by Stead, Nick
I felt in my pocket for the house keys and unlocked the door, trying to decide what to do with my hour or so of freedom as I dumped the shopping in the kitchen. But I was soon disappointed to find I wasn’t alone after all.
Amy, my younger sister, lay sprawled across the sofa, watching TV with the back of her blonde head to me. I’d just assumed she’d be out with Mum when I’d seen the cars missing. She didn’t bother to look round when I walked past, but she shouted out “Nick smells!”
At twelve years old she was a typical girly girl and the very definition of ‘dumb blonde’. There were times when I wanted to throttle her, and this may well turn into one of them, but for all her annoying qualities she was still my little sister, and I loved her all the same.
I sighed and looked at the shopping. There was no way I could watch an eighteen DVD with Amy home, since she took great pleasure in grassing me up to our parents whenever she caught me doing something they’d forbidden. That didn’t stop me watching one I was legally old enough for, but I decided my time would be better spent on the computer while it was free.
I made my way into the study and sat down at the desk, moving the mouse till the screensaver disappeared and the cursor hovered over our internet browser. However, fate wasn’t on my side. Our internet connection had always been somewhat temperamental and it soon became clear that it wasn’t going to connect, no matter how many times I clicked it.
With another sigh of frustration, I ran upstairs, thinking I might watch something after all, or maybe I’d have some time on the PlayStation, but first I went into the bathroom for a quick pee. I looked up at the mirror over the sink while I washed my hands, wondering why nothing ever seemed to go my way.
Green eyes tinged with brown stared back. They were deep set, under brows that were fairly thick and slightly curved, somewhere halfway between straight and rounded. To my teenage self my lips felt a little too big for my liking, though not ridiculously so like some celebrities I’d seen. At least everything else was in proportion.
The overall effect meant that, relaxed, my face was quite serious looking, but more often than not it would split into a huge grin when I was out with my mates, or when things did go my way for a change. It used to be round when I was younger but as puberty went on it was getting to be a little more angular, becoming the face of a young man rather than a boy. Puberty still had a long way to go, however. My beard hadn’t started to come through yet and my voice was only just starting to drop.
I glanced back down at the sink to turn the tap off with my long, bony fingers. I’d always been thin, despite the fact I had a good appetite. There was a little muscle on my arms and shoulders though it didn’t look that impressive when I had such a skinny frame. I often wished I was better built, my bones thicker, and I could only hope they would change with adulthood.
The muscle on my hairy legs was more impressive. They were skinny too but I had big calves, the legs of a runner. I might not have been one of the strongest guys in our year group at school but I was certainly one of the fastest.
We weren’t a particularly tall family but I would have said I was about average height for a fifteen year old. I kept my dark hair short, mostly so I didn’t have to do anything with it, or as short as school allowed. In a certain light it looked black, but it was actually a dark brown. Back then I thought black would look cooler and intended to start dyeing it eventually, though I hadn’t tried any dye as yet.
Black was the preferred colour for my choice of wardrobe too. I generally only ever wore gothic t-shirts with snarling monsters, grim reapers or snakes preparing to strike, that sort of thing. I did have a few animal ones but the gothic shirts were my favourites. I also had a few band shirts that I loved. And I typically wore my black jeans everywhere, even in the height of summer. The only time I wore anything slightly different was when Dad insisted I change into something smarter, or at least less ‘morbid’.
I ran my hand through that dark hair, still undecided what to do, but when Amy shouted out something else I headed back downstairs instead. Taunting her seemed like fun at that moment.
As I entered the lounge, I could see she was watching one of the music channels, her green eyes glued to the screen. She had no taste in music as far as I was concerned, often subjecting me to modern pop, dance and hip hop. It was all rubbish to my ears. Much as I loathed the songs blaring out of the TV, I walked past the sofa and flicked her long hair, knowing she really hated that.
“Nick!” she shouted, and kicked out as hard as she could, catching me on the leg.
