second, larger room there was a mattress on the floor with a duvet and some blankets heaped on top. Joey gave the room a cursory glance and slammed straight out.
‘They do my fuckin’ head in.’
Kaz hesitated in the doorway, scanning the room more closely. There was a can of beer by the bed, a loaded ashtray, a lighter and a crack pipe. Her chest felt tight, she was conscious of having
to make an effort to breathe. Days lost, waking up with sore, parched lips, it all came flooding back. Kaz had been here, she’d done all this. As she moved across the room towards the bed she
noticed a tiny nugget of crack still nestling in the foil wrap next to the pipe. The desire exploded in her brain before she was even conscious of the thought. Just one hit, just the one, it
screamed. For old times’ sake, what harm could it do?
She squatted down beside the bed, picked up the wrap and the pipe; the glass was discoloured, the edge broken, it was well used. Then the mound of covers moved and two eyes, pale and blue as
Joey’s, were staring straight at her.
‘You nicking that?’ The voice was a barely audible croak.
Kaz put the pipe and the wrap down. ‘No.’
Kaz lifted the grimy corner of the duvet to reveal her sister’s face. Natalie’s blonde hair was also braided into short stubby dreads that gave her a fuzzy halo. The face was drawn,
the lips and chin covered in sores. Kaz painted on a smile.
‘How you doing Nat?’
Natalie pushed back the covers and struggled to sit up. She wore a thin vest, which provided no disguise for her emaciated form.
‘What you doing here?’
‘Came to see you. Didn’t anyone tell you I was out?’
Natalie ignored the question as she focused on manoeuvring herself into an upright position.
‘Got a fag?’
Kaz shook her head. ‘Sorry.’
Without warning Natalie took a deep breath, opened her mouth and hollered, ‘Jez!’ The volume of sound took Kaz by surprise, it seemed impossibly loud for her sister’s frail
form.
Natalie glared at her impatiently. ‘Where the fuck is he?’
‘Downstairs. You getting up?’
Joey appeared in the doorway. He glanced from Natalie to Kaz. His jaw was set, his gaze came to rest defiantly on Kaz. His point was made, now he wanted her to acknowledge it.
Kaz smiled equably. ‘I’m gonna help Natalie get dressed. Perhaps you and Ashley could make some coffee?’
Joey stared at her mutely, gave a curt nod and disappeared.
Natalie’s eyes remained fixed on the empty doorway where he’d been; her brain seemed to be functioning on a time lapse, it took several seconds to catch up with events. ‘Has
Joe got a fag?’
‘I dunno. You get dressed and come downstairs, maybe we can find out.’
It took Kaz the best part of half an hour to coax Natalie out of the bed and into a pair of jeans and an over-large hoodie, which looked as if it belonged to Jez. As she
descended the stairs she hugged the hoodie round herself.
‘Always fucking freezing in here.’
Joey was pacing the room, television remote in hand, channel-hopping. Ashley perched on the sofa, Jez stared into space.
Kaz shepherded her sister through the door. ‘Here she is.’
Natalie booted Jez’s outstretched foot. It jolted him out of his daze, he turned and smiled in recognition. ‘All right babe?’
‘Got a fag?’
Jez pondered the request, then his attention drifted away.
Kaz piloted Natalie towards the table. ‘Drink your coffee first.’
Natalie hovered uncertainly in the middle of the room; she was practically Kaz’s height, but her shoulders were bowed, her body rake-thin. She started to scratch.
‘I want a fag.’
Kaz picked up a tepid mug of black coffee from the table and held it out to her. ‘Have some of this first.’
Natalie eyed the mug and her sister with disdain. ‘I want a fag.’
Joey had ceased to pace, he was watching the battle of wills between the sisters.
Kaz painted on a smile. ‘The coffee’ll help.’
Natalie balled up both
‘They do my fuckin’ head in.’
Kaz hesitated in the doorway, scanning the room more closely. There was a can of beer by the bed, a loaded ashtray, a lighter and a crack pipe. Her chest felt tight, she was conscious of having
to make an effort to breathe. Days lost, waking up with sore, parched lips, it all came flooding back. Kaz had been here, she’d done all this. As she moved across the room towards the bed she
noticed a tiny nugget of crack still nestling in the foil wrap next to the pipe. The desire exploded in her brain before she was even conscious of the thought. Just one hit, just the one, it
screamed. For old times’ sake, what harm could it do?
She squatted down beside the bed, picked up the wrap and the pipe; the glass was discoloured, the edge broken, it was well used. Then the mound of covers moved and two eyes, pale and blue as
Joey’s, were staring straight at her.
‘You nicking that?’ The voice was a barely audible croak.
Kaz put the pipe and the wrap down. ‘No.’
Kaz lifted the grimy corner of the duvet to reveal her sister’s face. Natalie’s blonde hair was also braided into short stubby dreads that gave her a fuzzy halo. The face was drawn,
the lips and chin covered in sores. Kaz painted on a smile.
‘How you doing Nat?’
Natalie pushed back the covers and struggled to sit up. She wore a thin vest, which provided no disguise for her emaciated form.
‘What you doing here?’
‘Came to see you. Didn’t anyone tell you I was out?’
Natalie ignored the question as she focused on manoeuvring herself into an upright position.
‘Got a fag?’
Kaz shook her head. ‘Sorry.’
Without warning Natalie took a deep breath, opened her mouth and hollered, ‘Jez!’ The volume of sound took Kaz by surprise, it seemed impossibly loud for her sister’s frail
form.
Natalie glared at her impatiently. ‘Where the fuck is he?’
‘Downstairs. You getting up?’
Joey appeared in the doorway. He glanced from Natalie to Kaz. His jaw was set, his gaze came to rest defiantly on Kaz. His point was made, now he wanted her to acknowledge it.
Kaz smiled equably. ‘I’m gonna help Natalie get dressed. Perhaps you and Ashley could make some coffee?’
Joey stared at her mutely, gave a curt nod and disappeared.
Natalie’s eyes remained fixed on the empty doorway where he’d been; her brain seemed to be functioning on a time lapse, it took several seconds to catch up with events. ‘Has
Joe got a fag?’
‘I dunno. You get dressed and come downstairs, maybe we can find out.’
It took Kaz the best part of half an hour to coax Natalie out of the bed and into a pair of jeans and an over-large hoodie, which looked as if it belonged to Jez. As she
descended the stairs she hugged the hoodie round herself.
‘Always fucking freezing in here.’
Joey was pacing the room, television remote in hand, channel-hopping. Ashley perched on the sofa, Jez stared into space.
Kaz shepherded her sister through the door. ‘Here she is.’
Natalie booted Jez’s outstretched foot. It jolted him out of his daze, he turned and smiled in recognition. ‘All right babe?’
‘Got a fag?’
Jez pondered the request, then his attention drifted away.
Kaz piloted Natalie towards the table. ‘Drink your coffee first.’
Natalie hovered uncertainly in the middle of the room; she was practically Kaz’s height, but her shoulders were bowed, her body rake-thin. She started to scratch.
‘I want a fag.’
Kaz picked up a tepid mug of black coffee from the table and held it out to her. ‘Have some of this first.’
Natalie eyed the mug and her sister with disdain. ‘I want a fag.’
Joey had ceased to pace, he was watching the battle of wills between the sisters.
Kaz painted on a smile. ‘The coffee’ll help.’
Natalie balled up both
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