Sunday 24 January 2010

3 Slags on a Corner : Chapter Three

Three - Matilda

Oh my head. Six. Six in the bloody morning, and she’s moving a drum kit. A drum kit for crying out loud. Why did she need to move it.
“Tilly! Get down here will you!” I heard my sisters voice ring from downstairs.
“I’m sleeping!” I heard her drop the drum kit and pound up the stairs. She walked into my room and pulled the quilt off me.
“Hey Cassie! What are you doing?” She smiled and ruffled my hair.
“We, my little sister, are going on a road trip.” Oh that’s not so bad, we never stayed in a place for that long anyway. Our parents died when I was twelve. We used to live in Morocco, my mum was half Moroccan; so that means I have a permanent tan, but our parents decided they wanted to live in England. They left me and my sister in Morocco to go check out a house in Manchester. We were really excited about leaving, it sounded amazing.
When our parents got there, they found a beautiful house just on the edge of Manchester. They’d emailed pictures back to us, and we loved it too. But, on the flight back to Morocco there was major turbulence. The pilot couldn’t control the plane and it crashed. My parents, and all the rest of the plane, were pronounced dead. No one saw it coming. Me and my sister were left in Morocco with no money or family. Both our parents were only children, and the only grand parents we had were in England. That’s when it clocked. My sister would ask our English grandparents, who we’d never met, to lend us money to fly over to England and live in the new house. It was all paid for so all we needed were flights over to England. So, Cassie asked them and, can you believe it, they agreed. So, two days later we’d left and were in England. The house was a beautiful as the pictures had shown; we lived there for a year when we decided to sell it. The profit was huge, we got forty thousand pounds over the asking price. That’s when we decided to live on the road, we had loads of money which we didn’t need to spend on a house; we lived in our car. We stopped at camping sites have a shower, and restaurants to eat. My sister got various jobs, but I was too young. I was fifteen when we moved here to Devon, and now we’re moving again. London, the big city; lots of money to be earned there. I’d be starting back at school after four years off. I got into a small school sixth form. Cassie wants to settle in London, so we’re buying a small house with the money we’ve got left. It’s cute I suppose, if you like cottage type houses.
So, now I get it, we’re leaving today; the house must be ready.
“So, we’re going today?” Cassie turned and smiled.
“Course! Off to the best city in the world!”
I smiled at her, she was seriously excited. I was too I guess, but just couldn’t seem to show it; you know it being six in the morning and all.

*

“Put on All American Rejects.” I reached for the iPod and turned to it. Cassie grabbed it out of my hands and scowled.
“No! We’re listening to Red Hot Chilli Peppers!” Oh for goodness sake, she went on one date. One date; and she is obsessed with the lead singer. And it was only because she won a competition. I was so bored of them now because of Cassie, so I pulled out one of my cigarettes.
“What are you doing?” Asked Cassie, as I put it in my mouth.
“Er…taking a smoke, like usual. Do you have a lighter, I can’t find mine.” This wasn’t how I expected her reaction to be. She pulled the cigarette out of my mouth and chucked it out the window. “What are you doing?” I shouted to her. “That was my last fag, you idiot. We need to stop to buy more now.”
“This is a new start, new life, and I gotta start acting like a proper guardian alright? No more smoking, or drugs, or alcohol, or sex!”
“Hey, that is so not fair. I’m fine with the sex coz I don’t do that anymore anyway. I’ve never taken drugs, and I’m 18 in 2 years so I might as well start drinking now!” That was all true. Especially the sex thing. Ever since the Robbie Sinn incident, I’ve gone off sex altogether!

We passed a 5km sign, and also a very stupid sign which was actually quite funny; it said “sign not in use”! Me and Cassie had a good old laugh at that. I looked to my right and saw a small off licence. I took this as my chance to get some cigarettes.
“Hey Cassie. Are you hungry?” Cassie frowned.
“Why?” She looked suspicious. I smiled.
“Because there’s an off licence over there and I thought we could get something.” She stopped frowning and smiled.
“Good idea Tills.” We stopped on a yellow line and I jumped out quickly. Cassie handed me a twenty pounds note and I ran into the shop. When I got in I saw a long aisle of sandwiches so I headed for it. I grabbed a BLT for Cassie and got myself a cheese salad baguette(I’m vegetarian). I also got a large bag of salt and vinegar kettle chips, a bottle of water for me and a coke for Cass. That’s when I saw them. Hundreds of packets all over the wall, I walked up to the till and gave the woman my stuff. She started scanning it in when I asked for my usual packet of cigarettes. She smiled.
“Can I see some I.D please love?” I returned the smile and whipped out Cassie’s I.D. I’d managed to skive it while she had been preoccupied. I showed it to her and she smiled.
“Thank You Cassandra that will be eighteen eighty five.” She held her hand out and I gave her the note. She out it in her till and I left. I walked over to the car and got in, that’s when I noticed the cashier running towards me.
“Cassandra!” She got over to the car and Cassie opened the window.
“Um can I help you?” She laughed.
“No no love I’m just giving Cassandra her receipt and change.” She handed it to me and walked back to her shop. Cassie peered at me.
“Why was she calling you my name?” I laughed nervously.
“I have no idea. What a silly woman.” I slumped down in my chair and tried to cover my face with my hand. She grabbed the bag off my lap and looked inside.
“Tilly I cannot believe you! I specifically said no cigarettes!” She took the pack of cigarettes and through them out of the window. I gasped.
“Cassie what the hell!” She scowled deeply.
“Tilly you are forbidden to smoke anymore. Do you understand?” That shocked look started to fall from my face. I nodded and she turned back forwards and pulled off the curb.

But, what shocked me the most, was the speed at how we got to our village. There was a little girl on her bike riding down the road, and a group of old men playing cards, it looked like a scene from a family film where everyone was just about to die. I squinted into the distance and saw a small house with a for sale sign outside. Cassie pointed forwards,
“There it is Tills, our new home!”

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