Adam’s mother closed the door behind them. His father was off on a business trip, and Adam was content to sit on the couch until his mother addressed him. She worked long hours in the city, and was fone more than his father. Adam preferred it this way. His father could be strict, but his mother was terrifying.
She came back from the kitchen, drink of water in her hands. Her red blouse was still tucked into her black pencil skirt, her heels finally getting kicked off.
“What the hell is going on?”
“I told you mom. I don’t know. I barely even know the guy.”
“Clearly since you were the last one seen fighting with him. And clearly since pparently you’ve been at his house multiple times to party?”
Adam shifted. “You know how it is, everyone just goes to someone’s house,” he mumbled.
“Excuse me?” She said. “No I don’t ‘know how it is.'” What do you think this is? Some kind of trash town we dumped you in so you can smoke and do coke?”
“Mom! It wasn’t even coke ok. I just drank. Whatever he had, I don’t know. And for the record yeah this kind of is a trash town. A lot of kids have nothing else to send their money on but drugs.”
Silence. Finally, “don’t talk back to me. Ever.”
HE hung his head. “Sorry mom.”
“I’m so embarassed and ashamed. And now you could be arrested.”
“Arrested? Mom I didn’t do anything! And you said they didn’t have enough evidence to hold me!”
“Did you — and I am only going to ask you this one, so you had better answer truthfully — have anything to do with that boy’s death?”
“No mom, I swear.”
She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. “Go to your room.”
Not bothering to argue, Adam slithered up the stairs and went into his room, closing the door behind him. He pulled his phone out of his pocket, thankful that at least in all of this, she’d forgotten to take it from him.
The lock screen was bursting with notifications. He was about to unlock his phone when the window rattled. Adam looked outside.
It was Joshua, one of Marcsus’ defensemen.