Chapter5- POTTYMOUTH

POTTY MOUTH

Kara is speechless

There is a knock at the door

Rob lets himself in, wrapped up in his own thoughts he doesn't notice his mother standing only a few feet away “Kara, I'm sorry I don't know what I did but I made her cry...”

He pauses to see his perfectly groomed mother, behind his baffled sister “Mum?”

Kate smiles and puts her arms out to hug them

“My children”

Neither of them move in

“What the fuck Mum?”asks Rob

Kara remains stunned

She composes herself

“I'm going to check on Mandy”

“But I just got here” Her mother says woefully

“Mandys dad died” Kara says wiping her cheek

“You always did go for the complicated ones didn't you?” Kate says shaking her head

this is why I hate you

“Her dad died yesterday ya old wench!” Kara yells

Rob laughs

“Yeah she was fucking her before that” he laughs even more

“Fuck off both of you!” Kara yells as she walks out the front slamming the door behind her

“And fuck you too you cunt!” Rob yells out behind her

Rob knows his sister doesn't care at all about Mandy, Sixty seconds ago, he walked into that room expecting to be told to sort her crying girlfriend out all by himself

...but if the choice was between a crying girl and their bitch of a mother, the crying girl would win every time... licking shit would also win...eating glass...you get the idea... Did I mention they all hate their mother?

Kate is appalled by the language of her off spring “Rob, don't speak that way”

“Can you stop with that fucking voice Mum, you're not British. You sound like a fuckwitt”

“I beg your pardon?”

Rob mimics “Oh I beeeg your peeerdon- What the fuck are you doing here?”

“Go to fucking dinner?” yells Rhi

Kara has to pull the phone away from her ear
Her sisters screeching is awful

“Yes” Kara nods like she can see her

“Does dad know?”

“I was going to tell him after I got off the phone to you?” Kara asks it like she needs her sister to reassure her of what to do next.

Kara may be older but Rhi was more logical and practical...she had that Mum vibe...the one their own mother seemed to lack.

“Lets see what she wants first before she starts messing with his head”

“I guess, I'm going to drop these mics off and then go pick up Dylan, this whole day is a fucking head spin. I'd better go”

“See you tonight I guess?” Rhi pauses “Wait, should I bring Buzz? Or do you think they'll be too many F bombs?”

“I don't know” Kara almost wants to laugh “Maybe having him there will make us all behave”

“Ok I'll think about it- Six is it?”

“Yep Seeya then”

“Bye”

Kara turns to Mandy “I'm so sorry for this whole mess”

Amanda nods,holding back tears“You couldn't have predicted it”

Kara looks past the tears, she is only out there to buy some time while she works out what to say to her Mum

“Do you have somewhere you can go today?” Kara is careful not to set up another time to see each other

“I'll be fine”

Good enough

“Ok well I really better leave. Safe travels” she smiles and pats her on the shoulder

Safe travels? Who am I? An eighty year old man who sucks on Werther's originals? Fucking hell

Mandy forces a smile “Bye”

Rob is preparing the steak in Karas kitchen while Kara cuts carrots.

Kate walks in “What are they for?” she asks pointing at the carrots

“salad” Kara answers her mother bluntly

“Aren't they a bit thick for a salad?” She asks

condescending bitch

I wonder if I could break this chopping board on her head

“My god you are a prick of a woman” Kara says, clenching the knife and looking down, knowing that she looks up at her mothers stupid peach blouse, she will be tempted to hurt her

Rob turns his back, trying to hide his grin

“That is awful Kara” Kate says shaking her head and walking out toward the balcony. She picks up her glass of Chardonnay from the side of the bench and looks back “You know Dylan was the only one who was happy to see me”

Rob laughs as she walks away “Dylan is a pussy!”

The two siblings look back over their shoulders at one another.
Kara sighs “Its not like she had cancer and was fucking brought back from the clutches death. The bitch left Dad and she wants us to throw a fucking parade in her honour”

Dylan nods “Don't gesture with a knife, you're like fucking Dexter over there”

“Who?” Kara laughs

Rhi arrives with Beau in tow. Rob answers the door, already drunk.

“The bitch is thatta way” he says, waving his head from side to side but not actually pointing in any particular direction.

Rhi can hardly believe the state he is in, she whacks him in the arm “Language”

rob seems unfased “Hi little guy” he says, patting his nephews head.

“Look at this young man” Kate smiles, walking into the kitchen with her arms open

Rhi looks at her mother, worried that she shouldn't have brought him along, there are so many angry thoughts racing through her head and is afraid that she may not be able to keep composed in front of her son

“This is Kate” Rhi points at her mother, unenthusiastically

“Grandma Kate” Kate smiles shaking her head at her daughter as she leans down to hug him

“I thought you said for him not to call you that because it made you feel old” Rhi feels it in her throat, her tone of voice becoming increasingly argumentative.
They will not get through tonight without screaming

“Well darling I am old” she laughs “And so are you” she says smiling at Beau “How old exactly are you?” she asks him in that happy tone that adults reserve for pets and children

Beaus head faces down but his eyes look back up at his Mum, he almost looks afraid

he says nothing

“He's 7” Rhi says

“Is he mute?” She asks her daughter as she stands back up

“Is he mute?” Rob mocks as he walks away

Rhi shakes her head “He's shy Mum, you' might as well be a stranger to him”

Dinner begins quietly.

Dylan looks around the table

Rhi is poking her salad as if there is a creature inside and she is trying to wake it.

Their mother seems to be only drinking, while very slowly working her way through a small corner of bread.

Kara and Rob both decided to get stoned earlier so they are devouring their meals as if they have never seen food before.

Kara decides to break the silence “Hey Dylan! Rob called you a pussy when you were out at the shop”

Rob laughs “I absolutely did”

“What for?” Dylan smiles

Rob just laughs, unknowing that his brother was shitty that they'd gone and finished the pot without him and that Dylan had already planned to work the fact that Rob had been fired into the conversation

“Man, thanks for making dinner, but did we really need so much salt, it seems a bit...redundant don't you think?”

