I tiptoed up the stairs hoping I wouldn't wake anyone. I leaned against the wall sighing. I had such a great night with Eyeball. I heard a door open. Fuck.

"C'mon in, prostitute," My sister giggled. Prostitute? Christ, Peggy-Sues were juvenile.

"Shut up, you'll wake 'em, Andrea." I whispered.

"Mum and Dad are away, remember?" Oh, yeah. I should not drink...

I tiptoed into Andrea's room for a girlie chat.

"So, what did you do tonight?" Andrea asked.

"Usual. Few beers, couple o' smokes."

"That it though?" she said both impressed and concerned.

"Yeah! We weren't even alone together!" I lied annoyed she had asked that. "We're hardly going to do anything in public." There is an idea... No, damn it! Ace would find out...

"Oh I don't get you. Cassie, you're so pretty and smart" Who me? Really? "and you go steady with boys like Ace Merrill and Eyeball Chambers. I mean, even their names show they're no good."

"Ok Call them John and Richard then." I said smartly.

"That is not the point! Cassie they are... What's that rapping?" She said interrupting herself.

I blushed. "Eyeball must be at my window." I said and sprinted to let him in. Why was he here? It is not that long since I was talking to him.

I opened the window and said "Come on in," to the dark silhouette. He didn't leap in as he normally did. I realised he wasn't sure of himself when my big sister was in the room.

"Come on," Andrea taunted, "A Cobra isn't afraid of anything. Right?"

"Damn right." Eyeball said his voice was tight. He still didn't come in though.

"I can't believe you would let him into your room Cassie." Andrea started. Here we go again. She turned to Eyeball, "You are scum. You have some nerve coming here."

"I had nowhere else to go," Eyeball interrupted.

"Your own family not want you?" she said spitefully.

"Don't think so." He said matter-of-factly.

"Hilarious! If your own family don't want you, what makes you think we..." She trailed off as Eyeball came in through the window.

"Happy?" He said.

I gasped and he wrapped his arm around me.

"I'm ok honey," he whispered into my ear.

"What the hell happened to you?" Andrea said shocked.

"After you were jumped Eyeball. That blood is fresh. Something else happened." I said to him.

"Yeah. Sort of. My old man saw the bruises and called me a disgrace." I immediately understood. Andrea did not.

"Then what happened?" She said, "Who beat you up?"

I looked at Eyeball and he nodded. "Andrea, Eyeball's dad done it."

Andrea stared in disbelief.

"He called me a disgrace," Eyeball said dazed, "Disgrace to the family, he said. I'm not the one who is in trouble for rape and that shit. Or the one who drinks himself silly and beats up on... He said he couldn't believe he had fathered such a poor excuse for a man. He's never even said that to my little brother. He said at least Frank is a real man, like him," I tried to reassure him but it was not working.

"The last thing Mama said to me before she went to stay with "my aunt" was that I'm like Daddy. She said I have the same mean glint in my eye. Tell me I don't Cassie."

Honestly, I have never even met his father but I've looked into Eyeball's eyes.

"You don't even have a mean glint in your eyes. You have lovely eyes." I've spoken to Eyeball when he's been a bit like this before but he was really hurting this time. But he would never cry. "It's ok. Don't worry. You can crash tonight. My parents are away on business. Andrea and I are minding my kid sister and my cousin's little girl. They won't say anything, Amy's seven and Mary's daughter is two. She's called Ashleen. They're both dolls."

Andrea, who hadn't spoken since finding out about Eyeball's father said, "You can wash the blood of your face and if you want you can crash with Cassie. I won't say. Just don't let the neighbours see."

"Thanks Andrea," I said realising she had saw the side of Eyeball very little people knew. Maybe her attitude towards him will change.