I laughed and stuck my tongue out at her.
“Just piss off, you’re pathetic!”
“So where’s Mum?” I asked.
“At the doctor’s, idiot. She told you God knows how many times before you went to town.”
“Oh yeah.” I groaned and fell back onto the other sofa. “I’m bored!”
“Me too. Hey, get me the phone – I want to try something.”
I looked at her suspiciously. “You get it.”
She tried her little girl act, making a cute face designed to melt people’s hearts. When that didn’t work she gave me a look that said bring it or die.
I sighed and gave in, like I usually did when she asked me to do something. She never did anything for herself, seemingly of the opinion that boys were no more than slaves. The way Dad doted on his ‘little princess’ probably had something to do with that attitude. A pretty girl, she had Mum’s looks and would no doubt grow into a beautiful woman someday. She already had all the boys chasing her in school, and I had no doubt she’d end up with a rich husband when she grew up, who would take over my role of running round after her.
She smirked as I brought her the phone and dialled the numbers one to ten.
“What are you doing?” I said.
“Just wondering what happens if I ring one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten.”
The smirk vanished, replaced by a look of horror. I thought I could hear a woman’s voice on the other end of the line but I wasn’t sure. Then she started to laugh.
“What? What happened?”
“You try it.”
I did. A recording of a woman’s voice told me the time.
“What’s so funny about that?”
Amy was in a fit of giggles now. I shrugged and looked at the phone, grinning as an idea struck me.
“Hey, I wonder what’ll happen if I dial six, six, six! Think I’ll get through to Hell or maybe the Devil himself?”
The laughter died in her throat. She gave me a look of disgust.
“That’s the most pathetic thing you’ve ever said, geek.”
I shrugged again and dialled the number, unsure of what to expect.
The phone clicked as it tried to connect and made a weird buzzing noise, but when it became clear nothing more was going to happen I hung up. Amy rolled her eyes at me so I just laughed.
Later that day I sat in the back of the car, Mum and Amy in the front.
“How’d it go at the doctors, Mum?” I asked.
Hazel eyes glanced at me in the rear view mirror, like a reflection of my own. She gave me a loving smile. “Fine, thanks, Nick. It was just a routine check-up.”
Mum was great. She could be strict when she needed to be, but most of the time she was pretty good about letting me and Amy do what we wanted. I shared a lot of the same interests with her and we’d always been much closer than I was with Dad.
Amy might have inherited Mum’s good looks and blonde hair, but that was where the similarities between mother and daughter ended. Mum was ruled by common sense and a keen mind, and could be very perceptive at times – not always a good thing if we were trying to hide something from her. She kept her hair around shoulder length and wore glasses for driving, but they suited her – she looked just as beautiful with them as she did without. In fact, she looked good in almost anything she wore, whether it be jeans and a t-shirt or a dress.
A McDonald’s Hap
py Meal dominated my senses. Much as I hated McDonald’s, I was so hungry I could have eaten anything. The smell of it snaked up my nose, and I couldn’t keep my gaze from the box in Amy’s hand. She deliberately took her time and savoured every mouthful just to wind me up, twisting round in her seat so I could see the fake look of ecstasy on her face. My stomach rumbled as I thought longingly of the meal waiting for me at Leisure X.
I was so distracted by the fast food that I didn’t notice when the car came to a stop.
“Come on, Nick, are you going or not?” Mum asked.
“Oh yeah, cheers,” I mumbled, grabbing the jacket I’d slung on the backseat for later and climbing out of the car.
Lizzy was waiting by a small shop on the main road. Her pretty features lifted into a smile at the sight of me, the warmth of friendship replacing the boredom in her blue eyes. I’d counted her among my best mates since the first year of high school, when she’d invited me to sit next to her in a Science lesson. She’d felt sorry for me, I guess. I wasn’t exactly the most popular guy in our year.
