dedicated to @almosts for the awesome comments xD
Mum got home early that night, at quarter past 10 when Cosmo and Jared were watching Geordie Shore (their chief guilty pleasure, and never mentioned by either of them until it started and the channel ‘mysteriously’ ended up on MTV just in time for the start).
They both scrambled up when the door clicked and Cosmo hastily flicked the channel to a program about extreme fishing.
“Why is this hall such a mess?” came Mum’s voice. Cosmo sunk down into the sofa, holding a cushion over his face as if it’d hide him from her wrath. As it happened, she didn’t look like she was about to shout when she entered the living room and sat down to unzip her boots.
“Your dad texted me back. He said he’ll take you for Christmas.”
“Wait what-” Jared began, confused.
“Mum asked him to take us for Christmas,” explained Cosmo helpfully, lowering the cushion from his face.
“Rick’s taking me to Paris,” Mum said impatiently. Rick was her boyfriend of 5 months, whom Jared and Cosmo hadn’t really seen enough of to judge as yet. He seemed nice enough, in Jared’s opinion. He didn’t really give a shit either way. “I’m obviously not going to take you two with me.”
“Cool,” said Cosmo. Jared glared at him.
“Why does no one ever tell me anything?”
His mum shrugged.
“Maybe you just weren’t listening. Cos, can you book the ferry tickets tomorrow?”
“Sure,” said Cosmo absently, attention re-glued to the TV, where a bearded man in an anorak was struggling with a massive brown fish.
Jared’s eyes widened in fear.
“No fucking way am I letting Cosmo book my ticket. I don’t want to end up in the Antarctic or- just no, Mum! Have you even met this guy? I’ll book the tickets at the weekend. Okay, Cos?”
There was no reply for a few moments and then Cosmo said, in awe,
“That is one big fish.”
Mum shrugged, running a hand tiredly through her hair.
“Whatever, Jared. Also, language. Just get yourself both to France for the 23rd. Email your dad’s PA” – Jared had no idea why they all still pretended she was just the PA, seeing as the fact Dad’d run away to France to start a new life with her spoke otherwise – “the details.” She walked over into the kitchen, and then turned back, remembering something. “I said you’d be there till the 5th of January.”
Cosmo sprang upright.
“Wait, what?! Mum, that means missing all the New Year’s parties! That sucks!”
Mum made a face like ‘what d’you want me to do about it’, and left the room retorting airily,
“Life sucks, Cosmo!”
--------o--------
The prospect of Christmas at his dad’s wasn’t a great one, although neither was Christmas here really. Jared had been ten when Dad ran away with Renée-the-PA, and since then his dad’s idea of being ‘involved in their lives’ was the monthly refilling of their bank accounts- which did, admittedly, have its advantages, but was rather detrimental to the fostering of a healthy relationship.
They went over usually once a year for a month in the summer, and sometimes Dad sent postcards or skyped them. In Year 8 Jared took a whole load of his friends out there in the long holiday, and they all proclaimed his dad the coolest parent ever.
Jared wasn’t so sure.
YOU ARE READING
Invincible
Teen Fiction"I didn't know you had friends like Isaac," Willa said in greeting. "I don't," muttered Jared. Isaac rolled his eyes. "Yeah, you don't. You have //one// friend like Isaac." His voice turned into this stupid mock whisper and he leaned towards Jared c...
