A Complicated Completion

n i n e- not like us

E L I Z A

This morning my brother dearest Josh dropped me off so I was catching a ride home in Athena's white Range Rover.

Just before I was about to tell Athena which way to go, I see Paddy's name flare up on my phone.

"Hello," I answered.

"Hey E, so are you still hating it."

"Well..."

"So you don't hate it."

"I don't hate it, but I'd rather be at home."

I tried not to look at Athena's face, we'd only briefly covered life before London and so I don't think she knew how much I wanted to go back home.

"So made any friends."

"Quite a few actually."

I put the phone between my ear and shoulder as I typed in my address into Athena's phone while mouthing sorry.

"See I don't know if that's true, last time I checked you are not a social butterfly unless you've had 3 Malibu and cokes."

"Eh, I guess I'm inviting."

"What are their names."

"Athena, Vin, Karim and Tommen."

"Sound posh."

"They are."

"Not like us then, eh?"

"Not like you, Pad."

What's that bïtchy? I didn't mean it like that, but Pad wasn't posh. Didn't mean I didn't love him.

"Just hurry up and get home. It's hell without you."

"Hopefully I'll be back soon, or come and visit. You know London's never been my place."

I hope Athena wasn't too bothered about my conversation with Pad, I tried not to slag London off too hard because I had actually really liked them.

"Pad, I have to go but I'll text you when I'm at my dads house."

"See you, love you E."

"Love you too." I buttoned Paddy, and gave Athena a smile, we were still a while from my house.

"So is that your boyfriend?"

I broke into a laughter, "more like my twin brother from another mother."

"Oh, do you really want to go back that bad?"

"I guess, but it's not to do with you and the boys it's more to do with what happens at home."

The conversation drifted away into singing along to songs and laughter, and I couldn't lie I really liked Athena and would miss her.

"This is my stop," I said, as we turned into my long street. The outside of my house was gated so Athena couldn't just drop me off at the door. I waved her good bye and punched in the code so that I could just go to bed.

There's something so uncanny about being a place you've always known but in a new context.

I'd been to my dads house billions of time, I'd slept in my room whenever we came down for a weekend or the summer but it's different when your meant to call it a home because it's not my home. If I stepped into my home I'd feel comfortable but stepping in my dads house I feel cautious, I hid in my room and was silent at tea.

I walked to Josh's room every summer I'd probably spent more time there than in my own, I knocked on the door, assuming he was in work but just checking. When his voice said, "come in," I was slightly relieved.

Pushing the door open, I joined him on his bed. And just closed my eyes, my uniform was slightly itchy but I just wanted to do nothing for a while.

Despite being a young upcoming business man it didn't shock me that Josh was still clicking on his controller. Playing whatever game that involved shooting people and muttering swear words. At least it wasn't the game were you shoot people and shout swear words.

He paused his game to look at me, lying on the other side of his bed.

"I know you don't like it E, but just get through this year and move back up for university. There's no point starting on dad, he always gets what he wants."

He does. That's why he's successful and we have money, but still maybe he should just let his children do as they please.

I didn't respond, I just wanted to sit in the only comfortable place in this stupid house.

But to be honest I didn't even know if I wanted to go back that badly now. I liked my new friends, but then again nothing else was keeping my everything was in Liverpool, and I don't know if Pad could survive with out me. Okay, I sound so big headed but i depend on him so I wonder if he depended on me in school. He was pretty much my only friend in the last school, and I don't know how close he was with the other boys to be mates with them in my possibly temporary absence.