Saddened, I gazed through the grimy, chipped glass of mine and Owen's bedroom window. The sky was criss-crossed with flowing rivers of clouds, concealing the sun. Two floors below, rain dripped off the garden shrubbery onto the marshy, mudded earth.
"Holly!" Owen called, bouncing, eagerly, onto my bed, waving his pointed finger in front of my face. "It's for you!"
I forced a smile, as I dragged myself from the window to the front door.
"Hey." Sunshine gulped, thumb in her mouth.
Stunned, I looked behind me to the living room at the end of the hall, afraid of what might happen if she was seen. Grabbing her arm, I pulled her down the rusty metal staircase of our flat and underneath it, shielded by the shadow of the tree.
"Hi." I gulped – still looking, anxiously, about to make sure we were unseen.
"Okay...?" She winced – uncomfortably.
I didn't say anything, as she cleared her throat to speak again: "I've... been meaning to talk to you about something. Do you remember Toby?"
I nodded, absent-mindedly, trying to hold focus.
"Well, he's kind of just moved to Carlisle and he's only been at our school for a week, so I thought it would maybe be nice if we let him hang out with us for a while."
I sighed, disheartened. "Sure."
"You're the best –" she flung her arms around me, squeezing tightly.
I let out a short, sharp gasp – heart lurching.
"Are you okay?" She coaxed; head tilted to the side, making her long, blonde hair flutter down to her elbow.
I knew I wasn't okay.
Step-dad's alcoholism had taken a turn for the worse and we'd found ourselves battling a new level of violence every day. We were only safe whilst he was at the pub. Or when I was away – far away. But the second I walked through the door... All I can say is, that's when I definitely not 'okay'.
I faked another smile, hearing the bitter lie fall from my mouth like crumbling ashes.
"I'm absolutely okay."