Chapter 1 (6 years old)
(Cindy is about 4, Mark is 13ish)
It was a summer day and the eldest Porter children were slowly making their way home from school along the streets of Riverside, passing closed down shops with broken windows and boarded up doors, graffiti covering
every wall, no inch left without being branded. It was uncomfortably hot and they often passed run down houses with their occupants perched on the porch or on a rusty chair on the front lawn, desperately trying to keep as cool as possible. The two kids both looked unbearably warm, Mark's hair was damp with sweat and his nose and forehead were dotted with droplets. Julie's cheeks were flushed red and she had clearly caught the sun at some point today, Mark made a mental note to make sure she put cream on it to avoid burning. Although she had scraped her hair into a fairy neat ponytail this morning, several strands were now hanging limply from the rest many stuck to the back of her neck.
As they neared a crossing Julie instinctively wrapped her little fingers tightly around Mark's hand. As they stopped she looked up to her older brother (figuratively and literally), squinting due the sun in her eyes and causing her small freckled nose to wrinkle. People said they were so alike but she couldn't see it. He was so mush taller and stronger than her, he was a boy, he did boy things and she did girl things, however different they were personalities, they more than made up for in looks, they both had incredibly similar faces; lightly freckled noses and green eyes although Julie's hair was a few shades redder than her older brothers and he had darker skin from his extra years of days spent outside.
Mark stopped staring at the cars driving by as soon as he realised he was being watched, he looked down at his little sister, "Julie, why the fuck are you pulling faces at me?" he asked her, wiping the tiny beads of sweat off his tanned forehead with the back of his hand.
She didn't stop looking, "You're not meant to say that when I'm here and I'm not pulling a face."
"C'mon its not like you've never heard it before, besides if you start swearing the other kids probably won't pick on you - they'll think you're cooler than them. That wouldn't have been a very good scary face anyway... This is a scary face" He demonstrated to Julie pulling the sides of his cheeks and rolling his eyes so only the whites were showing. She squealed with laughter.
"Like this?" She tried in vein to roll her eyes while sticking out her tongue.
Mark smiled at her, "Yeah kinda, I'll show ya how to do it later, can you do this one?" He pulled another funny face at her causing more giggles.
As the cars came to a halt he stopped messing about, suddenly paranoid about the drivers seeing a teenager pulling faces at a 6 year old. He let himself be carefully pulled by Julie across the road, at the sudden movement he winced as his bruised muscles were forced into movement.
Reaching the other side Julie turned to him, concern showing in her eyes, "Are you okay? Was I walking to quick? I'm sorry."
He slowly opened his eyes and drew in a breath, "No it wasn't you, I'm okay I've gotta take it easy."
That didn't cease the concern in her eyes, he always looked after her and the only time she could take care of him was times likes this. "'K, we'll go real slow and go straight home. You need to be at home." She dictated, sounding much older than 6, as Mark noticed she now often did.
"Home is not where I need to be" He muttered under his breath, resigned to the fact that he would have to deal with it until he had the money to leave and take his sisters with him.
Julie got a bad feeling deep in the pit of her stomach just as their house came into view, it wasn't a bad house, certainly not the worst on the street but by no stretch of the imagination was it the best. What with its rickety wire fence and messed up lawn containing nothing but dirt and weeds, she knew she should like her home, be proud of it, but she couldn't, It wasn't a nice place. The small bungalow glowed in the bright light, highlighting all of its imperfections. The peeling not-so-white paint looked even worse today and the sun only make the dirt and dust on the house and windows seem messier.
They strolled up to the gap in the fence where the gate once stood and walked through careful not to catch themselves on the protruding wire. Julie once again found herself wrapping her hand in Mark's as they reached the door. They stopped in their tracks and they heard angry shouting accompanied by the smashing of no doubt one of their few plates, followed by even more shouting.
Julie looked up at Mark and he squeezed her hand reassuringly, "Daddy's home" she whispered sounding more like a 6 year old this time.
