Stillwater Street

13

September, 2nd 2004.

'Anybody can be a dad, but it takes a real man to be father.'

That's what my step-dad used to tell me whenever we'd get into an argument. I would use the classic, 'you're not my real dad'. I do love him a lot, he spends more time with us because my mom is working all the time. It was just me and my brother Max. Amelia, Max, Mom and Malcolm. I liked it like that. I like having Max around because he is the only one who I can talk to about what we've been through. It isn't much I guess, but he was the one sat with me on the top of the stairs when we watched our dad walk straight out the door. Maybe it is much. Dad was supposed to be looking after us whilst Mom was at work but that day he packed a small bag, called a taxi and walked out the door. Never heard from him again either. Birthdays passed, Christmas passed, New Years passed and not one single phone call. Mom used to drink a lot of tea after that, she used to make us dinner and then sit on the sofa and stare at the TV. It was off, but she'd stare anyway, her spoon clinking against the side of her cup and Max and I would just look at each other. She never spoke to us much either. Max always said that if she didn't meet Malcolm she'd probably be dead because of how skinny and sad she was. But Malcolm saved us. Sort of, I suppose he gave Mom a reason to live again, which is a shame because having us wasn't enough I guess but at least she's okay. With Malcolm, she had twins Alistair and Adrian, two years later Zeth, and then 4 years later Jake. It got very difficult to live in the house we were at since there were eight of us so we had to move house to this place called Stillwater. It's a nice house, three stories, bottom floor is Mom, Malcolm and Jake. Middle floor is Max, Alistair and Adrian and then I have a room on the top floor. They converted the attic for me. The pecking order, but the other way round. I chose lilac walls and a white ceiling and I stuck loads of photos from magazines on the walls. Life is fine, boring but fine.

I shut my diary and place my pen in the little hoop of material they've attached to the notebook for me to fit my pen in. Considerate of them.

'Amelia, get ready please!' I sigh and push the covers off me. 'Okay Malcolm!' I genuinely can't believe it is the first day back from summer. The first day of my last year and I can't wait to finish. I throw my feet over the side of the bed and slide my slippers on. My phone buzzes, enough to knock itself off my bedside table. 'For fuck sake' FIRST DAY! it read. It's from Zoe! I am so happy that Zoe is in my classes this year for English and Psychology or else I don't know what I would do. I clean myself up, throw on some jeans and a jumper and change my slippers into some converse because even though it is a new year, it is the same people and the same school so I have absolutely no one to impress. I run downstairs and pick up a croissant, shove it in my mouth before I catch a glimpse of Max in the kitchen. 'Max, how are you getting to school?' 'Car, why?' I sigh, 'Can I have a lift?' He looks at me and raises his eyebrows. 'Can I have a lift... please'. He smiles and nods; because he's left secondary school and is now at the college beside it, he has this insufferable ego. Living with Max as my older brother is a blessing and a curse. He's managed to convince the people he went to school with that he is cool and is now 'popular', meaning no one in his year ever knows who I am, I'm just 'Max's little sister'. Which would be really great if it was my name. Also I am 11 months younger than him. I am barely his 'little sister', but is something that won't get old I imagine, so I've had to get used to it.

'AMELIA!!' Zoe runs up to me at full speed once I arrive at school, puts her books on one side and gives me a hug that almost knocks me off my feet. 'Oh my gosh, your hair!' From lower back length dark brown hair, she cut it to just below her ear and dyed it honey blonde and held it back with two purple hair clips on either side. 'Do you like it?' 'Like it? I absolutely love it'. And I do. Zoe is easily one of the prettiest people I have ever seen in my entire life. She is always so put together and always smells absolutely incredible and not even does she look so beautiful with her hair on her brown skin, she has a personality some girls could only dream of having. I'm her biggest fan if you couldn't tell... 'Psychology first, yippee!' Sarcastically said as I roll my eyes. 'Did you do the summer work?' I furrow my brows, look down, then left and then have to actually scratch my head in order to try and remember if I did it. 'I think I did!' 'Amazing! Perfect start to the year!' The bell rings and we start walking to psychology, but as we are walking, Anakin Brickot shoves into Zoe, knocking all of her books onto the floor. Anakin Brickot has always been the 'bully'. We went to primary together so I have known him forever. He actually used to be quite nice until one year he just turned. My brother says it's puberty. His parents are StarWars fans, hence the name. I'd be a bully too if that was me. He is horrifically sexist for some reason and always gets into fights, only with boys but now I'm looking at Zoe. On the floor. 'Move, fatty, blocking the corridor'. 'What the fuck Anakin, what is your problem?' I say. 'Definitely dodging the salads over summer weren't we Zoe.' I am absolutely livid. 'Are you fucking serious' Zoe screams as she looks at her pages of her book all over the floor but before anyone could say anything else this boy comes from behind me and Zoe and punches Anakin hard, straight on his nose. He falls to the floor and there is a moment of shock before there is blood all on his hands and his jumper. The boy wipes his hands against his shirt and turns to look at Zoe, putting the other hand out for her to take to help her up as she is picking her books up still sat on the ground. He is really handsome. He has wavy brown hair, brown eyes, really smooth looking caramel skin and dimples even though he hasn't even smiled yet. I fear to see what that looks like if his resting face is this good looking. He doesn't look soft though, he is actually quite intimidating, he stands at like 6'3 and I can't tell what his body is like but I assume he's quite built as well. Zoe doesn't take his hand immediately, she has put her hands over her mouth from the gasp she did moments prior to watching Anakin fall to the ground. I stare at this boy's hand and then back at Zoe. 'Take it.' I whisper between my clenched teeth. She ignores it and is still in shock at Anakin rolling around the floor in pain. I help her up 'Zoe, what are you doing, come on'. People in the hallway are staring now, on their way to class they have just watched one of the most notorious boys in school get his nose broken on the first day back.

