Chapter 11:

'Callum, Callum wake up!' Sephy had been telling me to wake up for a few moments, but I wasn't asleep. I just didn't want to come back to reality, I was calm here. At the urgency in her voice and the fact that she had resorted in shaking me gently I opened my eyes. As I did so, there was a sharp bang on the front door followed by someone shouted. After a quick moment I realised the voice was my Dad's.

'Oh no' I muttered and sat up, unsure what to do.

'I was going to warn you in advance but...' said Sephy helplessly.

'It's ok' I whispered. It was everything but ok, but I didn't want Sephy feeling guilty, she'd done too much for me recently.

From downstairs I heard Sephy's Mum 'what do you want, Ryan?' she asked, sounding angry. Not waiting for an answer she continued 'what gives you the right to come here shouting outside my front door?' she didn't say I've got a reputation you know but she might as well have.

'I'll tell you what, Jasmine, my daughter died two days ago' the bluntness of Dad's words were like a knife through my heart. 'She killed herself, not that you'd care'

'I'm so--' Jasmine started.

'I don't want your ruddy sympathy' Dad stopped her 'I want my son. I haven't seen Callum since then and I know my son. This is the one place he'd come'

'Don't be ridiculous' Jasmine was quick to dismiss the idea that I was there 'I think I'd know if Callum was here. Callum and Sephy hate each other; they aren't even on speaking terms'

Dad spoke the words me and Sephy were thinking 'How stupid are you?' He shouted up the stairs 'Callum come down. I know you're here. Callum!'

I looked to Sephy and mouthed 'Should I go?'

Sephy looked as unsure as I was, so I didn't move.

'This is stupid' Jasmine said, and then shouted 'Persephone Hadley, get down these stairs this instant'

'We're gonna have to go down. If we don't they'll come up' said Sephy. For support, for both of us, Sephy took hold of my hand and lead us towards the stairs. As soon as we were in view of Dad and Jasmine she gasped and Dad signed in relief. I realised then that Dad hadn't been as unsure as he sounded about me being here. Jasmine looked from me to Sephy in horror.

'How...?'

'Quite easily, Mother' replied Sephy. 'You're too busy being drunk to nothing anything that goes on here' she turned to Dad 'Mr McGregor, you were right, Callum's been here this whole time'

'The scream...' said Jasmine, just realising.

'What've I got to have nightmares about?' Sephy scoffed. 'I didn't scream, Callum did', the more Sephy said, the more I remembered that nightmare. Lynny's face popped back into my mind.

Jasmine turned to me 'What the hell did you think you were doing? What gave you the right to come into my house and stay without my permission? Who do you think you are?'

'Mother--'

I cut Sephy off, speaking for the first time since we'd come down. I didn't answer the questions though. 'It's because of people like you that my sister is dead'

'Look I'm sorry about Lynette's death, but you-'

'I invited him' Sephy managed to get in.

'Don't give me crap' I said 'You couldn't care less, you never could. You sacked my Mum, we have hardly any money, and we could never help Lynny because of you. That's how you directly killed her. Indirectly your way of thinking killed her. You think only Crosses are important and noughts are nothing. You don't have a clue. You're the reason my sister's dead' I looked to Sephy 'Thanks Sephy, goodbye' and walked out, not even bothering to get my bag.

'Callum, wait' Dad called after me.