School life had always been a lonely experience. My love of books and video games, and complete lack of interest in sports, made me a prime target for bullies. Things hadn’t improved much since I’d moved up to high school but, thanks to Lizzy, at least I had some company.
That day she was wearing an official Disney Winnie the Pooh t-shirt and jeans. The shirt hung loose and modest over her slim frame, and there was a shine to her bushy ponytail in the sunlight, turning it from its usual light brown to a beautiful gold. Yet despite her good looks, I didn’t see her as anything more than a mate. We had always been like brother and sister and always would be.
“Don’t be too late back,” Mum called out as she drove off. I pretended not to hear and waved goodbye, then walked over to my friend. She gave me a quick hug and together we started towards the leisure complex where we’d be meeting the rest of our mates, chatting all the while.
Traffic brought us to a standstill. There was a lot of it to say it was evening, well after rush hour.
“Bollocks to this, we ain’t got all day,” I muttered, stepping out into the road.
A hand grabbed my arm and pulled me back onto the pavement, just as a car sped past.
“Jesus, Nick! You’re gonna get us both killed one of these days.”
I shrugged, feigning calm indifference. But the near miss had set my heart racing. “We’ll die someday anyway. Maybe I will end up splattered across somebody’s windscreen, I don’t care. Or maybe I’ll be flattened on the road by a bus, squashed roadkill.”
“Yeah well, just don’t get yourself killed while I’m around ’cause I’m not ready to die trying to save your sorry arse yet, okay?”
“Says she who keeps threatening to slit her wrists,” I shot back.
“That’s different.”
“Yeah, it would be.”
“Anyway, you know we’ve got bets on how you’re gonna die? I could have won if I’d let that car hit you.”
“You could, but you know you’d be lost without your gaming buddy.”
“Nah, I’m just more patient than you. There’s still alcohol poisoning, or maybe you’ll end up in a padded room if Death doesn’t get you first.”
I laughed. “Cheers, I guess there’s hope for me yet. So what film are we seeing tonight?”
“I’m not bothered. You know it’s going to be a toss-up between the two horrors – there’s nowt else worth seeing at the moment. I’m easy either way, whichever one you guys go for.”
She was right, it was only ever going to be the werewolf movie or the haunted house one. The werewolves got my vote – they’d always been my favourite horror movie monster.
“Oh, big news,” Lizzy said, excited. “This really hot guy just joined the bowling club.”
Bowling had been one of her biggest hobbies for as long as I’d known her. Both she and her brother were members of the club, often competing in tournaments and practising every week. Her parents might have been on the team too but I’m not certain. I’m sure she told me at some point but I forget now.
“Yeah?” I asked, trying to sound interested, though I really didn’t want to get onto the subject of her latest crush. She had her girlfriends for that sort of talk.
“Yep, and I plucked up the courage to ask him his name. Yay me!”
“And?”
“He’s called Ryan. He’s eighteen though. What do you think, too old?”
“It’s only three years, go for it.” She looked like she was going to say something else so I changed the topic. “Hey, can you believe this right-wing Christian nut wants to put a ban on pretty much every horror movie out there? I guess a lot of them go against their beliefs and whatnot but come on, nobody’s making them watch.”
“First I’ve heard of it.”
“Oh yeah, I just happened to overhear when Mum and Dad had the news on t’other night. Some guy who’s big on the whole Christianity thing. Said he didn’t even believe in Halloween!”
“Personally, I’ve never really believed in God or the Bible.”
“Nah, me neither. God never did owt for me when I needed him. If he exists, he doesn’t bother to listen. No, I believe in my own mortality and that’s it.”
“So stop taking risks with your life, you idiot,” she said.
I didn’t reply to that and we resumed the journey in silence.
We arrived at Leisure X to find the others waiting for us, six of us in total.
“Hey, guys,” I said. “How are we all doing?”
“Looking forward to school tomorrow,” Ava replied, flicking a strand of hair from her eyes. It was shoulder length and the colour changed often, but that month she’d gone for a dark red. “I’ve been bored all summer.”
