Tests---Chapter 1

One

Dawn

I rolled my window down, hoping to get some fresh air. Mom’s smoking was starting to get to me. She promised to quit on her birthday. Well, it’s now exactly one month since her birthday, and if anything, she’s increased the amount of cigarettes she smokes. I sighed and watched the trees pass by in a blur. I could feel my brother Darien’s eyes on me now. I looked at him in the passenger’s side mirror. What? I thought. Yes, I said “thought”. My twin brother and I have been able to read minds since we can remember. No one knows except for us.

He shrugged. Nothing, does mom look like she’s been losing weight?

I looked at her. She definitely looked like she had slimmed down a lot. I’ve noticed it before, now she looks like she’s sickly skinny. Maybe she’s been working out.

Darien shrugged again. Maybe. Where do you think we’re going?

I looked around, fearing it may be some man’s house. I don’t know. I’ll ask. I cleared my throat. “Mom, where are we going?”

She didn’t look at me. “You mean where am I going?”

I shrugged. “Whatever.”

“I'm going to see a… friend.” She pulled into a driveway and parked the car. “And you two are going to stay in the car.” She got out, slamming the door behind her. She always slammed doors. She tried to pull her skirt down a little, while running in her four-inch heels. I was just waiting for her to trip. She knocked on the large glass door. A half a second later a balding man came out. They kissed. She pulled away after a moment and glared at the car, daring us to get out in front of him. Then she turned back and he pulled her inside.

“Ugh, I think I'm going to hurl.” Why couldn’t she just take us home first, why didn’t we just take the bus, why didn’t we walk? That’s what we usually do. The high school wasn’t that far from our house. “I wish dad was still alive.” I said, more to myself than to Darien.

Me too.

Ever since our dad died, Darien hadn’t talked. Not once. Dad died four years ago. Mom used to be a good person, a nice person. She used to plant and even sing, but now her voice was all scratchy. Mom couldn’t get a job so she turned to alcohol and cigarettes. She told us that drinking and smoking were her ways of numbing the pain. I looked around. This guy had money; he had a large cream colored house, perfectly cut green grass. I leaned out of the window, trying to get a good look of the back. There was a swing set in the back, and a nice rectangular shaped pool.

“What do you wanna do while we sit here for hours?” I asked Darien.

I brought cards, want to play…poker?

Sure.

That was all we did for two hours, poker and rummy. Mom came out, pulling her skirt down ̶ ̶ again; I don’t think it even fit her. Was that my old skirt? From fifth grade? She got in, and slammed the door ̶ ̶ of course.

“Hey mom, your shirt is on backwards.”

She quickly looked down. Of course it wasn’t backwards, but I laughed as she slapped me on the arm.

“That’s not funny, Dawn.” She started the car and pulled out.

I looked at her with fake astonishment. “Wow, you know my name?”

“Of course, you’re my daughter.”She said, and smiled. She looked so much like her old self when she smiled like that. Except for the yellow and lip stick stained teeth, and the purple-red colors under her eyes, and hair that looked like auburn colored straw. Okay, so maybe not her looks, but somehow I saw a flicker of her old self. It had actually brought a tear to my eye. She looked at me and the new mom was back. “What the hell are you crying about?”

I shook my head and rubbed my eye. “Nothing,” I told her. “Absolutely nothing.”

˟ ˟ ˟

It was a Friday night and I was just getting home. I was out all night with Randy. He was dropping me off. This was our third date and I was itching for him to kiss me. He got out of his truck and hurried to the other side to open my door, what a gentleman. I got out and we walked to the front door, the backs of our hands touching. I knew that this was the moment; he was going to kiss me. He took my hands and held them.

“Dawn, I really like you. You’re a really cool girl. You didn’t even dump me because I haven’t kissed you yet. I just like to get comfortable with someone before I kiss them you know?” He looked into my eyes and I nodded. “I want to ask you something.” He got down on one knee, and I gushed. He was such a dork. “Can I kiss you, Dawn?”

I beamed. “Yes!” He stood up and was about to pull me into a kiss when my mom opened the door.

“Oh my gosh! Did he just propose?” Mom screamed.

I sighed. “No mom. Great you just ruined it.” My cheeks were probably rosy red. I was so embarrassed. She is such a jerk.

“Good, because you’re only fifteen or something.” She said.

“Mom, I'm sixteen.” I shook my head.

“Whatever, same smell.”

“Can you please leave me alone?”

“Don’t you take that tone with me young lady!” One of her veins were sticking out above her left eye, either she was really angry, or she was drunk. But coming from the smell of her breath, I think she was drunk.

I was on the verge of tears. “Mom, can you please just go?”

She shrugged. “Whatever, see you inside.” She was about to go in but turned back around. “Young man, do you do drugs?”

I almost slapped her. “Mom!”

She ignored me. “If you do, I swear I’ll hunt you down and kill you!” She flicked her wrist at us, opened the door and walked lazily away.

I looked at Randy, who looked like he was about to run away. “I’ll see you, Monday.” He waved and was out of here inside of two seconds.

I groaned and went inside, shutting the door behind me. I didn’t notice that tears were running down my face until I started sobbing. I ran upstairs and fell on my bed. When it came to boys, my mom was the wicked witch of the west.

Critics welcome!

--lisa