Walking Free; Chapter Two - Running

"Get him! Bloody trash addict," Shaun was sat on the bettered sofa in the front room, his legs sprawled across the coffee table, its surface stained with bottle rings. Apple had nabbed his spliff and was tanning away on the kitchen counter. Nobody listened to Shaun’s whim though as Apple was let alone, hassle free and Shaun resigned himself to the fact he’d just spent five minuets rolling weed for his brother’s benefit.
Shaun had real defined cheekbones and broody hazel eyes. His hair was combed back except for a few characteristic stray strands that fell over his forehead.
Apple was dead handsome, he had the movie looks. His hair was the toughest of them all, major cool. It was light brown and kicked out in front, scruffy on top but all tidy at the back. Now Apple was a real doll, I can tell you that.

Him and Shaun worked shifts all’a time at Foster’s garage, but Apple gets all the girl customers and they all says they is ‘just lookin’ around’. Jacey says ‘they got the hotts for Applebee’. That’s what we call Apple when we’re being all affectionate an’ the like.
Torrence and Lakin weren’t around tonight by the looks of it, me an’ Kade had only jus’ got in. We hadn’t tol’ ‘em about Jimmie Roy as Jacey was liable to flip out.
Jacey wasn’t like me or Apple, Jacey could flip out and loose his cool easy. Shaun could be down right reckless too, Jacey was never reckless though, jus’ mad sometimes.
"Hey Rayray!" Apple yelped and running over spun me around with the spliff still wedged between his lips. Shaun jus’ nodded in my general direction, he wasn’t like me at all, me an’ Shaun jus’ weren’t right together and that’s the way it is.
I laughed seeing the joy in Apple, god he was lovely. Jacey was watching TV with the newspaper across his lap. I think Jacey grew up too fast when mam died. He had to leave college for us and get a job or me Shaun and Apple would be in a home some place.
Shaun and Apple dropped out of school as well when Tenner was shot, Tenner used to work at Foster’s garage alone all day but he loved it, he went to school sometimes too. At least he never dropped out. That’s what we are now, a family full of drop outs, I’ll be next.
Except I’m supposed to be the smart one. I don’t speak too good though and I smoke too much and do stuff a girl oughtn’t do. Well I think only the first one but Jacey’s all protective now an’ he says the other two.

"Apple put her down before you go hollering and break a lamp," Jacey called. Apple put me down, took the spliff out of his mouth and held it out for me, winked once and headed outside with it. I looked back at Jacey first before I left. Kade and Shaun had started on a game of poker and cracked open a couple of beers.
Jacey had dark hair like dad had but Jacey grew it out long and cut it straight at jaw level. He looked real hard and dead rough all’a time. That’s a compliment mind you, though means cool and rough means tough. They’re both good things in this town. His eyes were mam’s though, amber like sunrise.
"Hey Shaun ain't you supposed to be at work?" It was only nine at night I thought. Shaun works till eleven.
He shrugged "There ain't no real customers this time o’ night Raya an’ all the shop’s sorted for the night so I came back early," He looked irritated at me having interrupting his game with Kade.
Kade looked up and smiled, laughing at me. Patronising dick, I thought.
"Hey Raya why don’t you come play a game?" Kade said. Shaun shot him a filthy look, warning him. Kade got a glint in his eye, spotting an opportunity to wind Shaun up. "If you play we could maybe change it to a game of strip poker," He winked, not looking for my reaction but more Shaun’s.
"Oww," Kade whined, both Shaun and Jacey had thumped him over the head, their faces set in stone. Me, Shaun and Jacey may not get on all the time but they were still my brothers. I smiled; Kade pushed the wrong button there.
"Raya! You coming?" Apple called.
Outside was cold now; Apple was on the brick wall in front of our house. His face lit up "Rayray watch this,"

He flipped off the wall backwards turning in the air and landed on his feet. I grinned, everyone grins at Apple, and sat on the wall next to him. He handed me the spliff, half finished and watched as I dragged on it for a couple minuets.
"Raya, how much do you smoke a day?" Apple was fiddling with the cords on his ripped jeans. I shrugged, not Apple, anyone but Apple, I thought. Everyone was having digs about how much I smoked. I aint even bad, Shaun started when he was ten, Apple started when he was eleven and Jacey started when he was thirteen. Tenner was youngest, he started at eight.
"A pack a day, max," I wasn’t no liar. I’m straight with Apple. Apple wouldn’t look at me for a while.
"You do weed on top of that Rayray?" he muttered.
I huffed "Yes Applebee, I do," like ever’body else I wanted to add, but I didn’t.
Apple nodded and fell silent again. I didn’t stop dragging on the spliff he gave me. It wasn’t chilling me out anymore though.
"The stars are pretty tonight," Apple commented. What was up with him today? I shrugged and re-lit the spliff as it had gone out accidentally. Apple frowned and snatched the lighter out of my hand, chucking it halfway across the parking lot in front of us.
We both stood up sharply and glared, suddenly angry. Apple’s eyes were spitting fire crackers at me.
"What was that for?" I yelled. Apple never acts like this. He looked hurt and annoyed and the most unlike Apple I think I’ve seen.
"You don’t turn into one of us Raya! Don’t you turn into no scum like us! You got a head, you’re supposed to be the clever one Rayray, you’re supposed to be better than this," He shouted. "You stop smoking so much an’ fighting in the streets! You’re my little sister you aint supposed to get tough,"

I glared, "You ain't the boss o’ me Apple. You ain't mam and you ain't even Jacey. I don’t wanna be clever no more! I don’t want you all hollerin’ at me. You’re a damn hypocrite!"
Apple slapped me across the right cheek and it hurt.
"Ah!" I gasped. Stunned, shocked, scared. "You ain't Applebee!" I yelled in his face. I wanted to cry, but I couldn’t.
Apple looked at his hand disgusted at what he’d done, horror spread across his face.
"Raya I'm sorry, I-" He stuttered apologetically. I pulled out another cig and whipped Apple’s lighter outta his pocket real quick. He just stared at me as I lit it up again and walked off.
"You ain't Applebee," I repeated, turning away. I didn’t even want another damn cig now anyway, they didn’t even taste nice. It was just that feeling when you stop, suddenly it’s all you want but it still never tastes any better and pretty soon you get used to it an’ all that matters is the having of it not the cig itself.
Apple had a picture of a face on, but I couldn’ tell what it meant anymore. I got halfway across the lot when he got mad again. An empty can of beer clattered past close to me.
"You aint Raya no more either! You ain't my baby sister!" He shouted.
"You’re damn right!" I snapped back even louder. Jacey poked his head out the window of the house to see what was going on.
"What’s all this hollering about? Shut your traps will ya!" He looked at Apple stood with his hands hung loosely by his sides and I guess at me too, running away from them in the distance.
That’s what I did, I ran away.