RUNWAY

Penny

"It will be fine." I said rubbing Seth's scarred arm with the palm of my hand. "I feel sick." He replied. We were waiting in the small kitchen of his home for Brad to get home from school. Keeping my eyes on Seth's face I saw his eyes widen with fear as the loud clatter of the letter box moving while the front door opened up sounded through the hall. Brad walked into the kitchen and slung his school bag on one of the two empty seats that surrounded the little table. "Alright?" He said casually as his next point of call was to inspect what was in the fridge. "Yeah. You have a good day?" Seth asked him trying hard to act normal. "It was alright. Bit shit actually. I think I failed that science test." He said as he sniffed an open packet of bacon. "Do you guys want a sandwich?" He added. I nudged Seth to encourage him to start talking. "Nah I'm good..." My boyfriend begun. "... Actually Bradders, we need to have a chat, mate." Seth said pulling out the last empty chair for Brad to sit down. Knowing that something was up, Brad put the bacon back in the fridge and sat on the seat. He looked at me for some verification of how much trouble he was about to be in. I smiled back at him in reassurance. His school tie hung loose around his neck and his white shirt was now untucked and scruffy looking as he fidgeted in his seat. "Is this about Harini?" He asked. Seth chuckled. "No mate. I need to tell you something." Seth began. Brad looked nervous like he was about to be told someone had died. He remained silent, his resemblance to his father was unmistakable. "You uhm... I've made a mess of some stuff which I need to explain to you." He said. "Go on then." Brad said as he looked at the clock that was on the wall. I expect he wanted this hurried up so he could see his girlfriend. 

Seth let out a deep breath. "I don't really know where to begin. We are getting thrown out the house on Friday, I've not paid the rent since James left." Seth blurted out. "What! Oh for fucks sake, Seth." Brad said angrily, standing up from his chair. Seth looked down to his hands that were on the table knowing he had messed up with his opening line. "Hang on a minute, Brad... What he is trying to tell you is that he didn't pay the rent because he was being blackmailed by that Anita woman that was here yesterday. She has been forcing him to give her hundreds... Thousands." I added. Brad sat back down. "Why?" He asked now pulled in to the interesting sounding story. I looked at Seth. another long drawn out deep breath left him. "When I was with her I told her a secret and she has been using it against me ever since... Brad I need to tell you this secret now but I want you to know that whatever happens... Well I love you okay." He said. Brad smirked. "You sound fucking gay. what is it?" Bradley asked, obviously not used to hearing declarations of love from somebody who he thought was his big muscly loaf of a sibling. "I'm your dad, Bradders... I'm so sorry I didn't tell you years ago." Seth said. Brad let out a little laugh. "Is this a joke?" He asked, again looking at me for confirmation. I shook my head. "It's not a joke..." Seth continued. "Anita was threatening to tell you. I don't have any money left to give her so I needed to tell you first. I wanted it coming from me." Seth added "So... Shit! This is fucked up. So Mum isn't Mum?" He asked. "No Mum Isn't Mum, buddy. I'm sorry." Seth said as I witnessed him wipe his eyes. I had never seen him look so fragile.

Brad stayed silent for a moment as his brain processed what he had been told. "Why was I this big secret then? How did I get so fucked up in this family? Who is my mum?" Brad then asked, his tone verging on the pissed off persuasion. "I was the same age as you are now. I was seeing this girl... well I wasn't even seeing her. To tell you the truth I was at this weekend golf thing with my dad, some charity father and son tournament. In the evening when dad used to meet up with his rich golfing buddies to smoke cigars and drink whiskey, I entertained myself with this girl I met. She was 17 and I slept with her twice." Seth explained. "What is her name?" Brad asked. Seth stood up and walked over to the fridge "Penny... Well, Penelope." He added as he got a couple of cans of beer out. He gave one to Bradley who hastily opened his and took a swig. I doubted it was the right time to moan at them both about underage drinking so I stayed quiet. Seth sat back down and opened his beer. "Okay where was I... Right so I fucked this girl and I went home on the Monday and didn't think twice about her until I came home from school 4 months later and found this girl sat in my house with my mother and her mother looking really fucking pissed off. Turned out that this Penny chic was from this really posh family. Her dad was a Lord or some shit but the mum was insistent that I had to marry this fucking girl who I had met twice so it wasn't going to shame their family. Well the shit hit the fan when it was revealed I was only 15." Seth said with a chuckle as he remembered the events in his head. "My mum was going fucking mental. I mean can you imagine her finding out all this shit." Seth said to Brad who did smile. "I remember abortion being spoken about by the girls mother and Penny was crying her eyes out begging to not be forced into it. Then my mum asked me and Penny to leave the room while she spoke to this woman. I literally stood outside with this girl for twenty minutes and we said nothing to each other. Penny was called back in the room but I was told to go upstairs. I don't know why she kept me out of the loop. It was all so messed up. The next morning I was told that my mum was going to Scotland to stay with family. What no one told me and what I eventually found out was that, Mum had taken Penny with her for the rest of the pregnancy. Then 5 months later my mum came home and everyone was being told that the baby was hers. I haven't seen Penny since the day I found out she was pregnant." Seth finished. Brad drank some more of his beer and let a little burp out as he thought through what he was going to say next.

"So... I was just given up by my actual mother so her family could save a bit of face... no one knew that she had me?" Brad asked. Seth nodded his head. "I guess so. Brad, no body told me what was going on until the day my mum came back announcing she had this kid... I wasn't even allowed to go near you for fucking days. My mum was such a bitch with how she went about everything. I think it was a week or so later that she produced this form... Penny had signed it. It basically said she was giving me full parental responsibility over you. I remember you were in this rocker thing. Once I signed it my mum said... and this is a direct quote from her, 'you feed it, you bath it and when it shits you clean it'. " Seth said as he looked at Brad, trying to fathom out what his thoughts on it all were. Brad wasn't talking though. "Here's a bit of interesting news for you. when you first arrived home with my mum, she had already named you Howard. Mum told me that now I had signed Penny's form, I had to go down the register office, register your birth and get yet your birth certificate. Being 15. I had to figure all this shit out on my own but when I got there I realised that I could officially name you whatever the fuck I liked... and I liked Bradley." Seth said with a smile as he continued to look at his son for a response.

"Howard is a fucking shit name." Brad said. Seth smiled. "Mum hired a nanny to look after you when I was at school but... well not that it was your fault but I failed each and every exam. I just had too much on my mind. You and me were always together. We shared a room from the minute I signed that parental thing. My mum had nothing to do with you really, unless it was in the public eye. Once I was done with school I just thought I would stay at home with you. The nanny was no longer needed. I was there for your first steps and I taught you to walk and talk. I did everything I possibly could for you Bradders. In my eyes I think you have turned out... pretty ace." Seth finished.

Brad Loosened his school tie even further and then removed it from around his neck. He finished his beer. "It does sound gay but I love you too." He said. Seth smiled on hearing it, then got his son another beer which was gratefully received.