“What the fuck are you talking about dude?” Rob is too Drunk and stoned to grasp what is happening

“I'm just saying man...the salt...did you really have to FIRE so much of it onto the steak? It just seem like you could have LET IT GO”

The expression on Robs face suddenly changes as he grasps what his brother was getting at

...however the look on their mothers face remains the embodiment of complete vexation

Kara laughs so hard that her drink comes out of her nose

Rob trys to fire back“Hows our sisters car DYLAN?”

“What happened to your car?” asks Kate

“Our cunt of a brother got it towed” Rob laughs

Disgusted by the language her children are using, Kate try's to redirect the conversation “Does Beau always go to sleep so early?” she says, pointing at Rhi's son, passed out on the couch “It is a bit rude”

“Well its a bit fucking rude to leave the country for 18 months without telling anybody so maybe we'll just let a little nap go by the wayside” Rob mumbles, throwing at piece of carrot on his plate.

Kara can't help but giggle

Rhi is less amused and becoming even more infuriated toward her mother “He wouldn't eat this anyway”

“Did you raise him to be a herbivore like you?” her mother laughs condescendingly

Rhi forgets if she's ever seen her mother laugh for any other reason other than when she's feeling superior
She doubts it

“I didn't force my son to be a vegetarian Mum. I just don't cook meat at home. I don't stop him from eating it when we are out, but I don't actively encourage it”

“He's so sheltered you know, you can't hide him away forever. He's going to eat a steak one day and sooner or later you'll have to let him meet other people, you can't hide him away because of one bad experience”

“One bad experience? You have no clue do you mum?” she feels her hands turning into fists

“After a year and a half of carrying on, the court ruled that it wasn't rape, so you just have to let it go, your husband got over it and so should you” Kate says shaking her head, as though it was nothing

Dylan jumps in "Mum that's not fair"

"You don't even know that it's true" his mother says, shaking her head

Rhi looks as though she could jump across the table and tear her mother hair out

There is silence for a moment.

The four of them forgot how brazen their mother could be

Kara tries to intervene and say something in her sisters defence“Mum, the truth and what a court says are not necessarily the same thing”
As much as they don't get along, all of her siblings thought Rhi did the right thing

Her hands are now completely clenched “Let it go? Its my fucking son! My son was molested and you carry on like that's just something I can 'get over?' I don't know how Dad can love you so much when you are such a heartless bitch!”

Kate shakes her head at her daughter “The foul language coming out of your mouths is disgraceful, I didn't bring you up that way”

“Oh Fuck off!” yells Rob “You were a shitty mum!” he puts on his mothers voice again “Oooh look at me, I have chronic fatigue...I'm going to stay in bed for a few weeks and miss every important event in my children's lives...oh but wait, nooow I have boundless energy and I'm going to fuck off to fucking Paris without telling anyone and leave the father of my children and the only person in this world who loves me behind so he can become as mental as I am and stay up all night painting fucking shitty pictures of me”

“My lord, you must learn another adjective, the f word is so unrefined. It makes you seem so cheap and I refuse to be sworn at” Kate says shaking her head “Be mad all you want but please be more dignified” she gets up and leaves the table

“OH FUCK YOU” Rob yells, louder than before

saying fuck feels so good

Rhi looks up to see that Beau is awake and sitting up. She turns to her mother “Sorry that our anger manifests in a way that isn't up to your standards” she says as she gets up and grabs her belongings “Beau say goodbye to everyone”

Her son waves, she takes his hand and quickly walks him outside

“What was Rob talking about with paintings? Does your father really do that?” Kate turns to Dylan to ask

“Oh you are kidding me! Is that all you took from all that?” Kara yells, slamming her drink on the table

“Rhi didn't have a childhood...she never even jumped off a bed to see if she could fly!” Rob laughs

“Shut up Rob!” Kara says shaking her head, she looks over at her solemn mother “Mum what do you even want?”

Chapter 4- My fucking car! ...and lots of eyebrow raising

Kate stood out front of her sons terrace house.

She remembered being here for the last time 2 years ago when Dylan and Morgan had her over for lunch.

That was the last time she'd seen either of them.

She knocked on the door,
Nicole answered but she could have been anyone to Kate.

“Hi?” Nicole responded when she opened the door
 It was more of a question than a greeting.

“Hello, I am Dylan's mother- is he home?”

“No” she pauses “You're his mum?”

“Yes” Kate nods and adjusts her hair

“I didn't think he had a mum” Nikki says, looking puzzled

Kate raises an eyebrow

When realising what she's just said she lets out a horrible laugh
“ Oh shit! I mean I knew he had a mum but I thought you were dead”

Kate looks Nicole up and down
This girl is vulgar

“Is Morgan home?”

“Who?”

“Morgan” Kate repeats, stunned at her manners

Nikki continues to stare blankly

Kate continues “...Dylans' girlfriend?”

Nikki begins to laugh again “Girlfriend? I've lived here for over a year and let me tell you if your son has a girlfriend then she must be one of the Incredibles ...the Invisible one”
she laughs some more

“May I ask who you are?” she looks at her confused

“I'm Nick” she says offering her hand

Kate shakes it reluctantly “Well...Nick...do you know when Dylan will be home?”
She asks in a condescending tone

“Nah, he works like 12 jobs, maybe try his mobile?”

Kate looks around “May I wait?” she asks

Nicole furrows her brow as though it's the most confusing question she's ever been asked “Are you sure you're Dylans Mum?”

Kate looks back at her, with an equally perplexed expression “I could show you my identification if it helps?” she offers

As Nicole scratches her cheek, looking asthough she may seriously considering that offer, Kate wonders what this girl is doing in place of Morgan, surely the two are not dating.

“I wouldn't know who ya were if I saw it anyway, he's never mentioned you, whatever, we've got nothin worth stealing anyway, come in”

It's like she doesn't come up for air

Kate is unsure whether the young girl truly doesn't believe she is Dylan's mother, but after this plane ride, she is happy just to be somewhere familiar.