We continue walking to class after I compose  Zoe and help her pick all of her stuff up. 'Amelia. What. Just. Happened?' 'I don't know it all happened so fast'. 'Anakin is so disgusting' 'I know what a freak but whoever that boy is I am forever grateful' 'You should find him and thank him' 'I'm sure I'll see him soon?' We walk into psychology and apologise for being 15 minutes late. After that class, the rest was a blur. I couldn't stop thinking about this morning. The school day went pretty quickly, and Zoe and I stand against a tree outside waiting for Max in the car park. 

'I need to come back your house, my mom is having her boyfriend back and I don't want to hear or see anything'. Max arrives and Zoe gets in the front seat, cliché best-friend-fancies-the-other-best-friend's-brother-but-it-probably-won't-go-anywhere sort of thing. 'Hey Mils, how was your first day?' But before I could even speak Zoe began telling the story, the whole way to our house and then waiting in the car for 10 minutes so she could finish it off. 'Did you get a name?' 'No, he was so weird, he just appeared and then left.' Max takes the key out the engine and everything falls silent. 'At least he shut Anakin up, he's needed that for a long time, sorry that happened to you Zo'. 

We all exit the car and make our way into the house, but pushing the door open reveals the most wonderful smell. All three of us look in confusion. 'What is that smell!' I push past Zoe, and make my way upstairs where the smell seemed to be getting stronger. I open the bathroom door. Mortified isn't even the word to describe what is going on. 'Are you all fucking stupid!?' I scream at the top of my lungs. I see all of my mom's perfumes, all of the body creams and shower gels all in the bath, all up the walls and on the floor. Alistair, Adrian, Zeth and Jake are sat in swimming trunks, in the bath, frozen in horror. I can't even bear to think about how Mom is going to react. I didn't know what to do, I can feel my face turn red and my heart starts beating faster. Zoe appears behind me and I hear her gasp 'Oh boys, what did you do?' My eyes start welling up with tears and take my phone out my pocket and ring Malcolm. 'Yell-ow?' 'Malcom?' I didn't realise how much I'd started to cry, my voice was shaky. 'Hello poppet' 'Malcolm, the boys have... they did... they made such a mess and I don't know what to do and Mom's going to be so mad at me and...' 'Hold on, slow down, I'm coming home now, stay calm'. The call ends and I turn around and see Max, laughing. 'Fuck sake, what weirdos' It isn't funny Max. Mom is going to be so angry.' 'Let me know what she says.' I feel myself getting worked up again and I have to walk away from the situation before I burst out into tears. I grab Zoe and take her upstairs to my room where she puts her arms out and I sob into them. 'Oh girl' she says with her chin resting on my head.  We sit on my bed and stare at my wall. 'I couldn't imagine living with 6 boys.' 'It's hell.' I say and I laugh through the sniffs. She laughs as well and we turn to look towards each other. 'I just feel alone. I think and that was my final straw, my mom is never here and when she is, she never speaks to me. Max has his friends and stuff. The boys are basically unable to be spoken to, so the only one I can speak to, Malcolm, I guess. I don't want a pity party but sometimes it gets the best of me.' She nods in agreement, 'you know you've always got me'. I smile and she continues 'let's divert your thoughts until Malcolm comes home, let's talk about today and that boy?' 'He's so weirdly mysterious, and not bad on the eyes either.' We both laugh which is interrupted by the front door opening. 'Amelia?' Malcolm shouts, I jump up and run to stand at the top of the stairs. 'Come up and look'. Malcolm comes upstairs and opens the bathroom door. I didn't see his face as I am stood behind him. 'Go into your room and shut the door, I need to have a word with the boys'. I walk back into my room, I tell Zoe to put her fingers in her ears and we both do so and just wait. My bedroom door opens, Max walks in, shuts the door and in silence he sits beside us and puts his fingers in his. A few moments later we hear Malcolm. It is muffled but if I unplugged my ears I would be able to hear word for word. 

'I think I might head out now, I'll see you tomorrow at school.' Zoe picks up her bag and kisses her fingers and places them on my head. I smile and turn over in my bed as I hear her say goodbye, and leave. I close my eyes for a few seconds until a few knocks are played on my door followed by a cough. 'Come in.' Malcolm walks in, 'do you mind if I sit down?' I shake my head and he sits on the end of my bed. 'You don't have to talk but I'm sorry that the boys made that mess, they're having some time in their bedrooms, I was absolutely furious.' I continue staring, 'I know they're not easy and it's worse when your mother is constantly blaming you for it but I just wanted to let you know that I will talk to her when she gets home and hopefully smooth things over, sound good?' I nod and give him a little smile and he leans over and kisses me on the forehead. 'Goodnight Malcolm, love you.' 'Goodnight Mils, love you too'.