A Bit More of You

Chapter Nine: Modern Love

(Photo from scrapbook: My grandpa, and a heavily pregnant Mum, 1961)

George and Serenity stayed for a few more days after our trip to Brighton. Serenity stayed in my room on the little camp bed, and George slept on the couch in the living room. I didn't like to sit on that particular couch knowing that he was spending his nights on it. By the end of their visit, it smelled strongly of cigarette vapour and body odor. I made a mental note to scrub the living daylights out of the couch the minute George and Serenity left.

We didn't go out during the last few days of their visit because it rained. I hate being kept inside for long periods of time as it makes me twitchy, but Mum and George almost drove me to the brink of insanity. They tried to make me take part indaft games of charades, Scrabble or (worst of all) Twister. I nearly always excused myself, faking a tummy upset or headache, and retreated to the privacy of my bedroom. Being locked inside was bad enough, but playing a game that involved a high risk of someone shoving their bottom in my face was where I drew the line.

So I stayed shut up in my room, feeling as grinchy as ever.

I sometimes let Serenity in to keep me company, but I ignored her more often than not. She would stand outside of my door, crying to be let in like some bothersome, caterwauling house pet. I would just ram on my headphones and tune into some ABBA, completely blocking my half sister out.

"Georgia?" Serenity called one especially drizzly afternoon. She was bashing on the door with her little white fists, so fiercely it's a wonder she wasn't creating a dent in the wood. "Georgia! Please let me in!"

"Go away, Serenity!" I shouted irritably. "I want to be left alone!"

"You've been ignoring me for ages! Don't you like me anymore?"

"Don't be ridiculous. I like you - well, sometimes it's more like toleration than actual affection - but I don't want you in my room!"

Serenity was quiet for a moment. I wondered if she'd suddenly decided to leave me alone and wandered off. No such luck.

"Well, if you don't hate me, why won't you let me in?" she asked. "Are you sure you just don't like hanging out with me?"

I sighed heavily. "It's not you that I don't like. It's your soft-arsed dad that I can't stand."

"My dad isn't a soft-arse!" Serenity cried, sounding unusually riled. "He's a kind, loving dad and all he's trying to do is get to know you! Yet you're making it extremely difficult, Georgia Edwards!"

"Don't dictate to me, you silly little brat!" I retorted. "I happen to know George wants to get to know me, but I don't want to get to know him! Frankly, being in the same room as him makes me want to barf. Even being in the same house as him is making me go all woozy!"

"Stop it! Just stop it!" Serenity said. Her voice was thick, like she was close to bursting into tears. "My dad is lovely! I'm sick sick sick of you being horrid to him! He's a human being, too! He has feelings!"

"I have feelings too, but no one takes them into consideration!" I snapped.

"You're just being selfish now! Why are you acting like Dad and I are mean and horrible? Why do you feel the need to block us out?"

"Well, I'm doing my best to block you out, Serenity Harrison, but it isn't jolly well working."

Serenity's voice died away again, then I heard her murmur, "Uncle Ringo was right about you and your mum. He didn't want us to visit you. He said your mum was a thirsty, attention-seeking slag -"