Kara had barely slept all night
She never slept that well next to somebody new.

The only person she really ever slept well with was Flic.

They were together for 6 years and it was comfortable right up until the end.

Three of those years were spent together in that apartment, the apartment they chose together.

After they broke up, she tried to make the place her own but there were still little things around that reminded her of them

...like the gingham print curtains they picked out together and the blue vase on the dining table.

It never felt quite right having somebody else around.

Mandy had eventually drifted off after sobbing for hours.

Kara felt uneasy about being in this position.

Before the other day, she never even thought of Mandy as more than an acquaintance, a girl that she saw at a gathering every now and then...somebody who occasionally liked her status on facebook.

Now she's meant to be the one to help her out when her Dad dies?

This is fucking karma. This is god saying 'a pretty girl went down on you for 45 minutes and now you have to stay with her forever because her dad died'. I fucking hate karma.

She looked at her clock

 7:30.

Forcing herself to get up and walk out to the kitchen, she walked over to her kettle to find that the tin next to it was empty.

Why is there no fucking coffee?

Suddenly she remembered that she'd agreed to let Rob live here.

I should not be allowed to make decisions when I am drunk

She looked at her phone, there were 12 missed calls from Dylan.

Fuck my car!

She looked at her texts (2)

11:47 pm “Did dipshit tell you I called? I can pick you up tomorrow and walk to uni from there? ”

6:12 am “Sorry to call so early. I got called in to work last night so I parked the car in front of the corner shop near your place”

Kara had a shower and got ready for work.

When she was getting dressed, she tried to make a bit of noise to wake Mandy up but as she slammed in the top drawer, it became clear that the girl she was sharing her bed with was a heavy sleeper.

She didn't feel comfortable about just waking her up and kicking her out but didn't think it was right just to leave without saying anything.

I can't just leave the depressed chick in my room

She went to the spare room to find Rob sleeping next to a Keyboard, grabbing his shoulder and shaking him “Rob, wake up” she whispers

“Whaaat?” he groans

“What do I do about Mandy?” she asks

“What?” he asks, still half asleep

“Her dad?” she asks

Its clear that he's just remembered last nights conversation “Oh, yep, dead Dad. Maybe take the day off?”

“I can't. I have to get to work” she shrugs

Her brother sits up and wipes his face “You can't just leave her here, she's a mess”

She grins at him“You could hang with her, you're good at this stuff?”

He lets out a quiet laugh “What are you talking about Kara? People fucking hate me”

She ignores him “Thanks I owe you”

“What do you want me to say? 'You had a one night stand with my sister, can I offer you pancakes and get you the fuck out of her house?'....” Rob already knew Kara had gotten her way

She ignores him again “Thanks for telling me Dylan called. You little wanker”

He rolls his eyes,knowing he can't win “Ok fine”

Kara walks down stairs to the corner shop, she looks around and doesn't see her car, she checks around the corner to make sure then looks back up to see a sign that is clear as day

...but perhaps not so clear when her sleep deprived brother is driving her car at dawn;

'Loading Zone- No parking at any time'

fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck

She rings Dylan

“Hello?” he answers, sounding exhausted

Kara is talking through clenched teeth “Dylan when you said you parked the car at the corner store, did you mean in front of the Asian Grocer?”

“Yeah it's right in front, you can't miss it”

“Right in front of the Asian Grocer is a loading zone, my fucking cars been towed!”

“What? Shit!”

“Fucking hell Dylan!”

“Sorry sorry sorry” he yells down the line “I'm a dickhead, I didn't even see, I just thought it was a good park”

Kara sighs.
She knows it was an accident and on another day it might have even been funny
...but today is not that day

“It's ok, I just need to take some equipment with me and this morning just hasn't gotten off to a good start”

“I caught a taxi last night to work after I dropped it off so if you can get to my place, you can have my car and I'll sort this out this afternoon- you have the spare key to my place right?”

“Yeah”

“Well my car keys are on the hook near the door that way you can take all your gear”

No

“The mics were in my car!”

“Shit!Do you have spares?”

“Yes” She stops to think “back at home”

I really don't want to go back home

“I'm really sorry about this Kara, I'll fix it right after my exam”

“Ok, I'll see you later”

Kara walks back to the door and flashes her card for the apartment block under the electronic beeper but it refuses to work.

Mother-shitting cocksucker ass-fucker. I don't have time for this!

She rings the buzzer.

Come-on Rob, you little asshole, pick up

“Hello?” she hears his seedy voice over the intercom

“Buzz me up”

No response

“Press the fucking button!” the door opens “THANKYOU” she yells

As she drags herself back up the stairs to her apartment she desperately wishes to go back to the other night.

Maybe I have a drinking problem

She thinks about where she is at and how if she hadn't gotten so drunk, she never would have gone home with Amanda and if she wasn't so drunk yesterday she could have parked her own car.

Fuck. I think I'm an alcoholic.

She opens the door to her apartment Rob is in the kitchen, sitting on a stool, drinking orange juice and picking at a piece of toast

“You look happy” he grins at her

My god he is so annoying when I'm not drunk

“Dylan parked my car in a fucking loading zone”

Rob laughs “You're kidding- did it get towed?”

“Yes it got fucking towed!”she yells

He smirks

“How is that funny Rob?”she asks “And do you plan on drinking all my orange juice just like you did all my coffee? And by the way who drinks that much coffee at night? I had enough to last me a few days!”

He takes a huge bite of his toast “Man, you're a bitch when you're sober” he smiles through a mouth full of food

“Oh fuck you!” She yells, flipping him the bird as she walks to the back room.

“So how are you going to get to work?” he yells

“I'm going to catch a cab to Dylan's and pick up the key for his car there”

“Can't he drop it off?”

“No, he can't drop it off Rob, because he has an exam”

Rob laughs “How are you going to get his keys then?”

