Mother?

 The room was bright, there were childish paintings on the wall and toys everywhere the eye could see. It somehow made me uneasy and I wanted nothing more than to go home. I stared down at the ground, not wanting to look at the person sitting across from me. Why was I here? Did I get in trouble somehow? Where was my mom?

 "Your name is Axel, right?"

 I snapped my head up.

 "Who told you that?" I let out awkwardly.

 The caucasian man leaned back in his chair, a mask covering his mouth and nose which made his expression a mystery, but his bright blue eyes told me he was the ‘dad joke’ type of funny. I couldn't exactly tell, but he looked like he was in his late 30's.

 "Relax, Alex," he flipped through his notebook, writing something down.           "I'm Msr. Zachery, nice to meet you.”

   I nodded, letting out a little sound of fake approval, and stared at the tiled floor again. I heard Msr. Zachery chuckle.

   "You're shy, huh?"

   "You can say that." I scratched my fingernail, a weird feeling building up in my chest.

   "Do you know why you're here Axel?"

   "Nope."

   "And that's okay." he scribbled something else down in his notes.

   I nodded my head, looking around the room again. I rocked back and forth in my chair anticipating someone who wasn't there.

   "Axel, are you feeling alright?" I drowned him out, the bright colors in the room now managing to give me a headache.

   "Um," I fixed my position in my chair and took a shaky breath to compose myself. "Where's my mom?"

   "We'll get to that."

   "I would like to get to it now, please." I squeaked.

   Msr. Zachery uncomfortably stared me down for a few seconds before closing his book and putting it on the table. "What do you think is happening right now?"

   "Do you only ask questions?," I meekly barked. "Where did my mom go?, Did you do something with her?"

   He put his hand up as if to tell me 'calm down'. "We didn't do anything with your mom."

  “Why should I believe you?”

  He gestured to the room we were in. “Why would an agency for kids do anything with your mom?” 

  “The prettiest things are a cover-up for something bad.”

  He tilted his head in somewhat agreement. “Who taught you that?”

  I didn’t respond.

  “Right, you want your answer first I’m guessing?”

  “No duh, it’s been a minute since I’ve asked you and I still haven’t received an answer!”

  “There’s no need to raise your voice young man, your answer will come soon enough.” He got up and dusted off his pants.

  “Where are you going-”

  “To meet my supervisor, I need to know if It’s safe to tell you.” 

  “Safe to tell me what?” He simply shook his head and walked out.

  I jumped up in a panic. “Wait, Msr. Zachery, tell me what!”

  I tried to open the door and of course, it was locked. I could escape through a vent, but I didn’t have a screwdriver or anything that could give me answers. It was no use, I didn’t have a phone to call my mom with. Did she even know I was here? 

  I kicked the door in frustration, dang, I don’t even know how I got here. Last thing I remember I was being discharged from the hospital by a strange kind woman in a suit. She asked me why I was in the hospital in the first place, and me -- still a little loopy -- told her my mom hit me just a bit too hard and my head banged on the marble table… It wasn’t her fault though, she just gets angry sometimes and doesn’t know how to express it properly. My family used to be a happy one, ever since my father left when I was 10, she turned to alcohol, drugs, and verbal abuse. That was the first time it turned physical though.

  Maybe my mom was here. It was a useless hope, but worth a try.

  “MOM!-” I screamed, banging on the door. “MOMMY!”

   The door rattled and I stepped back, wiping away tears I didn’t know were falling. “Mommy?...”

   When the door opened, my mother wasn’t present, Msr. Zachery and the woman that discharged me from the hospital were though. My eyes darted straight to her.

  “You…” I spat.

  “Yes, me.” She replied calmly.

  She sat at the table and opened a yellow folder. “Alex Marvin Gasper; born on March 2nd of 2004. Male. Is all this information that I’m stating correct, Mr. Gasper?”

  “Yeah. Where’s my mom?”

  “I could tell you, but I fear you may not like the answer very much.”

  “Is she hurt?”

“Not in the slightest. Now, please relax and sit with me, Mr. Gasper.” I bitterly pulled out a chair and plopped down.

  “Do you know why you’re here?”

  “Msr. Zachery asked me that. I. Don’t. Know.” 

  “Hm… Noted.”

  “Can I get my answer?”

  “I guess it’s only fair. Would you like the straight truth, or would you like me to baby you?”

  “Surprise me.”

  “She gave you away.”

   I felt my heart stop. “Wh-what?”

  “She called 911 this morning while you were in the hospital, told us everything she did to you, and let us know that she doesn’t want you anymore.”

  A weird sound came out of me. “You’re lying.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “My mom would never! She promised to always stay with me.” My voice was strained and hurt. “We were the last people that we had!”

  “You’re still a child, Almost 17. You lack understanding. Allow me to give you a little piece of advice.”

  I kept my head down, trying to process the information given to me.

  “In this world, we must question humanity’s ability to hold promises and morals. There’s a reason most things come out better when done alone.”

 “Just go away.” I managed to say through a broken voice.

  The woman looked down upon me with pity I didn’t want. “As you wish, Mr. Gasper” 

  She stood up. “Come on Msr. Zachery, let’s give the boy some time to figure out his feelings.”

  He nodded and scrambled after her, leaving me in the locked room. Alone. The last of my pride torn away.