AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Thank you to all who are still reading and BonnieSveenFan, Braxton54, and Ludub, for reviewing.

Chapter 25

Normal POV

The next morning Brax woke up and made breakfast for himself and Heath and cleared away any mess from last night before going in to wake Casey.

Still furious from the previous night, Brax gave Casey a hard shove.

"Get up," he ordered.

Casey shuffled around in his sheets and groaned and Brax gave Casey another hard shove.

"Casey: now!" Brax yelled.

"I've got a headache; piss off," Casey groaned.

"What the hell did you say to me?" Brax yelled in anger.

Brax flung off Casey's sheet and grabbing him by his wrist pulled him up from the bed forcefully; waking Casey right out of his slumber.

"Don't you ever speak to me like that! Get and have a shower so you can have breakfast, because you are going over to Alf's caravan park, cleaning up and apologising!" Brax affirmed and gave Casey a rough shove.

Casey groaned and scowled at his big brother who remained giving him a stern look.

"I'm going," Casey smarted.

"Don't you test me this morning Casey," Brax warned and left the room.

Casey sat back down on his bed miserably once Brax had left; pulling a mocking face at his brother, before hanging his shoulders weakly. His head was still spinning and he felt the awful sick feeling in his throat like he wanted to vomit again.

Finally admitting defeat, Casey stood up from his bed and headed towards the bathroom for a shower.

Casey POV

I didn't want to go back to the stupid caravan park, nor clean up. My head was still pounding and I just wanted to sleep.

Brax pulled up at the caravan park and I guess he was still pretty mad when he barely spoke two words to me the entire trip there.

Deciding I was not going to make it easy I remained in the Ute as he stormed out and slammed his door, quickly coming around to the passenger side.

I un-clicked my seatbelt just in time for Brax to swing open the door and pull me out of the Ute by my upper arm.

"I can get out on my own!" I snapped.

The look he gave me told me that had not been a smart move, for he gripped my arm tighter and began pulling me along.

"I don't have time for your smart mouth. You are getting this over and done with," he affirmed.

I saw the old man from last night standing in the center of the park with his hands on his hips.

"Well if it isn't the young fella from last night; I hope this brother of yours sorted you out and made you see the error of your ways."

I groaned and rolled my eyes, in which I'm sure Brax took note of because he then gave me a jerk.

"Before he starts on whatever duties you have for him today Casey would like to say something," Brax stated.

Don't make me say it. I just want to be out of here.

"Casey, now," Brax ordered.

I huffed and briefly looked up at the man.

"I'm sorry for vandalising your stupid caravan park," I mumbled.

"Pardon? Do it properly!" Brax snapped and jerked my arm.

"I just did!" I argued.

"Casey; I mean it!"

I huffed at Brax's warning. He can be so impatient; he really is an angry, demanding brother.

"Fine! I'm sorry for vandalising your caravan park," I spat loudly.

Brax frowned at me and I could tell he wasn't too impressed with my apology.

"Not anything else; how about your rude words for me?" Alf demanded.

I stared down at the ground; this was stupid, why'd I have to apologise, everyone else my age swears and it's not like I use it often.

"Casey!" Brax yelled; making me jump from my thoughts.

"Alright; I'm also sorry for calling you a pervert," I mumbled.

Alf huffed like he didn't even appreciate my apology; well screw him.

"Casey, you will do everything Alf says and accept any task he has for you; is that clear?" Brax demanded.

I guess I really didn't have much choice but to comply, but it didn't mean I had to be happy about it.

"Yes!" I snapped and glared hard at Brax.

I still couldn't believe he was making me do this. It must be like forced child labour or something.

"I will come and pick him up after my shift at work and if he gives you any trouble at all you let me know," Brax informed.

He finally released my arm and I gave it a shake to get comfortable again.

"Count on it; I will keep this young fella in line," Alf replied.

I felt Brax slap me on the back and then he looked at me with a finger point.

"Keep out of trouble," he warned and walked back to his Ute.

"Alright young fella, first things first: I'll get you a bucket and some gloves and you can begin by cleaning up the thrown garbage and piles of vomit," Alf instructed.

I stood in the park waiting for Alf to return with the bucket and gloves. Part of me wanted to do a runner and spend the day at the beach or something, but I knew Brax would find out and I'd be in for more than a lecture of a lifetime and I'd still be made to do this clean up bull.

"Here, you can start over there," Alf ordered and thrust a bucket and gloves towards me and pointed to an area of the caravan park.

I groaned and made my way towards the area he pointed at. I reluctantly pulled on the gloves and held the bucket. He seriously couldn't expect me to scrape up the garbage and my...ugh...vomit, just with gloves?

"Get to it young fella. I have plenty more for you to do before you go home today."

I bent down and began picking up the rubbish first. I figured that was easier than the vomit.

Alf hovered over me almost as if he was waiting to push at me to work again if I stopped.

"This is such slave labour," I muttered rudely.

I didn't think I spoke loud enough to be heard, but the old man must have as good a hearing as Brax because he started on me again.

