Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine
I was in the front room watching television later that night. It was around quarter past nine, and Mum was pottering around in the kitchen while Dad read his newspaper in the dining room as usual.

Looking back, I can't remember what the hell I was watching. All I know is that I wasn't really getting into it. Instead, thoughts just continued to run across my mind. It was as if my brain was a grenade waiting to destruct any second. Sometimes, I'd sit back and wonder if I could take much more...of which...I doubt I could.

Regarding the stress of my exams, and the peer pressure in general was bad enough. Mason's seductiveness was chewing away at my subconsciousness most of the time. It was beginning to worry me...my own brother. Honestly? Get it out of your head, Alana! Forget about it!

What I had to keep reminding myself was that Mason was a womaniser, and had been one since he hit puberty. All the girls who went to college with him could not keep their hands to themselves all the time he was around. And now...now he was womanising me. His own sister! His own flesh and blood. What disgusted me was inside, it excited me a little. Did I actually fancy my own blood? My sibling...my...my other half?

Thinking deeply about it made me remember the laws of incest. Even thinking of the word made me sick to the stomach...but at the same time my mind didn't seem to run away with worry that much. It was almost as if I had forgot right from wrong. Or maybe I just didn't care enough to know it was wrong.

"Darling?" Dad calls over to my Mum from the dining room. At this point I had grown tired of having my eyes glued to a television screen all evening. Instead, I stood up from the sofa and made my way into the dining room where I could hear Dad's voice.
As I walked through the dining room, and approached the kitchen I smelt a what of Mum's amazing cooking.

"Darling, my love!?" My Dad called again, flicking through more pages of the newspaper he was reading. My Mum's eye dart to the corner of her eyes as she continues to cut the vegetables. "Yes, love?"

"Have you heard from my boss at all?"

My Mum's eyebrows furrow. I sit on the kitchen side board, studying her expression of utter confusion. Half of me is dazed and in a completely different world of my own.

"No...why?"

My Father's voice becomes a little hesitant. Actually, his tone is frightened. "Err, n-no reason sweetheart." With that, Mum's voice changes instantly and my insides begin to turn. Her and I both know that we are both feeling, and thinking the same thing. What is Dad hiding? And why?

Something is obviously going on that he isn't being entirely honest about.

When I peer into the living room I noticed how Dad has hunched his back, his knee shaking from how much he keeps tapping his foot. He seems lost in a bag of worry. His newspaper is used as a shielf to cover his expression. If I could see his face, Mother would probably be able to tell straight away what's wrong.

Despite this, Mum surprisingly let it go. She let it drift over her head and tried to move on with the previous conversation we were having.

"Have you spoken to Mason about the camping?"

"Yup." I say, popping the 'p', and sighing.

"Good. I hate it when you two fight. Sometimes it is extremely tiring, and your Dad and I never know how to deal with it..." She rambled on as she began her daily lecture on me, all about how I should be more considerate towards my brother for being nice enough to invite me to go camping with him. Well hallilouaha! Because funny enough, I wasn't so keen on his kind offer.

He may fool Mum and Dad, but he don't bloody fool me.

"Mum," I start.

"Yes, sweetie?"

"I..I'm going out." I say hesitantly, jumping off of the kitchen counter and walking towards the kitchen door.

Mum's voice immediatly halted me, "Where are you going?"

"Er...just popping round to Kayleigh's. She wants me to drop off a revision Text Book which I promised to lend her." I explain thoroughly.

A long and panful minute past until Mum eventually hummed in approvement, and nodded. "Go on, then."
I go...

"But be back by seven!" I hear her add as I reach the hallway and quickly slip my black pixie boots on.

When I open the front door, my jacket held in my hand, I feel a spot of rain fall against my cheek. It was beginning to rain and I could tell it wouldn't be long until it turned to a heavy shower. I was going to have to be quick and use a quick route to Kayleigh's house.



The next day...

I walk out of the house after only achieving four hours sleep. Yes, I went to Kayleigh's house and was back by seven as promised. However, I stayed up all night in my room chatting to her on Facebook. She knew something was on my mind when I arrived at her house as she always seems to notice if there is something bothering me. She wouldn't let it go. I didn't tell her, not about Mason...god no. Knowing, Kayleigh..she would probably call the police.
Instead, we stayed up all night talking about unimportant things and unimportant worries.

I felt so incredibly rough the next morning. I had school, and was so shattered but I knew I had to get through it. I had my final exams and things had to be done...studies had to be completed.

