"Lucy knock it off" Debbie whined from the couch we're she was reading over her homework. "7,8.." I continued. "Fiona, Lucy's stepping on daddy," Debbie yelled. Fi came out of the kitchen to see what was going on "he isn't even awake. Damn, I lost count. I'll have to start again. 1,2 …" frank shifted slightly, as I tried to step on his side again he rolled over to his back "shut the fuck up," he yelled but didn't open his eyes, it looked like he had fallen asleep again. I smirked at Debbie and jumped onto Franks stomach, he sat up and tried to grab me. "Piss off you little shit" I ran into kitchen, frank still didn't have it in him to actually move. "I told her to stop daddy" Debbie said "beat the crap out of her for me Debbie" Frank said. I laughed "as if." Debbie came running towards me. I ran up the stairs and down the other ones. I jumped over Frank who was laying down again, I felt something grab my ankle and I fell onto the ground, hitting my chin and cutting my lip. I rolled over just as Debbie sat on top of me. She raised her fist "don't you dare Debbie." Fiona yelled. Debbie stopped and got off me "we don't need these ingrates, lets get out of here" Frank said as he peeled himself of the ground. Debbie helped him as he stumbled out of the house. Fiona helped me up. "You're getting blood everywhere Lucy"
She lifted me up so I could sit on the bench and gave me a towel to put against my lip. "Are you ok?" She asked while pushing back my hair. I shrugged, "sure". "Ok let me have a look" she moved the towel, "you got a hole in your lip" she said as she put the towel back "it's bleeding like crazy. Let's go find V"
V was in her room, top off, folding laundry. "Just a sec let me finish this" she said when she saw us. A few minutes later she was done. "What happened?" She asked as she put her bra back on. Fi removed the towel from my lip. "Jesus" V grabbed my lip and pulled it down "she's chipped her tooth too" Fi looked in my mouth "great, as if we can afford the dentist" "it's just a baby one it shouldn't matter" "I want to see" I said and run into the bathroom "cool, can I stick something in the hole like a piercing?" "No!" They both said.
Fiona walked me into school. V had glued the hole up and I had been told not to open it or I would be in big trouble. We went to Debbie's classroom and I peaked through the door. "She's there" I told Fiona, she sighed with relief. "Great, let's get you signed in and I can get home and clean" Fi said as she grabbed my hand and lead me to the front desk.
I paid for the groceries and headed outside, Lee was waiting for me. "Chocolate?" I said as I handed him one from my pocket. "Thanks" he said as he took it. He walked with me to Mrs Beauforts then left. "Mrs Beaufort!" I yelled out as I let myself in. "Lucy?!" A muffled voice said. I went over to her seat, "I think I was having a little nap" she told me. "Sounds nice" I said and headed into the kitchen. "I got you some groceries, bread, milk, tomatoes, cereal and some pasta. Do you want a sandwich?" I asked. "Yes please my dear" she said. I made a tomato sandwich for her and put it on the side table. "Let's start with some etudes today, I've made a list of what I want you to do" she said and handed me a notepad, her writing was messy but I could make out the numbers she had written.
I noticed Lee was waiting out the front so I said my goodbyes to Mrs Beaufort and ran to join him. "Big W is leaving, we got to go say goodbye" he told me, I jumped on the back of his bike and we made our way down to her place. Jav and Cue soon joined us. The house next to hers was even busier then normal, a car playing loud music pulled up just as we arrived at Big W. 4 guys climbed out, all wore a lot of jewellery and clearly had guns in their pockets. They glared at us as they walked into the house. Lee carried his bike up to the porch and we knock on the door.
We weren't allowed inside and the neighbours soon told us to piss off so we headed to the vacant house at the end of the street. We spotted Dan and Ras on the way. A couple of beers were passed among us and a few smokes. "Gamma is sick, mom needs to go look after her so we going to Florida" Big W explained. Everyone was quiet for a bit. "That's cool, it's meant to be always sunny down there" I said. "Yeah, can work on my tan, get even blacker" Big W joked. "You can swim in the ocean. Like the proper ocean not just a lake" Lee said. "They have alligators too" Ras added. "You're going to have heaps of fun" I told her. "I'll have to make new friends though, I hate doing that" she said. "You had no trouble making friends with us" Dan said. "And us" Jav added. "Yeah, you guys are great" she said and finished off the last of the beer then chucked the bottle into the bush next to the house. "I got to go, mamma probably all ready to go. Here write your number or emails in here. I'll send photos and shit" she said and pulled out a piece of paper and a pen from her pocket. I wrote down the family email. We then said our goodbyes, "I'll miss you" I told her and we hugged. Jav wanted to talk to her alone so we waited at the corner and made plans with Ras and Dan for the weekend.
The house was dark, I could hear Liam grizzling upstairs but nothing else. As I walked up the stairs I remembered Fiona was going out tonight and that Carl was staying at a friends house. None of the bedroom lights were on either. I went into my room and turned the light on, Liam was just sitting in his cot crying. I patted his head and tried to settle him. "Debbie?" I said but there was no answer. I climbed up the ladder and saw her laying in her bed, the covers pulled up over her head. "Hey, what's going on? Why you letting Liam cry?" I said and hit the bed. She pulled up her feet but didn't say anything. I climbed down the stairs and got Liam out of the cot and went into the boys rooms. No one was there. I checked Fiona's room and Franks just incase they had decided to sleep there instead but they were empty as well.
