Page 1 of Molly: Part One
Prologue
Molly
“Mum, I’m going to Becky’s sixteenth birthday party tonight, then sleeping at Hannah’s,” I say as a reminder as I walk into the kitchen where my mum is sat with her head in an interior design magazine while she waves her hands around, presumably trying to dry her nail varnish. I open the fridge when I get there, and pull out a can of coke before continuing, “I’ve taken the litre bottle of vodka from the drinks cabinet and I’ve got a pack of condoms…you know, just in case.” I lean back against the counter and watch my mum for a reaction.
“Uh huh,” is all I get.
“And I’m pretty sure some of the boys are bringing ecstasy.”
“Hum…” she says as she turns a page and begins studying the room pictured.
“Didn’t you only have a manicure yesterday, why are you painting your nails already?” Now that gets her attention. Her head snapped up the moment the words nails and manicure left my mouth. Surprise, surprise, my mother cares more about those two words than everything I said earlier about me, alcohol, drugs and sex.
“Yes, I did but I just couldn’t find a thing to wear out tonight.” Ha, yeah, I doubt that is actually true seeing as my mother has now turned my eldest brothers old room into her personal wardrobe because she has so many clothes, shoes and accessories. “So I went to that little boutique in town this morning that I just love and found the most perfect dress. Your dad will love it, but it didn’t match the colour I chose for my nails yesterday.”
“Wow, what a disaster,” I mutter as I go to leave the room. “I’ll be going out in about an hour, not that you really care,” I say the last bit quieter but I’m not sure why because when I look back Mum is once again engrossed in her magazine and doesn’t even acknowledge that I actually said anything.
I let out a huge breath and head back up to my room to finish packing for the party and sleepover. I’m getting ready for the party with my best friend Hannah and her twin Emma who live next door. We have all been friends for as long as I can remember. Being twins, Hannah and Emma are really close but Hannah and I are not very far behind. The three of us do almost everything together, their mum and dad have often joked that they have triplets really. I always laugh along. Even though they know what my life is like I don’t think any of them really appreciate how much I wish that was true.
I’m just shoving my fourth outfit choice for the night into my bag when I hear my brother’s voice downstairs greeting Mum. She instantly responds to him, which makes me laugh to myself even though it’s anything but funny. One of her golden boys has come to visit. I bet if he needed something she’d ruin that new nail varnish doing it for him instantly. For me, however she couldn’t even be bothered to lift her head up to greet me. God, I can’t wait to get out of this hellhole I call home and live my own life.
“Is Molly still here?” I hear Daniel ask my mum.
Her reply sounds suspiciously like “I have no idea.” Did I not say just ten minutes ago that I was going out in an hour? For fuck sake!
I walk over to the window and rest my hands on the windowsill as I look out over the countryside trying to calm myself down. I keep telling myself not to get worked up by their actions but sometimes it’s easier said than done.
“Hey sis, I’m glad you’re still here,” Daniel says as he enters my room a few minutes later. My brothers are a lot older than me due to the fact I was an unplanned accident fifteen and a half years ago. Daniel is my youngest older brother and is crazy protective of me. Steven is too, but he now has a serious girlfriend so I am seeing less of him these days. Daniel is my idol, always has been. He doesn’t take life too seriously, does exactly as he pleases, works bloody hard but always has fun. That is exactly what I want my life to be like, and I plan on it being so, once I get out on my own.
“Hey.” I only manage one word because as soon as I see him I burst into tears, he pulls me into a tight hug. I hate that Mum and Dad can do this to me, make me feel so worthless. It makes me angry every time a tear falls for what they do to me, I should be stronger.
“What have they done now?” Daniel asks. Both him and Steven know how our mum and dad treat me. Hell, I couldn’t count the number of arguments I’ve overheard about it on both hands and feet, but nothing ever changes. I’m just grateful I have two amazing older brothers to turn to if I need to. Plus I have my adopted family next door, who I’m pretty sure would do just about anything for me if I needed it.
“Nothing, I’m fine,” I say pulling away from him and wiping my eyes. I look at him and see the question in his. “No really, I’m just being a silly, hormonal teenager.”
“Hmm…whatever you say Molls. You still going to that party tonight?”
“Of course, why?”
“I got you something,” I watch as he reaches into his coat pocket and pulls out a small bottle of vodka before handing it to me.
“What’s this for?” He looks at me and quirks an eyebrow. “Yes I know it’s to drink you fool but why are you giving it to me?”
“Because I remember what it was like being your age and I didn’t think anyone else would be buying you some. Now, I only got you a small one and I want you to share it, not have it all to yourself, but you deserve to act your age Molly and let your hair down, you work too damn hard trying to get your grades. Saying that though, you still need to be sensible, I don’t want to be visiting you in hospital or being an uncle yet please. Actually,” he says as he reaches in to his back pocket and pulls out his wallet.
My eyes widen in embarrassment when I realise what he is about to give me. “No, no, no…I’m good, you don’t need to worry about that.”
I hate to admit it but Daniel is the only one who knows what I’ve been up to. He let himself into my room one day while I was in my en suite to find an open box of condoms on the bed and being the protective brother that he is, counted them and realised two were missing. I’m hoping he doesn’t want more of an explanation than that because I really don’t think I want to sit here and explain to my adult older brother that I took myself off to the doctors a while ago and got myself on the pill, you know, just in case. Wouldn’t that make Mummy and Daddy proud to be grandparents while their daughter was still a teenager. Imagine the embarrassment.
“Okay good. Well have a good time tonight and ring me if you have any problems yeah?”
“Yes, I promise.”
Now I know I said about drugs and alcohol to my mum downstairs but our group of friends aren’t really into all that, yes there are plenty of kids at school that are at it every weekend but our group actually care about getting good grades and good jobs. So the bottle of vodka Daniel just handed me will probably be it for us tonight.
“See you later then kid,” he says before kissing my forehead and leaving my room.
“That party was awesome,” Hannah squeals as the three of us stumble into the twin’s bedroom sometime in the early hours of Sunday morning. Emma heads straight over to her side of the room and immediately starts replacing her party clothes with her pyjamas while Hannah and I sit and gossip about the evening on her bed.
