Categories > Original > Drama
My brother hasn’t been to our house since December 23rd. Well, he couldn’t even if he wanted to for six months because he was in prison. But he’s been out since June now and he still avoids knocking on our front door.
When I first saw him after those six months in prison, it was at my Dad’s house. He was having a barbecue for his birthday and so of course he’d wanted my brother Chris, his girlfriend Mel and their son Tyler to be there. I remember worrying about what I was supposed to say when he apologised to me for what he’d done. I worried all night and woke up the next morning still worrying.
Chris clearly hadn’t worried.
He strolled into the back garden with a massive cocky grin on his face like he hadn’t been to prison at all. I used to think my brother was confident but staring at him that day all I could see was arrogance. He looked right at me and his grin increased as he asked how I was doing. This doesn’t sound too bad when I write it down but the look on his face and the high-pitched way he said it was enough for me to figure out he wasn’t sorry for what he’d done.
A couple of months before that, he’d written to my Mom telling her it was all her fault. He told Dad it was her fault too and he believed him. I hated him. At least my step-mom Paula stood up for my Mom whenever my Dad started ranting. I didn’t understand. Dad was mad at Mom for calling the police but I’d phoned the police before Mom and Dad had rung me up shortly afterwards to tell me I’d done the right thing. How could I have done the right thing but Mom the wrong thing?
My brother even had the nerve to ask “How’s your pal Mark?” and then said “You’d have better chance getting on with a tree than that idiot.” Now, I don’t like Mark. He moans and yells at me for the stupidest things. Mark was normally really nice to Chris. Well, until Chris tried to strangle Mark’s son. How could Chris be so rude? Mark hadn’t done anything to him that night. It was all Chris’ fault.
I tried to avoid my brother for the rest of the time. I was annoyed at how everyone was so comfortable around my brother. They spoke to him more than me and everyone just seemed happier in his company. Whenever he came out of prison people always sang his praises. It made me so angry. We shouldn’t be celebrating him coming out if he was stupid enough to end up there in the first place.
At first I tried to be understanding. He wasn’t apologising because he didn’t want to in front of all these people. I went into the kitchen by myself for a long time thinking he’d eventually come in and attempt to apologise. He came in eventually. He ruffled my hair roughly, said something stupid, grabbed a beer and then left. Not quite what I was hoping for.
When I went outside to announce that my Mom was on her way and she wanted me to wait out the front for her, my Dad gave me my usual £10 and Chris got £5 out of his pocket, handed it to me and said in a stupid voice “I love you really!” I looked at him for a long moment before just walking off. It was better than nothing but I really wanted didn’t cost anything at all. I just wanted an apology. He didn’t even have to go into detail like I’d imagined he would. Just the word ‘sorry’ would’ve been nice.
It’s October now and I still haven’t received that apology.
Things didn’t improve. He broke up with his girlfriend multiple times. He, Mel and Tyler lived with Mel’s Mom and Grandma rent free. Chris told Mel’s Mom to fuck off one day and she kicked him out. He went to live with Mel’s Dad rent free and Mel and Tyler went with him. I hated Chris for that. Mel had told us once that she didn’t know what she’d do without her Mom. She liked living with her Mom. How could she walk out on her Mom who’d always be there for her to live with a dickhead like Chris?
Me and Mom went to visit them at their Dad’s house. Both Mel’s Mom and Dad lived in the middle of nowhere and had beautiful houses. Although Mel’s Dads house was bigger with hot tubs and who knows what else, I didn’t like it as much. He’d filled it with weird things like a statue of a fox holding a chicken and a deer’s head on the wall that sang if you pushed a button. When we left, Mom told me she was pretty sure Chris had been smoking weed and that she almost wished she could just see Mel and Tyler. I felt the same way.
Chris and Mel had been talking about moving into their own flat and instead of feeling happy for them, I just felt worried. Mel and Chris were constantly fighting and Mel was constantly kicking Mel out. This wouldn’t be a problem but they had Tyler. It wasn’t fair on him. My parents have been divorced for a while and I’m so glad they did it while I was young because I don’t remember it. It doesn’t bother me because it’s just the way things have always been for me. I think it’s nicer to have more than one home anyway. But I wouldn’t have been able to deal with them breaking up and getting back together again over and over again. Poor Tyler.
Mel kicked Chris out again last week because he didn’t come home until 6AM but he remained living at Mel’s Dads house. So did she. When my Dad asked Chris when he was going to move out, he told him that he wasn’t going anywhere. Mel and her Dad had specifically told him he had two weeks to get out. Who the hell did he think he is?
