Fiona put a plate of eggs and toast in front of me. "So Ian you have ROTC after school? Debbie debate club? Carl detention?" she said as she sat next to me. Ian nodded as he shovelled eggs into his mouth. "Have they given you a gun yet?" Carl asked with a big grin on his face. "You haven't listened to my debate yet" Debbie said, I assume to Fiona as no one else cared. "We don't get guns to take home" Ian told Carl. "But you get to play with them?" I asked. "Sorry Debbie, maybe Carl and Lucy will listen on their way to school" Fiona said. "When I get promoted, I will" Ian said, answering my question. "I'm not listening to boring shit" Carl said. "Then you got to teach me" I told Ian. "Carl language and no guns, Carl, Lucy? You hear me?" Fiona said. "Like they would know if it was good anyway" Debbie whined. "I'm sorry Debbie, I just haven't had time. Where's Lip?" Fi said. "Yeah you spent it all with Lucy" Debbie said and left the table. "He has already left" Ian said as he got up too. "Will he be around after school someone needs to look after Lucy, I've got work at the salon" Fi told him. "I can look after myself" I told her. "Yeah right, you're still a little kid" Debbie said from the kitchen. I stuck my tongue out at her, chewed up eggs fell out of my mouth and into my lap. Fi sighed and picked it off my lap. "Eat and keep your mouth closed" she told me. "Can you take her to debate club with you?" Fi asked Debbie. "No way, that's the most boringest thing ever" I said. Debbie was protesting too. "Ok, ok. Ummm… can you go to the basketball courts and hang out with Kev then Lucy?" "Ok, can you pack me extra food? I'll get hungry" I said. "We don't have any extra, I'll meet you there and we can go shopping ok?" I nodded as I ate my toast. "Of course, she gets to spend even more time with you. I never get too" Debbie grumbled as she grabbed her bagged lunch and stomped into the lounge room. "Debbie" Fiona sighed and followed her. Carl and I continued to eat our breakfast.
"I had no choice!" I yelled at Preenie; she kept shoving me. "Traitor! We were so close!" She yelled. "No we weren't, it wasn't going to work" I told her and I tried to move away from her but she just kept rushing me and pushing me. I shoved her back and she stumbled then fell down. "I'll show you, I'll make my own nest" she yelled. "No. Don't. Your mom will hate it. Just drop it Preenie" I said "No! I want a bird to love me" she screamed and picked herself off the ground then stormed off.
Kev was playing basketball with some guys at the courts. I ran into the middle of their game and grabbed the ball. They all sighed. "Kev, control your kid" one of them said. I chucked the ball at him. "You're just upset a girl got the ball when you couldn't" I told him. "You sure about that?" he said with a smile and started bouncing the ball around in front of me. I tried to grab it but he was moving it around to fast. Kev cut in front of me and grabbed the ball "quick get to the hoop" he told me. I ran as fast as I could to the end of the court, Kev dribbled next to me. He passed me the ball as one of the other guys picked me up and put me right next to the hoop, I chuckled the ball in. "Two points!" one of them yelled out. I stuck my arms up in the air as I was lowered to the ground. Everyone clapped and slapped hands then headed over to their stuff.
"Hey losers!" I yelled out as I walked over to Kevs team. A couple of them looked at me then shook their heads. "You running water again?" Malik asked me. "No way, not after that mess on Tuesday" I said. "Enough Luce, guys go warm up" Kev yelled at them. "You are such a shit stirrer, kid" he mumbled as he grabbed his drink bottle of the ground.
I grabbed Kevs hand again and put my feet on his legs then started to climb up. He ignored me. I pushed off and hang upside down from his arm. I spotted Fi and V approaching and flipped over and let go of Kevs hands so I ended up on the ground. I picked myself up and ran over to Fi and V. "Are you annoying Kev again?" Fi asked "I'm hungry, do you have any food?" I asked her as I tried to stick my hands into her bag. "Lucy, don't!" Fiona sternly told me and grabbed me by the wrist. I tried to free myself but Fi turned me around then let go. V slapped me on my arse "stop being a shit" she told me then grabbed my hand. I sulked as we walked over to Kev.
"Hello family, and neighbours" dad said from behind us. I quickly turned around and jumped into his arms. "Dad!" I said as he shuffled me over to his hip. "Want to have some fun?" he asked. "Yes" I eagerly replied. "No crimes dad" Fi said. "Who said that's what we were going to do?" Frank said with a gasp. Fi just rolled her eyes at dad. "I'm going out with Conner tonight, Ian will be home ok?" She told me and squeezed my leg. I nodded.
