"Ace McCool" by Jeramie Scott

His name is Ace McCool, and he rides our school bus. The McCool’s are all substance abusers. Average sized, dark dreads and dark-skinned. Ace’s hair is like the color of black shoelaces, stained with remains of leftover carpet scum. He walks through the halls of Woodlawn High with an empty beer bottle and alcohol stains on his shirt.

Mother McCool is a meth addict/prostitute who often brings home men from the Trap House. She always says that her kids are the burden that keeps her on the street every night. Ace falls down the second floor stairwell; an empty beer bottle escapes his grasp; glass shatters down the stairs pieces broken across the steps.

He wobbles from the stairs trying to leave the scene, leaning against the hallway wall to keep his balance. The principal comes to help. Ace yells when he’s drunk. So, he yells at the principal. “My mother is a whore brings men home and is addicted to meth”. The principal says he’s going to call Ace’s mother. Ace begins to cry, says he has no mother. He tells the principal his mother is a play toy for the drunks at the Trap House. He tells the principal his mother eats meth for breakfast.

Ace collapses into the arms of the principal and gives up. An hour later they meet with a social worker in the principal’s office. The social worker suggests rehab. She tells Ace there is a place that will accept him, but only if he is willing. Ace stares at the pictures of the principals’ family, and the degrees frames hanging on the wall. He feels that he can redeem himself. Ace pulls out a small bag containing meth and placed it on the table, says I don’t want to be like my mother.

The next morning, Ace gathers a few clothes from his house. As he walks through the hallway he glances into his mothers’ bedroom. She’s in the bed, unconcious with two men, all of them naked. They look like store manikins that were just laid out on a mattress. He continues past the living room and stares at his brothers and sisters. He says nothing. He heads towards the kitchen, to a lone beer bottle, tempting, on the counter. Opens it, pours it slowly down the drain until it is empty. he walks outside, he walks to the street and settles heavily into the waiting cab and shuts the door.