Against All Odds

Chapter 3

Eve

It is nearing midnight and my essay is still a plain piece of paper, the scrunched up papers strewn across my floor are laughing at my failed attempts. In an As Law exam, you barely have a minute per mark. If I'm unable to write a fifteen mark essay in three hours, how the hell am I going to be able to do it in fifteen minutes?
Growing frustration built up and I stand up from my desk, crumple the paper and throw it in the rough direction of my bin. Damn A levels, and I thought GCSE'S were tough.
An almighty crash came from next door and I jump out of my skin, a small scream escaping my lips. Damn these new neighbours. Mrs Phelps, our old neighbour, died around a month ago. The house had been empty for a few weeks, until a muscular and tattooed man moved in next door with his son. I hadn't seen much of them but you can bloody well hear them. If it wasn't ridiculously loud shouting, then it would be plates smashing or glasses being lobbed at walls.
I feel like posting an anger management leaflet through their letter box as a hint, but they'd probably take it the wrong way.

The shouting only got worse next door, and since my bedroom looks out onto their house, I decide to head downstairs.
Benji's sat grumpily on the stairs, kicking the banister.
"Benji? How come you're on the stairs?" I sit down beside him, running a hand through my dyed blue hair and he frowns.
"Max put my on the naughty step." He whines, tears brimming in his eyes.
"What did you do young man?" I put on my stern voice.
"Nothing!" He stares into my eyes and it hit me how like Mums his eyes are. The same, unique shade of green. "I was asking Max how Mummy and Daddy died and he shouted at me and sent me here."
I feel a lump forming in my throat and tears leak out of my little brothers eye.
He was only three when it happened, and hadn't began questioning it until recently.
"You know how sad Max gets when you ask him about Mum and Dad." I wrap my arms around him protectively as he sniffles sadly. "Next time come to me OK? Max has a lot on his plate, what with looking after us monkeys!"
Benji giggles in agreement and I wipe his tears away with my sleeve.
"Love you Evie." He snuggles into my shoulder and I stroke his brown hair softly, soothing him to sleep.
"I love you too." I kiss the top of his head and soon he's breathing deeply, asleep.
I stand and lift his sleeping form into my arms, going back up the stairs and into his room and placing him gently on his bed. He mumbles in his sleep as I tuck the covers over him then lean over and kiss his forehead.
"Night night my little monkey." I smile, although its a sad smile.
Once I finish putting him to bed, I jog down the stairs to check my other brother.
He's sat on the sofa, staring at the TV which isn't even on.
"You shouldn't punish him for being curious." I sigh, slumping down beside him.
"I know." He mutters.
"He has a right to know." I point out.
"I know." He repeats.
"Max, snap out of it." I give him a little clip over the head and his attention focuses on me. Before I carry on I give myself a mental high five at the Arctic Monkeys reference. "Shit happens OK? At some point, we need to move on together. All three of us."
Max nods and clenches his fists tightly on his legs.
"We will be OK big bro." I kiss his cheek, just like I'd kissed Benji's and then stand up to leave him to his pointless staring competition with the TV. "Mum and Dad would be proud of you, you know."
It isn't much, but I hope it helps him. I often feel guilty that my little brother and I are such a burden to him. He has to pay for us to live and although I know our parents left us everything in their Will, its tough for a twenty one year old to be responsible for a seventeen year old girl and a six year old boy.
I drag my feet up the stairs, feeling emotionally drained, and made my way into my room.
Something in the window caught my eye and I pull the curtains open slightly. My breath catches as I see a guy leaning out of the window opposite mine, not two metres away, cigarette in hand.
He's hot.
Like really hot.
This is the kind of guy you expect to be modelling for Hollister, only darker. Less 'good surfer guy' more 'bad leather jacket guy'.
But damn he's fine.
The smoke circles around him eerily and slowly his head turns, our eyes meeting. From this far away I can't tell what colour they are, but they're dark. Deep, dark and troubled eyes. The guy chucks his cigarette out of his window and glares at me for a second longer, before pulling the curtain over his window, hiding him from view and snapping me out of my trance.
God, I better remember to keep my curtains shut when I change.

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Updates are so slow I'm sorry! Now exams are over I will try to be more regular. This story is coming along well I think so I hope you enjoy it.
Thankyou for reading I appreciate every single one of you

Sami xxx