Thursday, May 19th 2011
Wooloongabba, Brisbane
8:04 PM
When her shift ended, Junie pulled on her coat and said goodbye to Tulip and Cara. They gave her a small smile and waved back with a touch of exhaustion. She would see them again tomorrow afternoon at the same time.
Junie had managed to strike up a schedule with the boss about her hours at the cafe, it fit around her other job and her school . She quite liked waitressing at Lolita's, the hours were good, the pay was much better than her last job and she was friends with all the employees.
Junie sighed and stepped out into the breeze of the crispy night.She walked out of the back yard of the cafe and came to the main road, where she stood underneath a street lamp and waited for the rush of cars to stop so she could cross.
"Junebug!"
She spun around and when she found Dylan, leaning against the hood of his car she grinned. Junie started walking towards him but soon broke into a run. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into a tight hug. Dylan let out a surprised yelp and laughed, the sound warming her chest.
"Hey babe," He rested his hands on her hips and burying his face in her neck, he said, "How was work?"
Her body hummed at the feel of him pressed against her. A whole week. She had not seen Dylan for a whole week. Although that may not have seemed long but for Junie it felt like years. They had both been busy with the upcoming exams, college applications, school and just life in general.
Dylan pulled back to look at her, still grinning like a boy on Christmas morning before he leaned forward and kissed her. It was warm and sweet and sent electricity buzzing throughout her. She felt alive, her heart jumping in her chest as his mouth parted for her and he deepened the kiss. When she pulled away, Junie felt dizzy, lightheaded like she buzzed on alcohol. It was always felt good to see her boyfriend.
That still felt surreal to admit. She didn't think she was ever going to get used to that. She had wanted and wished for this —them —so long, that she hadn't thought it would ever come true. But it had, and it felt like a dream.
"So," Dylan said as they turned and hopped into his car. "It's your birthday today, there's a cute little restaurant not far from here and I thought it would be cool if we—"
"No."
Dylan glanced at her, "What?"
It had been a long day and to be truthful, Junie was absolutely exhausted. For the past two weeks Junie had, what felt like, an endless series of exams. Everything had been so stressful. It was hard trying to balance, exam revision, work and looking after her little brother. She was thankful that her aunt was always on hand to help.
Fiona babysat Isaiah most of the time. So, it gave Junie the time and space she needed to properly concentrate and study meticulously for the infinite list of exams she had. Next Thursday Junie had her most imperative exam of all. Advanced Astronomy and out of all her subjects, that was the one she had studied the hardest and most thoroughly for. She needed to get the top grade if she wanted to pursue a career in Astronomy.
"Sorry, I'm just so tired, I've literally only had, like, four hours sleep these past few weeks," she said, "These exams have just been stressing me out so much, I just...wanna go home and sleep."
"I understand," he said but she could hear the touch of disappointment in his voice, "But I am definitely taking you out tomorrow."
She gave him a wearily smile, "Okay."
Junie would have loved to go to one of those night clubs and just drink and dance her worries away. Why not? It was her birthday today. Her eighteenth to be exact. She had been looking forward to this day for a long time and the fact that she was too tired to celebrate was rather disheartening. As he started the car, Dylan leant forward and dropped a soft kiss on her forehead. She grinned widely at the warm touch of his lips.
9:15 PM
Crying.
A whole lot of crying and a whole lot of shouting.
That was the first thing Junie and Dylan heard upon entering her house. Junie frowned as she followed the noise that led her into kitchen. She found Isaiah stood by the stove with his tears streaming down his face and mouth wide open as he wept. Audrey was glaring down at him, shouting and telling him to stop being so ridiculous. And then there was the sound smack of Audrey's hand hitting the little boy's cheek and there was the stunned silence that followed.
Audrey glared down at her son, "Zee, you need to learn to behave! When I say no, I mean no. You need to stop acting like spoilt brat and learn some manners. Now go to your room!"
Isaiah's hand went up to his cheek that was quickly turning red, he sniffled as he nodded numbly. Junie and Dylan stared, eyes wide as they gaped at the scene before them. Junie was shocked, frozen for a split second and she felt something inside her snap. Snap and ignite and release a wave of boiling wrath. Her eyes were like laser beams as she glared hotly at her mother.
"Dyl," she said through gritted teeth, "Take Zee outside."
Dylan didn't need to be told twice. He threw a worried glance at his girlfriend, before he nodded and walked over to Isaiah. The little blonde-haired boy was snivelling. Dylan picked him up, holding him close as he hurried out of the kitchen
Silence reined for the longest moment, Junie took a deep breath. She stepped forward, anger bubbling inside her.
