I am The Author. I am called from the abyss to deliver a tale from Pine Valley. We never truly know the people we meet everyday, the faces we see mere masks. Identities forged out of convenience, insecurity, necessity. What lies beyond the lies? Do you really know the people you know?
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Why were parties considered the only way to celebrate? Who was the genius that deemed a raucous period of chaos the most appropriate way to commend an occasion? They were more troublesome than they were worth: inviting people you barely like, making awkward small talk until things get fun, being left to clean the mess alone when everyone else leaves. Whoever it was, Drew hoped they burned in Hell. As he rinsed off another plate to add on to the mountain of dishes beside him, he began to envy that lucky bastard. At least in Hell, they weren't on dish duty... probably. Did they do dishes in Hell? Draining the water in the sink, Drew wiped down the counters and began to put everything away. Humming along to the stereo as he did a final sweep of the kitchen, he did his damnedest to ignore the burning gaze threatening to singe the back of his head.
One would think that someone celebrating their birthday with a surprise party would be over the moon by the end of the night. Not Alicia. He wasn't sure what happened, had no idea when, couldn't fathom why but his mama was absolutely seething. This wasn't a mild inconvenience, nor was it a spot of annoyance, not even righteous indignation. She was seconds from going nuclear. It was written all over her face; the furrowed brow that haunted him more than any nightmare rested over an unwavering glare that had been trained on him since the party's end. Her full lips were pressed into a thin line and her jaw was squared, no doubt resisting the urge to grind her teeth. Drew had only seen Alicia this pissed a handful of times, unfortunately being on the receiving end of her fury once. One time was all he needed to know he never wanted to face it again. His envy for that bastard living it up in Hell resurged, Drew would trade Satan's wrath over his mom's any day.
When he couldn't stall a moment longer, Drew slowly turned to face his fuming mother. It felt as if his heart had leapt into his throat when he met her glare. Never before had he seen such pure rage, it was humbling to say the least. Words failed him as he tried to break the ice, undoubtedly looking like a fool as he stood silent beneath her gaze. Moments like this were a sobering reminder of their first and most important aspect of their new relationship: she was still his mother. That was one thing she made sure of when they agreed to continue their abhorrent affair. Despite how much things have changed, all the things they've done to and with each other, she still treated him like a kid. Her kid. Very rarely does she have to go into Mama Mode since they began to fool around, their usual interactions remaining the same aside from a teasing touch here and there. Nevertheless, something had to occur for her to try to will him to ash with just a look. Unable to bear the pressure of her eyes, Drew peered down to the floor as he sheepishly toyed with his fingers. What the hell did he even do?
He made her a bunch of the meals on her wish list, managed to splurge on her to get a spa day, all the while setting up this exhausting surprise party. Desperately, he combed his mind for any slip-ups or transgressions, any possible answer for his mom's foul mood. He chanced a glance at his mom again, his brow now furrowing as he examined her more closely. In his anxiousness, he failed to notice something that flipped the whole dilemma on its head: tears. They were faint, barely noticeable as they welled in her eyes. Drew took a hesitant step towards his mother, "Ma..."
"How could you," Alicia scowled, her voice a chilling whisper dripping with anger, "And right in front of me..."
To say Drew was thrown for a loop would be the understatement of the year. None of that mattered as the dam began to wane, stray tears streaking down her cheeks. "Ma, what are you talking about," he pleaded as he tried to comfort his new lover.
Alicia pushed him away, nearly losing her balance in her now obvious inebriation, "Don't play dumb with me, I'm not fucking blind!" She opened her mouth to rain hellfire on her boy, the confused teen bracing himself for the verbal lashing he was about to endure. However, her face slowly began to fall as she found her knees losing their strength. Drew swiftly went to hold his hysterical mother upright, hugging her tight to his chest as she silently sobbed into his shirt. "I watched you leave with her," she muttered meekly, his heart wrenching at the pain in her voice, "I saw you go into her place."
Drew laughed despite himself, though the smack to his chest made him question if it were worth it. He didn't think anything of it when Judy from 4-B began talking him up about an hour or so into the festivities. She just wanted to catch up, asking him about school, work, and of course girls. When pressed, he told the older woman that he was single as per the second aspect of his relationship with Alicia: secrecy. It was only natural that the physical side of their arrangement remained between them; while they were able to look past their familial ties, others won't be so accommodating. Keeping their hands to themselves--while frustrating--was simple enough, warding off potential partners was another story. Their wretched relationship was only a few months old and they already found it exhausting coming up with excuses for their lack of partners.