Given Up

Chapter 25

I opened the door at 7.59pm.

This was despite the fact that I didn't think I should have to have a curfew, and despite the fact I was pretty sure that this whole idea had come from Scott; I just didn't want to upset Auntie Kate. I didn't want to have anymore arguments with Scott and cause her more aggravation. Not after all she had done for me.

"Kate?" I called up the stairs. Both their cars were outside: I wanted to make sure I at least got seen after having bothered to stick to their poxy rules.

I hefted up my heavy backpack through into the kitchen and up onto the counter. I had filled my bag with supplies from the discount store on my way back from watching Cassie's dance class. I'm not sure why I bothered as she barely acknowledged me, she was so focused on what she was doing. Still, that was good-she had the show in a few weeks and was pretty stressed about doing well in it.

The door to the garden was ajar and I could hear voices sifting through.  I pushed the door open wider and poked my head out. To call it a garden was a push: it was a small patio with a tiny lawn area-well, more like a few tufts of grass and rocks. The sun had gone down and the place was lit up by those solar tiki lights that you can stick in the grass, as well as the light streaming through from the kitchen. Kate was curled up in Scott's lap: two glasses of wine half drunk on the table in front of them.

I cleared my throat and they both looked my way.

"Kyle!" Auntie Kate's voice was high and happy and she beamed across at me. Maybe this wasn't her first glass of wine.

Scott gave me a broad smile like nothing had happened between us the last few days.

I gave her a quick smile.

"Thought I had better tell you that I am back."

Scott looked down at his watch.

"On time." I added tightly.

He looked up at me with a tentative smile.

"That is great. Come and join us?" Kate patted the seat next to her.

"It's ok, I am going to get something to eat and then I've got homework..." I let my voice trail off.

Scott put his hands over Kate's ears. "I put half a cooked roast chicken in the fridge for you if you fancy it. I bought some bacon too."

Kate pulled his hands off, laughing. "I heard all that you know."

He stuck his tongue out at her.

"Anyway, have as much as you want. We have already eaten one of Kate's concoctions."

He made a funny face and it was her turn to stick her tongue out at him, followed by an elbow in the ribs. He exhaled at the force of it but looked back at me with a smile dancing across his eyes.

I nodded at him in acknowledgement, despite having no intention of taking anything from him.

I could hear their laughter through the kitchen window as I made myself some noodles. I replaced the packet with one I had just bought, satisfied that I was contributing in my own way. I had slipped some more money into Kate's bag last week, as I had previously, and she hadn't seemed to notice. My little plan was working out well.

I opened the fridge to get the ketchup- these noodles needed something to make them edible. True to his word, there was a huge half of a cooked chicken staring back at me. My mouth filled in anticipation of what it would taste like. I closed the door with a slam. I can't be bought with food. Well, not today anyway.

As I stepped back across to the hob, I wrenched my trousers up for the hundredth time today. This was getting too annoying. Evidently the weight I'd lost over the summer was enough that my school trousers were loose. I really wasn't into having the world see my boxers, and new trousers would cost money that I didn't have nor that I would ask Kate for, so I'd have to find another solution. I whipped the belt off and found the sharpest knife we had. I pushed the knife into the leather where I thought would be good for another hole. It was trickier than I thought.

"What are you up to there?"

My eyes flicked over to Scott who was in the doorway with two now-empty wine glasses in his hand.

I looked back down at what I was doing and pushed down harder, the knife pricking the old leather.

He put down the glasses. "Want some help?"

I was struggling but I didn't want anything from him. I didn't reply but just focussed on my task.

There was a slight pause before he spoke again.

"So, do you wanna come to the gym tomorrow night? I finish at 7pm and we could go to that steak place again after."

"No, thanks." My voice was cold: forgiving him was not on the menu tonight.

He sighed and ran his fingers around the corners of his mouth and down his chin.

"Buddy look, we should really talk about the last few days..." His tone was gentle, but before he could continue, the knife slipped, just missing my hand and clattered to the floor.

"Yikes!"  Scott picked the knife off the floor. "Why don't you let me try before you lose a finger or toe?"

I was about to tell him to leave me be before he pointed behind me.

"I think the noodles are done."

Shit, the water was boiling over.

"Crap!"

I grabbed them off the stove and took them over to the sink. They were a bit overdone but I'd make do. I transferred them to a bowl and squirted ketchup all over.

I turned back to see that Scott had ignored my signals that I didn't want his help and was bent over my belt, working the knife against it.

"Done."  He held up the belt where a fairly neat hole now stood. It was a lot better than I would have managed.

"Thanks," I said begrudgingly.

I took it, looped it through and tried it on. This should definitely stop the world seeing my arse.

Scott pulled a bottle of wine out of the fridge.

"You forgot the chicken!"

"I'm good." I grabbed my bowl and started around the counters.

"We don't want to be having to put any more holes in that belt now Kyle." He smiled at me kindly. "You are still growing - protein is really important at your age."

This was sounding all too fatherly again: albeit in a nice way. My conversation with Mr Green yesterday flashed through my mind: about Scott acting the way he has because he cares.

I nodded, feeling awkward. "Better go and do my homework."

I had almost made it out of the door.

"Kyle, I think you will be needing this."

I turned and he was holding up my backpack.  He winced as he handed it over to me: it was heavy with my stash of tins of beans and noodles.

"Geez, what have you got in there?" He smiled broadly. "Did you go out and rob a bank?"

I tensed.

"You would probably think I had...me and my 'scummy friends'." I threw his words back at him as I pulled the bag out of his hand.

"I didn't mean it like that..."

I knew he hadn't but I didn't care to hear the rest, so I headed upstairs to hide my stash.