"You free later?" Tyler asked.
Katy grinned and clamped her mobile between her ear and her shoulder as she finished applying her make-up. "Yeah… I'm on the stall this morning, but this afternoon I've got nothing on. What did you have in mind?"
"I can think of a few things," Tyler said cheekily. Katy smirked, "but what about watching a film at ours? I doubt anyone will be in."
"Sounds good. Text me later and let me know."
"I will… can't wait."
Katy grinned as she hung up, biting her lip and tapping her mobile against her chin as she thought. Then she dropped the phone onto her bed and finished getting ready. As she was heading out of the flat, her mobile rang again. Sighing as she saw the name flashing up on the display, Katy accepted the call.
"Rox, I'm busy, OK… I've gotta be at work in…"
"I sold my share of the club." Roxy said breathlessly.
The teenager stopped dead in the middle of the road. "What the hell…? Firstly, what the hell were you thinking and secondly, who to?"
"I was sick of Phil treating me like an idiot." Her sister said. Then her tone changed, sounding unsure. "But… I thought of the person that would annoy Phil most and sold it to them… I sold my share to Janine."
"Are you completely insane?" Katy demanded. A car beeped, making her jump and run across the road. She swore at the driver, who returned the sentiment, before walking slowly towards the stall.
"I know, I know… Ronnie's going to kill me." Roxy muttered. "I just couldn't take it anymore."
Leaning against the frame of the stall the teenager sighed. "Listen, I've gotta go, Rox… I'll speak to you later, OK?"
As soon as her shift was over, Katy tried ringing her sister back, but Roxy wasn't answering. Instead she tried ringing Tyler but he, too, was busy. Wondering what to do with herself, Katy headed back to the flat. Her phone rang and she answered it eagerly, hoping it was one of the two people she was trying to get hold of. It wasn't.
"Katy… can I come round?" Lola asked. Sighing, Katy agreed and let herself into the flat. She waited until she heard agitated banging on the front door and opened it. The blonde girl barged past her, looking interestedly around the flat.
"What's wrong?" The older girl demanded with her arms crossed tightly over her chest. She was starting to lose patience with her cousin. It was almost as though Lola didn't want to fit in in Walford.
"I got sacked." She said angrily, sitting on the sofa and picking up a photo frame off the coffee table. "That stupid, bald idiot sacked me."
Exhaling sharply, Katy pulled the photo of the three Mitchell sisters out of the blonde's hands and set it down on the table. Then she perched on the edge of the armchair. "What did you do?"
"Nothing!" Lola protested. The older girl raised an eyebrow, unconvinced. "Alright… I might have been short-changing some of the customers, but I just wanted to get us something good for our tea. It ain't like Pops is rolling in cash, is it?"
"Yeah, but you can't go nicking from the caf's customers, can you, you idiot? No wonder Phil sacked you."
"What is it with everyone doing what he says? Is everyone scared of him or summit, 'cos I ain't." Lola fumed.
"Look… you've just got here. You ain't got no idea about how this family works, have you?" Katy said seriously. "It might not be right and it might not be fair, but Phil is the undisputed head of this family, alright? It was Auntie Peg until she left and then Phil took over. The Mitchells stick together and you were nicking from family, yeah."
"No I weren't, I was nicking from the customers." Lola argued.
"Phil's customers. If they realise they're being short-changed they ain't gonna come back, are they?"
The blonde glared, not really seeing the point of Katy's words. "But why does he have to be so horrible to Billy?"
At this the pregnant teen smiled weakly. "Billy's a nice guy." She said, thinking how to put her words so Lola didn't go off on one. "But he is and has always been a loser. Think about it… everyone else in this family owns at least one business and their own home… except Billy. He's unemployed and squatting in that disgusting flat."
"Oh, yeah… but…" The younger girl started fiercely, determined to defend her granddad.
"Don't get me wrong, Lola, I like Billy." Katy assured her. "And I feel sorry for him. But it's true, innit? And I know, the Mitchells are all about family and we should really help him out, but above everything the Mitchells are about money and power. Billy's a loser so he's seen as a weak link. That's just how it is."
"How is that fair?" Lola demanded.
"It ain't. But neither is life. You get out what you put in… maybe Billy should take a leaf out of Phil's book and be a little more ruthless."
"So do you bow down to Lord Phil then, as well?" The younger girl wanted to know. Katy snorted.
"Get real. He's an arrogant, egotistical bully who needs to learn manners."
"So why are you sticking up for him?"
"Because that's how it works, Lola. Phil Mitchell is the big bully in the playground and you don't rock the boat unless you're willing to deal with the consequences. And to be honest with you, I ain't at the moment. You've just gotta keep your head down and at least pretend to go along with what he says. Oh… and one more thing? Lay off Julie… she's alright." Katy told her firmly. She stood up and went into the kitchen. Putting the kettle on she turned and looked at her cousin. "Want a drink?"
"Got any wine?" Lola asked.
Katy raised an eyebrow. "You're kidding, right?"
"Nah… I love wine, me. Any alcohol really."
"Well you can have tea or coffee or juice or squash or water." The pregnant girl said listing the soft drinks that they had available. Lola scowled.
"Fine… tea. Ta." She said grudgingly. "I ain't a kid, you know."
"That's a shame." Katy told her seriously. "'Cos being an adult is shit."
