Resilience - Ackley Bridge Fic

Chapter 3

After the final bell rang, signalling the end of the school day, Dyln gathered her books and headed home. As she walked through her neighbourhood, she couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. The thought of what awaited her at home had a way of casting a shadow over everything else.

When Dyln entered the small, dimly lit living room, her uncle Rob was sitting on the worn-out sofa with a beer in one hand and a cigarette in the other. The flickering light from the television cast an eerie glow on his face. His eyes were glued to the screen, and he barely acknowledged Dyln's presence.

"Hey, " Dyln greeted tentatively.

Rob took a long drag from his cigarette and exhaled a cloud of smoke before finally tearing his gaze away from the TV. 

"Parcel in there. Needs droppin' off at Claremont." Rob lazily gestured toward the bread bin on the kitchen counter. 

Dyln's eyebrows furrowed. She knew what that meant. "You borrowed more money from Darren?"

Rob's eyes flashed with irritation, and he turned his attention back to Dyln, his expression darkening. "Ay, don't you judge me," he retorted. "I'm the one puttin' a roof over your head and looking after you, like."

Dyln clenched her jaw, her frustration building. "Yeah, really looking after me," she mumbled under her breath.

Rob's temper flared, and he stood up abruptly, his beer sloshing in his hand. He backhanded Dyln across the face, the force of the blow sending her stumbling back.

"Watch your mouth," he growled, his tone menacing. "Now, I won't ask you again. Shift."

Dyln's cheek stung, and she held back tears of anger and frustration. She knew better than to argue further. She simply nodded and turned to retrieve the parcel from the bread bin. Her uncle had a strange habit of hiding things there, referring to it as the "bread earner."

As Dyln left the apartment with the parcel in her backpack, she grabbed her beaten-up BMX bike from the corner. 

Riding her old BMX, Dyln made her way to Claremont Road to drop off the package. The road was quiet, and as she pedalled, her mind raced. The tension at home had become a suffocating presence, and she needed a moment of relief.

On her way back, as she passed a group of familiar faces, Cory and his friend George, Cory's voice called out. "Squirt!" as Dyln skidded to a halt in front of them.

"Missed you over the summer. How've you been?" The taller boy asked with a grin.

Dyln offered a small smile, her guard still up. "Alright, yeah. Saw Jordan this morning, but apparently, he got sent home for being a racist?"

Cory shook his head, his expression exasperated. "Nah, he's just being stupid. He didn't mean it like that."

Cory's gaze shifted to Dyln's face, and he noticed a mark near her eye. "What happened to your face?"

Dyln quickly brushed it off: "Oh, just my locker door and me being clumsy. You know what I'm like" with a laugh.

Cory chuckled, shaking his head. "Yeah, I know. Anyway, see you around."

With a nod, she pushed off, propelling her BMX forward and leaving Cory and George behind on the corner. As the sky shifted into shades of orange and pink with the approach of dusk, the first street lights flickered to life, casting a warm glow on the neighbourhood. A September breeze brushed against her face, offering a momentary respite from the heaviness that lingered in her heart.

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