“I have a spare for his house”

“Why?”he asks, feeling left out, as usual

Kara senses his usual insecure jealous sibling issues but doesn't feel like tending to him when he's acting like a prick and doing nothing to help her

“Because I do Rob” she picks up the box and walks close to his face “I want coffee and juice when I get home” she pauses and the tone in her voice lightens as she tells herself to stop talking through her teeth “I'm going to find a cab”

Mandy's voice chimes in “I could drive you”

They both turn to see her standing behind them,looking sheepish as she pushes a bit of her long blond hair behind her ear and adjusts her grey hoodie...neither of them knowing how long she's been standing there.

Kara is speechless for a moment, distracted by how young she looks “Shouldn't you ...be with your family today?” She asks

Mandy shakes her head “No, I'm going to my aunts but that's not until later”

Kara's eyebrows raise and she realises she cant come up with an excuse “Ok then” she says looking at her brother “Rob, do you want to come along?”

He almost glares at his sister but stops himself, forcing a smile “Sure, let me get my shoes”

The car ride was awkward. Nobody talking, afraid they'd say the wrong thing.

Kara didn't know how she'd say goodbye to Mandy.

Should she kiss her?

As they pulled up she felt anxious. She didn't want this to go any further and having her brother there wasn't helping

“So what have you got planned for today?” She asked Mandy

“Just this thing at my aunts house”

please don't cry please don't cry

“Ok, well thanks” she says putting out her hand

what? a fucking handshake? That's how I'm saying goodbye?

She quickly moves in for a hug and hopes that the transition seems smooth, from the familiar raised eyebrow look on her brothers face, she gathers it the whole thing looked pretty clumsy.

It's the exact same look he gives to their other sister when she's lying to their dad about how much she spends on shoes.

Their whole family knows how to communicate a scream just my moving the two lines of hair above their eyes and right now Rob was screaming 'YOU DICKHEAD' at her without even making a noise.

Rob gets out of the car, Kara smiles and goes to do the same, she mouths 'thankyou' to her brother and hops out, waving to Mandy in the drivers seat.

Rob hops in the front passenger seat “I told Mandy I'd show her that shitty cafe near my place, you know the one that charges 7 bucks for a coffee that tastes like it was made in a urinal?”

Kara laughs and waves again as they drive away.

She knows her little twat of a brother is going to try to hit on the poor girl and she almost wishes that Amanda goes for it.
Anything to ease this crippling guilt she feels for wishing they'd never slept together.

I actually hope he fucks her so he can be the asshole and take the pressure off me

Turning around, she looks up at her Dylan's old run down place, the green paint fading.

Kara always wanted to live in a house rather than an apartment but could never afford it, at least not without house-mates and after going this long living alone, that was not in the cards.
Just the thought of having Rob around was already annoying her.

I bet that asshole won't buy me any coffee

She opens the door, without needing the key.

As she enters the hall, she spots the blue key chain right away and picks it up and as she is about to turn and run right out the door, Kate emerges from around the corner

“My Kara” she smiles

Kara looks up to see her perfectly groomed mother, not a single auburn hair out of place on her head, in a beautiful black shift dress that goes down to her knee, with a dusty pink cardigan neatly hanging over her shoulders.

She doubted that garment had ever touched her mothers armpits but that it was bought with the intention to permanently drape over her shoulders next to that signature pearl necklace of hers that looked like it belonged in Breakfast at Tiffany's

A sheer contrast to Kara's faded 'Prince' shirt that she passed off as a dress by wearing it with a belt over her ripped black stockings with a pair of doc martins

“Mum?” Kara wonders if it's too late to run

What the fuck?

Chapter 3- Robbed

Chapter 3- robbed

Kara and Rob begin to stumble up the stairs to her apartment both completely drunk

“That cabbie was a dick! Did you get his number?” Kara asks waving her arm in her brothers direction

“Why would I get his number?” Rob responds with a puzzled expression

“His serial number so we can report him” She says suddenly trying to look serious

“To who?” he laughs

“The authorities” her eyes look dead like she’s about to pass out

They stop walking and she hovers over the next step her face staring intently at it.

“For what?” he laughs more, taking her bag off her shoulder

“Judging us” she says

Rob remains bewildered by his sisters rambling “He hardly spoke”

Kara turns her head and looks right at him
“That’s the point dear Roberto when a person doesn’t speak they are mostly judging you”

“I don‘t think we can report him for that” he smiles

“Then lets report him for his moustache” she laughs holding her hand over her lip and collapsing on the stairs.

Rob laughs too realising that his sister is talking utter shit and that as drunk as he feels right now he’s certain that she is worse.
He puts out his hand to help her up
“Thanks for this”

Rob smiles at his big sister

“Its cool” she laughs “Rhi would have been a wank to live with”

“Ueah did you hear her?” Rob impersonates his younger sisters voice “‘I’m not taking him, I already have one kid to look after’ shut up you uptight bitch like I‘d want to live with you anyway!”

Kara gets her balance back and chimes in
“ I know! ‘I am a mum and nobody works as hard as me and blah’ Fuck you Rhi”

 She says raising her middle finger in the air as though her sister was there. She rummages through her multicoloured spotty bag trying to find her keys and pulls out a tampon, throwing it at her brother
 “Hi I’m Rhi” she laughs

Rob laughs harder as it falls he bends forward holding the step in front

“What the fuck could that even mean?” he says trying to pull himself up

“I don‘t know, I‘m drunk but she’s a shit…. bitch…being around her is like having your period… or she’s a tampon that soaks up the fun…or she makes me want to stop menstruating so I can never fall pregnant and have a child like her…and mostly I‘m drunk and don’t have a good metaphor”

She pauses

Rob grins widely as they continue to stumble “that’s the worst”

 She looks at him sternly “Oh I don‘t hate her, she is just a self righteous bitch”

“Like a tampon?” he asks still giggling like a child

“Yeah or….something” she says pushing her hair out of her face
“Where the fuck are my keys?” she yells, looking through her bag she was too distracted to see what Rob saw.