"Daddy! I lost it. I lost the money!" I yelled and started crying. "Oh no look around maybe you dropped it. Excuse me, sorry. Just. Thank you" dad said as he weaved in and out of people, I trailed behind him. "It's not here. I'm sorry. We won't be able to get mommy a present. She never gets presents. I'm so sorry" I wailed, tears streamed down my cheeks. Dad knelt in front of me and wiped away the tears. "Shh sweetie, these nice people don't want to hear you cry. Shhh" he said. "But mommy needs a present, she's been so sick. It will make her feel better" I sobbed. "I know, it would but I don't have anymore money. Maybe we can pick her some flowers instead?" Frank said and picked me up. "There's no flowers anymore either. I ruined everything" I said as I buried my head in Franks shoulder. The train started slowing down. "Let's get off here and walk the rest of the way. We don't want to disturb these people anymore" dad said. I sobbed loudly. I noticed a couple of the people nearby reaching into their pockets and bags. As the doors opened a few people handed money to dad. In the platform even more people gave him money. Dad thanked them all and made a show off it. I stopped crying and smiled at a few people. We went down the stairs and broke off from the crowd. I wiped my nose on my sleeve and smiled up at dad. "That was brilliant my little prodigy" Frank said and gave me a high five. "Did you manage to get extra too?" he asked. I pulled some notes out of my pants and gave them to him. "Jesus Christ. $150 and we haven't even started begging!" he said and swung me around. I laughed then hugged him. "Let's stop at the bottle shop first" dad said. "Can I get something to eat?" I asked. "Umm…" he looked at the money for a bit. "Let's see what the shop has" he mumbled. "Candy?" I asked and grabbed his hand.
"Daddy, I'm hungry" I said as I laid my head on the bar. "You had those candy bars" dad said and he drank his whiskey. He put his glass down and slapped the bar. "Can you pay for it Frank?" Kev asked as he walked over. "What kind of question is that for a loyal customer?" dad said. Kev just looked at him. "Fine, I'll have you know I had a very lucrative afternoon" Frank said and put a pile of bills on the bar. Kev counted the money. "Well after you pay off your tab you're left with $20" Kev said. "What? That's robbery" dad said and got off his stool and paced around for a bit. "Lucy, what you got?" he asked me. "You said that was my money" I complained. "Yeah well family shares, hand it over" dad said. I gave him my money. "Double whiskey and a beer Kev. Get a coke for the kid too. See Lucy, your old man spoils you too" dad said.
"Stop whining and go entertain yourself, there's a duke box over there. Play with that" Dad said and ordered another beer. I went over and pressed the buttons but nothing happened, I read what was written on it. "You need money" I yelled out. "Well I don't have any change" dad replied then got off his stool. I watched him go over to a couple of chicks in one of the booths. I knew he had coins in his pocket so I went over to him and stuck my hand in his pocket. He grabbed my wrist and yelled "what the hell!". "Frank!" Kev yelled from the bar. "You scared me" dad said as he let go of my arm. "Go sit at the bar and finish your drink, stop being so annoying" he told me. "Fi is on her way" Kev told me as I climbed onto the stool.
"She gets to go on a date with you too?" Debbie yelled as she pushed past us and headed upstairs. "Debbie!" Fi said and followed her. "Can someone feed Lucy please" she yelled out. Conner went and sat next to Ian on the couch. Lip got up and went into the kitchen I followed him.
"What the hell? Get out of here!" I heard dad yell. The light was turned on. He was standing next to the bed with one of the chicks from the bar, she had her top off and he was only in his underwear. "Get out!" he yelled again. I scrambled off the bed and headed for the door. "Don't yell at her!" Lip yelled from the hallway. I went over and stood next to him. "Yeah right, gang up on me as always" dad said and slammed the door. Lip sighed and rubbed his eyes. "Come on, you can sleep with me tonight" he said. "On the top?" I asked, Debbie never let me sleep on the top bed. "Yep" lip said. I ran to his bed and climbed the ladder, he followed. I laid next to the rail and dangled my arm and leg through it. Lip settled down next to me and put the covers over us both. I banged up against the rail. "Don't it might break" he whispered to me. "It would be better without it" I told him. "Go to sleep" he told me. I rolled onto my stomach and closed my eyes. I could hear yelling and moaning. "What's that?" I asked Lip. "You don't want to know. Here, I think I've got some ear plugs" he said as he reached up to the shelf above his bed. He put them in my ears and rested his hand on my back. "What about you?" I asked and put my hand over his ear. He moved his handed over my hand and closed his eyes.