Fallen Bast*rd

Chapter Two – Family Day

Willa -16 Years Old

The front door clicked shut behind us.

Warm summer air chased away the coolness of the house; the familiar scent of charcoal, grilled meat and cut grass greeted us as the compound descended into the usual Family Day chaos.

Across the yard, four oversized barbecues smoked away. Dad and Butch stood behind one each, arguing over whose offering to the BBQ gods looked better, while pretending not to look at each other's grill.

A few feet away, Stringer hovered over an entire pig with the kind of reverence reserved for the great works of art.

Mom, Aunt Lily and Allie had sensory claimed the fourth one, their grill laden with vegetables and several varieties of potatoes.

Zero stopped where the path split, one leading towards the clubhouse yard, the other towards his workshop.

“Right,” He said, slipping his hands into his pockets. “Go be sixteen.”

I looked up at him. “Just like that?”

“Yeah, just like that.”

“You make it seem so easy.”

“It should be.” He smiled.

“Try smiling.”

“I smile.”

“You smirk.”

“I have an excellent smirk.”

“You do.” He pointed towards the yard. “Don’t drink too much.”

“I don’t drink.”

“You definitely do.”

“…Sometimes.”

“And…” A knowing grin spread across his face. “… Moon over Ax”

Heat rushed to my cheeks. “I do not moon over Weston.”

“Oh no? I’ve watched you watching him.”

“No…I wasn’t; I was observing…”

“The back of his jeans?”

“They’re nice jeans.”

Zero laughed. “You’re terrible at lying.”

I playfully punched him in the arm.

“You're intolerable.”

“So I'm told.”

“You not joining?”

“For a while.” His gaze slid towards the smokers, where Dad was already waving a pair of BBQ tongs in his direction. “I stupidly promised the pit kings I'd help.”

Without thinking, I pulled him into a hug. He hugged me back just as tightly.

“Thanks.”

“For what?”

I shrugged. “For being you.”

His expression softened a fraction. “Anytime, gremlin.”

He kissed the top of my head before turning towards the BBQ pits. Play, I stayed put watching him disappear into the madness.

Dad will probably spend the next hour trying to convince him to ask Becca out again.

Those two eye-f****d each other as though it was an Olympic sport. But God forbid they should engage each other in conversation.

Dad said they were stubborn; Aunt Ally said they were stupid.

Personally, I blame both.

Across the yard, West looked up from the picnic table he and Dex were carrying. His eyes followed my gaze.

Or rather, the way I was watching Zero.

“What?” Dex asked, catching him staring.

West nodded towards us. “Those two…”

Dex followed his gaze before bursting into laughter. “You jealous?”

West frowned. “What… No.”

“If anyone should be,” Dex said, still chucking, “it’s me.”

West looked confused. “Explain.”

“Willabear worships him.”

“And?”

“And.” Dex shifted the table against his shoulder. “Other kids want dolls or superheroes; Willa collected big brothers.”

West glanced back just in time to catch me smiling after Zero.

“Seriously?”

“Oh yeah.” Dex grinned “Zero’s been her favourite surrogate brother since she was fourteen.”

He nudged West with his elbow. “Now stop staring and help me before this table breaks my foot.”

“Willa!”

The word lands like a thunderclap across the yard.

Georgie.

The next thing I knew, almost fifty kilos of best friend launched herself at me.

“Georgie!”

We hit the grass with a thud.

“Where’ve you been?” she demanded, unapologetically.

“Busy,” I groaned, trying to shove her off me. “You’re getting heavier.”

“Am not.”

“You definitely are.”

She eventually rolled off and lay beside me in the sunshine.

“So…” she asked. “Yoda?”

“Who else?”

“You get homework?”

I let out an exaggerated breath. “Yeah. I’m expecting another impossible task.”

Despite my complaint, I couldn’t hide my smile. Zero’s challenges drove me mad, and I secretly loved em.

Georgie smirked. “Byte’s got me building predictive models.”

“That’s because you’re weird.”

“We’re also stress-testing his mates newest build in sandbox.”

I laughed. “You love it, don’t you?”

“I do.”

“Nerd.”

“Takes one to know one.” She says, bumping my shoulder.

I climbed to my feet, offering her my hand.

“The pit kings look thirsty.”

The clubhouse kitchen looked more like a supermarket at the moment. Beer bottles, soft drinks, trays of marinated meat, snacks for the kids and bags of ice covered every surface.

Together we filled one of the oversized coolers before dragging it across the compound.

Mum, Aunt Lilly and Ally were first.

“My favourite troublemakers,” Ally smiled.

“Your drinks, ladies.”

Dad and Butch were next.

“About time,” Grumbled Dad.

“I was saving civilisation.”

“By carrying beer?”

“Every great civilisation starts somewhere.”

Butch barked out a laugh. “She’s got you there, Bear.”

A few feet away, Stringer and Zero stood over the smoker.

Stringer lifted the lid enough to admire its contents before carefully lowering the lid.

“Beautiful,” he murmured.

Zero rolled his eyes. “I still think you’re overthinking it.”

“You don’t rush perfection.”

Butting in, I handed them both a beer. Neither looked away from the smoker.

Our next stop was Kirk. I quietly shook his beer before handing it to him with the sweetest smile.

“Cheers, Willa.”

“My pleasure.”

He popped the cap and the beer exploded right in his face.

“WILLA!”

Georgie and I were already gone, laughter spilling from us like his beer.

“I’M GONNA REMEMBER THIS!”

“So will we!” Georgie shouted back

Still chuckling, we made our way over to Angel and Cyn.

Angel looked as though he’d been genetically engineered to be the perfect biker. Six-foot-four, tanned, jawline sharp enough to cut glass and muscles in places I wasn't entirely sure they were supposed to be.

