SWEET GREEN EYES, alex turner

(4) september 2002

"get on your dancing shoes
you sexy little swine
hoping they're looking for you
sure you'll be rummaging through
and i said the shit, shock, horror
you've seen your future bride"

———

eleanor turned the sound of her earphones louder to drown out any 'household noise' coming from downstairs.

the blonde sat at her windowsill, one leg folded to rest on it as the other swung back and forth out the window. she held a lighter to the cigarette that sat between her lips and inhaled the smoke, the evening sun bathing her in a warm, orange glow.

usually she'd have somewhere to go or something to do besides lying about in that cramped, suffocating house but since the start of college her schedule had suddenly become bare. now consisting of lying on her cool white bedsheets and listening to music all day long.

goosebumps rose on the girls skin as the sun hid itself behind a cloud and she pulled her legs back into the room as she finished her cigarette and stubbed it out on the outside wall. then spraying a cheap body spray to hide any evidence of her smoking, not that it was uncommon in her household. it was just that because she was the youngest, and a girl, somehow it was looked down upon more.

suddenly her door opened, startling her and reminding her she needed a lock as no one in this family thought to knock before they barged in.

she pulled an earphone out to listen to whatever they had to say, wincing as the sound of shouting from the kitchen filled her ears. 

her older brother, gene, walked in and closed the door behind him. "have you got a cig? ive ran out." he asked in a hushed voice.

"fucks sake, gene. the corner shops only a few streets away." ellie replied, knowing she didn't have many left herself.

"aw come on, ellie." he pleaded with her and she huffed, throwing him one and then quickly stuffing the rest beneath her bed.

the door creaked open again to the girls second older brother, noah, who also happened to be the twin of gene.

"fucking hell, my room isn't a free for all."

noah ignored her and sent his twin a disappointed look upon seeing the cigarette in his hand. he was the most responsible sibling of the three, but mainly because he had the common sense not to pick up smoking and never drank too much.

gene's hands raised in defense, "don't look all disappointed at me. she gave me it." he then moved to ellie's window, leaning his elbows on the frame as he lit his cigarette and smoked out the window.

noah made himself comfy on her unmade bed, neither of the brothers having any plans to leave soon.

the girl couldn't bring herself to blame them though. they were trying to escape from the reoccurring argument that was currently being thrown about downstairs between their parents. it was almost tradition for the three of them to huddle up into one room when this happened. like an unspoken need for comfort.

a slam of the door signalled the end of the shouting.

gene quickly stubbed out his cigarette and closed the window, moving away from it in hopes of not being seen. "he's gone." the tall boy confirmed.

things in the house were much more peaceful when their father wasn't around to complain about something and blame anyone but himself on it. most people in high green knew who richard knowles was. to put it simply: a scumbag.

luckily, he was out most mights in his ford mondeo doing god knows what. the three had unwillingly seen him about or bumped into him multiple times when they'd been out on a night and regretted going out in the first place whenever they did.