25 And Counting

Chapter 1: Rockford

I wake up and hear the chaos going on in my house.
"Yvette, get down here. You need to eat." Dad shouts me down for breakfast.
"One minute, Dad!" I call back to him. I get out of bed, and reach for my phone. The screen has a small crack across it from when I supposedly 'dropped it'.
Of course! Bridie's 22nd birthday! I think to myself. How could I have forgot! That makes her 8 years older than me, but it doesn't matter. I can be friends with whoever I choose. It's not like she's a bad influence or anything...

I walk downstairs to the sight of my mum shouting at my brother.
"Jamie! How could you do that?! You know money is tight as it is, we can't afford to bail you out of prison if the police found out you've been doing this underage! In fact, how could you do it at all?!"

"Woah, what's going on in here mum?" I asked her confused.

"She's screaming at me because apparently I stole money to buy cigarettes or something." My brother, Jamie responded.

"Yes, because it's illegal! You can't be smoking until you're 18 legally, and you know that we don't condone it in this house!" My mum screamed at him.

"Jamie, you're 16. It's illegal." I snapped at him. I can't believe he's been spending our money for illegal stuff. That could cause my parents a lot of issues.

"What's it to you, dyke. You did it, I was there."

"Yes because I was proving a point to you!" We both edged closer to each other, as I clenched my fists, about to punch him.

"Woah woah woah! What do you think you're doing?!" Dad stepped in. "I'll have you both know that there will be absolutely no fighting under my roof, thank you very much."

Jamie scoffed at him.
"The whole lot of you need to get yourselves fixed." He said angrily.

"Jamie, you need to get ready for school. And you as well Yvette."
Mum said. My brother walked towards my dad with the 'hey back me up in this' face, but Dad was having none of it.

"Hey, what did I tell you? No fighting under my roof." Dad repeated. I watched as Jamie ran outside of the house.
"I'm not under your roof anymore, bitches!" He screamed.

I checked the time on the clock above the oven, and form had already started at school, I was late! I hadn't even got my stuff together yet. Hastily, I ran upstairs and got my back, and Bridie's birthday gift, before leaving the house. "Bye!" I shouted as I sprinted to school.

I made it there in 5 minutes, absolutely breathless and worn out.
"You're late, Yvette." My form tutor, Mr. Rockford, told me.
"Yes, I'm quite aware of that, sir." I said to him.
"I'll have less of the attitude. Understood?" I nodded my head and sat down. God, he really is a nightmare. I laughed to myself.

First & second class went pretty quickly, and it was finally break time. This was a prime opportunity to find Bridie's brother, William.
"Will! There you are." I chased after him. "Give this to Bridie, will you?" I asked.
"Sorry. No can do. I'm going on the Kenya trip this afternoon, and I won't see her for 2 weeks. You'll have to visit her house after school. Here, I'll write her address down for you." Will began to write her address on a small slip of paper and handed it to me.
"Ok, 56 St. Peter's Avenue. Great. Thanks." I tucked the sheet away in my pocket and walked away.

What if I just skip? Roman, Daniel and Marie are in the woods. I'm sure they could lend a hand...

I went to the disabled toilets, so there was no possible way anyone could eavesdrop on me, and called Marie up.
"What d'you need, Vetty?" Marie never called me by my actual name. It was always Vet or Vetty.
"I need you to come get me out of school. Before break ends." I told her abruptly.
"Ok cool. Me and Roman will be at the gates to the woods on the school field. Best to start walking there now. Make sure nobody sees you." She said.
"Ok. I'll get there ASAP." I hung up and ran to the field.

Ah, shoot. The gate's locked I panicked. People were going to the tennis courts, and I didn't want them to see me. But it was too late, and Mr. Rockford had spotted me.
"What are you doing?" He said.
"Um, my friend just called me to say she... dropped her keys on the field before school and she needs me to get them." I lied to him, but it worked.
"Ok, I'll open the gate." My heart was pounding in my chest. I took off my bag to put my phone away, to make sure it was light enough to run with, and as he walked onto the field to get the supposed keys, I ran for it.