Then on Facebook the following Friday he put a status saying ‘Getting curry with my baby, no more drinking and drugs for me.’ Just like he did every time he messed up. It was clear to me that they were back together when she commented ‘Let’s hope it lasts this time!’
But at my nephew Kyle’s party the next day, Mel insisted they weren’t back together. Well, they were certainly acting like they were back together.
This didn’t exactly bother me but Chris certainly bothered me. He came in and the first thing he asked was where the lager is. Kyle was turning four. It was a children’s party. Dad told him there wasn’t going to be any alcohol. Ten minutes later Chris asked Mel if they could leave. Mel wanted them to stay longer so they did. When it was just me and Paula in the kitchen, Chris came in and opened the fridge. Paula asked him what he was looking for and he replied lager. Paula told him again there wasn’t going to be any alcohol. Why was that so hard to understand? Hadn’t we had enough disasters with people getting drunk at parties?
Chris then told Mel he was going gambling and she asked him not to but he said he’d do what he wanted with his money. When will he learn that he’s a grown man? He needs to think about Tyler now, not himself. Mel was doing it. Why wasn’t he?
They left. I almost wished Mel and Tyler could’ve stayed while he left but of course they left as a family. Later on Facebook he posted a stupid status about how he hoped he won a bet he placed. I couldn’t care less.
The one thing I always remember about December 23rd that annoys me the most was the comment he made to me before everything kicked off. I told him to shut up whinging because it was Christmas and no one cared about his stupid drugs. He told me “Hollie, you’re just a stupid little girl who doesn’t understand the real world.”
He came out of prison and Mel’s Mom gave him a home for free. He came out of prison and Mel’s Dad gave him a job immediately. He came out of prison with people practically queuing up to wipe his arse for him. He never did a goddamn thing for himself. The moment Mel realises how much of an asshole he truly is and leaves him for good, he’s gonna be in for a shock when he finds himself with no job or home. I know him. He’ll beg around the family for money and somewhere to say. And I hope my families sympathy will have ran out for him by then.
I may be ‘just a stupid little girl’ but this ‘stupid little girl’ is gonna pass her A-levels, go to university and then got a proper job and place to live by herself. Then we’ll see who understands the fucking real world.
[A/N] – Sorry, it’s just that Kyle’s birthday happened today and I was just remembering things and I’m really angry...
When I first saw him after those six months in prison, it was at my Dad’s house. He was having a barbecue for his birthday and so of course he’d wanted my brother Chris, his girlfriend Mel and their son Tyler to be there. I remember worrying about what I was supposed to say when he apologised to me for what he’d done. I worried all night and woke up the next morning still worrying.
Chris clearly hadn’t worried.
He strolled into the back garden with a massive cocky grin on his face like he hadn’t been to prison at all. I used to think my brother was confident but staring at him that day all I could see was arrogance. He looked right at me and his grin increased as he asked how I was doing. This doesn’t sound too bad when I write it down but the look on his face and the high-pitched way he said it was enough for me to figure out he wasn’t sorry for what he’d done.
A couple of months before that, he’d written to my Mom telling her it was all her fault. He told Dad it was her fault too and he believed him. I hated him. At least my step-mom Paula stood up for my Mom whenever my Dad started ranting. I didn’t understand. Dad was mad at Mom for calling the police but I’d phoned the police before Mom and Dad had rung me up shortly afterwards to tell me I’d done the right thing. How could I have done the right thing but Mom the wrong thing?
My brother even had the nerve to ask “How’s your pal Mark?” and then said “You’d have better chance getting on with a tree than that idiot.” Now, I don’t like Mark. He moans and yells at me for the stupidest things. Mark was normally really nice to Chris. Well, until Chris tried to strangle Mark’s son. How could Chris be so rude? Mark hadn’t done anything to him that night. It was all Chris’ fault.
I tried to avoid my brother for the rest of the time. I was annoyed at how everyone was so comfortable around my brother. They spoke to him more than me and everyone just seemed happier in his company. Whenever he came out of prison people always sang his praises. It made me so angry. We shouldn’t be celebrating him coming out if he was stupid enough to end up there in the first place.
At first I tried to be understanding. He wasn’t apologising because he didn’t want to in front of all these people. I went into the kitchen by myself for a long time thinking he’d eventually come in and attempt to apologise. He came in eventually. He ruffled my hair roughly, said something stupid, grabbed a beer and then left. Not quite what I was hoping for.
