now?’
‘Yeah now.’
‘I, I can’t. I’ve got my paper run.’
‘It’s not going to take long,’ Sharon said, knowing she wouldn’t have to argue. He’d do it.
‘What is it I have to do?’ He tried, like that could make a difference.
‘Can’t tell you. It’s something I have to show you.’
Which was true and better. It sounded frightening too. Mark’s face tightened even more.
‘Um, later maybe. What about tomorrow? I’ve got a free last.’
Sharon could see all the fear turning to desperate hope, till she grabbed his wrist and jerked him forward. With her other hand she pulled out her lighter.
‘Like the smell of flesh burning then do you?’
She flicked down and the flame appeared, dancing in the breeze like it was itching for the chance.
‘No, of course not, I mean okay, I’ll come with you. Just not too long okay?’
‘Maybe.’
Sharon could tell he’d never been this way before. It was inthe way he walked, keeping close, like she was his protector, even though she scared him half to death. She found herself becoming angry with him, for being such a wimp, and the angrier she got the faster she walked, till she could hear him puffing behind her, struggling to keep up.
It must have looked crazy, her swinging in through the front door, this little blob of wheezing behind her, not knowing which way to look, or even where to stand in a place like this. Kaz was in the lounge, TV up way loud, and the look she gave them was classic. ‘You could do better than this girl’ it said, and Sharon had to agree.
‘Mum, this is Mark.’ She didn’t usually bother with introductions but she could see how small it was making him feel. ‘We’re just going down to my room. Don’t disturb us.’
And Mark’s face went even redder, although you wouldn’t think that was possible, and the ‘hello’ his lips stumbled over didn’t sound like a word at all.
‘Right, sit down,’ Sharon ordered as soon as she’d slammed the bedroom door behind her. Mark balanced the edge of his arse on the end of the bed, because it was that or the floor, which was covered in clothes that needed washing. ‘Okay, I want you to write something for me.’
‘Homework?’ He asked.
‘Yeah.’
‘I don’t know why you bother. If you’re not going to do it yourself. You won’t learn anything,’ he protested.
‘I am going to do it myself. I’m just going to get you to write it out, so there aren’t any mistakes, okay?’
She glared at him.
‘I suppose.’
‘You’ll do better than suppose you little shit,’ Sharon hissed. She grabbed Mark hard, each hand with a fistful of collar, and lifted his startled frame off the bed. Then she swung him hard against the wall, hard enough for the room to shake. Kaz wouldn’t come running. She’d seen him. She’d know there was nothing to worry about. Sharon leant forward so her face was right in his and his expression contorted, like his features were trying to escape. ‘And you won’t tell anyone about this. Not a fucken single person. Not even any imaginary friends you might have. Get it?’
As soon as she let him go the tears came, like her grip on him had been holding them back. He slid down against the wall till his arse met the floor and buried his head in his hands so all she could see was his red hair going up and down in time with the snotty breathing. Sharon waited for him to get over it. She knew he would. He had no choice. He rubbed his eyes and looked at her, like there was a part of him half expecting an apology, but that was never going to happen. So he stood back up and got his bag, took out pen and paper and sat back down on the edge of the bed, ready.
Mark took it all down without asking questions. It was easier, just saying it, and the more she said the quicker the words came, a list of hates piling up so high she almost lost sight of Mark sitting there, and got a bit loose with the descriptions. He didn’t seem to notice though, he was
‘Yeah now.’
‘I, I can’t. I’ve got my paper run.’
‘It’s not going to take long,’ Sharon said, knowing she wouldn’t have to argue. He’d do it.
‘What is it I have to do?’ He tried, like that could make a difference.
‘Can’t tell you. It’s something I have to show you.’
Which was true and better. It sounded frightening too. Mark’s face tightened even more.
‘Um, later maybe. What about tomorrow? I’ve got a free last.’
Sharon could see all the fear turning to desperate hope, till she grabbed his wrist and jerked him forward. With her other hand she pulled out her lighter.
‘Like the smell of flesh burning then do you?’
She flicked down and the flame appeared, dancing in the breeze like it was itching for the chance.
‘No, of course not, I mean okay, I’ll come with you. Just not too long okay?’
‘Maybe.’
Sharon could tell he’d never been this way before. It was inthe way he walked, keeping close, like she was his protector, even though she scared him half to death. She found herself becoming angry with him, for being such a wimp, and the angrier she got the faster she walked, till she could hear him puffing behind her, struggling to keep up.
It must have looked crazy, her swinging in through the front door, this little blob of wheezing behind her, not knowing which way to look, or even where to stand in a place like this. Kaz was in the lounge, TV up way loud, and the look she gave them was classic. ‘You could do better than this girl’ it said, and Sharon had to agree.
‘Mum, this is Mark.’ She didn’t usually bother with introductions but she could see how small it was making him feel. ‘We’re just going down to my room. Don’t disturb us.’
And Mark’s face went even redder, although you wouldn’t think that was possible, and the ‘hello’ his lips stumbled over didn’t sound like a word at all.
‘Right, sit down,’ Sharon ordered as soon as she’d slammed the bedroom door behind her. Mark balanced the edge of his arse on the end of the bed, because it was that or the floor, which was covered in clothes that needed washing. ‘Okay, I want you to write something for me.’
‘Homework?’ He asked.
‘Yeah.’
‘I don’t know why you bother. If you’re not going to do it yourself. You won’t learn anything,’ he protested.
‘I am going to do it myself. I’m just going to get you to write it out, so there aren’t any mistakes, okay?’
She glared at him.
‘I suppose.’
‘You’ll do better than suppose you little shit,’ Sharon hissed. She grabbed Mark hard, each hand with a fistful of collar, and lifted his startled frame off the bed. Then she swung him hard against the wall, hard enough for the room to shake. Kaz wouldn’t come running. She’d seen him. She’d know there was nothing to worry about. Sharon leant forward so her face was right in his and his expression contorted, like his features were trying to escape. ‘And you won’t tell anyone about this. Not a fucken single person. Not even any imaginary friends you might have. Get it?’
As soon as she let him go the tears came, like her grip on him had been holding them back. He slid down against the wall till his arse met the floor and buried his head in his hands so all she could see was his red hair going up and down in time with the snotty breathing. Sharon waited for him to get over it. She knew he would. He had no choice. He rubbed his eyes and looked at her, like there was a part of him half expecting an apology, but that was never going to happen. So he stood back up and got his bag, took out pen and paper and sat back down on the edge of the bed, ready.
Mark took it all down without asking questions. It was easier, just saying it, and the more she said the quicker the words came, a list of hates piling up so high she almost lost sight of Mark sitting there, and got a bit loose with the descriptions. He didn’t seem to notice though, he was
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