Okay - here it is. The story from the list of words. I confess, I couldn’t get them all and I wrote this is a splitting headache and on very little coffee. SO, if it’s a little warped, that’s why. Yeah, it’s kinda dark, actually.

Here’s the list you gave me:

• narcosis
• delusional
• sha
• interrogator
• career
• crazy
• tempting
• kinsman
• school
• tool
• pool
• fool
• cool
• Cookie Monster
• mushroom
• joint
• shepherd
• rowdy
• humping
• jizz
• buttocks
• party on
• excellent
• transvestite

And now…the results!

***

It was another one of those days where Mom was in her usual narcosis and I was just delusional to think it was going to be okay. Sha…as if. Standing in the hallway, I could see the smoke curling upward from the joint by the bedside, tempting her from her stupor. I guess her crazy career as a part-time hooker, part-time drug dealer (and drug taker) was, perhaps, finally catching up to her.

In the background I could hear the early morning Sesame Street on the TV and Cookie Monster doing his usual demolishing of all the cookies. I took my seven year old step-sister by the hand – the closest thing to kinsmen I could even hope for – and headed out the door. She had to get to school, after all, and I knew I’d have to explain why Mom was passed out again. I didn’t want to, though, so I hoped she’d keep the questions to a minimum. I knew it was foolish of me to think.

“Where’s Mommy?” Julie asked.

“Asleep,” I replied. “I’m taking you to school today.”

“But I want Mommy to take me to school.”

Here came the pout. Julie was excellent at getting what she wanted out of Mom and her dad with that pout and those big brown doe eyes. It wasn’t going to work for me.

“Mommy can’t, okay?” I buckled her into her car seat before slamming the door and taking the wheel.

I’d had some great times in this big tank my mom drove. I remember humping Billy Saunders’s tool in the back seat after one particular rowdy party on Elm Street. I thought that’d be the night I’d lose my virginity but the second he grabbed by buttocks with his hot sweaty hands, I wasn’t so sure any more.

Things got bad when I told him no. If it hadn’t been for Brad coming along when he did… well, I didn’t really want to think about the consequences. But it had been no contest between the scrawny Billy and Brad, who tossed the guy in the pool and told him never to come near me again.

That’s when I started dating Brad, about three months ago, and everything was cool. And Mom never even had a clue.

I drove up the street to he elementary school to drop off Julie and walked her up to the school. She was still pouting as I gave her a hug and a kiss.

“I’ll pick you up,” I said.

“I want Mom,” she said and skulked into the school.

Of course she did. Ten years ago, when I was her age, I wanted Mom too. But back then, Mom was busy cheating on Dad and fucking whatever came along. It was the first time she had been thrown in jail and I remember hearing Dad yelling at her, asking her questions like an interrogator would in a criminal investigation.