forum "I choose to believe, why can't you?" [Aliens/Conspiracy Roleplay] [One-on-One]

Started July 09, 2019 by @WriteOutofTime

tune

"Mom, what the hell?" She said, still full on panicking. "What happened to you?" She asked, looking her over. "You look horrible!"

Her mom smiled, her lips stretching a bit unnaturally across her face. She wiped her mouth. "That's kind of you to say. I got caught in the…in the rain. On the way home. From the party that I attended tonight at eight."

"That… is an oddly specific explanation." She said, trying not to look too creeped out at the smile. "But you can't just get like that from the rain- how did you even get in my room?"

"I walked in," she replied, still smiling. "Through the front door with my keys that I put in my pocket. And then I came into your room and laid down. I had maybe a glass too many of the glasses of wine."

"You- you don't drink." She said, moving back. "And we would have seen you come in."

She laughed. "I usually don't, of course not. I was convinced to drink some. I guess I never will again! And it's dark, so you didn't see me, and I came into your room to find a flashlight."

"Right… I think I should be walking August home." She said, standing and gesturing at August.

Her mom stumbled to her feet. "Okay then! I'll see you later." She watched them walk out of the room, unblinking.

The moment they left the room, August grabbed Frankie's arm. "Is it my imagination, or is your mom acting like she wants to eat us or something?"

"That's not my mom!" She hissed, walking purposely and leading him outside. "That- that is not my mom!"

"Wait, wait, wait. What are you talking about?" he said, squinting at her. "She's definitely your mom. She might just be on coke or something. You think the new family does coke?"

She shook her head. "No, she's never like that. She never even gives enough of a shit to go in my room when it could be important! And now she's doing it to 'Get a flashlight'?"

"Crack makes people do weird shit," he said with a shrug.

"Why is your first though always 'It must be drugs'?" She asked, a bit exasperated.

He rolled his eyes. "What do you want it to be, Frankie? I don't want to say your mom's having a mental breakdown, because that's fucking rude. So I suggest that she's been drugged, because I think that's more polite."

"August, you aren't helping!" She snapped, leaning against a wall. "That isn't her! It- it can't be!"

"Calm down," he said, her loudness grating against his ears. "What do you think happened to her?"

"I- I don't know!" She said, sighing. "But I doubt it's anything good."

"I agree it's not good, but don't overreact." His mouth twisted. "Maybe if she's not better by tomorrow, you can take her to a doctor. If you don't want to go home tonight, that's fine, but if she's actually sick she may not need to be alone."

She nodded, holding her head in her hands. "Can- can I stay over at your place tonight?" She asked quietly, looking down.

"Of course you can," he said with a smile. He patted the top of her head. "It can be like our old sleepovers."

She smiled looking back up. "Thanks, August."

He led the way back down the street towards his house. He could tell she was still stressed about her mother, so he decided to distract her. "So," he said, looking up at the starless sky, "summer's almost over. I'm still planning to homeschool myself. Think you can survive without me?"

"Eh, I can manage hiding under the bleachers at lunch." She said, laughing slightly. "But goddamnit, does Summer have to end? I really don't wanna go back to the shithole yet." She shoved her hands in her pockets. "Wait, shit, your mom thinks I'm sick."

"We'll just say you slept it off and took a shit ton of meds," he suggested. "She doesn't pay attention to me or my friends usually."

She nodded, looking up. "Stars are out." She said, almost absently. "See? There's Orion. He was Artemis's lover, until Apollo tricked her into milling him, she she turned into a constellation."