blame him for seizing the moment." I muttered. We walked around back to the office. Ace tried the door and it was locked. He banged his fist on the door.

"Uhhh one sec! Tommy is that you?" Eyeball nervously stuttered on the other side of the door.

"Nah it's me, what the fuck is going on in there?" Ace yelled.

"Shit Ace cover for me okay?" The door swung open and a disheveled Ashley Scanlon appeared before me. My eyes went wide, but not as wide as Eyeballs, who would have probably appreciated heads up that Ace had me in tow.

My mother's dress was unbuttoned, her bra exposed. Her shoes and purse were in a pile on the floor. I was shocked she was even standing.

"Ace darling! You didn't tell me your friends were just as handsome as you." She reached out and squeezed his hand. I winced at the thought of where her hand had just been.

Ashley noticed me standing next to Ace. "What are you doing here?"

"Why did you have the girls in the car? You know you aren't-"

"Lauren, I'm sick and tired of you treating me like a child. Those are my children and I have every right to pick them up from school." Her words were slurred, her tone indignant. Ace read the room and dragged Eyeball outside, leaving me alone to deal with my mother.

I looked into her eyes, they were hollow and empty. I could only begin to fathom the combination of pills that ran through her system. I took a deep breath and tried to figure out what to do. Part of me wanted to call the cops on her right there, but I knew a scene would make everything worse. I had to find a way to get her home and get the girls home without causing any more drama...I wish I knew where to begin…