Rehabilitation

52

Back at community service, we were doing litter picking. Nathan texted me about an hour after I left the bar.

Nathan: Jamie got arrested, I'm at the police station so I won't be back for a while. Cover for me?

Me: Fine, but you owe me, again!

He sent back a smiley face. We weren't being supervised because the probation worker had taken the day off. He hadn't told us what he was doing but just said he had better things to be doing. So, since there was no point staying and patrolling the streets picking up litter, I decided to go down to the station. It hadn't been that long since Nathan had texted and I figured he'd still be there.

I walked into the station and along the corridor searching for Nathan. He was sitting on one of the chairs next to this man who I assumed was his dad. I was about to walk over when I saw that Nathan was shouting.

"You know what? He's better off not knowing you! I wish! I wish I was him!"

His dad stood up and looked like he was going to say something but all he did was shake his head and turn away.

"Where are you going?" Nathan called after him, "That's right, Dad. Walk away with your tiny little legs, you fucking midget!"

His dad walked right past me down the hall and as Nathan watched him walk away his eyes landed on me. I took a deep breath before walking over to him and slowly lowering myself onto the seat beside him.

"What happened?" I asked.

Nathan sighed, "Jamie kidnapped dad. Locked him in his boot." Nathan chuckled sadly, "Then the car got stolen."

"Shit, is he pissed?"

"Very, but the twat deserves it. My eighth birthday, right, he's supposed to be taking me out for the day, so he takes me to Ikea and he buys so much of that flat-pack furniture, that there's no room for me in the car, so he leaves me there for three hours! Then some guy with a beard sees me hanging around and buys me lunch. I spent my eighth birthday eating Swedish meatballs with a known pedophile!"

"Did he come back for you?"

"Yeah, he got back just as we were finishing our ice cream, but that sick pervert cared more about me than Dad ever did. He would've taken me to the zoo."

I smiled weakly. "I'm sorry, Nathan."

"I just wish he would...fuck off. Bad stuff always happens when I see him." He sighed, "I'm sorry, I know your dad..."

I hadn't even been thinking about that, it felt like an entirely different situation, "No, it's fine, I get it."

Nathan gave me a sorrowful smile just as the door in front of us opened. Jamie walked out and me and Nathan stood up.

"They're letting me go since Dads not pressing charges. Where is he?" Jamie asked.

"He left," Nathan said.

Jamie's expression saddened and he took a distressed sigh. "Oh."

"Don't worry about him, ok," Nathan said and I was surprised at how quickly his manner had changed. I guess he was used to his Dad acting this way and didn't let it get to him. "We're going out later, we'll party so hard, Dad'll wish he could hang out with us!"

Jamie smiled a little, "Yeah, you're right." I gave Jamie a reassuring smile.

"We better go back to community service," I said to Nathan. With our luck the probation worker would turn up and report us for not showing up.

"Oh yeah, right. We'll see you later then."

~~~

When we got back to the community center Nathan was telling them about later, "We're going out later. You coming?" Nathan asked us all, "I'm bringing my little brother. We are going to be knee-deep in pussy!"

"You ain't getting a sniff," Kelly laughed.

"Hang on! What's this?" Nathan said, grabbing a piece of paper out of his pocket. "It's a phone number of a beautiful girl. I think someone's getting laid!"

I tried to keep my expression neutral. Of course I was jealous. He was bragging about some girl and I couldn't help but picture him with her. How could he be so casual about it when not 24 hours ago his hands had been all over me.

"How did you manage that," I laughed, trying to hide my feelings.

"With my wit and charm of course." Nathan shot back.

I stared at him blankly, "I still don't get it."

"Oh shut up, I got you didn't I," He smirked.

I pulled my hand up to my lips and started to bite the skin around my nails. It was a habit I had when I was stressed or had something on my mind. I thought I saw Nathan frown but he shook it off and turned back to the others. "So you coming?"

"Yeah," they all mumbled and then went back to litter picking.