"I've got the next Neighbourhood Watch column planned out already," Abby declared from her position sprawled out on the carpet. The laptop was open in front of her, its bright screen reflected on the dark window.
"That didn't take long," Victoria remarked, rummaging through the drawers of their shared desk. "What's the story?"
"A look into the life of a school nurse. You see, she's completely isolated and lonely until she discovers her long-lost family, and then-"
"Don't," Victoria cut in. "It's too strange. A few months ago we barely had each other. Now we've been given a ready-made aunt; and Mum is actually downstairs cooking something."
"Instant family," Abby agreed. She watched as her older sister triumphantly yanked a red book out of the heavy pile of papers, holding it to the light.
"My old English book," Victoria explained. "I used this almost three years ago. Mr Ling said I could do exam resits next year."
Abby stifled a giggle.
"It's not funny!" Victoria was stung. "I'd like to see you try repeating eight exams! Anyway, I only failed English the last time because I accidentally turned over two pages at the same time. I'm telling you, if I hadn't been distracted-"
"I wasn't laughing at that," her sister protested. "It's just that you're going to be sitting them at the same time as Nathan!"
Victoria went white as the realisation dawned. "I completely forgot." She dropped the book back onto the desk. "This is going to be the most humiliating eight months of my life. What if his results are better? I'll never live this down!"
"If you can audition for a TV show," Abby said firmly, "then you can definitely do exams meant for sixteen year olds." She was going to add that even she herself could probably pass the exams, having such a high IQ. But something in her sister's expression stopped her.
Slowly, Victoria reached down to the desk and held up a brown envelope. It was stamped with an address.
"This," she announced, "was the Last Wage."
Abby was confused, and not all that interested. She had come to understand that letters that arrived in official-looking brown envelopes didn't generally contain good news. They were bills, or taxes, or poor school reports. She opened her mouth to reply, but the bedroom door got there before her.
"Guess what Mum's making!" Nathan bounced his football off the wardrobe, missing the laptop screen by mere inches. "Beef Stew. And not a ready-meal, either. Beats beans on toast, right Vic?"
"It's Victoria," huffed Victoria. She turned back to Abby. "I can't keep lying to myself. I can't just do what suits me, and drop things when they get serious. Look. I didn't quit my job at the cafe. I was fired."
"Fired," echoed Nathan, impressed. "What did you do?"
Abby felt concerned for her older sister, but not particularly surprised. That was what Victoria did. She took it easy. She skilfully edged her way around duties and responsibilities; weaving in and out of jobs, and steering clear of anything that might demand real patience and hard work. She lived for the good times, even when there weren't any.
"Something stupid," Victoria sighed. "I just had to get that off my chest. Working at the Takeout is disgusting. Does my skin look oily?"
YOU ARE READING
Family Togetherness
General FictionWhat is a family? "A family is a close-knit unit of kin that strives to love, care and work with its members as a team." That's what the dictionary says. But a dictionary is just a book, and what does a book know about real life? In Number Four Mapl...