"Yeah, listen, when we get in go straight to your room, make sure Cindy's alright, I'll be in there in a bit with a drink for you both, Okay?" He spoke seriously looking her in the eye to make sure she understood.
She nodded as he carefully opened the shutter so it didn't fall off its already precarious hinges.
Stepping into the house they were hit with the strong stench of vodka and cigarettes, not entirely uncommon in their house but every time as nauseating as the last. Their dad was lounging on the sofa to the side of them a cigarette hanging haphazardly out of his mouth and a bottle dangling limply from his hand. They were standing practically in front of him, and still he gave no indication that he had noticed them. Their mom however walked out from the kitchen on their right, faking a smile while holding a bloody tissue, her lip was swollen and she hadn't managed to get all the blood off.
Mark looked at Julie and nodded towards her room, hoping she got there as soon as possible, before any trouble started.
"Hey guys how was school? How come you're so much later then usual? Oh, you're not having problems again are you Julie?" She shocked both of them with the fact that she knew what time they usually got home from school.
"She's fine mom, I just..." Mark was interrupted before he could finish their story.
"Shut up you little prick! Since when has your name been Julie, huh?" Their dad had noticed them after all and was making a move to drag himself off the couch.
Mark was about to retaliate when a brave sounding Julie spoke up, "Its okay, I'm fine mom, we're a bit later 'cos I made Mark take us the long way - by the shops, I just wanted to see Barbie. I'm sorry" Julie hoped her lie would be believable and would save them having to give the speech 'Sorry mom, we're later today because her dad beat up Mark so bad the other night and now he has bruised ribs and a badly twisted ankle, so can't walk too Quick.' That story probably wouldn't go down so well.
Once again their dad butted in where he wasn't needed, "Dammit Julie! I've told you a hundred times you're not getting one, we can't afford it, maybe if you kids stopped needing so much we could afford to get you stuff you want. But not now! Are you trying to make me feel guilty or what?"
Mark jumped to her defence, "Dad! she's just a kid don't take it out on her, I was the one who took made us late so you should be mad at me not Her…" Julie prayed he would stop there but he never did once he got started,
"But I 'spose it makes you feel like a big man huh, scaring 6 year olds, that's you alright."
Julie stood wide eyed watching the exchange, once again Mark was going to get in big trouble because of her, she watched as if in slow motion as her dad leapt up yelling and cursing, Mark squared his shoulders and stood strong, and their mom rushed over to try and calm down their dad but quickly retreated back to the kitchen, realising it was no use he was too drunk or too high to see anything but blind rage. He forcefully shoved Mark in the chest causing the boy to yelp in pain at the pressure on his already damaged ribs. Julie decided she had to do something, for all the times Mark had protected her, she hadn't once returned the favour, but that was about to change.
She ran over and put herself between the men barley coming up to their waists. Mark noticed her first and tried to gently push her out of harms way as a fist collided with the side of his jaw causing a disturbing crunch. She looked up at him and saw him wobbling unsteadily on his feet, his mouth covered in blood. She took a deep breath and puffed out her chest as she had often seen Mark do before hitting someone, then with more force than she thought she had in her she punched her dad hard in the groin, causing the older man to double over in pain, swearing as he went. Unfortunately pain didn't last long and before she knew what was happening her dad was up straight again and grabbed her hard by the hair, dragging her across the room. She started screaming and Mark made a grab for his dad, but he was dazed and couldbarley stand up, he followed his dad shouting as he went. Julie found herself with her head pulled back and facing her dad's red face, "You little bitch! You should not have done that!" He then threw her into the side of a cupboard before returning to finish with Mark.
She quickly crawled across the lounge to her bedroom where she swung open the door and dashed in, before slamming it closed behind her. She slid down the door until she was sitting on the floor against it. She gently pressed her palm to her head and pulled it away to find it wet with blood. She glanced across the room and saw that Cindy was there, she had put down her colouring book and was cautiously making her way towards Julie, she sat against the door with Julie and opened her arms for a hug, she happily accepted. So the two young girls sat there holding each other, one sobbing against the others shoulder and both trying to ignore the sounds echoing through the house from the living room.
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