Rocking My Life Away

Part Four: The Long Phone Call

I stretched out, I was clinging onto a pillow in my sleep, I shoved it away as I sat up. It must be pretty late by now. My mother had stopped waking me up in the morning, she'd learnt that I will just shout at her, plus she doesn't like having to shout at me through a door to wake me up. I've begun to lock my door to stop her or Hayley, or my Dad, coming into my room. It means my room is a complete mess but I don't really care. As long as I don't lose my speakers in my mess, which isn't very likely as my desk on which they sit is the only tidy part of my room, then I'm not bothered.

I clambered out of bed when I remembered about Jake's phone call. I slid on my dressing gown as it wasn't the warmest of mornings and I only ever sleep in a t-shirt and underwear. I scrambled around the floor to retrieve my phone. I found it and instantly noticed I had a couple more missed calls which I must have slept through so I quickly dialed Jake's number.

"Hello." I say as someone picks up, the phone is balancing precariously between my face and shoulder. No hand. That is what I call skills.

"That you Melly?" Oh dear, Luke had answered Jake's phone.

"Yes Luke, it is." I say in a perfectly polite tone.

"Well Jake has just gone upstairs to get some paracetamol and water. He'll be here any minute." I could tell Luke was drunk which was ridiculous, it was about 2 o'clock.

"Oh yeah? What's he getting that for then?" I ask even though I already know.

"Something about sobering up and preventing a hangover, though I'll let you in on a secret Mel."

"What's that?" I'm seriously messing with him now, but it's just so entertaining!

"I haven't seen him drink anything." He whispers down the phone. Then I hear voices in the background.

"Oi Luke! Why are you on my phone?" It must have been Jake.

"Gotta go sweetie. Night-night." He says cheerfully before hanging up. Less than three minutes later my phone is ringing again.

"That boy needs help!" I said. "It's two o'clock and he's pissed."

"He drinks because his family doesn't care." Jake says sadly. "His Dad ran off, Mum remarried, had a few more kids and Luke slowly faded out."

"Are you saying this in front of him?" I asked.

"No, he passed out after I shoved the paracetamol down his throat."

"Poor Luke." I say, I wish I hadn't been so harsh on him now.

"My Dad's worried, he wants Luke to move in with us so we can stop him drinking, but his mum won't let him. She insist he's fine and, yes, she can look after her own children. I've met all three of them and none of them seem 'fine'." I can just imagine it being a moment of head shaking. There was a long silence before Jake continued. "Anyway, you called?"

"I was returning your call." I said in a bemused tone.

"Oh right, that." Jake said. "That doesn't matter anymore, we were just going to ask if you wanted to come for practice."

"Sure, I'll be right there." I say, ready to hang up.

"No!" He says a little too quickly, I could tell something was up. "I mean, we've finished."

"Jake, what's wrong?" I asked suspiciously. "What aren't you telling me?"

"Nothing." He insists. "Liam isn't here anyway."

"So? We can play without him, it might just sound a litlle weird." I say, I wanted to find out what was going on.

"A little?" I hear a slight laugh come down the phone. "Hold on, aren't you grounded?"

"Yeah, I'll creep out the window, after turning my music on." I said.

"Ah, cunning." He jokes.

"Don't take the piss, it works!" I insist.

"If you say so, see you in a few then." He said.

"Nearer twenty probably, your house is hard to find."

"Of course it is Mel." It was another one of those, shake the head moments.

"Bye." I say just before hanging up.