"If you think you got it bad young fella, I'd say your brother's agreement on this is lenient and you had better smarten up and learn to respect him better, along with others. If you'd have grown up in my day and behaved the way you did you would have gotten a good hiding with a sturdy strap!"

I kept my back to him as his words somehow hit a nerve; it made me think of Johnny and what he did to me; the time he took a belt to me and hit me for causing trouble. My mind flashed back to that horrid scene.

I wanted to scream at Alf that he knew nothing, but I couldn't and just stared at the mess in front of me and willed myself not to crumble and cry.

"I want to see this mess all cleaned up before the next time I come out here."

I side glanced to see Alf walk away and as I turned back to the rubbish and began picking up the pieces I felt the tears prick into my eyes and I wiped them away with the back of my arm.

Everything that I had tried to erase the night before was still there.

I sniffed for a while longer before I became focused on the job at hand, just to forget the horrid thoughts in my mind.

After picking up all the garbage I started on the vomit. Smelling the vile aroma of undigested stomach contents and alcohol made me want to vomit all over again and made my head spin just remembering the feeling from the night before when I was actually bringing that mess up.

I finally finished and just in time too, for Alf had made his way towards me.

He gave a nod of approval.

"Good, now I will get some brushes for you and you can start washing the vans," he instructed.

I glanced around at the entire caravan park, there had to be at least thirty or forty vans; there was no way I'd be able to clean them all.

"Obviously I don't expect them all to be done, but you can do vans fifteen through to twenty."

I gave a sigh of relief when he told me I only had to wash five of them.

He pointed in the direction he wanted me to go and by the time I got there he had followed and passed me some suds and brushes.

"Once you have finished those I want you to come and see me in the house."

I nodded and got to work, just wanting it to be all done and over.

It took a few hours to complete the five vans and I was thirsty and exhausted by the end of it but as asked I made my way towards the house to see what more the old man was going to pump me with.

I stood in the doorway, leaning against the frame waiting.

"All done?" Alf questioned when he entered the room.

"Yes," I replied and gave a nod sullenly.

"Come here then," Alf instructed sternly and beckoned me over with his finger.

I wondered what he wanted but I pulled myself off the doorframe to comply and walked towards the table where he stood.

Alf pulled out a chair from the table and looked at me.

"Sit down," he ordered.

I shrugged the nervousness from my body.

He wasn't going to hit me like he said I deserved was he; Brax couldn't allow that? I panicked, as I sat down.

I watched as Alf walked away into the kitchen and came back with a glass in one hand and a plate in another; quickly placing them on the table in front of me.

"Get this tucker into you before I get you going on other chores. I won't have a young lad going hungry on my watch. A growing boy needs good energy."

I stared at the plate in shock; I hadn't expected a feed. There were two sandwiches of wholemeal bread with what looked like slices of chicken on the inside and the glass had a pale yellow fizzy liquid which I put down to being lemonade.

I glanced up towards Alf.

"Thank you," I mumbled; still feeling in disbelief.

Alf nodded his head and walked away.

It took a moment of staring at the food again before I made an attempt to eat it. I savoured the taste of the chicken sandwich and fresh lemonade and how it satisfied the thirst and hunger I had after the work I'd done that morning.

I finished half an hour later and with no Alf in sight I got up and put my plate and glass in the kitchen sink.

I startled when Alf did appear in the kitchen through a side door.

"If you are finished, follow me to the shed and I'll show you the lawnmower and you can mow the grass."

I let go of the plate and followed Alf back outside.

"Okay it's only a few more hours before your brother picks you up, so I want you to get as much of the grass done as possible and I want it done properly; understood?"

He was back to being stern and demanding again but one thing I could look forward to was it was all nearly over.

I got to work again mowing the lawns for what felt like hours until Alf called to me.

"Put that away now, your brother is on his way!"

I pushed the lawnmower back into the shed, somewhat roughly, but I was exhausted.

By the time I was finished I saw Brax's Ute pull up and him head towards Alf.

I was still mad at him for yelling at me and making me do this, and avoided his gaze when I walked up towards them.

"How was he?" Brax demanded.

"The young-un did fine and did everything he was told to do; with minimal attitude and disrespect," Alf informed.

I groaned; why'd he have to tell Brax I acted out? It was only because he had pushed me.

I felt Brax's eyes bore on me even more then.

"Alright Casey, let's go," Brax ordered.

I knew I had to comply but it didn't mean I had to be happy to be in his presence again and I stormed towards his Ute in silence and sliding into the passenger seat I slammed the door.

"Thank you for looking after him and I'm sorry it had to come to this," I faintly heard Brax through the closed window.

"You be sure to keep that boy in line."

I glared out the window at my brother and Alf. Sometimes it felt like everyone was against me and today had been one of those days.

Brax got into the Ute and stared over at me.

"Have you got your seatbelt on?"

I frowned at him feeling the annoyance creep up again and moving my arms I gestured towards my seatbelt.

"Don't start on me Casey," he warned.

I stared at him with my mouth open in shock.

"I didn't say anything!" I snapped and immediately turned away to stare out the window while folding my arms firmly over my chest.

Sometimes I just hated my big brother; he didn't understand.