"I bought this!" My dad shouted over to her.

My mom sneered. "Oh please- you haven't bought a damn thing in this house since the early two thousands,"

"Oh really?" He sarcastically asked her. Before tugging the old laptop from her hands.

"You never use it!"

"Well you use the computer in your office!"

My dad, if not obvious, had come back for a few things. Being rather petty between them of what was theirs and what wasn't. It was painfully funny to see.

Watching from the staircase over the railing anyway.

"Whatever. You can have the piece of junk- I'm sure it doesn't work anyway," my mom gave in crossing her arms.

My dad smiled placing it into the suitcase he retrieved from his room. Before looking back around on other things he'd decide he'd want.

"Too bad you can't rip up that ugly brown carpet and take it with you," I heard my mom mumble. Talking about my dads beloved carpet in the dining room.

"I would if I could,"

"Oh I know,"

Although it was pretty entertaining watching the two of them bicker like a bunch of elementary kids, even I got bored. I went downstairs, ready to interrupt the whole argument before my mom announced my presence before I could.

"Oh and now look whose come to join in," she sighed placing her hand on her forehead.

"Thanks for the introduction." I mumbled. Before looking at the both of them. "I just came for something of mine," I told her, grabbing my phone off the coffee table.

"Oh- and did you know your daughter plans on continuing talking to that teacher?" My mom scoffed speaking to my dad.

He sighed. Uninterested. "I know,"

"Aren't you going to say anything to her?"

"I don't know," he shrugged. "I thought you'd be best at that. Y'know- having been there,"

Her eyes opened more then they were before. Looking at my dad angrily. "Just get out. Hurry up-" she told him, grabbing the zip of his suitcase. "-Get your stupid case-" zipping it up. "And get out!" And then pushing it off the chair on to the floor as it thudded.

"Gladly!" He spat, grabbing the handle as he picked it back up. He looked over at me, very breifly. "I'll- i don't know- I'll speak to you soon- Mallory," and awkwardly.

I nodded. "Yeah... bye dad,"

Before he stormed out, not even looking back at my mom with the suitcase wheeling behind him. The front door slammed, the whole house felt like it shook for that one second. My mom breathing angrily beside me. Before I decided to ask.

"So what did 'having been there' mean?"

"Not. Another. Word,"

"So you've-"

"-Not another word Mallory!"

"So this whole time? You've actually done what I'm doing before and you never thought that-"

"-Mallory!"

"This is unbelievable!" I laughed sarcastically. "You're a hypocrite,"

"Mallory Valentine if you say another fucking word-"

"-Then what? What are you gonna do?"

We paused. She stared me in my eyes for a long momennt. Just breathing angrily. Panting whilst she stared at me, even my eyes looked away a bit at the awkwardness.

That was- before she lundged over at me.

In quick reaction, I dropped my phone on the floor throwing myself out the way landing on the floor on another spot. She grunted, getting back up fast as I scrambled upwards running out the room and over to the stairs.

She didn't stop- I didn't know what buttons I'd pressed but I'd gone to far. She'd chased me up the stairs as I used both my hands and feet to get myself up in time. I threw myself into the office room, first door I could. Before pressing myself against the door terrified.

The door budged as she tried to open it, shoulder barging it. Banging on the other side. "Let me in!"

"You're fucking crazy!"

Although shaking from the sudden adrenaline of being chased up the stairs by a control freak, I managed to keep the door shut as she continued to try and open it. Proceeding to bang, thud and wack the door.

"You open this door right now!"

"No way!" I shouted back. "I'm not stupid!"

"Open it!"

"No!"

"Open!"

"No!"

Continuing to bark her commands of opening the door on the other side, I stood where I was. My shoes pressed into the floor trying hardest to keep it shut.

Too bad she didn't have a lock on this door.

"I can't fucking believe you!" I shouted as she continued. "This whole time! You never thought to mention you'd done the same!"

"Why would I explain myself to you!?"

"I'm gonna call dad if you don't stop!"

I heard her laugh. "What's he going to do?"

She had a point. He couldn't of done much. Doubt he'd even answer the phone. If it wasn't downstairs on the floor. Even my empty threats didn't work at this point.

