Saturday, midday

     Saturday's usually were the worst days in Frey's week, but this particular Saturday, everything was just that little bit extra bad. Not only had he somehow managed to piss of Daniel, Lacy, and their friend at the bar yesterday, he also got in a fight with his mother for staying with his father for two days, only to drop by after school with said father, to inform her that they had made an appointment with the doctor for next week.

The expected responses from her side came; she told both Frey and his father there was no need for a doctor, and Frey had powerlessly watched them argue over the fact. He all too well remembered the days they still were married because of their argument, that slowly turned into a fight.

His father left with the simple announcement he was picking Frey up from school on Tuesday, to visit the doctor. His mother couldn't stop them, hence the tears that came as soon as Frey's father had left.

She had repeatedly asked Frey if she didn't love him enough, why he went to his father, why he wouldn't just listen to her.

She knew what was best for him, or so she said.

Frey had eventually started ignoring it, but that only turned her sadness into anger, and Frey eventually locked himself in his room until it was time to go out, or so his mother thought; time to work.

Today was all shit, it all sucked, and Frey just wanted to stay in bed for the rest of his life. Sadly, his mother would never accept that.

She forced him out of his bed by ten thirty, which was somewhat of a record on Saturday anyway.

But, in his defence, she normally didn't have to use a bucket of water to get him out of his bed. Today was just extra shitty.

She made him clean his bedroom, the bathroom and the dishes of the breakfast he had missed, and then scowled at him for coming home in the middle of the night, drunk and almost crying, waking Victor and Rudy up.

He had been a mess, and she hadn't even cared to comfort him, or ask him what had happened.

Not that he would've told her that he was that affected by Daniel ignoring him for almost the entire night.

He did consider Daniel as a friend, even though he knew Daniel didn't approve of his ways with girls. They still talked a lot, at work and in school, and Daniel had lots of wise advises for Frey, that he pretended not to listen to, but secretly took by heart.

He just didn't want Daniel to know he listened to the boy, to prevent him from taking advantage of that fact.

And somehow, bitching about Daniel's shitty and somewhat mentally abusive ex-boyfriend, had pissed Daniel off to no end. But all Frey knew, was that Mitchel was an even bigger jerk than he himself was most of the time.

But the thing that had upset him the most, was the fact his mother just got angry, while Frey had been on the brink of tears right in front of her.

And when he started actually crying silent tears while she yelled at him for being a lousy son, she had only told him to stop acting like a victim, and start growing up.

As punishment for coming home drunk, she had told him she would bring him to work and pick him back up to make sure he would go home right after his shift had ended. She also took away his midday-scheduled fun time and replaced it with doing laundry.

Now that he was done with all chores he skipped in the past days, he was forced to sit in the kitchen and work on his homework.

But Frey couldn't focus, and he had been staring at his work for Biology for over half an hour now, without actually writing anything down.

It was dead-silent inside the house, where Victor and Rudy were both reading a book, their mother was reading some romantic Chicklit and Julia was still out after ballet practise. She had lost that argument and mom told her the lessons had already been paid, so she was going to have to suck it up for now.

Things were truly terrible at the moment, and Frey couldn't keep himself from sighing deeply every so often.

Victor eventually slammed his book shut, sending him an annoyed look. "Mom! Frey won't stop making annoying sounds and I can't concentrate.

Why, of all days, did Victor have to pick today to turn Frey into a bad guy?

"Frey, stop making noises, start doing your homework."

Frey rolled his eyes, but his mother caught him as she entered the kitchen, her hands on her hips.

"Stop rolling your eyes at me, young man." She waved a warning finger at him, until her eyes fell onto his notebook—still blank. "Have you even done anything?"

"No." Frey shrugged, sighing once more, no energy left to argue with her, or scowl at Victor for throwing him in front of a very angry lion.

She just stood in silence, at a loss for words and what to do with her son in that moment.

Well, that made two of them. Frey had no idea what to do with himself in that moment either.

"Just... go cook dinner." She sent him of with a wave of her hand, turning to face the twins. "You two go read in the living room."

"Bu-"

"No but's, living room."

The twins reluctantly retreated to the living room in defeat, while Frey slowly started stacking his books, notes and notebook, putting them aside for the day.

