hands. “Drunk?”
“Definitely.”
“You sent the message at two in the afternoon,” Joel showed him the message again.
“Alcoholic! That’s me.”
“You’re a piece of shit, really. How have we been friends for so long? How have I not seen this before? Truly. A piece of shit.”
“Ah, come on, man...You dumped her. Fair game.”
“You tried to fuck my girlfriend and that’s all you can say?”
“She wasn’t your girlfriend when I tried to fuck her, to be fair. And when you were together...I never once thought about it. Because friends don’t do that to each other.”
“You know what? I don’t want to hear this. You and me...We’re done,” said Joel. He passed the phone back to Lara and got up from where he was sitting on the grass verge. He walked over to the van and climbed in.
“Was that entirely necessary?” Michael asked Lara. “He didn’t need to know. It’s not as though anything happened between us. What was the point of doing that?”
“Because it’s what you deserve,” said Lara. She tucked the phone back into her jeans pocket and followed Joel to the camper van.
“That’s fucking great,” said Michael. “Thanks for that. Brilliant. Now I’m talking to myself...”
A horn sounded off from down the road. Michael turned his head to see the oncoming tow-truck returning from dropping the car off.
* * * * *
Stephen was driving the tow-truck. Michael was sitting next to him, with his head leaning against the window, staring at the world passing by.
Lara and Joel were sitting in the back - an all too obvious distance between them.
A few more silent minutes passed by slowly before Michael leaned forward and flicked on the radio.
CHAPTER SEVEN
“What are we doing here?” asked Joel when they finally pulled onto the family property where Dan, Hayley and Charlotte were already waiting.
“Oh, finally, it speaks!” said Stephen sarcastically. He pulled the tow-truck up in front of the old house.
“Come on, I’m not in the mood for games...What are we doing here?” Joel continued.
“Collecting the others,” Michael muttered. “You think he dropped the car off here and then dropped the others off at the petrol station to wait for us?”
Stephen twisted in his seat to address everyone in the truck, “You’re really the life and soul of the party, aren’t you? Yes, your friends are here...But, we’re not going to the petrol station right away...”
“Why doesn’t that surprise me. Why not?” said Joel, fed up with the constant delays in getting to the campsite - although part of him just wanted to go home now.
“Because you’re staying for dinner,” said Stephen in a matter of fact tone. “My mother insisted, your friends agreed.”
“Brilliant!” moaned Joel ungratefully.
Stephen turned to him with a stern look on his face; for the first time since introducing himself to the group, he even sounded annoyed, “I suggest you don’t use that tone when you give thanks to my mother...And give thanks you will.”
Joel’s face flushed, “I’m sorry,” he said, “it’s just been one of those days.”
“That’s not my fault,” Stephen pointed out, “nor is it my mother’s fault so...Play nice...Unless you want me to take you back to where I found you and just leave you there?” he raised an eyebrow.
“No. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to cause any offence.”
Stephen suddenly smiled, “Come...Let me introduce you to the family.”
With no more words, Stephen opened the door and jumped down from the tow-truck.
Michael laughed, “You certainly told him!”
“Just fuck off, Mike...Seriously fuck off!” Joel hissed. He opened the door and stepped out - slamming it behind him, despite Lara needing to get out too.
“This is your fault,” Michael pointed out to Lara. “You at least going
“Definitely.”
“You sent the message at two in the afternoon,” Joel showed him the message again.
“Alcoholic! That’s me.”
“You’re a piece of shit, really. How have we been friends for so long? How have I not seen this before? Truly. A piece of shit.”
“Ah, come on, man...You dumped her. Fair game.”
“You tried to fuck my girlfriend and that’s all you can say?”
“She wasn’t your girlfriend when I tried to fuck her, to be fair. And when you were together...I never once thought about it. Because friends don’t do that to each other.”
“You know what? I don’t want to hear this. You and me...We’re done,” said Joel. He passed the phone back to Lara and got up from where he was sitting on the grass verge. He walked over to the van and climbed in.
“Was that entirely necessary?” Michael asked Lara. “He didn’t need to know. It’s not as though anything happened between us. What was the point of doing that?”
“Because it’s what you deserve,” said Lara. She tucked the phone back into her jeans pocket and followed Joel to the camper van.
“That’s fucking great,” said Michael. “Thanks for that. Brilliant. Now I’m talking to myself...”
A horn sounded off from down the road. Michael turned his head to see the oncoming tow-truck returning from dropping the car off.
* * * * *
Stephen was driving the tow-truck. Michael was sitting next to him, with his head leaning against the window, staring at the world passing by.
Lara and Joel were sitting in the back - an all too obvious distance between them.
A few more silent minutes passed by slowly before Michael leaned forward and flicked on the radio.
CHAPTER SEVEN
“What are we doing here?” asked Joel when they finally pulled onto the family property where Dan, Hayley and Charlotte were already waiting.
“Oh, finally, it speaks!” said Stephen sarcastically. He pulled the tow-truck up in front of the old house.
“Come on, I’m not in the mood for games...What are we doing here?” Joel continued.
“Collecting the others,” Michael muttered. “You think he dropped the car off here and then dropped the others off at the petrol station to wait for us?”
Stephen twisted in his seat to address everyone in the truck, “You’re really the life and soul of the party, aren’t you? Yes, your friends are here...But, we’re not going to the petrol station right away...”
“Why doesn’t that surprise me. Why not?” said Joel, fed up with the constant delays in getting to the campsite - although part of him just wanted to go home now.
“Because you’re staying for dinner,” said Stephen in a matter of fact tone. “My mother insisted, your friends agreed.”
“Brilliant!” moaned Joel ungratefully.
Stephen turned to him with a stern look on his face; for the first time since introducing himself to the group, he even sounded annoyed, “I suggest you don’t use that tone when you give thanks to my mother...And give thanks you will.”
Joel’s face flushed, “I’m sorry,” he said, “it’s just been one of those days.”
“That’s not my fault,” Stephen pointed out, “nor is it my mother’s fault so...Play nice...Unless you want me to take you back to where I found you and just leave you there?” he raised an eyebrow.
“No. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to cause any offence.”
Stephen suddenly smiled, “Come...Let me introduce you to the family.”
With no more words, Stephen opened the door and jumped down from the tow-truck.
Michael laughed, “You certainly told him!”
“Just fuck off, Mike...Seriously fuck off!” Joel hissed. He opened the door and stepped out - slamming it behind him, despite Lara needing to get out too.
“This is your fault,” Michael pointed out to Lara. “You at least going
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