“Seriously?” I asked. There was a sincerity to her chubby face that said she was genuine, but I still found it hard to believe. “It’s our last night of freedom and you’re already wishing it away for what, hours of being stuck in classrooms listening to boring lectures and doing coursework?”
Ava shrugged, but her cheeks glowed pinker than ever. “It’s not all boring. I’m sure there’s plenty more interesting scientific theories to learn before our exams.”
I supposed I shouldn’t have been surprised. She had always been a strange kid but then she came from a strange family. It was rumoured her mum slept in a coffin, though how true that was I didn’t know. Both she and her mum were goths but they were also vegetarians, so I doubted they took the vampire thing too seriously.
“I’m looking forward to the film,” Fiona said, her eyes filled with warmth and a lust for life made all the more striking by the glasses framing them. “Whichever we choose.”
“Yeah, let’s make our mind up quick so we can sort what we’re doing about food,” I replied. “I’m starving!”
“Well it was your choice to meet at this stupid time,” David reminded me, giving me a playful punch on the arm.
“Aye, don’t know what I was thinking. So come on, what are we gonna see and where are we gonna eat?”
“I fancy the ghost one,” Fiona answered.
“Me too,” David was quick to agree. I shot him a look for siding with her but he didn’t seem to notice. It was only because he wanted her to go out with him.
“Oh, I was fancying the werewolf one,” Becci said. Her pale skin was in stark contrast to Ava’s and she was considerably thinner, but otherwise the two could have been twins. She was also something of a goth and it wouldn’t surprise me if she did try vampirism. Her hair was the same style as Ava’s and she too had a habit of dyeing it often, but she’d kept it black for a while. It felt like it was only a matter of time before she changed her name to Morticia and moved to a cemetery.
“Look, Nick arranged this meet up,” Lizzy pointed out. “I think it should be his choice.”
So werewolves it was. Unfortunately, the only showing wasn’t until ten o’ clock that night and it was only seven.
Ea
ting killed some of the time. I wolfed down a steak and chips, then settled back while the others finished, trying to think up a reason I could give my parents for getting in so late. It had been hard enough to persuade them to let me walk home. By the time the film finished and I made it back to the house, it was going to be past midnight. I would have to come up with a good excuse if I didn’t want to be grounded for the rest of my life.
“You’re quiet tonight, Nick,” Fiona said. There was a look of concern on that pretty face. I know you must be thinking how lucky my teenage self was to be surrounded by so many hot girls, but they really were all growing up to be beautiful young women. “Everything okay?”
“We’re about to see a werewolf movie, everything’s great! It’s going to be the best night I’ve had all summer. What about you guys, have you been up to much?”
“The usual,” Becci cackled, finishing the last of her barbecued ribs. We didn’t need to ask what that was. She was obsessed with sex.
I still remembered the story of how she’d done it with her boyfriend in front of the webcam, pretending to be a boy herself just to turn on a gay guy she’d met in a chat room. And I had no trouble believing it. One of the craziest things I ever saw her do was during a PE lesson when the girls were playing rounders, while we boys played cricket. She’d been put into a different team to Ava so she’d crawled down the banking army style, stopping whenever the teacher looked her way.
That might have been effective if she were camouflaged, but the PE uniform for both boys and girls was a maroon rugby shirt and blue shorts. And yet somehow she managed to crawl down the banking without being seen, even though logic should dictate it was a doomed mission from the start.
Once on the field where Ava’s team were playing, she started to creep over to her best friend. The teacher caught her halfway there, and I couldn’t hear what was said since we were on the furthest field from the school building, but Lizzy had filled me in after. Apparently Miss Campbell had asked Becci what she was doing, and in a moment of true madness, Becci had pointed to the banking where she’d come from and said “I’m supposed to be up there, miss.” She might have actually gotten away with it if she hadn’t been so stupid!