His mother was still staring at him while he did so, and it made him feel very awkward and on edge.

Which only got worse when she was still there by the time he had switched his homework for chicken, vegetables and rice.

"What is going on, Frey?" She finally asked him, neutral tone-of-voice, arms crossed in front of her, while she stepped closer and leaned against the counter to semi-face Frey.

"I already told you about a dozen times before." He grumbled, remaining focused on cutting the chicken. "You wouldn't listen."

"Because I don't think there's anything wrong with you. Maybe besides your very stubborn habit to sleep a lot every so often."

"Just because you don't think there's something wrong, doesn't mean I'm not struggling with shit."

"Language."

"Can you stop focusing on the words I use, and start listening to what I'm trying to say?"

"I just don't see what there is to struggle with. Am I not giving you everything you need, or want? Do you feel as if I don't love you?"

To Frey, it did every so often feel as if she loved him less than his siblings. He knew she loved him, that wasn't the problem. He just felt like he was the least of her priorities. "That's not what I struggle with, mom. This is not about you."

"Than why do you keep going to your father, while I'm the one providing you with everything you need?"

Frey bit his lip, wanting to snap at her, tell her to shut up. But that would only make things worse. If she would allow, his father would provide him in everything he needed too.

This wasn't about her, or his father, or their failed marriage and their ongoing battle for custody. This was about the fact his mother didn't see what was wrong, and Frey couldn't find the energy to try—yet again—to explain to her what he was feeling exactly.

So, he ignored her, and cooked supper in silence.

He just needed to keep silent until it was time to go to work.

     Frey stood behind the bar in the club, watching Daniel and Lacy talking animatedly in between working, both ignoring him.

It hurt him.

Not that he considered them his best friends, but at least work used to be fun because at least they talked to him.

But other than Lacy telling him he was back on clean-up duty for the men's bathroom, neither of them had said a word to him.

Well, not unless they absolutely had to talk to him.

And Frey felt awkward, tired and shitty because of their silent treatment, so he resolved in doing what he knew best; drinking.

Arun had tried to stop him from drinking too much on his shift, but to no avail. Frey's world started spinning a while ago, and even though he didn't want to leave Daniel and Lacy, or any of the other co-workers with his mess and chores, he clocked out of work and joined the partying people on the dancefloor.

Arun was instantly by his side, smiling forcefully.

"Don't judge me." Frey bit in his direction, downing another beer because he just wanted to forget.

He didn't exactly know what he was trying to forget, but whatever it was, it needed to go away.

"I never judge you, you know I don't. But I'm getting a bit worried. You said your mom is planning on picking you up."

"She may be planning to, but what's she going to do when I'm not there to be picked up?"

"Barge into the club and drag you out?" Arun chuckled—actually amused. Frey knew Arun well enough to know he was picturing that disaster in his mind, and even though he was a bit scared she was actually going to do it, he did laugh at the idea of it happening.

He just needed to make sure he wasn't here when she did arrive, which would be in half an hour.

Frey had no idea where to go – his father wouldn't let him stay over during the weekends – but he didn't want to get in a car with his angry mother while being drunk again.

So, as soon as Michelle flashed him a smile, Frey felt his shoulder relax, and an idea popped-up in his head.

He only needed a new fling for the night, to get away from here, actually have some fun for a bit.

And since Michelle was still continuously smiling at him, he figured he just needed to get on her good side again.

It wouldn't cost Frey the same amount of energy that it would cost to hit on a new girl—energy he didn't have to spare to begin with.

So, he smirked at Arun, got some of the wine Michelle enjoyed drinking last week, and headed over to her.

It wasn't that hard to get her to forgive him for ignoring her most of the week, since it came natural to Frey to act charming—even when he felt like shit. It shouldn't be something that he should bother others with, and he long learned to put on a smile on his face and pretend as if there wasn't a storm raging in his head in that moment.

And since Michelle was the first girl in months that he actually did grant some attention after sleeping with her, she instantly felt special and opened up to him, yet again.

He would break his one rule to not sleep with the same girl more than once, but in times like these, all is fair in love and war.

And a war was definitely going on inside his own mind.

Wordcount: 1954

Total: 8374