The door war went on for a little longer. As we carried on arguing on other sides of the door. And when I finally believed it was safe to let go of the door believing she'd given up and gone downstairs. I grabbed the office chair to slide under the handle. Not being completely vulnerable for her to try again.

So this was it now. My mom had suddenly gone crazy and I was stuck in a room.

How does this happen?

I had no phone on me. I had no one to call- Billie couldn't of done much. And I didn't have his number on me anyway. I hadn't memorised it.

I'd pushed my luck too far this time. And it'd left me stuck in an office room.

The day went slowly, before I knew it the night was even dragging in. She hadn't tried the door since swapping myself for the office chair.

The sky was begging to darken, things were getting cold. And I'd been sat at this computer for hours.

When it finally got darker. I hoped maybe my mom had fallen asleep. By the time it was midnight, and I'd spent all my day stuck in this room. Surely she'd gone to sleep. Or left the house. Since whenever she moved from the other side of the door I hadn't heard her.

So I decided to move the office chair, very slowly and quietly opening the door. She wasn't there. I crept my way out, checking her bedroom. Empty. She was downstairs. But- I needed my phone.

I didn't know what my next move was. I'd never known my mom to be so hostile. Sure she'd always been somewhat mean- but in a way that was only patronising. Not aggressive?

Maybe my dad was the border that I never knew I needed when pushing my moms patience. Or maybe, she was just too angry with the rest of the world that she didn't have time for my smart comments anymore.

Either way, I couldn't exactly stay here. But- where else did I have to go? Billie wasn't home, I couldn't tell him anything. It'd only worry him.

So after standing in the middle of the hallway thinking long and hard about what I was suppose to do with my life at this point. I managed to gather the courage to slowly creep down the stairs.

Holding my breath, I leaned over the stairs railing to look into the living room. The lights were off. Not even the TV was on. So... where was she?

"Hmm." I mumbled confused, continuing down the stairs.

I walked into the living room turning the lights on. Room empty.

Walking into the kitchen, I turned the lights on. Room empty.

The dining room was empty, the downstairs bathroom was, I even checked the back garden through the windows- and of what I could see she wasn't even there.

She'd left?

"Dumb move." I laughed bitterly, walking back into the living room picking my phone back up.

I looked around for the keys. Hoping she'd left them. I thought for a few seconds maybe I could just lock her out and problem solved. But even if I did, the keys were gone too.

I began to panic a little, speeding over to the front door as I checked it. Locked.

Back door, locked.

All doors, side, front and back had been locked.

"Shit,"

And even all the windows.

I checked my phone, nothing. It was completely dry. I had no clue where she'd gone, but I knew she'd come back. Just not when.

I made my way back up the stairs after turning all lights off, walking into what was my mom and dads room. Deciding to snoop.

"She's got to have something in here I can use against her," I grunted, standing on a chair as I shoved past the useless shit on her shelf. "Even a debt letter. I'll even take a debt letter,"

I checked the boxes under her bed. Most filled with shoes or old collections of useless items. Some college stuff, not sure why this all was necessarily kept.

I dragged out another box, this one labelled again with college in marker on the side. I ripped the tape off from the top opening it up.

Most were books, notes and random homework sheets. Some pictures of other random people who I'm guessing were her friends.

But whilst snooping, I'd came across my dads certificate in education. Marked with his name, date of birth and other important things.

Being in the same box, I connected that my dad had worked in the same college my mom had enrolled in.

And that's when everything suddenly started to make sense.

"Don't you even dare lie to me Mallory Valentine,"

I looked over at my dad. Who was looking more at my mom.

-

"I spent years and years of my life working as a college professor- I mean-" He scoffed at her slightly. "-You'd know,"

-

"Aren't you going to say anything to her?"

"I don't know," he shrugged. "I thought you'd be best at that. Y'know- having been there,"

How had I not seen it sooner? The age gap, the way my mom never speaks to anyone she went to at college, the remarks.

"Oh, isn't this sweet?" I laughed, shaking my head in disbelief. Picking up a note at the bottom of the box.

