Love and Attraction

Chapter 5

Chapter 5:

It has been three days since the time we moved in and I had everything unpacked. Richard, of course, had made me do the lounge-room first and then the kitchen, yelling at me to go down to the liquor store to get him some beer straight after.

By the time I had become sixteen, just before my mother had married this wretched indolent beast of a man, I had no choice but to make myself a fake ID. I knew that I may not have looked eighteen, but I also knew that there was no other way to helping Anna get the care she needed. I also spent amounts of my spare time practicing the forging of my mother's signature.

Criminal offending is not something that I liked to do, but based on the caring of my little sister, I like to believe that I had no choice.

After I had gotten Richard's beer and shoved it (non-literally) in his hand, I had gotten straight into Anna's room, though she had insisted in doing it herself. Anna kept telling me lately that she wanted to start being independent and doing things on her own, but it was just in my nature to ensure everything is done for her. Looking after her was like a second nature to me now and making sure she had a childhood was everything to me. I guess most would call it mothering.

I helped Anna – despite of her resistance – do her room, then went across the hall to mine. It was the last room to be done. At least, I hoped it was.

I haven't seen my mother much in these past three days and I wished it was because she was unpacking her room, and setting up her joining bathroom. I wouldn't be surprised if she were lying in her bedroom, doing nothing other than staring at the ceiling – if that were what she was doing. But all that I knew was that, once again, she had disappeared in a time of need.

My room was made out of very plain brown wood, on both the walls and the floor, and had nothing in it but my single bed mattress and scattered furniture.

Sighing, I took a step into the room and scaled and planned everything in my head, deciphering where everything could possibly go and fit inside this horribly small room.

I did everything without much complaint and arranged the room the best I could, with, of course, many grievances of the noise I was making downstairs from Richard. I was grateful that he was only yelling at me. I was also relieved that he was in one of his lethargic moods – which had been every day since we moved here.

I stood back, just outside my bedroom door, and admired my hard work. It didn't give a homey, roomy feel but I was glad I at least had a bed set up to sleep on.

I took a step towards my bed, suddenly having the need to lie down – even for just a minute – when the doorbell rang, making the most annoying jingle sound ever.

"Spencer!" Richard called, annoyed, from downstairs.

I groaned and started for the stairs, making sure to grab my sunglasses to mask my black eye – which was still black from three days ago – before doing so.

I half limped down the stairs and stood in front of the door within a minute. As I always did, I took a deep breath, put my sunnies on and opened the door with my heart thumping a hundred miles an hour – hoping that they didn't see behind my glasses and my lies of happiness.

I was half expecting another one of those bouncy welcoming neighbours, with another apple pie, but I found myself surprised and some-what stumped.

On the doorstep was a good-looking guy, about the same age as I, with a little girl, about the same age as Anna, clutching his hand.

He was about six to seven feet in height and had blonde hair that seemed to be stylishly messy. His eyes were a sapphire blue and he had those lips – those indescribably full-man lips.