I checked Liam's diaper and tried to give him a bottle but he wouldn't stop crying. I went back to Debbie, "he won't stop crying, can you help?" I asked her as I stood on my bed and peeked over the side of her bed. She didn't replied. I reached over and tried to shake her but she whipped out her arm and pushed me away. I slipped off my bed and fell onto the ground. "Debbie!" I yelled. "Go away!" She yelled back. I gave up on her and went back to Liam who was in the cot downstairs still crying. I tried singing to him and rocking him but he wouldn't stop crying. I decided I needed to call Fiona and tried to find the phone, I got more and more panicked when I couldn't find it. I checked all the rooms, between the cushions on the couch even in all the draws. "Debbie, I can't find the phone. Liam is still crying, somethings wrong with him" I said. Debbie screamed "fuck off!". I went back to Liam, his face looked red and he felt hot. Maybe he was sick? I ran up the stairs and into the bathroom looking for some medicine, I had seen Fiona give it to him heaps of times but the bottle wasn't in the normal spot. I searched her room for it and the kitchen but it wasn't there either. I grabbed Liam and rocked him back and forward. I was starting to feel scared, he just kept crying and crying. I cried a bit too but realised it wouldn't help and I needed to find help. I put him back in the cot again and ran over to V and Kevs. Their door was locked and no lights were on. I banged on it and yelled but no one answered.
"Debbie please help me" I yelled again, it was through the door this time. She had put something against it while I was looking for V so I couldn't get in. Liam was still crying, it had been going on for so long now and nothing would make him stop. No one else was home and I couldn't find the phone, Debbie wouldn't help. I had to go find help. I slapped the door and yelled at Debbie one more time than I ran downstairs and grabbed my coat and put Liam in his. He wouldn't sit in the stroller, so I just held him and headed outside. The only place I could think of to go was the alibi, Kev should be there.
Liam was heavy and would squirm randomly, a couple of times he would slip down. My heart was pounding, and my arms were shaking. Liam continued to cry, my ears and head buzzed with the noise. Eventually I reached the right street. A couple of buildings away from the bar a car drove past then reversed again, pulling up next to me "what are you doing out here little one?" some guy said as he rolled down the window, I didn't know who he was but I recognised the guy in the other seat. "Hi Nelly" I said, he was a friends cousin. "Oh shit, I know you, you one of Cues friends yeah? Where you going?" "Just there" I said and pointed to the Alibi "fucking kids, walking the streets at night" some other guy muttered and they drove off. I pulled Liam back up and finally got to the bar.
The door was heavy and my arms were so tired, I felt like crying. Frank sat at the bar and Kev was behind it. "Lucy? What are you doing here?" Kev said clearly concerned "Liam won't stopped crying and no one's home". "Frank, going to look after your kid?" Tommy asked, frank just grunted and continued to drink. "Come with me" Kev said and grabbed Liam off me "did you call Fiona?" He asked as we headed out the back "I can't find the phone" "Jesus and everyone just left you and Liam at home?" "Debbie's home but she just keeps yelling at me and shut herself in our room. He has been crying for hours" Kev ran his fingers through his hair. "I'll call Fi, wait here" he told me.
Kev came back after a few minutes with a drink. "Fi and V are on their way" I gave him a weak smile. Liam was still crying. Kev sat next to me for a bit until someone from the bar called out to him. There was a bit of yelling but it didn't last long.
Fiona was upset, "how could this happen?! How could Ian and Lip not make sure someone was home." "Come on, let's get them home" V said. They had got some medicine for Liam but he was still crying. On the walk home Liam finally stopped. V left us when we got home. Fiona passed me Liam once we got up the stairs "go sleep on my bed, I'll check on Debbie" she whispered. I heard her knocking on the door and yelling out to Debbie as I laid Liam down, he didn't wake up. I touched his cheek, he seemed ok now. I just watched him sleep until Fiona come into the room. She took her clothes off and hopped into bed too. "I'm sorry Lucy" she whispered to me as she touched my shoulder "Is Liam going to be ok?" I asked. "Yeah, V thinks he has a sore throat but the medicine will help him" "we didn't have any medicine" "I know, I forgot to get more. I'm sorry" she said again and pulled me into her. "I was so scared" I whispered "I know" She reached over and grabbed my hand which was holding Liam's. "When I was around your age, we were living in a car. Frank made me, Ian and lip get out and wait for him on the curb in the middle of the night. Ian was screaming and burning up, nothing I did made him stop, I had no one to help me so I took him to the hospital. I was so scared, and alone, and helpless" Fi whispered. "I'm sorry I put you in a similar situation" I could tell she was trying not to cry. "That's not really the same" I told her. She sniffed and squeezed my hand.
I woke to yelling downstairs, I was in the bed alone. I went downstairs to see what the noise was about "I thought Ian was here, it's not just my fucking responsibility Fiona" Lip yelled "You knew I wasn't going to be here, I told everyone. Why is it always my plans that get ruined. I need help sometimes too Lip" Fiona yelled back "fuck this fucking family…" Lip said but had stopped yelling. "Lucy, hey" Fi said when she noticed I was there, Lip span around and walked over to me. "Hey Luce, I'm sorry about last night" he said and scruffed up my hair. I shrugged, "that's ok". "Want some breakfast?" Fiona asked.
"So we have no phone now?" Ian asked. Lip had just gone through what happened and said that Debbie had taken the phone to school to show off to some girls and they had taken it from her. "We might be able to find another one" Lip said and smiled. Ian smiled too "maybe downtown? Get a nice one" he said.