Drop the act mom!

MAX'S POV

"Now get up and get ready," she ordered. As she left, my mind reeled from the shock of her sudden outburst. Even after the door slammed shut behind her, there was a long silence before I eventually managed to get out of bed.

In truth, I wasn't sure what to say to comfort my mother. I didn't know what she meant by that threat, and I knew that if I tried to explain everything, she would just tell me how I was wrong. That's not what I wanted, and I'd rather avoid arguing with her. So instead of doing anything other than trying to ignore how my heart ached, I grabbed my phone off of the nightstand, slipped on some sneakers, and headed out the door.

The hallway was empty. I walked slowly down the stairs , keeping an eye out for any signs of life. As usual I could hear my parents chatting softly in the kitchen. They must have heard me coming, because my mom started speaking first.

Her voice sounded sad, and when she did speak it sounded like she was choking. I paused in the doo