"You hit him," she said. It wasn't a question, it was a simple and icy cold fact. "You actually hit Isaiah. What the hell is wrong with you?"
Audrey grimaced, "Calm down."
This, of course, did the exact opposite. In fact, it only made Junie angrier. Angrier than she had ever been in her entire life. This was almost fourteen years of pent-up frustration, disappointment and anger releasing itself all at once.
"Calm down?" She repeated, utterly aghast, "Calm down?"
"Yes, calm down."Audrey grabbed a bottle of whiskey from cupboard and removing the lid, she took a swig of it. "Look, he wanted some candy and you know how candy gets him hyper and I told him no but he kept demanding and crying and screaming and I was just so tired, I lost control alright?"
Junie's hands clenched into tights fists and she had to take several steps back to stop herself from hitting something or rather someone.
"No," she breathed, the wrath she felt seeping into of her tone, "It's not alright. It's never alright. You don't hit him. He's three years old, you do no hit a child! You do not hit your son!"
"Look!" Audrey snapped, mirroring Junie's intense glare. "You don't know how hard it's been for me. OK? I work for long hours and when I get home all I'm met with is bills, bills, some more bills!"
"Are you kidding me?!" Junie bellowed. "Audrey, you quit every job you get after two weeks! You're never home, you're always out with one of your new boyfriends, partying and drunk out of your mind! And the rare times that you are home, you're drunk! Drunk or asleep! Do you know how many times social services has been here? Thirteen! Thirteen bloody times and each time I've lied for you."
"I—"
"No," she snapped, she couldn't stop the words that spilled out, "You claim that you work hard? You claim that you're a mother? That's the biggest load of bullshit I have ever heard! You have and will never have any right to be called a mother! You lost that right a long time ago. Even before Isaiah was born, you were never there for me! I had to look after myself! For God's sake I had to look after you!"
Audrey took another swig from the whiskey bottle. "Did you know I was model when I was younger? I worked for the best designer labels, I was on my way to being the top model in Australia but then I had this stupid one night stand and I found out pregnant with you. I could have earned millions, seen so many places but no, I ended up being stuck in this squalor little house with no job and barely any money."
"Are...Are you blaming me for how your life turned out?" Junie's gasped, "That's it, I can't do this anymore. I'm done!"
"Done?"
"Yes, done!" She shouted, "I've had enough of you! All these years I've praying and hoping you would change, that you would stop drowning your sorrows and problems in smoking, partying and alcohol. But I'm done! I'm done with you! I'm leaving!"
"What?" Audrey spat.
"You heard me!" She snapped, "I'm eighteen years of age now and I don't have to stay here any longer, I'm leaving and I'm taking Isaiah with me!"
"And where are you gonna go?" Audrey sneered, her tone so infuriatingly mocking, "Who do you have Junie?"
10:48 PM
"Here," Dylan said as he passed the glass of orange juice and sat down beside her.
"Thanks," she murmured. It was times like this that orange juice, no matter how nice, would not suffice. It was times like this that Junie felt the urge to smoke. She hadn't had a single cigarette in almost three months and she was planning to keep it that way, no matter how much the situation or her mood demanded it.
Junie remembered how Audrey had simply stared blankly, doing nothing as she grabbed Isaiah and stormed out of the house. She didn't even care. She could not go back there. She just couldn't. Junie took a deep breath and bringing the glass cup to her lips, she gulped down the juice.
She felt tears sting her eyes and she blinked, willing them away.
"Junie, I..." Dylan began, the pain evident in his tone, "I'm sorry."
She glanced at him and shook her head, "No, I'm sorry, I can't believe I put up with her for so long, I...I just...I thought she would change. I don't know what to do anymore. I'm done."
He slung his arm around her shoulders and pulling her against him, he kissed her forehead, "Everything's going to be fine."
She shuffled closer to him and rested her head on his shoulder. Dylan and Junie were sat in the living room of his house. As Junie had tried to regain her composure, Dylan had fed Isaiah and cheered him up. It wasn't long before the three-year-old became tired and Dylan had carried him up to Lena's old room where he was now soundly sleeping.
"Where are you gonna go?" Dylan asked after a beat of silence.
"My aunt's," she replied, "Fiona will take us in."
He gently squeezed her shoulder, "Junie."
"Yes?"
"She was wrong," he said softly, tucking a loose strand of her hair behind her ear, "When she said, you had no one, she was wrong. You have me, you'll always have me, Junebug."
"I know," Junie felt a smile tug at her lips as her eyes fell shut. She dropped her head onto his shoulder, "Thanks, New Zealand."