Sex Crimes by Nikki McWatters

decided that I was the worse culprit because I had then written on the toilet wall that I hoped Taylor would get raped.
    ‘Olive!’ I heard Mum call out.
    ‘Coming,’ I yelled back and gave Ollie a rub on the stomach before heading back inside.
    I took off my boots and jacket and hung then in the mud room but left my scarf on. The log fire was crackling and I could smell garlic cooking in the kitchen.  Mum came down the stairs walking like a penguin because of her massive belly. She had a bag in her hand.
    ‘Honey,’ she said breathlessly. ‘Can you call your father? My water’s have broken and I’m having contractions four minutes apart.’
    What? What was she talking about? I just stared up at her looking stupid.
    ‘I’m in labour, Olive. I’m having the baby!’
    Oh shit, I thought. I raced up the stairs and helped her down and led her to the big sofa in the living room.
    ‘You lie down,’ I stuttered. ‘I’ll ring Dad. What do I do? Should I ring the hospital? Do you want something to eat or drink or something?’
    I was in a panic and my hands were shaking. This was it. All my life I had wanted a brother or sister and now finally I was going to meet this little boy. Harrison. That’s the name we’d all decided on.
    ‘Where’s the phone?’ I called.
    It wasn’t on the bench in the charger.
    ‘On my desk in the den,’ Mum laughed and then pulled a face and held her belly.
    ‘Oh my God are you alright?’ I asked.
    She just shut her eyes and panted, breathing in and out very fast. I ran to the den and got the phone and stabbed the buttons to speed-dial Dad. He’d only left about an hour ago after a visit. He and Mum had been fighting and maybe that made her go into labour. But she was almost a week overdue. Thank God Dad was staying for the weekend at the resort on the hill. He was just around the corner. He’d booked in to be close for the birth.
    ‘Dad,’ I yelled into the receiver. ‘It’s happening. Come on!’
    I hung up before I realised that I hadn’t told him what exactly was happening but I guessed he’d figure it out.
    I went to Mum and helped her to put her legs up on the couch. She started that breathing thing again and started to groan.
    ‘Does it really hurt?’ I asked.
    She just nodded and made some more noises and her face was all scrunched up.
    ‘Tell him to hurry. If he’s not here soon, I’m going to have to call an ambulance because this is going too fast. There just coming all the time.’
    No sooner had she stopped talking than she started up with the groaning again and I was getting really scared. I didn’t like seeing her like this. In terrible pain.
    I went to the door, looking for Dad, cursing under my breath for him to hurry.
    ‘Lock the back door and make sure Ollie has got water. You can come to the hospital with us and wait because it is not going to be long. I can tell. It was like this right at the end with you.’
    I did what she asked, shaking and feeling like I needed to pee.
    Dad got there within about five minutes and I was so relieved to see him.
    ‘Oh baby,’ he cried and went to Mum, putting his arms around her.
    She pulled back.
    ‘Don’t touch me, Chris. Just get me to the fucking hospital.’
    My mother never swore. Well, that’s not entirely true. Ever since the whole police drama she’d been swearing a fair bit.
    Dad and I got on either side of Mum and helped her up and I grabbed her bag and slung it over my shoulder.
    ‘Come on,’ Dad murmured. ‘Small steps. Tell us if you need to stop.’
    ‘Stop!’ she said in a tight voice and we stopped as she sagged and groaned.
    Dad rubbed her back and I felt tears in my eyes. This was scary and not what I thought it would be like. Actually I hadn’t really thought about the birth thing much at all.  But Mum was tough and she never whinged and she never got sick. For her to be making noises like that, she must have been in serious pain.
    ‘Oh Chris,’ she panted. ‘I’m not going to