“Hello” Rob says with a kind voice

Kara is confused.

She looks up to see Amanda sitting on the floor cross-legged in front of her bright green door, she immediately notices her tear stained face and her stomach starts to sink

She tries her best to look happy to see her

“Mandy” She pauses “Hi”

Amanda quickly stands up “I‘m sorry I didn‘t mean to…I…you…you’re here with” its clear by the way she‘s stumbling over her words that she’s nervous “I shouldn‘t have come here”

Kara smiles and moves closer and grabs her shoulder “This is my little brother, Rob”

Rob laughs and puts out his hand to shake hers “little” he smiles

Amanda shakes his hand and forces a smile

“Do you want to go for a walk?” Kara asks her

Amanda looks as though she’s about to respond but Rob interrupts
 “I can go for a walk and you guys can stay here if you want?”

Kara smiles suddenly feeling like the confident more sober of the two
 “You couldn’t even make it up the stairs” she pauses and throws her bag at him,
he doesn't catch it

“We‘ll go. My keys are in there” she says waving him off

Kara was fairly certain she knew what this was about.

It was obvious that last night was Amanda’s first time with a woman and lets face it Kara was drunk and the idea of de-hetrosexualising a young lady was hot
...but now Amanda will be “so confused” because Kara didn't answer her 9 phone calls today and wants to know what she did wrong and tell her how special it was for her.

It wasn’t a talk she wanted to have at home.
She wanted to talk about it somewhere else, somewhere where she could leave when they were done.

Kara liked Amanda and in a way wanted to see her again but there’s no way this could be a casual thing and she wasn’t ready for anything more.

She put her arm on Amanda’s shoulder leading her toward the stairs and winked at her brother “Get some sleep amigo”

It was clear to Rob that she was still completely trashed and it was her bad throw that made him miss the catch but his sister was stubborn so he let her go.

He retrieved the bag off the floor and found the key almost immediately, it was hanging off a shoelace keychain. He smiled at how her that was, when they were younger she was always the creative one, making things out of whatever she could find. He holds it up at her grinning and waving at her.

She waves back and the girls start to walk down the stairs

“So what’s up?” Kara asks with what she hopes is a reassuring smile but hopefully doesn’t lead the woman that she’d spent the previous night with to believe its anything more.

God I feel sexy when I’m drunk

Amanda stops walking and gives her the most serious look
 “You didn’t answer your phone”

Kara is still trying to appear more clear-headed than she is
“Yeah sorry it was a big day. Dad kicked Rob out and now he’s going to be staying with me for a while and Rhi was being a total uppity bitch all day I-”

Amanda cuts her off  “My Dad was in a car crash”

Every ounce of bedroom smugness in Kara disappears as her face turns serious and her eyes fill with concern
“Is he ok?”

I cant believe I thought this was about sex

“He’s dead” her hands cover her face as she cries uncontrollably

Kara is speechless for what seems like an incredibly long time

“How?” She asks,putting her arms around her

What’s the edict when the dad of the girl you just slept with and were about to dump dies?



Rob looks around his sisters house.
Everything is so kitsch , there is a giant crab clock on the wall with claws for the hands, mannequins scattered throughout the house and paintings all over the timber floor.

Kara was renting so he had no idea how her landlord let her get away with it. She’d been there 5 years, there would have had to have been inspections

The spare room that he’s meant to be staying in is full of musical equipment.

He picks up a Tamborine and shakes it then throws it on the bed; thinking about what it would be like to stay with Rhi is her white carpeted apartment where nobody could eat in any room other than the kitchen and everyone had to use coasters.

He wonders where Kara hides her porn and if he has time for a wank before they get back.

He lays down, closes his eyes and starts to think about Stevie as he undoes the button on his jeans but then suddenly he has a flash of Mandy…can he do that?

Am I allowed to jack off over my sisters fuck buddy?

 Just then the phone rings.

It must be a sign.

He makes himself get up and answer it “Hello Kara’s phone, this is Rob”

“Rob its Dylan”

“Oh hi” he looks at the phone then drunkenly laughs to himself

“Hello?" his brother continues "Is Kara there?”

“Nah she‘s with Mandy” Rob knew that he didn’t have to say that but he suspected that Dylan didn’t know who Mandy was and he kind of enjoyed the thought of getting between the two of them.

It pissed Rob off that they had this little click that he wasn’t a part of so he relished any opportunity to exaggerate his own closeness to his sister.

Dylan didn‘t seem to bite “Well I was just going to ask if I could drop the car off in the morning and if she‘d mind then taking me to uni on her way to work since its on the way”

Rob sniggered “Well she left the car there because we were going to get drunk and now we are both drunk and will probably get more drunk when she gets back so I doubt she will be able to drive”

Rob could practically hear Dylans eyes rolling over the phone

“I‘ll try her mobile”

He smiled and his tone turned patronising “Well wouldn’t you know Dylan. That’s the thing, I have her bag, she left it here so she hasn‘t got her phone”

“Why are you talking to me like that?” Dylan laughed “Dude she‘s working tomorrow so I doubt she‘ll be too drunk to drive. I don‘t know why you‘re acting like a twat but can you just tell her I called?”

“I‘ll leave a note” he responds abruptly

“Fine dude. That's fine”

Chapter 2-The Barbeque

　
Chapter 2-The barbeque

Rhi was the first to arrive at her fathers place.

