Nine

Dougie

I listen to my friends laugh as the drunkenly down the street as i try to climb into my bedroom window and as i am also drunk this is a difficult task to do but i somehow manage to get in without being caught...or so i think.

"Douglas Lee Poynter how dare you" i hear my mothers voice and i whip around to see her and my father standing at my door with their arms crossed across their chests

"how dare you sneak out...have you been drinking...and OH smoking!" she demands and i try to stand up straight and take her seriously but i just begin to giggle and fall back into bed

"don't laugh boy this is serious...how could you think you could get away with sneaking out of your room at one in the morning and sneaking off to your friends house to get pissed out of your mind" my dad asks but i just shrug wanting to suddenly burst into tears

"because i have gotten away with it for about 4 months now" i say and i he takes a step forward to slap me but my mum stops me

"dougie if you keep drinking and smoking this way you will end up in rehab now do you want that?" she asks and the memories off frankie and the heartbreak coming flooding back i crave something to drink or smoke

"not again" i mumble and burst into tears

"look dougie i am going to get you some water and something to eat then you are going to sleep and i am going think of someway to fix this" dad tells me

"not rehab please not rehab i can't go through that again!"i plead and he raises his eyebrows

"again?" he questions but i shake my head

"not again i never meant to say again" i say quickly and he leaves the room

"i will be back up with something for you to eat and we are going to get you out of this habit mum says to me before going downstairs.

I run into the bathroom to do the only thing i can do when i cant get to the drink...my razor blade, i close the bathroom door locking it and grabbing the razor.

I sit down and pull down my socks to reach my already cut ankles and i find a free space so i carefully cut into the skin three times before cleaning the wounds and putting tissue down my socks then cleaning the razor and putting it back onto the shelves and leaving the bathroom.

I get back into my room and i just have enough time to strip to my underwear and pull on some pyjama bottoms before mum comes in with a cheese sandwich and some hot chocolate

"here now eat up dougie" she says putting the food on my bedside table

"mum please don't make me go to some sort of rehab" i beg and she shakes her head

"don't worry dougie we already have a solution but we will talk about it tomorrow" she says then leaves the room leaving me a little confused and worried.

In the morning i receive the shock of my life.

"you're going to the posh part of essex to live with the Judd family for a year" the words dad just spoke go around and around in my head refusing to sink in

"you leave this afternoon Mrs Emma Judd is coming here to collect you so i suggest you get ready" mum says and before they can say anything i burst out in a very giddy giggle and jump up from my chair

"YES WOOHOO!" i yell then run upstairs laughing like a toddler.