"What about you?" Ms Pool asks me after twenty minutes of silence.

I look down and sigh. "What about me?"

"Do you have anything to get off your chest?"

How does one respond to that? We're not going to die. You don't need to confess all your deepest, darkest secrets to me. But, I guess that I have nothing to lose.

I smirk "I don't see the big deal with dc comics" I admit "even marvel comics...I used to pretend to like Thor but honestly the only thing that I know about him is that he's played by Chris Hemsworth"

She chuckles "right" suddenly her smile drops "How old were you?"

How old was I?

"Excuse me?" I blink.

"When you got pregnant" she elaborates.

I pause. My heart rate increases to an uncontrollable rate. My body floods with fear. How does she know?

"Excuse me?" I stutter.

"You asked me how many weeks instead of how many months....you said something about the placenta....you described the sound of a breast pump....and not only that but you look like a mum....you have so much maternal instinct I can tell just by looking at you...so
how old were you when you got pregnant?" Ms Pool explains.

"I could just have siblings or babysit after school" I look down in shame.

"Emma" she cocks a brows.

I'm so overwhelmed by exhaustion. I really don't care who knows my secret at this point.

I open my mouth to answer but suddenly the lights turn back on and elevator begins to move.

"Thank God it's working" I say as standing up.

I help Ms Pool up as the doors open.

"Are you two okay?" Two men in yellow uniforms ask as a crowd of fifteen or so people stand behind them.

"We're fine" Ms Pool tells them.

I limp away down the hallway slowly before glancing down at my wrist watch - school is nearly over.

She said that I have maternal instinct. Well how bout I use it than. Without thinking I decide to take a bus to a house that I had never seen before.

***

Without hesitation I push open the front door to find Tommy holding an bottle in his hand as watching God knows what on Netflix.

"Hey Emma's here!" He cheers with tears streaming down his face. "Now it's a party! Can you go down stairs and get me another bottle?"

He doesn't find it odd that I'm at his house on a weekday? I only know where he lives because of Laura. There was a key under the rug just as she said.

"Get up" I clench my jaw in anger.

"It's just down stairs" he grows quiet "in my parents liquor cabinet"

"No I mean get up you're coming with me" I take his bottle out of his hands.

I have a plan. If everything runs smoothly than this may be the perfect solution. Only Laura is in on it. I informed her of my plan on the way here. She could it brilliant.

"No" he argues.

"Now!" I scream at the top of my lungs in annoyance. "I have no time to argue with you Tommy! We are seniors! We're supposed to graduate in less than a month and you have been drunk every day before noon since St Pattys day!"

There's a moment of silence as he begins to sob "Why are you doing this to me?" He asks.

"Because you need some tough love Tommy!" I cry.

Listening to my self scream at Tommy reminded me of Hank screaming at me. I'm only yelling at him for his own good, maybe that's what Hanks doing too?

"My brother just died Emma!" He screams for the first time in probably all his life. "He just died!"

He glares at me with anger and pain. I've never seen Tommy like this, but I have seen all that hatred when looking in a mirror.

"No" I shake my head slowly "he's been dead for months....you're using his death as an excuse"

"No I'm not" he looks down.

Of course he is. He's always drinking, even before his brother died. Tommy drinks to deal with his problems, because he doesn't know any other way.

"Come on Tommy, you think I haven't noticed? Every party you're as drunk as a Lord....you've been drunk since he died, hell I bet you don't even know what month we're in" I throw my arms in the air.

"So what are you saying?" He looks down.

"You know what I'm saying" I fold my arms as he finally meets my gaze.

***

We enter the school at almost four thirty pm. We stand at the door to observe. I take Tommys hand.

"Six months sober" one of the girls cheered. "And it feels.....incredible"

Our school had set up many group therapy classes during both the weekdays and weekends. This class is for alcoholics, both teachers, students, and even parents attend.

My eyes search the crowd that sat in rows. Eventually I spot Ely amongst the group. I glare at him. What the hell?

***

Tommy talks to a few people after the session while I stand at the door.

"How did I not know?" I ask as Ely and I both watch Tommy in the distance.

"Do you recall the first party that you attended here?" Ely starts.

"Hey you two made it" Ely said with his red solo cup in his hand.

"Not my choice" I muttered.

"Drinks are in the kitchen" he informed.

"Great" Thomas said before leaving our sight as Tommy stumbled towards us.

"He's out of it already?" I cried.

"That is Tommy for you" Ely nodded. "Parties way too hard"

"And you?"

"I rather remember the party the next day"

"Of course" I say cautiously.

"I had twice as many drinks than Tommy did" he admitted.

"Jesus Christ" I glare at him in horror "but you seemed fine"

"I'm what they call a closet drinker or a high functioning alcoholic" Ely informs me "I've been getting treatment since March eighteenth"

March eighteenth? That was a day I recall all too well.

"March eighteenth? That was a day after st pattys" I blink.

He nods "Kyle and I had a fist fight on St Patrick's day-"

"Yeah I remember" I nod "oh my God is this why?"

I haven't spoken to Ely since my drunken incident at a party. Is this why he and Kyle were fighting? Because of Ely's drinking problem?

"He left his drink bottle at home so he took a sip from mine....he found liquor" he looks down in shame.

He speaks so calmly though. Not at all like he's opening up about his deep dark secret.

This explains why he could understand drunk Tommy. I could too when I was drunk. I guess Ely's always drunk at parties. I feel guilty for not knowing about all this.

"I'm so sorry" I wrap my arms around him "I should have known"

"You had no way of knowing" he assures.

I shake my head as pulling away "We miss you so much please come back" I beg "we're supposed to graduate in less than a month...I don't want to leave things on bad terms"

He nods "Agreed"

***

"For Christ sake" Hank cries as I walk up the driveway.

I find Hank and what looked like a postman standing by the door. The postman holding a stack of letters held together by two rubber bands.

"What's going on?" I question.

"The God damn post office has been withholding some of our mail since January" Hank exclaims in absolute anger.

"Sr-" the postman starts.

"Bills!" Hank screams "overdue bills that I didn't know I had!" He holds up the stack of letters.

Oh my God. My acceptance letters. Geez this explains a lot. Hank is literally holding my future in his grasp.

"I'll take that" I grab the letters from his hands as entering my home with a smile as Hank continues yelling at the postman.

I go through the stack without thinking. One of the letters was a large envelop from Oxford university. I hold my breath as opening the letter.

Congratulations was the first word on the letter after Dear Miss Emma Fitzgerald.

I did it.