Through the window

Two

"What the fuck! What did I tell you, keep your stupid ugly dog-rat away from this garden!" I yell to the boy who looks scared, he holds lily preciously as if it's made of fucking gold and mouths 'rat?' While looking at her with a pout.

I roll my eyes. Why does he love that thing so much, it's ugly and annoying. God I hate people. And dogs apparently.

"I'm sorry I wasn't-"

"Looking again, yeah I know. God you need that thing put down" I glare at it but it just bares it's tiny teeth at me while it's tounge hangs out at the side floppily.

"Leave her alone, she's just bored and your chair looks nice- looked nice" he lightly chuckles at his own joke making me want to gauge out his stupid blue eyeballs. Did I mention he had blue blue eyes?

I inhale to calm myself down but he really makes me want to commit homicide, "okay I'm sorry for making a joke, also about her destroying your chair. But you clearly have money so it's not a problem to get a new one right?"

He smiles like he is trying to cheer me up but it does the opposite effect, normally I'm quite a relaxed chilled out kind of gu- oh who am I kidding. I'm a grumpy brat who likes to get his own way and yeah- i said it.

"You will clean this whole thing up and I will watch you do so." I order him which causes his face to drop and look at me shocked, shocked at how serious I am.

He coughs to clear his throat and furrows his brows whilst at it, "...like all of it?" I just set my face straight but narrow my eyes and cross my arms.

"Yes. All of it. Every last bit, and get that thing away from me while your at it" he slowly nods and backs up walking to his house, I see him put down the ugly thing through the windows and quickly comes to join me again.

I lay down on a different sunbed when he starts to collect the sponge, I put my arms behind my head and my sunglasses back on. Then I exhale the nice fresh air and listen to the birds chirp and see the fluffy clouds float around the blue sky.

"I'm done, where should I put it?" I hear a voice a couple minutes later causing me to squint one eye open and look to the boy in front of me.

He has a grumpy face on to which I smirk at, I just point my finger to a bin in the garden "in that, ovbiously" I mutter the last word and stretch my arms.

After he's done I see him leaving but he stops to look back at me, "you need a life."

Huh? Sorry what? I sit up abruptly to stare at him.

"You're always just in the garden hanging out with yourself, it's actually quite sad really" and with that he's gone.

"Harvey, come down here for a second please" my mother's fake sweet voice asks politely, only polite because she and father have guests round.

"What?" I question back, annoyed at how she disturbed me from my painting.

"Don't talk to your mother that way, just get down here." My father's harsh voice cuts through the hall so I inhale deeply and prepare myself. Walking down the stairs I see my parents in the kitchen to my left but the guests to my right grab my attention.

I straighten up and put on a posher voice, one my father likes me to use when there's company.

"Yes mother? You needed me?" My head is held high and my father discreetly nods to me in approval.

"What happened to the sunbed in the garden? The maids have no clue, did you ruin it?" Her face is stern, almost making me want to roll my eyes at her accusation. What would I gain from destroying her property, I'm bored most days but not that bored.

"No, it was the neighbour's dog, she got in again and destroyed it. Not me" I try to defend myself but I know it's no good.

It wouldn't have been a big deal but it's because my grandmother bought her it before she passed. A weird parting gift if I do say so myself. Maybe grandma knew how lazy mother is so she got her something to rest on.

"Harvey don't paint us out to be stupid, we see you on it all the time it must have been you" I'm now in the kitchen and they whisper shout to me through gritted teeth, just so the guests don't hear.

I wonder how she could connect them tiny teeth marks on the sunbed to me, did she think I bit it or something?

People in the town think our family are like any other family- happy, close and tight but they never actually see how messed up it really can be.

"I have to attend to the guests now, they are getting grouchy, dont go anywhere mister" mother points her pointy manicured finger right in my face, I roll my eyes as she leaves.

I start to head out but forget my father is still present, I feel his strong hand grab at my arm.

"Her mother brought her that and you ruined it like you ruin most things, just be a man for once and own up to your mistake" my father's face is red with anger and his grip on my arm is starting to hurt.

I don't say anything knowing he will just get angrier if I do, so I stand there staring down. "Listen to me boy, we have a house full of guests and you better stay down here and not ignore them or do anything to embarrasses us."

He spits yet again.

"Got it?" Gritting through his teeth, my arm finally had enough so I try to grab his fingers to pull them off.

"Look at me!" He hisses and I quickly look to his face as he let's go. "I got it" I reply with a monotone voice, he nods and heads to the front room.

I look down and rub at my arm which stings a bit, no doubt there will be a red mark left there, soon to be a bruise.

I clear my throat a few times, just to clear the unsteadiness of my shaky voice and breathe deeply. Then exhale and squint my eyes shut.

I flap the arm that stings and put a smile on my face, heading into the big front room with my chin held high to greet all my parent's friends.

Sometimes, I wish I had a loving family.