When I went outside to announce that my Mom was on her way and she wanted me to wait out the front for her, my Dad gave me my usual £10 and Chris got £5 out of his pocket, handed it to me and said in a stupid voice “I love you really!” I looked at him for a long moment before just walking off. It was better than nothing but I really wanted didn’t cost anything at all. I just wanted an apology. He didn’t even have to go into detail like I’d imagined he would. Just the word ‘sorry’ would’ve been nice.
It’s October now and I still haven’t received that apology.
Things didn’t improve. He broke up with his girlfriend multiple times. He, Mel and Tyler lived with Mel’s Mom and Grandma rent free. Chris told Mel’s Mom to fuck off one day and she kicked him out. He went to live with Mel’s Dad rent free and Mel and Tyler went with him. I hated Chris for that. Mel had told us once that she didn’t know what she’d do without her Mom. She liked living with her Mom. How could she walk out on her Mom who’d always be there for her to live with a dickhead like Chris?
Me and Mom went to visit them at their Dad’s house. Both Mel’s Mom and Dad lived in the middle of nowhere and had beautiful houses. Although Mel’s Dads house was bigger with hot tubs and who knows what else, I didn’t like it as much. He’d filled it with weird things like a statue of a fox holding a chicken and a deer’s head on the wall that sang if you pushed a button. When we left, Mom told me she was pretty sure Chris had been smoking weed and that she almost wished she could just see Mel and Tyler. I felt the same way.
Chris and Mel had been talking about moving into their own flat and instead of feeling happy for them, I just felt worried. Mel and Chris were constantly fighting and Mel was constantly kicking Mel out. This wouldn’t be a problem but they had Tyler. It wasn’t fair on him. My parents have been divorced for a while and I’m so glad they did it while I was young because I don’t remember it. It doesn’t bother me because it’s just the way things have always been for me. I think it’s nicer to have more than one home anyway. But I wouldn’t have been able to deal with them breaking up and getting back together again over and over again. Poor Tyler.
Mel kicked Chris out again last week because he didn’t come home until 6AM but he remained living at Mel’s Dads house. So did she. When my Dad asked Chris when he was going to move out, he told him that he wasn’t going anywhere. Mel and her Dad had specifically told him he had two weeks to get out. Who the hell did he think he is?
Then on Facebook the following Friday he put a status saying ‘Getting curry with my baby, no more drinking and drugs for me.’ Just like he did every time he messed up. It was clear to me that they were back together when she commented ‘Let’s hope it lasts this time!’
But at my nephew Kyle’s party the next day, Mel insisted they weren’t back together. Well, they were certainly acting like they were back together.
This didn’t exactly bother me but Chris certainly bothered me. He came in and the first thing he asked was where the lager is. Kyle was turning four. It was a children’s party. Dad told him there wasn’t going to be any alcohol. Ten minutes later Chris asked Mel if they could leave. Mel wanted them to stay longer so they did. When it was just me and Paula in the kitchen, Chris came in and opened the fridge. Paula asked him what he was looking for and he replied lager. Paula told him again there wasn’t going to be any alcohol. Why was that so hard to understand? Hadn’t we had enough disasters with people getting drunk at parties?
Chris then told Mel he was going gambling and she asked him not to but he said he’d do what he wanted with his money. When will he learn that he’s a grown man? He needs to think about Tyler now, not himself. Mel was doing it. Why wasn’t he?
They left. I almost wished Mel and Tyler could’ve stayed while he left but of course they left as a family. Later on Facebook he posted a stupid status about how he hoped he won a bet he placed. I couldn’t care less.
The one thing I always remember about December 23rd that annoys me the most was the comment he made to me before everything kicked off. I told him to shut up whinging because it was Christmas and no one cared about his stupid drugs. He told me “Hollie, you’re just a stupid little girl who doesn’t understand the real world.”
He came out of prison and Mel’s Mom gave him a home for free. He came out of prison and Mel’s Dad gave him a job immediately. He came out of prison with people practically queuing up to wipe his arse for him. He never did a goddamn thing for himself. The moment Mel realises how much of an asshole he truly is and leaves him for good, he’s gonna be in for a shock when he finds himself with no job or home. I know him. He’ll beg around the family for money and somewhere to say. And I hope my families sympathy will have ran out for him by then.
I may be ‘just a stupid little girl’ but this ‘stupid little girl’ is gonna pass her A-levels, go to university and then got a proper job and place to live by herself. Then we’ll see who understands the fucking real world.
[A/N] – Sorry, it’s just that Kyle’s birthday happened today and I was just remembering things and I’m really angry...
Sign up to rate and review this story