Don't Tempt Fate

Scarlett sighed as she looked at her reflection in the mirror. Her eyes were blue and today, her hair was a tangled bird’s nest. Damn. Shoulda washed it last night.

She shook her head and began on the knots. The hair brushed ripped harshly through the tangled balls of hair harshly, turning them into long, limp strands of black hair. When it's all done, Scarlett places the brush on the side, grabs a hair tie, and ties her hair into a high ponytail. 

Not bothering with the lumps of hair that stuck up, she washes her face with a make-up removal wipe, brushes her teeth and heads out into the bedroom next to hers.

Creeping over to the side of the single bed, Scarlett smiles at her brother. He's asleep on his stomach, his face pressed against the pillow, and his teddy bear tucked tightly under his arm.

"Tommy," Scarlett murmured. Her brother doesn't move. Tommy is six and, to Scarlett, he is one of the most adorable little brothers in the world. She nudged him again, harder this time, and brushed his hair from his face. "Tommy, come on. Wake up," she urged.

Her little brother rolls over and moans. "Scar? Is it time to wake up already? Is it seven?" his words were muffled by his teddy bear.

"Yeah," Scarlett nodded and moved the teddy bear away from his mouth. "It is, come on. Get up. Brush your teeth, wash your face. I'll come up and help you get dressed," she moved over and kissed him on the forehead.

"I'll be downstairs making breakfast. What do you want? Toast and jam?"

Tommy nodded. "Yeah, Toast and Jam. Orange juice too!"

"Alright," Scarlett nodded. "Jam toast and orange juice, coming right up!"

*

Scarlett kept her head down as she walked into school. She received a few heys, mainly those from faculty staff, or kids who would try and bribe her into doing their homework.

With her hood over her head, she kept her eyes to the floor and made her way to her locker. This morning her mum was hung-over, it wasn't anything unusual, but still.

Scarlett wished her mum could just stay sober. Scarlett wished her father was home more often. Scarlett wished a lot of things.

She sighed as she carried on going. Her mum wasn't an abusive drunk. She had only hit Scarlett one and that’s it, but Scarlett feared for Tommy. Tommy needed his mum, and Scarlett wasn't that. She couldn't be a mum to Tommy, she just couldn't. But she had to be, she had to do the things mums had to do with their kids, and that wasn't fair.

But that was life. She just got on with it.

Scarlett stopped at her locker. She twisted in the locker combination and sighed when she saw what was on the first shelf.

Her friendship bracelet. Phoebe Margaret Hemmings gave her this friendship bracelet; Phoebe Margaret Hemmings holds the twin to this bracelet. Well, at least Scarlett thinks she does, unless Phoebe threw it away . . .