Sophie's Throughway by Jules Smith Page A

film in the DVD player and settled down to watch it. Escaping to another world for a few hours was just what I needed and I was definitely up for taking some NZT-48 by the time the film finished.
    I clicked on my game before I made my way to bed.
    THE VOICE: So now I’ve notched up a level, from amusing monkey to friend?
    SOPHISTICATION: Well, let’s just see how it goes shall we?
    THE VOICE: How was your evening?
    SOPHISTICATION: I’m watching a film. Correction. I watched a film.
    THE VOICE: Which movie?
    SOPHISTICATION: Limitless.
    THE VOICE: Now I’m jealous of Bradley Cooper.
    Bradley Cooper was the main character who played the drug taking writer. By usual standards he would make it to any woman’s ‘Top twenty, shaggable celebrity list’, but not mine. And ‘The Voice’ was jealous of him? An interesting development and one that made me catch my breath a little.
    SOPHISTICATION: You’ve no need to be. Besides, I prefer Robert De Niro.
    THE VOICE: Now I’m jealous of De Niro.
    Wow. Where was this going, I wondered. We seemed to be moving swiftly from banter to flanter and Mr. California was certainly getting into my head, that’s for sure.
    I went to bed emotionally drained. As I snuggled down I recognised the faint smell of Karl’s cologne from where he’d slept the previous night. I wondered whether he was doing the horizontal tango with his dancing friend and felt upset and pissed off at the same time. I turned over and shut my eyes begging sleep to take me away from this hell of a life. I drifted on and off in fits, primarily because I had a stream of teenagers running up and down the stairs, shouting and laughing and totally oblivious to the needs of the sleeping. I could hear the distant tones of both Ed Sheeran and Taylor Swift playing from different areas of the house. Doors were banging and creaking; taps were being open and closed along with clinking glasses and plates. I wanted to go downstairs and either shout or join in but I was physically and mentally wasted. Part of me didn’t want to spoil their joy either because the fun and freedom of youth is such a short lived experience. I decided to text:
    MSG: TO BRYONY, BRENDON: Can you keep it down – I’m trying to sleep.
    BRYONY: Yeah..Soz x
    BRENDON: K, famalam. Love you xx
    I lay in bed in the dark wondering if life was ever going to be any different for me as I listened to the haunting Ed Sheeran lyrics permeating my door, “ Lights gone, day’s end, struggling to pay rent, long nights, strange men..”

 
    Chapter 13
    Sunday morning came with relentless, pounding rain. I hated the rain, it always put me on a downer. I passed Brendon’s room and peered through one of the empty squares where there had once been glass. He’d slammed his door so hard in temper one day, that it had completely smashed and I didn’t see the point of replacing it for him to do it again. All bar one of last night’s friends lay in lumps around his room. It stank of teenage sweat, overused clothes and something I couldn’t decipher. Disgusting. I hurried downstairs in case it permeated my clothes.
    My house was wrecked: Pizza boxes, muddy trainers, cups, glasses and empty crisp packets lay all around. I felt like waking them all up like a screaming banshee and forcing them to clean it up but it was just easier to do it myself. The rest of the morning carried on in the same vein, as was the norm.
    Afternoon soon arrived and Brendon and his friends slowly emerged downstairs complete with their living stench, like Pig-Pen from Peanuts. They mooched around filling bowls with colossal amounts of Cheerio’s and Coco Pops; enough to feed a village.
    â€œ Mommy ,” Brendon said grabbing hold of me in a bear hug and not letting me go. “You’re awesome sauce.” He squeezed me tight and lifted me up high off the floor.
    â€œARRR put me down! I have a weapon and