Chapter Four: Little Miss Doom and Gloom.
I was curled up on the coach watching TV when the doorbell went. "Not it." Haley said from opposite me. I threw a pillow at her, she caught it mid air and laughed.
"Damn it." I hauled myself up, and headed for the door. When I opened it Abel stepped back.
"K?"
"Blondie" I leant against the doorframe.
"You got to stop calling me that." His ran his eyes over me and I was acutely aware I was only in my nightie.
"I really don't."
"You always answer the door like that?" he nodded to the sullen looking Eyore on my chest.
"No, I was waiting for the paper boy." I said with a shrug.
"Guess I'll have to do."
"Ha. I'm guessing you didn't come here to check out my sleepwear."
"No just an added bonus. Is Tig here?"
"Uh, maybe. Come on in. I'll have a check."
"You're not trying to lure me in are you?"
"Trust me if I wanted you I wouldn't use looking for Tig as an excuse." I straightened up and started towards mom's room. I could fell Abel close behind.
"If you did use an excuse, what would it be?"
"Would I need one?"
"Who's got the ego now." He laughed. We got to mom's door and I knocked lightly.
"Mom, Tig in there with you?" I heard faint moaning. "Bottle of vodka." I said to Abel. "Mom." I knocked again.
"Mmmm." The door opened and mom stood there in her bra and pants. "Oh, hi." She pushed her hair out her face and looked at Abel. I turned to him.
"As you can tell we ain't shy in this house. Tig in there with you?"
"Uhu."
"We need him at the club." Abel said his eyes going everywhere but to mom.
"I'll just go wake him up." She shut the bedroom door.
"It might be a while. You want a tea?"
"No thanks." We headed back to the living room. Haley looked up when she saw us come in.
"Hey."Abel smiled.
"Hi"
"Haley this is Abel, Blondie, Haley."
"Nice to meet you." I threw myself back on the couch.
"You work at the grocery store right?"
"Yep , mom too when she actually makes it."
"You not in high school then?"
"No as a matter of fact our little Haley's turning twenty next week."
"Really?" It wasn't surprising he thought she was younger than that, she looked about seventeen at most, she had always looked young for her age. I on the other hand had hit thirteen and grown into a 25 year old.
"Uhu."
"You doing anything special?"
"Girls night out." Haley said happily. We had a fake ID all sorted out for her. I know I shouldn't be promoting underage drinking to my little sister, but twenty's a big deal and if she's old enough to support a household and pick up her wasted mom from a bar then she's old enough to celebrate her birthday with a couple drinks.
"You should come by the club." Haley looked at me.
"Talk to her she's the one planning it."
"We have a very full schedule but we might be able to squeeze you in."
"Bar crawl?"
"Bar, nightclub, dark alley, you name it we'll be there."
"As long as it doesn't end up like your last one." Haley laughed.
"What happened on your last birthday?"
"We ended up in a jail cell in Mexico with two hookers from New York. The rest is all kind of a blur. You can say what you want about our family, but we don't half ass it when it comes to birthdays."
"Beg, Borrow and steal." Haley recited our family motto.
"Everything else comes second, Christmas, Thanksgiving, New years. It's all about the birthday." That means three times a year we scrimp and save to pay for the blow out.
"Couple months and it'll be K's turn. Hers are usually the best. Even that Barbie one."
"Did you have a Barbie theme when you were a kid?" Abel asked me.
"Try a couple years ago. All the girls came as Barbie and all the guys came as ken." Haley reminisced. That had been a great party, by the end of the night we had been banned from two bars and booked to perform in another two.
"You're never too old for Barbie." I said threw a yawn. Just then Tig appeared bright eyed and dishevelled with mom at his side.
"Abel." He patted Blondie on the back then nodded at me and Haley.
"I'll see you tonight." Tig kissed mom and headed towards the front door.
"Bye, Alex." She actually sighed his name. I looked at Haley and she mouthed 'Alex?' at me I gave a little shrug.
"See you round." Abel was looking at me when he said it and only when he was by the front door did he wave bye to Haley. Once the door was closed and we heard the roar of the motorcycle engines mom collapsed next to me.
"That. Was. A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. He's an animal in the sack and he didn't even need Viagra."
"I'm happy for you, mom." I patted her leg.
"You should be. My god."
"But-"
"Oh here we go Miss Doom and Gloom." She interrupted, and started to pout like a child.
"If he's gunna be here every night he's gunna need to put money in the pot. We can hardly afford to feed ourselves let alone a grown man."
"I can't ask him for money. He'll think I'm a gold digger."
"Then ask him to get some stuff on his way over." Haley suggested diplomatically. "Nothing big, a loaf of bread or some meat."
"Why are you both trying to bring me down?" She whined then slapped her hands against her knees.
"We're not we're being realistic."
"Whatever." If anyone had been listening to us they would have sworn she was the daughter.