As I stepped out onto the driveway on my way out of the house, I notice that Mason is hanging outside with his mates.
"Yeah, mate. I know!" He belly laughs. He's leaning against his car bonnet with his friends standing either side of him, chuckling as they boost their ego.

"Mason!?" I call after him and his head shoots up immediately at the sound of my voice. He says nothing but his eyes are a symbol of utter alarm. It's almost as if he stands to attention. His two friends follow his gaze and suddenly all three are staring. My mouth becomes instantly dry, and in that moment I have no idea what it is I wanted to say.

"Err...um..." I begin to knot my fingers together. "I..was just wondering if maybe..maybe you had the revision notebook I gave you to borrow..?" I ask hesitantly in a quiet voice.

To my surprise, Mason says nothing. He just stares at me, his eyes wide. He is unresponsive and so are his friends who just stand their gawping at me. Why? What are they staring at?
"Mason..I er...I need my notebook back. Today is my deadline..so...I...I need it now." I stammer a little, struggling to find my confidence once again as they all continue to stare.

It's not long until the boy on the right hand side of Mason suddenly bursts out into a smirk. A wide...wicked and smug smirk. Secondly, Mason's other friend begins to laugh. Then, right in that moment I become not only embarrassed but extremely confused. What is so funny about me asking for a notebook back? Why stare? Is it because I'm his little stupid sister and he should be embarrassed by me..?

"So...it's checkered red today, Alana?" Mason's friend smirks. His other friend rubs his head in...awe? I blink. What?

Then..I look down at my chest. I forgot to put my vest top on.
Shit...!

I was wearing a silky see-through white blouse, and usually I wear a black vest top underneath. I'd lost so much hours of sleep the night before, I forgot to slip my vest top under my white blouse. Now, I was standing in my drive way with my checkered red bra completely exposed to my older brother and his two best mates. God, how bloody embarrassing!

The two of them continued to laugh out loud. At one point I wondered if they'd ever stop. I scrunched my nose up in embarrassment and disgust of myself. I wrapped my arms over my chest, shielding my exposed cleavage and bra from their view of sight. "Ooh, don't cover up, sweet cheeks! Nothing to be ashamed of.." His friend teases.

The second boy joins in the fun as he laughs uncontrollably, making my cheeks turn to auburn. "Yeah! You got a lovely pair of knockers on you ther-" Then that's when time become slow. Mason's fist flew into his friend's face before he could finish that inappropriate sentence.

The boy collapsed backwards onto the concrete ground of our drive way. Mason sat on top of him, straddling his waist as he held his fist in the air for a second punch. "Say one more fucking word, and I swear to god I will knock ten tonne of shit outta you!"

"Woah, mate! Steady on, he was just joking!" His other mate spoke out in panic trying to grab hold of him to pill him off of the boy. Mason's eyes were blazed with fury. "Get the fuck off me, Isaac!"

"Mason, stop! Leave it!" I protest, running towards him despite my half nakedness. It didn't matter, I just wasn't prepared to have world war three take place in Mum and Dad's drive way. It really wasn't appropriate for such a scene to be taking place.

I went down onto my knees and gently touch Mason's forearm. His jaw tightened and his eyes fixated on me, his fist still in mid-air. I could tell my the look in his eyes that he actually wasn't aware of what he was doing. Whether he was protecting me or just be ping avenging out of his own anger. Whatever the emotion that laid behind it, he was angry. And I had to try and dissolve that anger and steer him away from the violence and conflict that was threatening to break him free of his anger issues boiling inside him.

"Please. Don't. It's fine." I whisper, my thumb stroking his arm slowly.

He looks at me for a long second, and his fist slowly begins to lower. I notice how the whiteness in his knuckles return to their natural skin colour, and his clenched fingers loosen from his tight palm.

"An'..." He says after a moment, trying to say something that he couldn't begin to say.

Instead of words, he sighed and removed his grey jogging jacket. He slips it quickly off his shoulder and puts it around me like a cloak. The small action triggered my surprisement to his sudden consideration. Nevertheless, I smiled with gratitude and nodded towards the house.

"Dude, get the fuck off me already!" The boy grunts from underneath him, wriggling for freedom. Mason scowls down at him and climbs off, standing up from the ground and slowing walking away. Isaac helps him up to his feet, and the boy begins to brush off bits of dirt of his shoulders and back.

"Don't think you're getting off that one that lightly, Mason!" He calls, but Mason had already disappeared inside the house.