Underdawgs

Chapter 10

Wednesday arrives and I oversleep, waking up at 11.00 am. I drag myself out of bed and make some breakfast: toast and half a can of baked beans I find at the back of the fridge. I take the morning slow, sitting in front of the TV and waiting for the will to do something.

      I can't be bothered going to school. I'm absolutely exhausted and don't think I can handle it. I spend the next few hours lounging around on the couch, watching shitty daytime soaps and only getting up to smoke cigs in the eighth-floor stairwell.

      Around midday I steal a couple of Robert's beers from the fridge. This improves my mood slightly, enough to call Spike and see what he's up to. He and Kev are at Kev's brother's place kicking back and smoking cones, so I head over and hang out with them for the rest of the day.

      Around 4 pm Blackjack rocks up, coming in through the back door and throwing his bag on the kitchen table. He walks straight into the living room where we're all sitting spaced out, watching music videos.

      Without a word, he flops down on the floor and grabs the mix bowl, haystacking the cone and ripping the bong with a fury. He exhales deeply, throwing his head back and sinking into the couch. We all crack up and Blackjack grins at us.

      'Tough day at school?' I ask as he packs and rips another cone.

      'All right.' He nods, exhaling the smoke in my face. 'Where were you?'

      'Rolled out of bed late and couldn't be fucked.'

      Blackjack gives me a sly sideways glance. 'That girl Lily was asking after you.'

      I sit up a little straighter and lean towards him. 'Yeah, what did she want?'

      'Dunno,' Blackjack says, stretching. 'Probably those sparkling blue eyes, long blond locks and smug combination of mild intelligence and bad boy reputation.'

      I punch him in the arm. 'Don't be a dick. Seriously, what did she want?'

      'Honestly I don't know.' Blackjack shrugs. 'Just to see you, I think. There's a party at Samantha Jennings' on Saturday. I think she's trying to make sure you'll be there.'

      'Seriously?'

      'Shit, I don't know. I got distracted by Becky Woods in a tank top, bending over to get her books out of her locker.'

      I grin to myself. Lily has been asking after me. She wants me to go to Samantha's on Saturday.

                                                                                        ******

      'Are you coming home?'

      'Yeah, of course, Sar.'

      'Promise?'

      'You know I'd never leave you by yourself with him ...'

      Sarah and I sit on the swings at Studley's Reserve eating ice-creams we bought with some money Spike gave me. I spent the last few nights over at Spike's, helping him out with drop offs and chilling with him.

      'Dad says he's sorry for the other night. He says –'

      'I don't wanna talk about him, Sarah.'

      I can't handle Robert at the moment. Every instinct I have is telling me to detach myself from him. To move away and forget about him – maybe even Sarah too.