Scheme Girl

No Heating, No Lights, No Hot Water And The Stuff In The Fridge Will Be Ruined

I stomp in from school, shaking the snow out of my hair and flick the light switch. Nothing happens.

"Oh for fucks sake." I growl as I drop my school bag by the hole in the skirting board. "Dad?" I shout as I walk through the house, my breath turns into mist in front of me and I realise my dad hasn't paid the electricity bill. No heating, no lights, no hot water and the stuff in the fridge will be ruined.

"Mairi?" I hear my dads voice coming from the lounge and I storm up to him.

"Dad! Seriously, you said you were gonna pay this month!" I know I'm whining, but I like hot water. Really like it.

"It's not due for another week." Dad waves my words away; I keep my face calm, but I can feel my pulse in my stomach lining - something that happens when I'm raging inside.

"It was due lastweek! We've got no electricity." I say calmly; dad looks at me over the 2 day old newspaper and I realise he's completely off his head. Oh for the love of chocolate biscuits.

"No Mairi, you're wrong." Dad laughs and I roll my eyes.

"Whatever." I walk off to get my beloved purple bag from the hall and I walk quietly to my room. My little sanctuary. I've covered the holes in the walls and the damp marks with posters. Mostly music posters, but sometimes I tack up one of my drawings.

I sit in front of the vanity desk that's built into my wardrobe in my round swivel chair, spinning half-heartedly back and forth. My phone vibrates in my pocket and I answer it quickly. It's a text from one of the best people in the world. None other than Dallas Selkirk.

WANNA GO OUT HEN?

I grin and reply quickly.

AYE, LET ME GET OUT OF THESE RAGS AND I'LL MEET YOU DOWN THE STREET :)

I scramble out of the tat I wear to school and into my black tights, my bright red skinny jeans, my black Converse, a black shirt with pale yellow sleeves and a monster down the side and my Pacman hoody.  I rush out of the house and towards the corner shop I always meet Dallas and the guys at.

As I realise how windy it is, I yank my turquoise hair away from my face and into a messy ponytail.  I skip into the shop and stand on the tips of my toes to see Dallas' trademark jet-black scene hair.  Someone's arms are suddenly around my waist and I gasp, startled.

"Eew, Mairi - I can feel your ribs." Dallas doesn't move his hands from my stomach though.

"Feel free to let me go...?" I trail off; I can feel Dallas shake his head.

"Dougie's on his way with his dads car." Dallas tells me and I grin.

"Does that mean he's bringing that weird driver guy?" I ask as Dallas goes to the booze aisle, pretty much dragging me with him.

"No, his dad fired the weird driver guy when he started looking at Dougie's sister." Dallas tells me as he stretches to the cans of Stella Artois.  "Hold this squirt." He smirks; I roll my eyes.

"You love that I'm short don't you?" I grin as Dallas gets me some blueberry Bacardi Breezer.

"Yes, yes I do.  Pipsqueak." He adds; I feign hurt and spot Dougie coming in, looking very tired.

"DOUGIE!" I shoot over to him and he grins.

"Hey Mairi!" He bends down - something that I usually don't like, but it's hard to not like Dougie - and picks me up.  I end up being carried over Dougie's shoulder through the shop.

"Dougie, put Mairi down before you break her!" Dallas snorts; suddenly Dougie lowers me down his back and my nose bashes into the back of his knee.