𝑇𝐻𝐸 𝑊𝐴𝐼𝑇𝑅𝐸𝑆𝑆-𝐴𝐿𝐸𝑋 𝑇𝑈𝑅𝑁𝐸𝑅

𝟐𝟐

𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐆𝐄𝐑 𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒:
𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐀𝐁𝐔𝐒𝐄 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐀𝐒𝐒𝐔𝐀𝐋𝐓, 𝐈𝐍 𝐖𝐇𝐈𝐂𝐇 𝐒𝐎𝐌𝐄 𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐖𝐄𝐑𝐒 𝐌𝐀𝐘 𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐃 𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐁𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐒𝐎 𝐃𝐎 𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐏𝐀𝐒𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄 "𝐅𝐋𝐀𝐒𝐇𝐁𝐀𝐂𝐊 𝐏𝐎𝐕" 𝐈𝐅 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐃 𝐈𝐓 𝐌𝐀𝐘 𝐌𝐀𝐊𝐄 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐔𝐍𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐀𝐁𝐋𝐄.

I was stood out on my balcony with Alex as we leant against the railings, I had a cigarette placed between my fingers that I puffed at every now and then and Alex had his dangling in his mouth as he watched the peaceful neighbourhood below us.

We'd drunk our tea downstairs in the kitchen and then Alex told me he'd sleep on the sofa, to which I completely insisted he didn't as it was really uncomfortable, I told him he could have my bed and I'd sleep on the sofa. But he said he didn't want to come into my house and 'Knick my bed aswell as my tea' that made me giggle slightly but then I admitted defeat and just suggested that we'd both share the bed. He agreed.

"Yer neighbourhoods so peaceful ya know" Alex said after we'd stood in a comfortable silence for about 3 minutes,
"It's lovely..I grew up here so I love it" I said as I took a drag from my cigarette then blew out the smoke into the fresh night air.

"Yer live 'ear on yer own?" Alex asked me liking over to me raising his eyebrows slightly.

"Oh umm no? I live here with my dad but he's never really here so I basically live do kinda alone...but my brother comes round every so often to see how I am and that" I said nodding my head slightly and taking another drag of my cigarette.

"If you don't mind me askin, why don't yer dad ever come 'ome?" Alex asked me furrowing his eyebrows gently and taking a deep drag of his cigarette, I watched as his lips gently wrapped around it and as he inhaled his jawline would tense and he cheekbones would show through..he looked..really good, it made me go all flustered watching him.

I snapped out of those thoughts as he's my friend and I shouldn't be thinking of him like that...

"Oh..umm..he goes to the pub a lot..and doesn't normally come home until really late or maybe he'll stay out at his mates or in a hotel or something.." I said eventually looking down at the railing and tracing a Circle on it with my finger. I never spoke about my family life with anyone really I'd only ever talk about my brother as he was the best thing in my family life..everything else was..well fucked.

"Oh, I'm sorry for askin I'll change tha subject don't worreh" Alex said as he clearly noticed my discomfort talking about my dad.

Talk to him Camille, you have found the greatest friend ever, why don't you just open up to him? It's best to get these things off of your chest, he's trustworthy Cami, talk to him...

"No no don't worry about it I..I need to talk about this to someone..so I hope you don't mind me talking about it to you?" I said slowly with an uncertain tone.

"No of course not you can tell me anything love.." Alex said reassuringly.

I smiled at him and took a big drag of my cigarette before I dropped it onto the balcony floor and crushed it with my slipper, I then picked it up and threw it into the ash tray on the table.

"My dad and I...have a tough relationship" I said leaning back on the railing and facing Alex. "...ever since my mum left when I was 15
My dad would be at the pub Every minute of every day and never saw a moment sober..." I looked up at Alex who was watching me carefully with concerned eyes and furrowed eyebrows.

"..There was one moment that sticks out from the rest and it was back 4 years ago when I was 16 and I'd just come home from school.."

CAMILLE FLASHBACK POV:

"Dad! Cal! I'm home!" I called out into the house as I took off my trainers and put my school bag onto the coat rack by the front door.

"Cami! How was school" Calvin said as he jogged over to me and placed a brief kiss on my forehead.

"Shit..it's school what do you think?" I said while laughing. He chuckled back and nodded in agreement as we both walked out into the kitchen to be greeted with our very drunk father...

"Camille...fucking Camille" my dad slurred whilst waving a bottle of cider at me and my brother. Calvin turned to me and furrowed his brows in confusion, I looked up at him and shrugged.

Cal and I turned around and went to go walk up the stairs but just as I turned a glass smashed right next to my head and it made me jump so much I screamed.

Calvin jumped down from the first stair and ran up to me with a worried look plastered on his face. I stood there shocked looking at the glass all over the floor and the cider splashed all up the wall. If I hadn't have moved that would've gone straight into my face.

"What the fuck dad!" Calvin shouted at him as my father stood there panting slightly and swaying on the spot.

"Cal don't..don't get him angry" I pleaded as I tugged on his arm.

"You almost hit her fucking face..You could've Killed her!" Calvin shouted raising his voice louder after each word. I felt my throat clench tight at my brothers voice and tears fill my eyes.

"Yeah? Well..she woulda Fuckin deserved it" my dad argued back waving his arm out and gritting his teeth.

I was at a loss for words, I'd seen my dad argue with Cal before but it wasn't like this, and my dad had NEVER spoken about me like that or at least attempted murder..

"Look at her...Cal..she's the reason your mother left...she's the reason your mother left you! Left us!" My dad shouted making me flinch and close my eyes tightly as tears began to roll down my cheeks.

"You only say that because you know that You're really the reason Mum left" my brother said sternly jabbing a finger at Dad. My dad stepped closer again, then next minute had grabbed Calvin by the collar of his shirt and pushed him up against the cider-covered wall.

"Get off of him!" I screamed as I smacked my dads shoulder and back hard and tried to rip his arm off Calvin.

He dropped Calvin harshly to the floor and turned to me and grabbed my face and looked me dead in the eye and said "I wish it were you that left and not Maria" before he threw my face to the side and left me gasping and clutching my cheek gently.

(Maria was my mother name)

I ran over to Calvin and helped him up he was okay and just kept asking if I was to which I said I was fine. My dad stood glaring at us before walking back over to the island bench to pour himself another drink.

Cal had his arm around me as we both stood shocked and petrified at our dads behaviour. He snapped his head up at us and then picked up his glass he was pouring whiskey into and launched it straight in my direction.

I reacted barely just in time and covered my face with my arm. But the glass had shattered all up my arm and as I looked down I felt dizzy at the sight of my bloodied arm with glass shards sticking out of it. I remember looking up at Cal and hearing him call my name and shake my shoulders slightly he looked so worried I felt so bad.

The world was spinning as I was losing a fair amount of blood from my arm and then the world just tipped over and everything went black...

END OF FLASHBACK.