Love Bites

Shattered lives

The day had dawned bright and clear, birds chirped in the trees and crickets clicked in the tall grass behind the house. The air was already warm and the day promised more heat from it's beautiful clear blue skies.

"Tasha!" A voice called from the patio "Tasha!" A long drawn out version of her name. Tasha rolled her eyes and slowly made her way down the stairs and out into the glorious sunshine.

She squinted in the brightness, why did her parents insist on making her get up so early in the school holidays? "Yeah? What?" But it wasn't her mother that had called her.

"Mum says you have to look after me today," Alice, Tasha's little sister told her triumphantly. Tasha pouted; at fourteen she did not want to get stuck with her annoying little sister. Alice was seven years old, small for her age with bright green eyes and curly blonde hair that their mum called "unruly". She had been premature by eight weeks, weighed only three pounds but had clung to life defiantly, despite what the doctors had warned them. Their mum, understandably, had babied her ever since, meaning Alice was a real drag on Tasha's summer holiday.

"What!" Tasha exclaimed incredulously "No f'ing way!"

"Natasha Simone Gionetti!" Her mum scolded as she stepped out onto the patio. Tasha cringed inwardly but plastered a look of innocence on her face "Don't give me that look young lady! I heard you. You will do as you're told, or you'll find yourself grounded for the rest of the summer holidays. Your Dad is fishing till tomorrow and work need me to go in today, meaning you need to look after Alice. I'll be back about 6pm."

Tasha smiled sweetly at her mother, then scowled at Alice when she turned her back. Kissing them both on the cheek she left for work with her parting words of "Be good both of you." ringing in their ears. Tasha waved as her mother drove away, as soon as the brake lights of her car turned the corner and out of sight she rounded on her sister.

"Right, I'm meeting my mates at the quarry. You'll have to come but if you say a word I'll make your life hell, understand?" Alice nodded slowly, chewing the inside of her cheek the way she always did when she was about to cry. "And don't act like a baby and embarrass me!"

The quarry hide out only took five minutes to get to from the access road, but it was far enough away from civilisation that they could do what they wanted. It was the perfect place; isolated, vast and best of all adult free. It was their playground and no-one could spoil it for them.

"Hey Tasha!" Kyle Millner called out to her as she approached. He waved jovially and the boyish grin he flashed her made her go weak at the knees.

"Hey," she replied flashing what she hoped was her own dazzling smile back at him. Behind her Alice stumbled on the rocky ground and tripped, flying forward and bumping into Tasha nearly sending her sprawling too.

"Watch it brat!" Tasha scolded her sister "I had to bring her, mum's working, again," she grumbled to Kyle.

"Great, baggage!" Claire said snidely, coming out from the rocky outcrop they used as shelter.

"I know, I know!" Tasha held up her hands in surrender, "but I couldn't exactly leave her at home could I?!" Tasha's anger flared, Claire could be a bitch sometimes. Besides nobody could take the piss out of her sister but her, that was just the way it worked. Claire, just shrugged but Kyle beckoned them both forward.

"Hey mini Gionetti," he smiled at Alice and she smiled weakly back, standing half hidden behind Tasha.

"Luke and Marnie will be here soon, they're bring the booze," Claire said happily, sitting down and picking at handfuls of gravel in front of her. Alice's eyes widened at the word booze and sensing the impending issue Tasha turned to her sister and smiled sweetly.