AN: Thanks for all the reviews! I really do love reading them. This story is starting it's decent into darkness, just thought I'd warn you! Enjoy...
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The sun began to rise as Emily arrived home. She looked up at the lightening sky. If she wasn't still slightly drunk, she would have found the sight rather beautiful. A moment of beauty in the middle of a city suburb. She loved anything to do with the sun; when is rose and when it fell. But she'd found her appreciation for such things melt away as she made the decision to party enough to make up for Katie's inability to. She didn't mean to give up her usual hobbies and interests, but most days she found her mind telling her to go out. She'd lost control of the part of her that could say no.
"Fucking door," she squealed, rubbing her knee after a skin to wood collision. She looked around her bedroom, hoping to find Katie still fast asleep under her covers. But she wasn't, she was sat on the floor. Emily cursed under her breath, hoping that she wasn't to blame for waking her sister.
"Morning," Emily greeted her, smiling her sisters way.
When Emily realised that Katie wasn't responding to her greeting, she rushed to her side. Katie wasn't really sat, but more curled up against the side of the bed.
"Katie? Katie what's wrong?" Emily asked, tapping her sister's pale face.
"I don't know," Katie whispered, her voice barely there and her eyes rolling unnaturally.
"Katie?" Emily asked again, feeling her sister forehead, "You fucking idiot, you're burning up."
"Sorry," Katie sighed, closing her eyes.
"You will be if anything happens to you," Emily snapped, pulling out her mobile phone.
She was usually very careful not to make too much noise, especially when she came in from a night out. But it didn't matter at that moment as she searched through a box for a thermometer, whilst explaining Katie's situation to the emergency services.
"Where the fuck is your damn thermometer?" Emily snapped at Katie, throwing the medical box on the floor, "What is the point of having these things for you, if we cant even find them?"
"What in God's name is all this noise?" a sleepy voice came from the doorway, Emily turned around to see her mother standing there, before rushing to Katie's side, realising the drama.
"Where's her thermometer?" Emily asked, not caring to sound nice.
"James has a bad cold," she replied, before putting a hand to her mouth.
"Ten minutes?" Emily muttered into the phone, "Okay."
"Who was that?" Jenna questioned.
"Ambulance."
Jenna's arms wrapped around Emily's before she could react, "Oh you good girl."
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Sitting in a hospital waiting room had become normality. It was no more pleasant or enjoyable than when it was unfamiliar. Jenna flicked through a magazine with such haste that Emily knew she wasn't even reading it.
"Can I go now?" Emily asked, bored of waiting around.
"Your sister is in hospital, why would you want to leave?"
Emily rolled her eyes. It was an argument they had almost every time Katie had been there. Jenna thought they should show solidarity and make all the other families jealous. Emily thought she would rather be in a club getting off her face on alcohol and drugs.
"I'm going to the bathroom," Emily sighed, walking out of the room.
"Hurry back," came her mother's response.
But Emily wasn't going back. She wasn't even going to the bathroom. She was going outside, she was going as far away from the hospital and from the thought of Katie's illness as she possibly could, her phone pressed against her ear as she tried to call Naomi.
"Why the fuck won't you answer your phone?" Emily gasped into the handset.
She was frustrated and needed another night out. Naomi had said she'd be around, but she wasn't answering. Finally she gave up and dialled another number.
"I need something," Emily muttered as soon as Effy answered.
"What can I get you? Some more whizz, bit of MDMA?" Effy asked, a chuckle in her voice.
"I'm not fucking around Effy, this isn't to get me through a night out, I need something better than that."
"Charlie? Smack?"
"Anything."
"I don't do that stuff,"
"But you know someone who does?" Emily guessed.
"I might know a guy,"
"Hook me up,"
"Who thought sweet, little Emily Fitch would be sniffing with the big boys,"
"Just get me what I need, for fucks sake,"
"Patience is a virtue."
"I don't care about stupid phrases," Emily snapped, impatiently.
"I'll give you his number, be quicker that way, tell him I sent you."
"Thanks," Emily sighed, "I appreciate it."
"It costs a lot more Ems, watch yourself, its addictive."
Barely listening after gaining the phone number, Emily hung up. She wasn't in the mood for small talk or small drugs. She was ready to forget everything.
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The house was dark again. It seemed to be that way a lot recently. If they were saving money Naomi would have guessed her mum was playing it smart. But they barely had any money and Tony had said they only needed to pay for food.
"Where did you get that from?" Naomi asked, pointing to the vodka bottle in her mum's hand.
"Got my cash from the jobcentre," Gina muttered.
"What the fuck are you doing?" Naomi gasped, "That money has to last us two weeks, we can't afford alcohol."
"We'll be fine."
Naomi was anything but convinced. She shook her head in disapproval, then took the bottle out of her mum's hands.
"Give that back!"
"Not until you get your fucking act together," she shouted, "This isn't a game mum, this can fuck up our lives, I was supposed to go to university, how am I meant to do that when we have nothing?"
Gina started to laugh, "Don't be ridiculous,"
Naomi rolled her eyes, "Do you have any idea what you're doing?"
"We'll be fine, relax, take a drink," Gina smiled a drunken smile.
"You're fucking off your face in the middle of the day, you're pathetic, completely pathetic."
She couldn't stand being in the same house as her mother any more. She was sick of dealing with her mother like she was a child. She walked straight back out of the house and down the street, walking as fast as her feet could carry her. Only stopping when she saw a small park. She sat down on a wooden bench, tears building in her eyes. She didn't want to cry, she was sick of being on the verge of tears. So she unscrewed the vodka bottle and took a long mouthful. It burnt her throat, sizzling her skin as it travelled down. She hadn't had anything stronger than lager in weeks. It felt good to be out of the house, to be away from her troubles long enough to forget them. She laughed at the irony of telling her mother off for drinking in the middle of the day, when she had taken up the exact same act. If her mum was going to waste their money on alcohol, at least she could share the pleasure.
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AN: Thanks for reading...feel free to review!
