THE LANDLADY by Jay Jay.

SISSY.

The world had not been kind to Sissy.

She had had a bad start in life, thanks to her alcoholic mother.

Sissy did not know who her father was. Sissy did not care to know. 

She assumed her mother had become pregnant after a drunken one-night stand, probably under a tree in the park somewhere.

Mother had kept the baby. After all, it was a ticket to a benefit. Easy money.

Easy money if mother was too lazy to put the work into raising a child properly.

Mother proceeded to have a string of children, each one to a random drunken encounter, each one taken away by the authorities.

Not Sissy.

Sissy was the child that no-one seemed to want. When things got bad, little brother or little sister was taken away, but Sissy was deemed old enough to be safe from harm.

Old enough to fend for herself.

Damaged enough to be not worth the effort.

Sissy grew up. Lurched her way from one health crisis to another. At school, she failed at every class. At home, she was the scapegoat for every disaster that befell her and her mother. Sissy copped the blame, every time they had to move house, every time her mother broke up with some guy, every time they were short of money.

Sometimes Sissy turned up to school bruised from head to toe. The teacher would frown, but Sissy would stick to her story of rolling down a bank, falling off a bed, or playing with the dog too boisterously. It was easier to accept these stories at face value for most people. Anyone taking it further, found the beauracracy of social services too difficult to deal with, especially when the supposed victim refused to dob in her mother.

Because mother was a force to be feared above all else.

Sissy grew up thin and weedy. She was a half-starved, scared little thing with waifish big eyes and thin blonde hair.

But she was pretty.

Sissy did not understand much about why things went badly for her and her mother. It was just the way their little family was. 

She did not care that she was not getting on well at school. By now she had made friends with Megan, and a few other kids that hung around. Most of them were problem children, according to the authoritizing teachers that controlled much of their day.

She liked Megan. She followed Megan around like a little puppy dog. She was quite happy to share Megan's exploits, good and bad. Soon the two of them were in trouble for minor offences. Shoplifting. Vandalism. Sleeping around when far too young.

The Youth Court decided that the two girls were victims as much as perpetrators, which led to long sessions of councilling and supportive intervention.

By now both of them were no longer attending school. They were wagging, meeting up with other unemployed youth, spending their days goofing off at the beach, drinking and sexing and riding round in old cars.

Victim.

That was the label that society bestowed upon Sissy.

Sissy did not see it that way.

She, surprisingly, had a positive handle upon her own self worth.

Sissy, despite every obstacle, was here. Was alive. Was meant to be.

Sissy was not going to wallow in self pity. 

Sissy was determined to enjoy life.

Sissy lived in the moment. She did not look back with regret. She did not look forward with hope.

If that meant she hurt someone's feelings along the way, well, too bad. When did anyone ever consider her?

Sissy started to attract young men from a very young age.

Some of the early encounters were rough. Inconsiderate. Made her very angry. 

She soon learned how to take charge of her own sexuality. She chose her men carefully. Discarded them when she'd had enough. Men had taught her to be that way. 

If she broke a heart or two, tough. Her heart had been broken long ago. 

Her and Megan were having a lot of fun. As soon as they were able, the two of them left school for good, and Megan began shacking up with one man after another, whilst Sissy tagged along but kept a foot in the door at home so she'd always have somewhere to crash if she got stuck.

But she'd had an affair with one of mother's men. Mother had found out. 

There was a blazing fight. Sissy had fought back. Taken her mother by surprise. Dominated her mother. Scared her mother, quite a lot. Finally given a bit back of what she had received all her life. Left her mother cowering in the corner, wide-eyed, waiting for the next blow.

But Sissy pulled back.  

Sissy had walked away.

Gone to find Megan. 

Megan had just broken up with her boyfriend.

The flat on offer seemed just right.

Megan hadn't been around much, since they had moved in. Sissy was bored. 

She'd tried Zane out, on a whim, though it did seem like fate was leading them on to that private garden. She didn't give a monkey's about what Raewyn thought. Zane was a big boy. He could make his own mind up. Raewyn and Audrey were up themselves anyway, university students and all. 

Well. Not so smart now. I've just done your boyfriend and you've no idea?

But Zane wasn't much of a catch. In Sissy's opinion. She felt sorry for Raewyn. Zane was such a mechanical lover, heavy and unimaginative. 

Raewyn deserved better. Sissy was actually doing Raewyn a favour, if they broke up over this.

Satisfied that she had justified her behaviour, Sissy set her sights on the other guys in the flat. 

She liked the looks of Darren. Ash was a nice second. A bit on the chubby side. But they both had a job. That meant money.

Darren was nice, teaching her dogs some manners. She had spent quite a bit of time with Darren and Ash, whilst they walked the dogs together.

But Darren was aloof. Ash said he hadn't got over breaking up with his girlfriend yet. It somehow made Darren more desirable. A challenge.

She held off targetting Ash. Ash and Darren were tight. Some guys didn't like sharing their women when they were close mates. If she wanted a chance with Darren, then Ash was off the menu.

For now.

There was Len. 

That bitch Cindy was all over him. Poor girl. Sissy judged Len to be a wife-beater. Cindy would find out eventually.

There was Dean. She hadn't liked Dean, at first. But he had roped her into his little skits, along with Raewyn and Audrey, and she was really enjoying this new experience. Dean just didn't appeal to her at all, but she could see some value in forming a friendship with Dean. And that was also a new development. 

Sissy did not make friends easily. 

 Audrey and Raewyn.

She thought the two of them snobby, stuck-up and stupid. 

But she could see they had a kind side. They had been nice to her. 

It was true that she had just betrayed Raewyn, in what some would consider the worst possible way, but Sissy did not see the world the same way others did.

Megan and Sissy shared guys all the time. 

Raewyn would get over it.

If she even ever found out.