Family Portrait (Fam Series #1)

Chapter 36 - Sunbury Heights Primary School, Sunbury

A/N: of course it goes without saying, but no offence or humiliation is intended/directed at the Curnow family. ;)

...
Charlie -

Sitting in the car, I glance out the window as I watch my mother approach the front door of the aged house, knocking on it for somebody's attention.

I suddenly lean forward, anxious at the thought of being recognised. I would never usually care about this sort of thing, but now, I'm too scared to even step into the driveway of my own home, terrified that somebody may see me.

I suddenly hear my mother's voice saying 'here's the money' and 'let her out to live with us' in a firm tone. Holding my breath, I pray that this works and that I won't be calling an ambulance or the police anytime soon.

I suddenly jump out of my skin as mum enters the car. Clutching my chest, I look at her in shock.

"You okay?" She asks, worried.

"You scared me" I say.

"How?" She asks, amused.

"Don't know" I say, trying to catch my breath as I shake my head and wipe away my tears.

"You know, you've been pretty jumpy lately, pretty unusual from you" she observes.

"Don't be stupid, I'm fine" I say, but even I know I'm lying.

...
Adeline -

I sit on the couch at the Curnow's as I stare hard at the wall. I will not snap.

"Adeline-"

"WHAT?!" I suddenly yell, scaring both myself and George.

"Nothing. Nothing, I was just wondering if you wanted a drink, or something to eat, or...or..." He trails off, looking at me with sympathy. I glare at him.

"If I wanted a drink, I would've gotten one myself. Leave me the fuck alone, and stop looking at me like that" I say, leaning back on one arm as I try to stretch. Everything hurts.

"Right! Uh, sorry. I'll go" he says, leaving the room and shutting the door on me as he goes back to whatever he was doing.

I start pulling on my hair, bored. I don't know what to do. I just have this build up of rage inside me from everything that's happened over the past eight months. I can barely breathe. I'm blinded by the anger, only being able to see red. I nearly attacked Cassie and Charlie in the car earlier for picking me up and saving me.

I roll my eyes as Eliza suddenly runs in. Great, as if I needed more reason to be angry.

"Urgh, the vampire's back. Charlie, why can't you find a nice blonde, or something?" She asks, opening the door as she goes into the kitchen.

"Do you want to come back and say that to my face?" I hear myself asking, and before I know it, I've initiated a fight.

Eliza pokes her head back through the door and glares at me, as if I've committed a crime by speaking.

"Must you do that?" I ask, after she continues staring at me for a full five minutes, making me feel uncomfortable.

"Must you breathe?" She asks, flipping her long, curly hair over her shoulder.

"I wish I couldn't, believe me" I say, watching her every move. She walks into the room and sits on the TV cabinet, across from me.

"No problem, I can fix that for you tonight with a pillow, I'll hold it there until you stop kicking" she threatens, but I know she's all talk. I've actually had multiple pillows shoved over my face in my sleep by Andrea and Tamara. I think my brother did it to me once when I was a kid as a joke, bless his heart.