Cade

My key slid into the old lock, and my eyes closed slowly as I readied myself for whatever I might find on the other side of the door. For many years my home had been like a fishing vessel, nestled into the white caps of an unpredictable ocean. The question was if today we'd be atop a cresting wave, filled with nervous energy predicting the eminent drop, or somewhere on the downfall waiting to be lost in the darkness of the trough. I'd learned to be ready for it all and yet somehow I was never really prepared for what I found.

Pajamas. Always pajamas. My mother was sleeping in her chair, a murder documentary playing on the TV no one had been watching for hours. The soft swoosh of the door pushing open the stale air woke her and she did her best to pretend she hadn't been checked out.

"How was your first day?" she asked. I watched her struggle to keep her eyes open. We were somewhere on the nosedive into the dark waters. Was it wrong that I missed the moments where she zipped around the house like a 1950's housewife on uppers?

"Same as always." I set my bag on the dining room table and pulled out a stack of papers she'd have to fill out. There wasn't a big space to put them, so I struggled for a second trying to find a pile of something I could move out of the way. I went with the mail that hadn't been opened, giving it a small nudge and hoping it wouldn't topple over.

"Every year!" my mom said frustratedly as she looked at the pile of work she'd have to perform. "Why can't they figure out how to keep the information from last year?"

I shrugged. Part of me was glad there was something for her to do. She needed purpose.

"When will dad be home?" I asked. The answer to the question would determine whether she'd be trying to cook something for dinner or if I'd be on my own.

"Not until late. I'm going to make tacos."

Tacos sounded amazing, but I wasn't going to hold my breath. Did we even have the groceries we'd need for that? Probably not.

"I just need to get to the store," my mom added as if she'd read my mind.

So no tacos then.

My phone chimed in from the one earbud I had tucked in my ear. I had work I should be doing to get ready for the semester, but I was relieved that maybe a friend wanted to hang out. I'd only been home for a few minutes but I was already suffocating.

I opened my texts.

Morana: This is going to sound weird. Azi and I are on our own for dinner. I need a place that has Kraft mac and cheese or really good fries.

My cheeks lifted and my thoughts raced. Maybe they could be my escape. Before I could reply, three dots appeared chasing each other and I waiting for her to finish her message.

Morana: About the fries...there are rules

My brow pinched together. Rules? For fries? This I had to hear.

Cade: Send them.

Morana: Skinny but not too skinny

Morana: No skins

Morana: Crisp not soggy

Morana: Never green

Morana: Natural are best. No steak fries.

It was the craziest puzzle I'd ever been asked to solve. I loved it. My brain took me on a quick walk through my favorite places in town. The burger stand near school had great fries, but they were on the bigger side. Carl's Jr. fries had skin, same as Jack in the Box. The Mexican take-out place had fries, but they were questionable in a way I couldn't quite put my finger on, and the small Peruvian place had perfectly shaped fries, but I wasn't sure they served them alone.

Turns out our town didn't have much to offer in the way of good fries, but just outside of town there were some big chain restuarants I was sure would have the mac and cheese.

Cade: IDK in town but there are better places if you can drive about 20 min

Morana: No car today

I was nervous to ask, but this was the perfect opportunity.

Cade: I could drive you if you want?

The bubbles popped up and then disappeared. I waited. Once more they appeared and then disappeared. My stomach turned with nerves. Maybe she didn't want me intruding on her and her brother. Maybe he didn't like eating around people. Maybe I'd ruined everything...

Snap chat alerted me of a message. I reached for my bag and tossed it over my shoulder as I headed for my room. My mom was already drifting back to sleep. I set my bag down at the foot of my bed and clicked on her picture. It was Azi, hanging upside down from their couch and pretending to be dead. The text across the photo said "Please. We're dying."

I held up my keys and took a quick shot. "Be there in 5."