poison - lrh

three

Cameron didn't usually read old books, or classics. She stuck to newer novels, but mainly plays. As a curious girl who spent most of her time in theatre rehearsals, it was only natural for her to become more attached to lines of script than endless descriptions. 

But this was different, this was an old book set in the 50s, and Cameron wasn't reading it for pleasure, but for information, and most importantly, inspiration. The library slip was stuck on the inside of the hardback green cover, only 2 other people ever borrowing it. Her notepad sat at her feet, scrawled with almost finished notes for her new idea. For the last few days she had been scrolling through websites, pouring over books and visiting the library too many times to get the feel of how she was going to put it all together.

Her phone buzzed. She collapsed onto the bed, lying back, phone in hand. It was from Adrian. She opened messages and found 15 notifications from Agatha. What did she want now, she thought. She clicked on Adrian's name a message popped up.

have u spoken to mum lately

Cameron bit her lip. She hadn't heard from her brother in a week - since Agatha had decided to flat share. She pressed the call button and heard it ring once, twice, three times. Impatient, she heard the familiar message. The number you have called is not available right now. Please try again later. She threw her notebook across the room, and tossed the more fragile library book to one side. She rung again, crossing her fingers this time. No answer.

The afternoon passed quickly and without a call from Adrian. Cameron cursed under her breath, glad that Jessica was picking Ace up instead of her. She didn't bother to pull on the hoodie hanging on her door, simply taking her wallet which had her bus pass, then locking the door behind her.

Walking to the bus stop, she checked her phone for any messages she might have missed from her brother. She saw an old missed call from her dad, and a number of texts from the group chat she and her college friends shared. It was a warm afternoon, and the trees lining the avenue barely moved. The sky was balmy and the wind was calm - Cameron on the other hand, was not.

Hastily getting on to the bus, she sighed. Adrian had never been a 'good kid'. Cameron wasn't the smartest or necessarily the best behaved at school, but her younger, cheekier brother was miles away from the ideal student. Cameron remembered Adrian being and excitable boy, eager and naughty at times, but funny and an awful lot like Ace at others.

Her eyes lingered on a street to the left as the bus drove through the neighbourhood's streets. There was a park back there before, nestled between old fashioned terraced houses, where they used to go and play on the swings. They park closed, replaced by another block of flats before Cameron started middle school. Adrian changed too. Rough friends and bad situations meant he started going off the radar, bunking off and failing exams, all the while straying further and further away from his sister and the somewhat comfortable suburban home.

The bus shuddered to a halt, and Cameron swung her way around the seats, getting off at a place that was as familiar as her mom's best empanadas. Except it was less welcoming and delicious smelling as her favourite food.

The fences around front yards that had been more uniform and freshly painted when Cameron was small, were now older and more grey than they should have been. Cameron walked slowly, not quite reluctant to go to her mom's house, but not in a hurry either. She stopped and stared at the small house that used to be her house. There was an ugly display of bright orange spray paint on the door, and Cameron swallowed. She thought of a group of hooded teenagers hanging around, spraying their tags all over the neighbourhood, and she couldn't help but picture Adrian alongside them, laughing, smoking. She walked on, shaking off the thought, walking faster as if it would help erase the picture from her mind.