Chapter 3

By Sally

A loud thumping, banging, persistent, what the…? Where am I? Oh my head, my mouth. There are voices, raised voices, then the door crashes open. Bright light, oh my head. “Your car’s blocking Jonesy in next door, you’re going to have to move it.” I groan as I remember where I am. I try to say ‘OK, Dom’ but I think it comes out as a grunt. There’s a searing pain in my neck as I roll off the sofa in my boxers and send the empty red wine bottle skittering across the laminate floor. Oh my head! “I’m off to work.  Rach said you can’t stay” he calls. The front door slams, silence.

It wasn’t supposed to be like this, the great Helen love affair. Emma didn’t believe Jessica, called her a spiteful little bitch, a trouble maker, and worse. Jessica said I told her to tell her. There was yelling, denial, Jessica stormed out crying. Now Jessica hates me, says it’s my fault that her mother hates her.

Emma didn’t believe me either when I denied it, when I said Jessica had made it up. There was a lot of shouting, doors slamming, cruel unnecessary words. We said more to one another than we’ve spoken for years but none of it is repeatable. Emma told me to leave and not come back. She threw my laptop out of the lounge window, and then my favourite CDs, then my clothes from the bedroom. Emma hates me too. 

A loud thumping, banging, persistent. Shouting at the front door. I stagger into the hall and fumble with the lock. “ ‘Ere, your bell ain’t working, move your car mate, I’m late for work. Hah, heavy night was it?” “Er, hang on a sec…” I stumble back into the living room. Where are my keys? Jeans, jacket, ah, keys. 

What’s wrong with this lock, when did front doors get so complicated! Oh it’s so bright out here. Ouch, what’s that I just stood on? Broken glass, my foot’s bleeding.

Jonesy:  “Get a move on mate.”

Blip, blip, nothing. 

The keys in my hand are not my car keys.

Slam… 

I do not have a front door key.

Oh my head.