Skins: Endgame

Chapter 2

Anthea sat at the kitchen table with a cigarette. She had it all. Not now, but back in the day as she considered it, she did. "Back in the day" was only a year ago, but to her, it seemed like a lifetime ago. Jim and Tony were both still under the roof and Effy was still... Well.

Come to think of it, she herself was still well, reflected Anthea. But since the accident with Tony...

Suddenly-

"Ahhhhh!" screeched Anthea, as she chucked the cigarette ashtray at the wall. It exploded in a flurry of glass. Seemingly unaware of the damage, she got up and knelt down next to one of the cupboards. Taking out a bottle of vodka, she poured a small glass, before downing it in one shot. Starting to pour another, she is interrupted by the doorbell.

Standing up slowly, she reacts with annoyance when whoever is there begins to repeatedly hammer the door.

"Alright, alright i'm coming!"

She slumps over to the door and opens it. Standing there, is a smiling Tony.

"Hello mum, I've missed you!"

Without warning, he hugs her briefly. Anthea is in shock: she has barely registered what has just happened. He lets go. Now his face is that of serious anger.

"Now, do you mind telling me why my little sister tried to fucking off herself?

Moments later, Tony and Anthea have moved into the kitchen. Tony, seeing the ashtray, looks at Anthea with sympathy.

"Mum."

She can't contain her tears anymore. This time she embraces Tony, hugging him furiously.

"Tony I can't believe it's you, I didn't know when i'd see you again, especially now, with everything- Oh Tony i'm so sorry, i'm so, so sorry! Tony I-"

She breaks off and sobs into his shoulder. Tony is still starring over her shoulder at the ashtray.

"Mum."

She pulls back and looks at him.

"Where's dad, mum?"

A little later on, after some explanation, Anthea Stonem that was given the privilege of seeing a very rare sight that night.

"So let me get this straight? You were shagging dads boss?"

Anthea, more than any others, knew Tony well. Controlling and dominant would be two words she considered an accurate description of her son. In any situation, Tony has a knack for keeping calm and collected.

So seeing him in such a state of disarray was quite unusual.

"I can't believe you'd do that to my dad."

"I'm not justifying it Tony! But this family was so dysfunctional for ages, ever since-

"What," grinned Tony "Since what? Since I got ran over by what might as well have been a GTA character, who was driving a speeding bus? Since that, you mean mum?"

Anthea starts to talk but Tony isn't giving way-

"You've been going rogue since my accident which technically means that your blaming it all on me effectively? Typical."

Anthea butts in, now looking determined.

"Tony I'm not blaming you. It wasn't your fault, it wasn't anybody's fault. What happened just... Happened. Even if- Look i'll be honest i'm perfectly up for discussing this later but I need to talk to you about Effy."

Tony leans forward.

"You were very vague on the phone. You mentioned that she slit her wrists but that was it. What happened?"

"Like I said, I wasn't in a good place at the time, but you needed to know, she needed to stop," said Anthea, "I didn't want to interrupt your studies because I knew you would drop everything to come back here. I thought I could handle it, but now? I-"

"Mum look its like you said, we can fight it out or talk about this stuff later," said Tony, "I just want to know what screwed Effy up so bad."

Anthea takes a moment before trying to explain.

"She's been having a hard time for a while. I think the main problems began when she got involved with those boys.

Tony's face twitches.

"One of them called Cook? James Cook?"

Anthea looks surprised.

"How do you-"

"Effy phoned me up one time. After- something to do with a camping trip? This Cook guy turned up uninvited- the fact that he was uninvited by the whole group speaks wonders by the way, but he told everyone that he cheated on Effy behind her back. She already knew, but no one else did. I was so angry that he humiliated her like that, Effy had to beg me not to do anything to him, so I eased down for her sake but... I'd still like to meet him at some point."

Anthea continued-

"She has been with this other boy, Cooks friend Freddie. I like Freddie a lot actually, so would you. The two of them would have been a decent couple. Cook kept ruining everything though. He even took her away with him after the camping episode, we had no idea where she was. They were going from town to town, getting wasted, doing drugs, you name it."

Tony looks angry but gradually composes himself.

"Now Effy has a new Doctor. At first she seemed to actually be improving as a result but... She doesn't know who I am."

Tony looks dumbstruck. Anthea quickly continues.

"I mean to her I'm just Anthea. Not her mum. It's like she's in a world of her own- She's also insisting her name isn't Effy. She says I need to call her Elizabeth..."

Tony processes all of this and stands up.

"Mum I need to find Effy."