“Where’s the boy?” asks Graham

“Nice to see you too Dad” she laughs as she gives him a hug “I dropped him off at Carls parents place, they are having an Australia day lunch and he wants to swim in the pool”

“I can put the pool out here” he says signalling behind him

“They have an in ground Dad, he‘s seven years old, he doesn’t want to play in an inflatable pool, he wants to swim. Besides that, there’s other kids there” she takes off her bag and puts the bread rolls on the bench

“What so I cant spend Australia day with my only grandson but they can have all 50 of theirs over? oh yeah that’s bloody right”

“Dad you can see him tonight, stop being such a fucking Martyr”
She wasn't really sure what that word meant

“I‘m just saying it‘d be nice if you‘d told me”

“Dad, why is it so important? You‘re Irish”

“I‘ve lived in this country for 39 years, I came here when I was 17 years old…this place is more home to me than Ireland”

“Fine Dad, I will make sure that Beau is here next year”

Her father turns and opens the freezer “next year” he groans




Dylan was the next to arrive, he hadn’t slept at all the night before, going straight form his work placement the previous day to uni then to his job at the bar, he’d only been home to shower.

“Hello” he yells out as he walks through the front door.

“In here” Rhi shouts as she rummages around in the fridge “Dad I thought you said you had eggplant”

“My long lost son” Graham chimes, ignoring his younger daughter

“Hey Dad, where’s your other son?” Dylan asks looking around

“In bed” laughs Rhi

“What the fuck? Why should he get to sleep in?” he asks

Kara sneaks in the front door “Boo!” she giggles

“I didn’t even hear you come in!” smiles Graham

“I had a lot of practice as a teenager sneaking in and out of this house without making any noise” she says winking at her brother.
Dylan laughs.
Even an outsider could see how close the two were just from that brief moment. Though Kara was closer in age to Rob and though Rhi was her long awaited little sister, she and Dylan always had some weird bond.

She gives her sister a kiss on the cheek as she continues to raid the fridge “Day off from Buzz?” she asks

 Rhi nods “He‘ll be here later”

“Now what’s this shit about Rob sleeping in? is he on the comedown?” she laughs

“Want to go wake him?” Dylan laughs

“What do you think?” she beams

Graham watches the two of them run down the hall like children and smiles

“Dad!” Rei trys to get her father attention.

“Yeah?”

“Eggplant!” She barks

“Oh maybe I don‘t, might have to nip down to the shop”

Dylan and Kara stand over Robs bed with their heads tilted. He is still in his clothes from the night before and his shoe is still drenched in blood.

“What the fuck happened to your shoe?” yells Kara

“What?” Rob moans through half opened eyes

“Are you bleeding?” she asks

“Nah its not mine” he says shaking his head and trying to sit up

“What? Rob, do you have someone else’s blood on your shoe?” she laughs

“Did you get in a fight?” Asks Dylan wide eyed

“Shrooooms” he moans “Fuckin' shrooms. I‘ve only done them once and I‘ll never do them again” he wipes his eyes “This is shit!”

"Shrooms are shit" Kara smiles, patting her brother on the head

“You‘re a vision Rob” laughs Dylan

“What’s with the paintings? Is he still doing that shit?” Kara asks “He needs help. Theres hundreds now. Its like a fuckin shrine”

Rob laughs “That’s what I said!”

Rhi walks in to the bedroom “Can you guys come out and keep Dad company? I need to go get eggplant” She looks at Rob “Have you been having marijuana?” Rhi asks

“No I have not been 'having' marijuana" Rob mocks

Kara and Dylan both burst into laughter

Rhi looks at the two of them in a concerned manner “What the hell is going on? Are you guys stoned?”

Dylan smiles “Yeah we‘ve been ‘having’ marijuana”

Kara can’t stop laughing now

“Oh piss off all of you!” Rhi yells slamming the door

Rob gets up slowly “I‘ll go with her”

“Are you going to wear that shoe?” Dylan giggles like a little girl

Rob waves him off in that go away style of his





Rob goes out to the kitchen, Rhiannon is searching through her bag on the table.

He comes up behind her and puts his hand on her shoulder “They were just mucking around Rhi” he says softly “You know what they‘re like”

“What’s happened?” yells Graham for out the back “Has Rhi got her knickers in a twist about the eggplant?”

“Nah Dad, don‘t worry” yells Rob

“I said I can get some” his father calls out

“Nah its fine dad, I‘m going to go with Rhi” Rob says smiling at her

“You‘re the one that started it” she turns around and points her finger in his face angrily “and you smell like beer”

He laughs at her index finger centimetres away from him nose “You are such a Mum right now, lets go let the fucking eggplant so we can get back here and I can smell even more like beer”

She made him change his shoes before they left. They didn’t talk in the car ride.

Rob felt bad for Rhi, she was younger than the rest of them but had to grow up so fast and the last few years had been particularly hard for her. She was a serious person before all that though.

The local grocer was open though everything else around was closed.

There were a few guys walking down the street wearing Australian flags as capes and chanting.

“Idiots” Rhi mumbled

“Ow harsh” Rob responded “They’re just having fun”

“They are offensive and loud, it's why I hate Australia day because of dicks like that” she says in a very matter of fact kind of way

They seemed harmless enough to him but he was too tired to argue.

“Oh!” yelled Rob “this place has the best sausages! I‘m going to get some”

“I just want to get eggplant”

“Fine but I‘m going to get sausages”

“Rob, I‘m a vegan” she says angrily

“So? It’s a barbeque”

“I don’t want meat in my car. Since I’ve stopped eating it, the smell of it makes me sick”

“But we‘re cooking meat today?” he speaks in more of a question than a statement

“And that’s fine but I don‘t want it in my car” she barks ,walking along with her back turned to him

Rob started to get really annoyed, it wasn‘t even about the sausages, it was about Rhi “you know what I‘m going to walk home” he says passively

She shuts her eyes and raises her hands out in front of her.

 Rhi believed that speaking quietly made her appear calm.
Rob felt that it made her sound insane

“You know what fine, get them, just make sure they double bag them because I don‘t want that smell in my car”

Rhi arrives back at the house alone in a huff.

Graham, Dylan and Kara are playing cards
.
“So we‘ll have two teachers in the family then?” Graham smiles

Kara shakes her head “Dad Dylan is studying social work not teaching and I work in a recording studio. I was a vocal coach to a couple of 12 year olds in the 90‘s, you need to stop telling people that I‘m a teacher” the three of them look up at Rhi “Where‘s Rob?” asks Kara

"Look what I found” Kara laughs walking in with her arm around Rob who’s wrapped in an Australian flag and a cigarette hanging out of his mouth.

