Managing The Mischief ~ Sequel to A Master of Mischief

~ Chapter 9

**Alithea’s POV**

I sleep in late and wake at about nine, my stomach cramping. I didn’t eat all day yesterday. I walk downstairs and realise that Dad’s already at work. I have the whole house to myself!

I make myself some toast and eat it quickly, then wash the dishes. When I’m done I think about what I should do today.

**George’s POV**

“Why? Why did she have to come with me?”

“George, stop complaining,” Fred says, “she chose you.”

I groan and lock the shop door.

“Now I have to go home to a messy house and a grumpy teenager,” I sigh.

“And I’m going home to a wife who has PMS that makes her act like an angry elephant, twins who cause havoc everywhere they go, a four year old who thinks rubbing paint on the walls is ‘art’, a two year old who throws tantrums over everything and a four month old baby who is cutting teeth,” Fred says. I smile slightly.

“But you love them,” I point out quietly.

“I do,” he agrees, “but so do you, deep down.”

I shrug and disapparate home. Alithea’s light is on. I walk into the hallway and briefly consider going to talk to her, but I decide against it. I turn the lights on and realise the house is tidy. At least she spent the day doing something useful.

Now, to make dinner.

I walk into the kitchen. There’s a note on the table.

Dinner’s in the oven. Already eaten.

I open the oven and find a freshly bake shepherd’s pie with a slice taken out. The smell reaches my nose and my stomach growls. Quietly thankful that I don’t have to have beans on toast again, I dig in. After I’m finished I go upstairs to thank Alithea. She’s fast asleep on top of her covers, a book still held loosely in her hand. I take it and lay it on her bedside table, then throw a blanket over her and turn out the light.

I get ready for bed and sigh. It’s weird not being alone in the house.

Sunday morning I sleep in. When I go downstairs Alithea is eating breakfast and reading. She’s made a huge pile of pancakes.

“Plate’s there,” she says, pointing to the place she set out for me.

“Thanks,” I say, sitting down and taking a few pancakes. She packs away her things and moves towards the door.

“What’re you doing today?” I ask. She stops and shrugs.

“Same thing I’ve been doing all week.”

“Which is?”

“Dying of boredom.”

“Do you want to go see Mum?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Why would I?”

I watch her for a moment.

“Dunno,” I shrug. She leaves and I hear her running upstairs.

**Alithea’s POV**

Today Dad and I had the longest conversation we’ve had without yelling in about five years. It wasn’t friendly, but like I said, neither of us yelled. It’s weird. I don’t think I like it.

Dad cries in his sleep. I don’t know if he realises, but all night I can hear him crying. Maybe he’s not asleep. Sometimes I know he is because he sleep talks. He tells my Mum he’s sorry over and over again. I wonder if this is hurting her as much as him. I wonder what they fought about.

At dinner I decide to ask him.

“Why did you and Mum split?”

Dad looks up, surprised.

“We had a fight,” he says.

“About what?”

A slight blush rises in his face.

“It’s my fault, isn’t it?” I ask, “you fought about me.”

“It’s not your fault,” he says.

“But you were fighting about me.”

“Yes,” he sighs, “we were.”

“What did I do?”

“You didn’t do anything.”

“So why is Mum so mad?” I press, “what did you say?”

He looks at me and I see a flash of guilt in his eyes. That’s when I realise.

“You told her you wish I’d never been born, didn’t you?” I ask.

“Lith, I didn’t mean it,” he begins. I shrug.

“I don’t care,” I tell him, “I was just curious.”

He stares at me until I finish my meal and go to bed.

I go to bed and I cry. I cry and cry until I can’t breathe. But I don’t make a sound, because I don’t want Dad to know that I lied.

I wish for his sake I’d never been born.

I ruined my parents’ marriage and tore the family apart.

I was a mistake. And error.

I’ve never been loved as much as the others, I know that, and now I’ve destroyed any chance I ever had of being a part of this family.

Everyone thinks it would have been better if I’d never been born, but I can’t change that. But I can fix it.

____________________________________________________________________________

I love this girl...

So, two days left until I do the whole Ask The Author thing, so send in questions quick!!! Love you guys ;) xo