Broken Girls And Broken Boys

Chapter Fourteen: She is the guru of all things Kendall Collins.

"Kendall what's the matter? You look like you've run over Kelly's cat," my mum says, touching my arm as light as a feather. I turn to face her, my eyes reaching her sparkling dark ones- they are so similar to mine I almost think I'm looking in the mirror for a second. My mum must think I'm giving her a blank look (it's my resting bitch face-what can I say?) and so opens her mouth in shock.

"Don't say you actually ran over Kelly's cat. She'll kill us and I don't want to pop round her house to tell her the bad news," she rambles, wringing her fingers out in front of her. I place my hand over her twitching ones and push them down into her lap. Her ironed pencil skirt crinkles slightly and she fidgets with it instead.

"Mum, I didn't kill the stupid cat," I say, almost laughing at the state my mum has gotten herself into. She nods, pulling on the collar for her blouse before smiling slightly. Her eyes dart around the room for a second, watching Lily and Caleb argue with the toys they're playing with. She turns back, satisfied with their constant babbling to one another- her face instantly relaxes.

"So what's up then?" she questions, raising a plucked eyebrow at me. I sigh, slumping down into the creasing leather couch before crossing my arms over my chest. From the corner of my eye I see my mum's eyes light up with hidden humour.

"Ugh, I told Maria I'd set her up with Kent but I don't want to go round there and ask him," I mutter, slumping further down into the old sofa. My mum pulls me up gently and fixes me with a smile- it's the kind she does when I'm being totally ridiculous.

It happens a lot.

"Kendall," she sighs, pretending to be exasperated at me but we both know she isn't. Caleb begins wailing loudly over the other side of the room which sets off Lily too. He stumbles over to me, his little arms flailing around as he tries to get his balance. I pull him into my arms and hold him close- its not often that he allows me to give him a hug so I relish in the embrace. Caleb fumbles on my knee for a bit, wiping his eyes into my old jumper.

"Mum, I don't want to talk to him because at class he just completely disregarded me and went off with a bunch of people he didn't even know!" I sigh, slumping back into the sofa with my brother in my arms; he giggles before snuggling closer into my chest.

My mother heads over to Lily and scoops up the wailing toddler. The moment she holds her, Lily stops crying and closes her eyes tight. "Look K, you have to talk to him eventually. You might as well get on with it now. Besides you don't know why he left you for those people," she reasons, and I nod.

She turns to the mumbling toddler in her arms, "and you misses need to stop stealing your brother's toys!" she tickles her side gently and Lily gurgles in response, writhing around in my mother's arms. I laugh before setting Caleb down on the seat next to mine and pulling his Paw Patrol blanket over his tiny frame.

"Right, I might as well get this over with," I mutter, tugging down my jumper. As I enter the hall, my phone starts buzzing but I chuck it onto the shoe rack and pull on my old ratty trainers, careful to take as much time as I can lacing them up.

I'm the queen of procrastination.

Well, most of the time I'm just a queen.

What can I say? I'm royalty!

I wrench open the door and throw myself into the freezing air before I can even think about it. A chill runs down my spine and I instantly regret not putting on a coat. Before I can turn around and grab one, the door slams in my face and I am left out on the doorstep freezing everything (yes, everything) off. I am half-tempted to bang on the door and get my mother to let me back in but then I think of Caleb and Lily- almost fast-asleep- and head down the path into Kent's house.