Rhi hated the way that Kara always played the hero.

“I‘m back” Rob laughs

Graham shakes his head and goes back out to the yard. He’s been watching this show all month. Dylan follows suit.

Rob looks at Rhi who has her arms folded “Just so you know” he smiles “I forgive you!”

Rhi cant believe what she‘s hearing “Is that your attempt at a joke?” she shakes her head and walks away

 “Yeah great I didn’t want to give his new Aussie pride potential serial killer friends a lift to the pub but HE forgives ME yeah great”

Kara heads outside. She wants to say something but she trys not to

“Well Kara gave them a ride!” he yells

“Well why the hell wouldn‘t she?” Rhi shouts back

“Oh fuck off!” Kara yells back as she pulls out a chair, Rob follows and sits Rob down

Rhi flips her the bird and goes outside with their Dad



Lunch was awkward.

Apart from the fact they didn’t start it until 3 because they were waiting on their brother, Rob was now passed out at the inside dining room table wile the other four sat outside

“God he’s like a giant child” Dillon laughed looking at his brother “Why would anyone ever want a baby?”

“Maybe because they bring you a lot of joy” Rhi remarks “And my 7 year old is much more mature than that layabout”

“Oh chill out he was kidding” Kara says rolling her eyes

“Oh stop it girls” Graham interrupts “We never get together and when we do you‘re all at each other, lets just try and enjoy today”

“Yeah sorry Dad, I know I haven’t visited in ages” Dillon says patting his father back

“Ah you‘re busy son” his dad smiles as he cuts his beef

“Dylan isn’t the only one who‘s busy” Rhi can’t help herself

Kara is ready to jump across the table and tear off her little sisters bleached blonde bowl cut
“I‘m sorry are you a Mum Rhi? because I don’t think you‘ve mentioned it in about 8 fucking seconds” she laughs

Rhi throws her fork into her paper plate.

Its not as dramatic of a gesture as she‘d hoped.

She stands up and slams her hands onto the table

That’s better , everyone is paying attention now “Maybe you‘re pissed off because I have my life together”
Dillon sits in silence awaiting Karas’ response

Kara laughs at her sister.

Not because she really thinks that is such a crazy notion but more because she knows it will upset her “How exactly Rhi? Having a child is having your life together then is it? Just get pregnant and that’s it. Anyone can be a Mum, it just involves spreading your legs” she says before taking a sip of her drink
Graham yells over his daughters “ENOUGH!”

“What would you know about being a good mum? You’re a fucking dyke” Rhi yells back
Kara sits back in her chair and holds up her wine glass in one hand and raises her other arm in the air “Thankyou very much” she smiles
Graham throws his plate “I‘ve had it!” he stands up and goes inside to where Rob is sleeping, wrapped in the flag.

He grabs him by the arm and yells for him to get up “Wake up!” he yells “All you do is sleep!”

Rob looks up at his Dad “Chill out old man” he laughs as he slowly tries to find his feet

“Up! get up!” he yells again “Now! Up!”

The others have stopped talking, mesmerised by their fathers behaviour.

He pulls Rob by the arm out to the yard “One of you girls need to take him. I can‘t do this anymore”

Rob laughs “I‘m right here ya bastard”

Graham looks at his two daughters “You two need to sort it out”

Rob continues laughing “Dad said ‘fuck’ last night”

　
　
　

Chapter one- waking up

　
Rob
With his head over the gutter, trying to push out vomit, Rob felt like one giant cliché.

He looked down at his new chucks. The left one was as creamy as when he put them on but the right one was drenched in blood.

He let out a huge “Aaaaaourge” noise.

How the fuck did that happen?
He didn’t feel like he’d been bleeding but he couldn’t feel much at all.
All he wanted to do was sleep.
His friends were long gone.

Why am I in Newtown

“I fucking hate Newtown!” he yelled, using what seemed to be his last bit of energy as he plonked straight to the ground.

“Go home then” yelled a drunk man passing by.

The man and his girlfriend laughed loudly.

The girlfriend had a real cackle of a laugh.

It dwindled off into the distance but he wanted to shew her a way like a fly.

I fucking hate Newtown and Stevie is a bitch

Mandy
Amanda awoke in a haze and stared up at her roof. For a moment she’d forgotten that Kara was there. For a moment she’d forgotten all the angst she felt the previous night, wondering if she was fucking her right.

 She’d only ever slept with men and she knew that Kara, a woman significantly older than herself had slept with a tone of other women.

She flitted between thoughts of how she’d gotten her there and thoughts of how she could make her stay.

The previous night she’d run into her at a bar in the cross.

She saw Kara dancing, men hanging off her without a clue of what a raging lesbian she was. She was so charismatic that everyone she made eye contact with thought she was flirting with them.

Her long black hair was flying everywhere and she was smiling like a girl in a deodorant commercial, though she was 32, she looked playful and radiant enough to pass for 19.

It was that thought that gave Mandy the confidence to approach her. Maybe at the age of 21 she didn’t think she had the bravado seduce a worldly 32 year old but tonight Kara was 19.

She turned to Matt “I‘m going to do it”

Matt forced a smile and nodded “I‘m going to get us drinks”

It wasn’t that he didn’t like the idea of her running up and shoving her tongue down Karas’ throat. What guy doesn’t like that thought?
…but more that he’d heard it that many times and watched her wimp out at the last second with a lame “hey”.

Mandy stood there staring for a while longer than she’d realised, Matt was already back with drinks.

