Desirable

~29. Drool

"Put me through right now!!" Lee bellowed into the phone. 

He was pacing the living room carpet with his phone held up to his ear, his face flushed red with pure anger. Clementine was expecting bursts of steam to erupt from his ears at any given moment. She sat neatly on the couch with her hands in her lap, gawking with wide eyes up at the man. She decided it was best to stay quiet, mainly because she didn't know what to say to ease the situation. 

Clem had just confessed what her ex-boyfriend was truly like behind the handsome smiles and polite manners, which he would always pull off whenever Lee was around. Now that he knew the truth, he was devastated that he never realised sooner. He wasn't at all mad at Clem for not telling him back when the abuse started, he understood the isolated lifestyle she was once stuck in. 

She notices him halt on the spot for a minute. 

"Yes! I need you to arrest Mason Jones as soon as fucking possible!!" his deep voice echoed throughout the walls, Clem was afraid of AJ hearing. If he heard about what Mason had done, he would be heartbroken. Lee's face scrunches as he listens to the person on the other line. 

A creak and the small pats of light footsteps emerges from upstairs. Clementine springs into action and jumps up from her seat on the couch and jogs up the wooden staircase. Peering down at her younger brother, dressed in his green pyjamas with a piece of Brocolli on the front wearing shades. She never understood that cartoon, but AJ loved it. Capturing his petite hand in hers, she guides him back into his blue-and-green-themed bedroom. 

The walls were baby blue and the carpet was a clean cream, despite the yellow stain beside his singular bed from the time he spilt custard. Rosie had run in his room and jumped up on his colourfully-patterned duvet covers, therefore he flinched and threw the bowl to the side. Lee did attempt to clean it, but decided to cover it up with a bedside table instead. On the little table, was a tall green lava lamp which emitted a green-tinted light around the room. There were also many cartoon posters stuck on the wall, a box at the end of his bed full of toys and remote-control cars, a short desk and plastic chair, a bookshelf and a dresser. 

Clementine's favourite feature of the bedroom was the glow-in-the-dark stars that stuck on to the ceiling. Every night that AJ would ask Clem to have a sleepover due to his occasional nightmares, she would always enjoy looking up and feel as though she was in space. AJ also found it 'epically cool' - his words, not Clem's. 

She shuts the wooden door and helps AJ climb into bed, he sits cross-legged with his hands fidgeting in his lap. Clem kneels down next to his short bed and lays her head on top of the soft mattress. 

"I have a few questions," AJ suggests cautiously. 

He always had to ask if he could ask questions, ever since he asked a chinese person if she could see properly. The small family were at a shopping centre when it happened, AJ was holding Clementine's hand and Lee was waiting in line at the checkout. The lady was browsing the shoes next to the siblings when AJ blurted out his inappropriate - and highly racist - question. Before the woman had a chance to argue, Clem quickly hustled her brother out of the store. It was very embarrassing. 

"Go ahead, you goof."

"What happened to your finger? And your face?" his lips scrunch to the side, his wide eyes displayed worry for the girl. 

"I caught it in a car door, hurt like hell." she huffs and lifts her injured hand, showing off the bandages stump. "And with my face, I got into a fight with this girl from my school. If you think this is bad, you should see her."