Learning All Things Owen Jackson

Chapter I

Four years later...

Staring in shock at the scene before me, I opened and closed my mouth as I was completely lost for words.

"Stop gawping like a fish and help me out here, Cammie!" Vanessa whispered harshly, her eyes darting from side to side nervously.

"Right, sorry..." I murmured, stepping into the enclosed cubicle, closing the door and continuing to lock it.

"Did you get what I asked for?" She sheepishly enquired, wrapping her arms around her trembling frame.

I nodded and then took out what she needed. "How on Earth did this happen by the way?"

Huffing out a breathy sigh, she slumped onto the toilet seat and flopped her head onto her hands.

"Stephanie was completely out of line, Cameron. She mentioned my mum so I just flipped and yeah..." She replied shamefully, lifting her head up with penitence.

Kneeling beside her, I pulled out some antiseptic wipes from the packet and began to take care of her cuts.

"V, she may not be blood related but she's still your sister," I responded, bringing the antiseptic wipe to the cut below her eyebrow. "Yes, her bringing up your mother is cruel, but think about your father in this situation. How do you think he feels? Instead of clawing each others' eyeballs out, try and actually get to know her. And maybe, you might come to learn that you both have a few things in common."

"Always the level headed one, Cammie." Vanessa smiled, looking up to meet my eyes.

"Well, you know how it is. Someone has to be in all this craziness." I sighed, lowering my head to break our eye contact.

A moment of silence passed between us and I silently anticipated for her next question.

"How is he?" She asked quietly, watching me as I rifled through the plastic bag.

Breathing out a sigh, I stared at my lap as my vision became blurry.

"I wish I could..." I stopped myself as soon as I could hear the wavering in my voice and the hoarseness in my tone.

"It's not your fault, you know," Vanessa said softly, reaching out to brush my shoulder lightly. "No-one is to blame."

That wasn't the truth though. She knew it and I knew it. Someone was to blame and he was far away from this town, thank goodness.

Without having the energy to respond, I unscrewed the concealer and lifted its applicator to the bruises and blemishes on her face, covering up her earlier mistakes.

I wished for a way for me to cover up my mistakes. The mistakes I had been making for months and months at a time.

But it wasn't that easy.

****

Slamming the front door shut, I slipped off my soaking wet ankle boots and quickly pulled my coat off to hang it up to dry.

Today- well apart from Vanessa's little altercation with her step-sister- was like any other ordinary day at school: exhausting and mentally challenging.

"Hi, honey, how was school?" My mother's voice called from the living room.

Surprised and puzzled, I made my way into the living room where my mother sat in her armchair, staring uninterestedly at the television.

"It was fine," I replied briefly. "When's Dad back?"

"Ah, well, that was what I was planning on talking to you about," she said, beckoning me to come closer.

Taking a seat on the chair opposite her, I waited silently for her to inform me of something I had been predicting to happen for months.

"Your father came over here to collect all of his belongings whilst you were gone," she answered, staring dejectedly at her left hand as she brushed her ringless ring finger. "We're separating, Cam."

Staring at the faint line on her finger, I sighed and buried my face into my hands.

I had been predicting it, expecting for it to happen ever since Leon became distant. No matter how prepared I felt, I clearly did not prepare enough for the emptiness I would feel inside me once they admitted it to me face to face.

From the obvious downcast expression on my face, my mother reached towards me and gently patted my arm.

"I'm sorry, Cameron. With Leon being apart from us, it's been tough on your father and I. We haven't been the same since," she murmured sadly before standing up from the chair. "I hope you find it in your heart to forgive us."

I watched as my mother headed for the stairs, knowing exactly where she'd be- in her bed, curled up underneath the duvet where she would enter another one of her depressive episodes.

Because that was how it had always been.

My parents paid no attention to me like always. When one child was troubled, they both had no more room to think and care for the other.

My eyes caught sight of a framed picture that lied face down on the arm of the chair and I curiously, but tentatively, stepped closer towards the arm chair.

Sinking into the plush cushion of the chair, I reached towards the framed picture and flipped it over to reveal a wide grinning Leon.

His brunette quiff pointed up to the sky and his brilliant smile brought tears to my weary eyes. I missed him and, by the looks of things, my mother did too.

Leon was one of the brightest and kindest people anyone would have had the pleasure in meeting. He lit up a whole room. But that light he kept bright soon dimmed, impacting everyone's around him too.

Sometimes I wondered, if it was me in that situation, would my parents even be affected that much by it all? Would they cry like they did for him? Would they drop everything like they did for him?

Feeling my phone vibrate against my leg, I pulled my phone out of my pocket and read a message from Vanessa.

V: Hey, feel up for dancing the night away with a little bit of influence from alcohol?

Me: Yes to the dancing but hell no to the alcohol.

V: Thank you for assigning yourself as designated driver :)

I was about to type in my objections when Vanessa sent another message.

V: Be sure to pick me up in 30 ;)

So now I was a cab driver apparently.

I really needed to get out of the house anyway, otherwise I would become a hermit just like my mother.

Something I didn't intend to replicate.