Chapter 2

Phil's POV

The bell sounded for the end of the day. I'd survived fairly unnoticed and managed to avoid the brown haired boy in my form, Dan I think it was. I couldn't avoid him forever, I'd have to see him tomorrow in the morning. He was a lot taller that I thought he was going to be when he stood up for the first lesson however I didn't see much more than that as I ran straight out the room to find my first class. I walked home quickly, it was about half an hour away if I walked quickly and I wouldn't want dad to get annoyed with me for being too late home. It was like treading on eggshells with him, one day he will be really supportive but one wrong move and his temper goes through the roof.

When I opened the door I saw him lying on the sofa, asleep. I snuck upstairs and dropped my bag off, making as little noise as possible, and returned downstairs into the kitchen to clean up the mess dad had left the night before. I hated it when he drank, but there never seemed like a moment when he wasn't drinking anymore. The kitchen was a state, beer bottles, glass, and – wait it wasn't was it- nope, definitely sick. Great, that meant getting the bleach out. After an hour, the downstairs looked almost like new aside from the living room floor which couldn't be hovered with dad sleeping on the sofa. I heard him stirring however and shortly his groans came through.

'Phiiiiil, what are you doing?' he said.

I responded nervously, hoping he was in a good mood 'just clearing up, you okay in there? Want anything?'

'Hmm,' came the tired reply 'yeah, pass the water and paracetamol. My head is killing. And put some dinner on.'

I was in luck, he seemed to be in a good mood. I grabbed him what he needed and went into the living room. 'There you go, we don't have anything in the house. Do you want me to go shopping or order a takeaway?'

Dad looked at me 'You choose, there's some money in the pot. Don't be too long. I'm not eating.' He drank the water and shut his eyes again. Maybe I'd assumed wrong, this was usually how a bad night started.

I ran up to my room, changed into my Pokémon t-shirt, jeans and favourite vans. I caught a glimpse of my arms I the mirror before I left. 'Shit' I though, almost forgot to grab a jacket. I couldn't let dad see the scars, he's flip out big time. I left the house still undecided on what to eat.

Dan's POV

I shut the door behind Claire as she sped into the house and up into her room to play with her toys, a giggle in her voice. I always picked her up from school because mum worked late. I went up to my room and slumped on the bed thinking about the day. I couldn't get the new boy, Phil, out of my mind. Those bright blue eyes were burning holes in it. Thoughts were flying around my brain from the day that had just passed. New boy. Forgotten homework. Detention. Fight. Bullies. Fag. Scars. The thoughts were driving me insane so I turned my music on switching on Muse: Symmetry. The music was so loud I didn't notice mum come into the room shouting at me to turn it down.

'Hello to you too' I retorted.

'I would be polite if you didn't have that bloody racket booming around the house.' She said walking out the room. 'Dinner will be ready in half an hour, you should come down and help.'

'Yeah, I will.' I said this, knowing that I'd be walking down the stairs in half an hour having done nothing at all. Well, that's what a little sister is for! 'CLAIRE!'

She skipped into the room, 'yes Dan?'

'Would you mind helping mum with dinner? Pleeeease?' I begged.

'But I always do it' she moaned back.

'I'll buy you that magazine that you wanted?'

'Okay! Thanks Dan!'

It was so easy to bribe an 8 year old. Anyway, I was determined to spend as little time with mum before she forced us to have 'family time'. It was always the worst time of the week. We would have to sit in the living room and David, my dad, would come round and we'd talk about what we did during the day and maybe watch a programme. That was if it didn't end in an argument, which was very frequent. I don't know why she still bothered with him and with the stupid idea. My thoughts were interrupted once more by Mum calling up the stairs

'DAN GET DOWN HERE NOW AND STOP BRIBING YOUR SISTER!'

Fuck sake.

Okay, so how do you think it's going? I'm starting to get a bit of character development into this. Next chapter will be the same night, and what happens at family night and when Phil gets home. Hope you're enjoying it! Thank you to Its-real-to-us for the review, gives me confidence to keep writing!