'Although I find your work very enticing, I couldn't help but spot some minor mistakes. Please see me after class Miss Jones

-Mr Valentine,'

"Oh and how cute is that,"

I threw everything back in the box carelessly, shutting it back as best I could with out the tape before kicking it under her bed with the rest of the rummage boxes.

"What a hypocritical love story." I laughed, leaving the room. "Staring college student Miss Jones and professor Valentine."

What a worthy piece of blackmail.

~

I woke up the next morning. House still empty. I decided I was bored of waiting for my own mom to come back, and called my dad instead.

"When did she leave?" He asked confused.

"Yesterday? I'm not sure when," I mumbled, hoping he wouldn't ask how I wasn't sure. "I woke up this morning and shes still gone,"

"What do you want me to do? Call the police,"

"What and file a missing persons report? I'd rather not- she didn't tell me anything about where she's gone and she's locked me in and..." I looked around the kitchen, trying to find a lie. "We need more shopping,"

"She took the key?"

"Don't you have a spare one?"

"She didn't let me take it,"

There was a moment of silence on the call. Both of us trying to figure out what to do before he spoke again.

"Let me try and ring her kid. I'll call you back soon,"

The call ended before I could agree or disagree. I sighed, throwing my phone over to the sofa as I bounced.

Had she really gone crazy and ran off? Or was she trying to scare me? Or did she just have enough of me and decide she needed time away?

After sitting down for a second and thinking wether it would be a good idea to call Billie, there was a heavy knock on the door. And it sounded angry.

I jumped up, running over to the door. I looked through the peep hole, relieved to only see Esme.

"Esme I cant open the door!" I shouted through it.

"What!?"

"I said I can't open the door! What do you want?"

"What!?"

I breathed out, running over as I grabbed my phone. I called Esmes number, making my way over to the front window as she saw me. Walking over to it confused before picking up her phone.

"Mallory what an earth are you doing!? Let me in-"

"-Esme I can't," I finally told her, looking at her through the glass.

She looked at me squinting. Before laughing. "Real funny Mal. I'm not going anywhere so you best unlock that door-"

"-Esme. I cant,"

"And why not?"

"I don't have the key,"

She looked at me funny for a second. "So... get the key?"

"I can't,"

"Why's that?"

"My moms got it,"

"So get it from her?"

"I can't,"

She sighed loudly. "Why now?"

"Because she's not in,"

"So call her up and-"

"-Esme I don't know where she is. She left last night in a angry mood and she's not been back since,"

Esmes scowl slowly slipped away. "Oh?"

I nodded. She stared at me a little longer, almost like she was staring at a puppy stuck in a cage.

"So... you can't get out?"

I nodded.

"So... what are you suppose to do then? Just wait till she comes back?"

I nodded.

"How long will that be?"

Then a shrug.

"Mallory- you cant just wait inside. You don't know how long she's gonna be?"

"Well I kinda don't have another fucking choice do I Esme,"

"Can't you ring Billie?"

"He's at work. What good is he gonna be?"

"Ring the police or something?"

"What goods that gonna be,"

"Mallory you-"

"-Why aren't you at school anyway?"

She shrugged, phone to her ear. "You had a point. Although I will be at school at grad, there's no point in the last few days when I've finished my work. I hated that place,"

I felt the phone vibrate to my ear. I ended the call with Esme, showing her through the glass my dad calling. She nodded as I answered. "Hello?"

"I rang her phone about five times. I left a voice message or two, but she's not answering. Sure you don't want me to ring anyone?"

I sighed. "No... it's alright. She'll be back soon anyway,"

"You sure?"

"Mhm, thanks anyway dad,"

I got back off the phone with my dad, ringing Esme again. "It was my dad- he rang my mom but no answer,"

"Y'know, why don't you just smash a window or something,"

"Because I'd get killed?"

"So don't go back home? You can come with me or something and-"

"-That'd be the first place they look,"

"Right... yeah, good point,"

"Look. Esme. I'll be fine. I always am- I'm gonna go, so go home. I'll try and sort this out,"

She nodded, not seeming okay with it though as the call ended. She gave me a wave and began to walk away.

I had to use every single bone in my entire body not to call up Billie Joe. Every single one.