✔️Soundtrack to My Youth (18+)

Freedom

On Wednesday afternoon Bridget was released from hospital. Sam, Amber and I thought we'd make her homecoming somewhat special so we decorated her room with streamers and a giant banner just before she got home.

I was so excited to see her but that excitement slipped away fast when Dad entered the house, Bridget being carried in his arms and my Mother trailing behind them. Dad gave me a look, begging me silently not to say anything and it took everything inside of me to bite my tongue and not ruin what was meant to be a happy occasion.

I could be civil to Susan, I'd had years of practice of shutting out her cruel, derogatory remarks about my life.

Dad place Bridget carefully down on the lounge, it was the coolest room in the house as the small air conditioner failed to reach the other rooms. I grabbed a pillow from Bridget's bed and propped it up behind her

"Hello Amber, sweetheart" My Mother greeted Amber, putting on her sweet and sickly tone that she resaved for people who didn't know her true nature. "See how pretty Amber does her hair Bridget? Maybe you could style yours the same way." She had been here less than 5 minutes and already she was starting to piss me off.

"It does look really pretty" Bridget agrees, exchanging glances with Amber.

"If you put more effort into your appearance then you might even find yourself a boyfriend" The insults start rolling out fast. Bridget put a lot of effort into her appearance, you'd never find her with messy hair or looking untidy. Susan then turns her attention to me, "You don't want to end up like Veronica." She warns Bridget

"I think Bridget would be lucky if she turns out like Veronica, strong and confident" Sam interjects, coming to stand beside me.Susan's face turns to stone as she takes in Sam.

"You're the boy who came to my house the other night with Lucas, you're lucky I didn't call the police when you demanded that I let you in to collect my daughter's belongings" She shrieks at Sam, "Is this where your attitude has been coming from Veronica, from hanging around thugs like this?"

"Sam's not a thug" Bridget pipes up to defend her best friend.

"A boy like this has no future and he'll drag you down with him" She warns me, little does she realise that I am the only person in this room well aware of what Sam's future holds.

"Susan you said you wanted to come here to talk, not to throw around insults" My Father's voice booms, drowning her out. They walk off together into the dinning room, leaving Bridget, Amber,Sam and I alone.

"Well she's a delight" Sam says once he's sure my parents are out of earshot.

"And you got her on a good day too" Bridget giggles. From the dinning room I can hear the muffled voices of my parents talking but occasionally one of them gets louder to talk over the other. I hear the word 'custody' being thrown around. Bridget wasn't paying any attention to the conversation though and I was grateful for that, her focus was all on Amber, who had perched herself, on the floor, beside the lounge, their hands intertwined as they talked.

"Do you wanna go talk in your room?" Sam whispered in my ear, I nodded my head. I wanted to give Bridget and Amber their own space to be able to be alone because they hadn't seen each other since Friday.

Stepping into my room with Sam felt different, even though he had been staying here and sleeping next to me for the past two days but now I felt awkward having him in my room when I knew my parents were in the house too. I think Sam felt it too because he didn't sit on my bed like he normally would, instead choosing to sit in my desk chair.

"Did you get your ticket for the dance on Friday?" He asks, attempting to distract me from what's going on elsewhere in the house.

"Ah yeah, Kate and I bought our tickets today, Alex is going too" I'm hoping the mention of Alex going will persuade him to want to go.