AllFreeNovel
Share Us
20
By the time I’ve got a very inebriated Clancy into bed, it’s past three in the morning. My feet are killing me, so I decide to take a bath. Knocking back a glass of water and some painkillers both for my feet and the inevitable hangover I’m going to have when I wake up, I strip and lower myself into the water. Letting out a deep sigh, I close my eyes, refusing to think about what Jeb has in store for me next week or the inevitable conversation with my brother. Sometimes burying your head in the sand is the only way to get through life, but for now I’m going to allow the water to soothe my aching feet and my worries.
Half an hour passes as I decompress. By the time I haul myself out of the bath, my fingers and toes are wrinkled enough to rival an eighty-year-old’s skin. Drying myself off, I pull on my vest and shorts then grab my phone from the vanity. It vibrates in my hand, and when I look down at the screen I can see it’s Lena.
“Lena, is everything alright?” I ask, snatching up the phone and already thinking the worst.
“Hey, Pen! How’s school?”
“Lena, it’s three in the morning, why aren’t you asleep?” I hear giggling in the background and Lena shushing someone.
“Mum let me have a sleepover. Laura and Simone are here.”
“Jesus, Lena, has no one told you that calling someone at this time in the morning is usually saved for emergencies only. I about had a heart attack,” I laugh, shaking my head.
“Sorry, but I just had to call you. We’ve just watched 28 Days Later. That film isfucked up!” she exclaims, a nervous laugh lifting in the air. I recognise that laugh, it’s the one she reserves for when she’s really scared but is trying to pretend she isn’t.
“Lena, was that wise? The last time you watched a horror movie you spent the week sleeping in bed with me,” I remind her, flicking the call to loudspeaker and resting my phone on the vanity whilst I comb out my tangled hair.
“I was twelve then,” she responds, the bravado back in her voice. “I’m old enough now not to be a cry baby. Anyway, have you seen the movie? Those fuckers can run.”
“Yeah, I’ve seen the movie,” I smile, remembering the night Xeno made me sit down and watch it after York forced him to watch Swing Time, another black and white movie featuring his favourite dancer Fred Astaire. “Try watching it in a dark and dingy basement.”
“A dingy basement, why would I… Anyway,” she continues, not bothering to finish her sentence. “I swear, Pen, you won’t see me for dust if this shit were to go down.”
“You wouldn’t see anyone, we’d all be dead within the hour,” I say, darkly. I mean, come on, London and zombie apocalypse? No one would survive that shit.
“Oh, shut up, Pen. You’d just need to call your Breakers and they’d get us out of trouble no problem. They’d sling us on the back of their motorbikes and save the day.”
I scoff, brushing out the last of my tangles and plaiting my hair. “I don’t think so. That ship has long since sailed, or should I say those motorbikes burnt rubber a long time ago.”
“Oh, I dunno…” More giggles ensue, and I roll my eyes. “I reckon they’d do anything for you.”
Sighing, I shake my head even though she can’t see me. Lena always loved the boys and on the rare occasion we’d bump into them outside of the basement, she would go all silly and shy. I kept my relationship with them on the downlow, but sometimes we’d cross paths when I was walking Lena to school and she would harass them with loads of questions. She especially liked their motorbikes, the ones they suddenly started riding around on about a few months before things went to hell.
“Is there a particular reason you called?” I ask her, trying to change the subject.
“I miss you, that’s all. How’s it all going anyway?”
“It’s going… great,” I eventually say, not wanting to bring up the subject of the Breakers. I’ll never hear the end of it. “I’ve met some nice people. There’s a girl called Clancy, she’s an amazing tap dancer…”
“Ah, that’s good, I’m glad you have a friend… Are you eating enough?” she asks me, her motherly vibes coming out. I grimace, I should be the one worrying about her, not the other way around.
“Yeah, I’m good,” I lie.
“Pen…” she warns, knowing me well enough to recognise the change in pitch indicating I’m not telling her everything. I sigh heavily.
“It’s fine. I’ve got enough to get me by, and I’ll get my wages in a couple weeks. Stop stressing.”
“I could grab some shit from the cupboards and bring it to you. Mum won’t notice. I do most of the cooking anyway.”
“No, Lena. Seriously, it’s cool. We’ve got a canteen here and I get lunch free anyway.” Another lie, but this time she doesn’t seem to notice, thankfully.
“Well, that’s alright then…”
“Everything alright at home with mum?” I ask, feeling anxious at the thought.
“Yeah. It’s cool actually. She’s chilled out so much since…”
