To Long and Belong

Chapter 8

It was almost midnight by the time Seth returned home. He ran up the driveway, expecting to hear screaming at any moment, but it didn't come. He came inside to three sullen-looking faces, bringing his mood down immediately. Kylie scrubbed furiously at the dishes she was washing. Seth squinted to see whether or not they were actually dirty. Knowing his mother, though, they probably weren't.

"That woman there," Lana said, pointing an accusing finger at Kylie, "is an asshole."

"I have to agree," Willy chimed in. "She's psychotic."

Seth nodded his agreement silently, grateful that he'd come home and there hadn't been arguing for once. But he knew that could change at the drop of a hat. His own mother could change at the drop of a hat. Maybe she was bi-polar, Seth thought. She was hot and cold all the time. It would explain her behaviour at times.

"You children are so ungrateful," Kylie was saying. Seth rolled his eyes. "I mean, you never have time for me. Or for family, for that matter. Your father wouldn't be proud of any of you at all. He'd probably disown you if he knew how you treated me—"

Seth shot up at that moment. "He'd disown us?!" he was yelling. "He'd divorce you! I thought you were done using Dad's name in vain."

"How rude of you to interrupt me—" Kylie tried to say, but Seth interrupted again.

"No! How terrible of you! I'm done lecturing you on how to be a good mother!"

"Good mother? I don't even know what those words mean anymore!" Lana agreed, shooting up from her chair. Willy rose to join her, chiming in his agreement.

"We're done trying to please you!" the three of them screamed, close to tears.

Kylie dropped her dish with a loud thud in the sink.

"And you know what?" she screamed, prying off her kitchen gloves and turning from the sink to face them all. "I'm done being your mother! You selfish, ungrateful bastards! I'm done trying to make you into the people your father and I thought you would be! What we wanted you to be! I'm done having you all in my house! Get out, before I call the cops and tell them how you gang up on me! Get out!"

Lana grabbed her coat from the hook on the wall, shaking her head sadly. "I finally thought that maybe, just maybe you'd become the person you used to be. I guess I was wrong."

"Look after my dog," Seth said angrily, patting Poppy's head for the last time. Willy remained silent. The three exited in a row, Kylie sighing with relief.

The street was cold and dark, and Seth barely found his way. He knew it was foolish and irresponsible, but he made his way to the library. He hoped desperately that the librarian would take pity on him and let him sleep in her library for the night, even though it was unlikely.

The library's car-park seemed empty and desolate, until Seth made out the figure of a woman. She sat just outside the sliding-doors entrance, and looked to be butting a cigarette. She wore a long-sleeved black dress that ended just above her knees and hugged her curves beautifully. It was the librarian, Seth realised with startled surprise.

"Miss," he said awkwardly. The librarian looked up. "Darling," she said sweetly. "What are you doing out here at this time of night?"

"My mother kicked me out," Seth stammered.

"Come here." The librarian gestured beside her. Seth sat next to her quickly, rubbing his arms to evade the cold.

"So shit went down at your house, huh?" the librarian said, taking a drag.

Seth's eyes widened. They were finally over the sweet façade and onto the real thing, he noticed happily. No more "darling" and "sweetie" and "miss".

"It did. My siblings are out on the street somewhere, too."

"That sucks. Want a bit?" the librarian offered, holding her cigarette to Seth's mouth. Seth took a drag, spluttering uncontrollably.

"What's your name?" he asked, in-between coughs.

"Anne."

There was an awkward silence.

"You must be cold," Anne said. Seth was wearing a long-sleeved grey shirt underneath a white and green striped T-shirt.

"I am." Seth hugged himself.

"Let me warm you up." Anne moved closer to Seth, wrapping her arms around him tightly.

He was young, Anne knew. She knew it was wrong to take advantage of a homeless sixteen year old boy, but she couldn't help herself. He was just so beautiful, and...innocent. Unspoiled by the world. In fact, he bordered on stupid—but Anne didn't like to call it that. She preferred the term naïve.

Screw it. She couldn't help herself anymore. She had to have him.

In she pulled him, their lips colliding. She could feel him trying to pull away, but she didn't care. She pulled him back to her, wrapping her arms around his neck. She felt his arms hovering at her waist, on it but not fully embracing this encounter.

She moved her mouth to his neck—he was worth the trouble of giving a hickey.

When a low moan escaped his throat, she tugged his T-shirt off over his head. Damn that grey shirt. She was tempted to tear it, but he was homeless now. He needed all the clothes he could get. Off it came, revealing his body. She felt the coolness of his flat, perfect chest, moving her hands to his shoulder blades. It took her only a moment to realise he was ripping at her shirt.

Tonight was going to be a good night.