A Pair Of Pears (Completed)

Biscuits for breakfast

Jackson zips the tent down and I fall back onto a mound of blankets and sleeping bags. He sits down beside me, crossing his legs and pulling his backpack towards him. He unzips the large compartment and pulls out a large wind up torch, it’s massive, it must have taken up most of the space in his bag. 
‘This thing is great, but it’s really heavy.’ He says, placing the torch in the middle of the tent and winding the handle. The more he turns it, the brighter the light gets, and before long the whole tent is lit up, he pulls his hoodie off over his head and makes it into a pillow to lay back on. There’s silence as we both stare up at the roof of the tent. 
‘So, tell me about these band plans.’ I say to break the silence. 
‘Well, so far it’s just Dylan and me, we have been playing together for a few years as a twosome. We wanted to start a proper band, though, that’s why I’ve been trying to raise funds selling art in Willow’s shop. For equipment and stuff.’ Jackson puts his arm around me. ‘We call ourselves The Tribal Tomatoes.’ He laughs. ‘Dylan sings and I play the guitar. We were hoping to play at the Apple festival next weekend, but I don’t think that’s going to happen now.’ 
‘Gran mentioned Apple Festival.’ I say moving in closer towards Jackson. ‘She wants to run a cake and veg stall.’ 
He kisses my hair. ‘You should come, It’s fun.’
‘Maybe’ I reply.
I leave Jackson snoring softly in the tent. The air outside is fresh and the grass dewy. I can hear the birds chirping happily as they awake for their day ahead. There’s still a small amount of smoke coming from the fire, we’d forgotten to put it out. I cross the grass to the river in just Jacksons t-shirt, it’s long enough that it comes to just below my knees. I kneel in front of the river and splash icy cold water on my face to help wake me up a bit more. I turn around from the river just as Lily is poking her head out of her tent. 
‘Oi Oi!’ She says winking at me. ‘Was his tent warmer than mine?’ I feel my cheeks blush Lily crawls out the tent and find the tin of dandelion biscuits that we hadn’t opened yet. ‘I hope you were careful.’ She says, jamming a biscuit into her mouth. ‘Remember our parents? We don’t want any baby Jacksons running around, the last thing the world needs is another one of him.’ 
‘We didn’t.’ I say staring down at my bare feet in the grass, feeling awkward, my cheeks now burning.
‘Yeah Yeah.’ Lily says sarcastically, shoving another biscuit into her mouth. ‘And I’m not gay.’ 
There’s a rustling noise from Jackson's tent, we both turn around and he emerges in just a pair of plain black boxers. Lily raises her eyebrows at me. Sup ladies? And Lily.’ He jokes, sweeping his hand through his hair. 
Lily throws half a biscuit at him. 
‘Now, now.’ Jackson points his finger at Lily. 
The Three of us sit munching on the rest of the biscuits for breakfast. We pack up and head back to Jackson quickly as I have work with Willow at ten. 
We get back to Jackson’s and his Mum doesn’t look happy. 
‘Dylan had to go to the hospital and get his nose looked at.’ She says sternly to Jackson as we walk in through his back door. ‘You messed it up pretty bad.’ 
‘You should have heard what he was saying!’ Jackson protests. ‘Still, doesn’t excuse violence.’ Jackson’s dad calls out from the breakfast table. ‘There’s never any reason for violence, I thought we raised you better than that.’ Jackson doesn’t answer, he just leaves the kitchen and takes his bags upstairs. 
Jackson’s dad gives us a lift to Lily’s. The shop door is already open as we get there, so we head straight in. There’s a goat in the middle of the shop shredding a telephone directory. Lily slaps her hand to her forehead.  
‘MUM! What have you done now?!’ 
‘What?’ asks Willow innocently, peering over a copy of The Beginners Guide to Nettle Foraging & Cooking. ‘Oh.’  She says looking down at goat smiling. ‘This is Cathy, isn’t she wonderful? There was this man travelling through after I dropped you off yesterday... He needed some clothes and incense but didn’t have any money. So, he traded me his goat and this fab cookbook!’ She holds the book up to show us all. 'Nettle soup for dinner tonight Lils!’ 
Lily slaps her hand to her forehead again and Jackson starts laughing so hard he looks as if he might crack a rib. 
‘She’s an eccentric little thing, is Cathy, but she can often be a bit snappy and not very nice, I’ll admit I’m starting to see why the man didn’t want her. But, I’ve made her a bed upstairs and I have permission for her to use the fields.’ 
I work the afternoon, although it doesn’t feel like work with Willow, Especially with Lily and Jackson there, messing about, Dressing up in all the hippy clothes and jewellery. And overall just being silly. When I get home, Grandad is sat on the front steps, something doesn't seem right, he’s rocking backwards and forwards muttering under his breath. I look down at him 
‘You alright Grandad?’ He looks up at me, confused, scared and not himself. He looks at me as if he doesn't recognise me, doesn’t know who I am. He just points in the direction of the front door.  As soon as I open it I know something isn’t right, out the corner of my eye I see a glass fly by the lounge door and smash into pieces against the wall. I freeze. 
‘Laura, don’t you see, you have a problem.’  I hear Gran plead. ‘Hiding vodka in shampoo bottles, don’t you see how wrong that is.’ 
Mum doesn’t answer, instead, she comes into the hallway, sees me stood there and shoves me into the wall. What I really want to say is.
‘have you ever heard of excuse me?’ But I can’t find my voice. 
Mum bends down and picks up her bag that’s face down by my feet, I hold my breath, she stinks. As she stands back up she spits in my face. I turn my head away from her suddenly, scared she’s going to do something else. Fortunately, she walks out the door, leaving it open behind her.