“I cant drink it” she pauses “My stomach is bubbling”

Matt shakes his head “can I do something?” he asks

“what?” she responds

As she does he pours his vodka lemonade onto her skin tight black dress

“WHAT THE FUCK?!” She yells

“Now you‘ll have something to open with” he laughs

“You dick!” she says shoving him

“Go tell her we had a fight and I poured drink on you and then I went home… then she‘ll stare at your chest and you‘ll make out and get married. I cant stay here and watch this train wreck”

“Are you mad at me?” she asks

“No I'm bored of this” he grabs her shoulders tightly “Now go, while your boobs are still wet”

“If you‘re going I'm going” she says shaking her head

“KARA!” he screams in his high pitched voice. Despite how loud the music is, she looks up, smiles and signals for them to come over.

“Thank me later” he says patting her on the shoulder


Dylan
There was a weight hanging over Dylan.

He knew it hadn’t always been there but he couldn’t pin when it came and planted itself on top of him making him feel like he couldn’t move, he just wanted it to piss off.

He sat there eating his frosties but he felt like he couldn’t taste the sugar.

He looked at them to check if they had the frosty part on them. They did. Why don’t they taste like frosties then? He thought.

Nicole, his housemate walked into the room. Everything about her annoyed him.

“Why do you eat that shit?” she asks.

And there it was.

Her annoying little voice.

I hate you.
Do you know I hate you?
“I don’t know” he said looking at her and looking back at them

“They don’t taste right today. They taste like cornflakes”

“Bullshit they are all sugar”she barks

“Taste them”

“I don’t want that shit in my fucking body” she says scrunching her nose

She swears too much

Nobody would fuck you
Nobody would ever fuck you
He looked at her long ratty hair thrown into a ponytail
Her lanky body reminded him of a 12 year old boy
Where are her tits?
She practically lived at the gym and ate healthy all the time but she always had yellow teeth.

Despite his love of sugar, Dylan took pride in his smile and whenever she spoke he couldn’t stop staring at her teeth.

He doubted she’d been kissed in years
 she never had anyone over.

He wondered if disgust was written all over his face

“Whatever” he says wiping his face

“Have an orange”

I WILL WHEN YOU BRUSH YOUR FUCKING TEETH

“Nah I‘m late for work”



Rhiannon
Rhiannon had sacrificed a lot having a child at 15 but as she carried him from the couch to bed while he pretended to be asleep she just thought about how much joy moments like this brought her.

Beau was 7 now but in many way he was so much younger.

She put him into bed and tucked him in.
She hoped he would sleep all the way through tonight
Not that it would make a difference to her own sleeping habits.

Those nightmares were as frequent for her as they were when he was barely 4 years old, when it all began.

“Mum” he cried out as she reached the door

“I knew you weren‘t asleep Buzz” she smiled “did you trick me again?”

A giant grin came over Beaus face
“I tricked you hey mum”
“You sure did” she laughed “Do you want me to stay for a bit?” she asks

“Nah” he says so cool “I‘m gonna sleep for real now”

She nods “Light on?”

“Nah”

“Ok goodnight”

She left his door ajar and went back out to the kitchen, thinking how brave her boy was.

She still slept with a lamp on and she’d often get up several times a night to check he was ok.
As she made herself a tea, her mind went back to Sally.
Not a day went by where she didn’t think of Sally and what that woman had done to her child.
 Though she’d heard she moved to Queensland last year with her husband, nothing ever put her mind to rest.

Rhi put her own relationship ending down to what Sally had done.

Carl, Beaus’ father moved out 3 years ago when they’d disagreed about pressing charges.
He said that Rhiannon had become obsessed.

He didn’t believe Sally was capable of it.

She remembered that fight they had before he went to the hotel “He’s fucking four Rhi! Four year olds make up stories sometimes”.

Sally told Carl that Beau was mad at her because she said he couldn’t have a second iceblock and she thought that’s why he’d made up that story

“You know I‘d never hurt you Beau- why are you saying these things?”

That evil woman. How could she talk to her son at all after what she’d done.
Rhi knew he wasn’t making it up.

She promised herself that no matter what, her son would know that his mother fought for him.

She looked down at her tea, it had been over brewed. She picked it up and tossed it in the sink.

Looking over her shoulder she noticed her sons Buzz Lightyear doll, she washed her hands and picked it up. He rarely slept without it, they started calling him Buzz when he was just a year old because he‘d call out for it.

The hall light was still on, she peered into his room and saw that he was fast asleep, for real now.


Graham

Graham was up early painting, with the sound of infomercials in the back ground.
 He painted a new picture of his wife every day.
One for each of the days that she’d been gone.

He heard the front door creak. It was his son.

He had moved back in with Graham a month back when he lost his job as a graphic designer and since shown no signs of looking for new work.

He thought having him around would make things less lonely but most nights he was out partying despite always claiming to be poor, he would often stumble in drunk and tonight was no exception.

Graham looked up and there was Robert

“Aaaarhg” he moaned as he stumbled into the room “Painting again”

“Yes Rob” he says looking at him over the top of his reading glasses “Drinking again?”

“Fuckin take em down” he yells and points around the room “It's like a fuckin' shrine in here, she’s not dead dad. She left you and she’s a fuckin' bitch”

“Don‘t talk about your mother that way!” He would always defend Kate

“Dad if she saw this, she‘d leave you …again” he laughed

His son had a sick sense of humour

Graham threw his brush on the floor

“Robert this is my house, have some fucking respect!”
Graham rarely swore

Rob laughs and shakes his head at the white paint on the carpet “better wash that” he looks him right in the eye “wouldn‘t want Mum to see it and get upset ay” he says holding his stomach as he laughs harder
Graham clenches his fist.

He has never wanted to hit his son more than right now.

“Robert Weight you‘re a disgrace” he says shaking his head and waving his fist

Rob walks a few steps backward “Robert Weight” he mimics his father in an over the top Irish accent and flails his arms about then turns and walks down the hall

Graham bends down and picks up the brush, still furious he yells out after his son “You‘d better be helping with the barbeque tomorrow!”

Robs door slams
Graham mumbles to himself “Maybe you can go live with one of your sisters and piss all over their carpet”