Hey guys! This is going to be short, but I have to get to my competition in an hour, so I have to leave in a few. But I had to keep my promise to you guys, so here's a quickie chapter!

I'll answer your questions in the next chapter!

MPOV

I awoke to the sound of slamming doors. The sound made me jump, causing me to flop off the couch and onto the roughly carpeted floor. Groaning, I sat up.

"Hey Max! Oh, I'm sorry! Did I wake you up?"

I ignored her question. "Ella, where have you been? It's-" I checked the clock "eight-o'-clock at night. And where's mom?"

Ella looked pained. "I came home, and mom was gone. I think she may have gone over the edge this time."

My mom had been a recovering alcoholic. When she got pregnant with me, she immediately quit drinking. After that, she was happy living with my dad and I, so she didn't have to resort to the wine cellar anymore. Then she had Ella only eleven months later, and she couldn't have been happier. For five years, everything was happier and fun in the Ride household.

Until the accident.

While driving home from work one day, a drunken man blew a red light and crashed into my father. My mother blamed his death on many things- the drunk driver, the car, the doctors, even herself sometimes. But I knew that no one was to blame my father's death. He had just been in the wrong place at the wrong time. My mom, on the other hand, couldn't comprehend that, so she retired back to her alcoholism.

She would never beat us. She was just never…a real mom. You know, the type that'll throw on an apron and bake you cookies. Or drive you to school in a minivan. Or wish you luck and be in the audience throughout your whole school play, no matter how bad you sucked. My mom was just not there. Mentally and physically.

But Ella and I had no problems with this until a couple weeks ago. Mom freaked out (we still don't know why) and started throwing things around the house. I showed Ella how to climb out of my window like I did when Mom would ground me for getting detentions. (Yes, my mom is an alcoholic and she still grounds me.) We both climbed through and ran over to J.J's house. We stayed the whole night.

Ever since that day, both of us had been keeping a close eye on mom. But her behavior remained normal- or, at least, normal for her. We were always waiting, though, for her to do something dramatic again.

Apparently, that day has come.

"So…she's not…here anymore?"

She shook her head. "I was out looking for her the whole day. I can't find her anywhere."

"Well, where would an alcoholic go, Ella?'

"A…bar?"

"Exactly." I stood up and slid my arms through a coat. "Come on, Ells, time to pick our mother back up."

Hope you liked! I'll make a longer one when I get back from competition.

Review-------- For Pancho the ninja Panda. (O.O)

*Shiver*