Beside him, Cyn somehow made a leather cut look more extravagant than a luxury suit.

Though none of that mattered, as right now they were attempting to convince one of the Soulless Women that joining them later would be the best life decision she’d made.

"Purely for research," Angel insisted.

"Research?" she laughed.

"Scientific."

Cyn nodded gravely. "Very scientific."

Georgie looked at me. And I looked at her. "Classy," we said together.

"You two are little shits," Laughed Angel.

"We learnt from masters."

He raised his beer. "Fair."

Georgie grabbed my wrist. "Where are you dragging me to now?" I asked.

"The clubhouse."

I pointed towards the enormous stone-and-glass building. "It’s over there."

"I know."

"So..."

"We're taking the scenic route." She said, pointing at my Harley.

I laughed. "If you want to ride, you could just ask."

"Can we please go for a ride? Pretty please."

I pretended to think about it. "Alright."

She Grinned.

"But you're driving first."

Her smile vanished. "...Excuse me?"

"You're the one who wants the ride."

"I'm your guest."

"No, you’re family."

"Still counts."

"I’ll be your passenger, princess."

She frowned.

"Is it still called that on a bike?"

"Absolutely."

With an exaggerated sigh, she grabbed the keys. And I climbed onto the pillion behind her, folding my arms.

Around us, half the compound had stopped to watch.

Someone shouted,

"Kiss and make up!"

Without missing a beat, Georgie yelled back, "Wrong sibling!"

The whole yard broke into laughter as the Harley roared to life beneath us.

Twenty minutes later we rolled back through the compound gates, and the world felt a little lighter.

“I’m telling you,” Georgie announced, climbing off my Harley. “You lean too much into left-hand bends.”

“I do not.”

“Ya do.”

“I’ve been riding longer than you.”

“Don’t mean you’re right.”

“It really does.”

She narrowed her eyes.

“Cow.”

“Drama queen.”

Together we wandered back towards the clubhouse.

The afternoon had slipped lazily into evening.

Fairy lights blinked to life beneath the old oak trees while the children chased one another across the grass with water pistols. Somewhere near the natural swimming pool, someone yelled, followed immediately by a spectacular splash.

Georgie looked at me.

“…Pool?”

“Race you.”

Neither of us waited for the other to agree.

By sunset, the adults had settled into comfortable conversations over food and beer.

Georgie and I had somehow become entertainment for half the younger teenagers.

“I’m giving that dive a two,” I announced, trying and failing to sound like an Olympic judge.

“A two?” Jamie spluttered.

“You landed like a washing machine.”

“I did not!”

“You did too.”

The younger kids dissolved into laughter.

Georgie climbed onto the diving board beside me, hands on her hips.

“Witness greatness.”

“Oh, this will be good.”

She hurled herself forwards. Only to chicken out halfway through the dive.

What started as a swan dive quickly became an airborne octopus having an existential crisis.

She hit the water with a tremendous splash that drenched everyone standing poolside.

The younger kids erupted into applause.

I bowed respectfully. “Magnificent, truly.”

Georgie surfaced, sputtering. “I panicked.”

“I saw.”

“I forgot where the water was.”

“It’s…the pool.”

“I know that now.”

Laughing, I climbed onto the board. “My turn.”

“What, to demonstrate gravity?”

“Jealousy’s ugly.”

I jumped. And almost immediately realised I’d overestimated myself.

My own splash rivalled Georgie’s. Jamie’s little sister wiped water from her face.

“That was worse.”

“I was demonstrating.”

“What?”

“…Poor technique.”

For another half hour we laughed, dived and embarrassed ourselves for the benefit of children who thought we were infinitely cooler than we actually were.

Watching them laugh made my very bruised ego worthwhile.

As I climbed out of the pool, squeezing water from my curls, I glanced across the compound.

West was carrying another stack of folding chairs with Dex.

For the briefest of seconds… His eyes met mine.

Then…

They dipped. Only for a beat. Before shooting straight back to my face. A smile crept across mine.

Well… Either he’d just noticed my new curves… Or there was something fascinating behind me.

I was voting for option one. Thank you, Mama.

“Oy!” Georgie flicked a handful of water into my face.

“You smiling at?”

“Nothing.”

“Liar.”

Her eyes followed my gaze. “Oh.”

“No.”

“Oh yes.”

“I’m not talking about it.”

“You’ve got it bad.”

“I do not.”

She laughed. “You do.”

Ten minutes later we’d changed into denim shorts and oversized Bastards T-shirts, our damp hair leaving dark patches across the backs of our shoulders.

“You still look like you’ve been dragged through a hedge backwards,” Georgie observed.

“Same babe.”

“I know.”

“We’re stunning.”

“Quite.”

Arm in arm, we made our way towards the barbecue pits.

“Alright, old-timers!” we called together.

Dad clutched dramatically at his chest. “Butch…” He sighed. “Did you hear that?”

Butch glanced up from his barbecue. “I did.” He shook his head sadly. “Maybe we should give these steaks to the dogs.”

Dad nodded gravely. “These youngsters clearly don’t appreciate perfection.”

I hugged Dad before wrapping my arms around Butch.

“Oh, we appreciate it.”

Georgie nodded.

“We’re just not sure you haven’t poisoned anyone.”

Butch pointed his tongs at us. “Cheeky little sods.”

“Takes one to know one.”

With Mum, Aunt Lilly and Ally insisting we each took another helping of vegetables, we eventually escaped towards the packed picnic tables.

“We could always sit on the grass,” I said, spotting an abandoned blanket beneath one of the trees.

We’d barely taken two steps before a warm hand wrapped around my waist.

I squeaked.

West.

“You’re more than welcome to sit at our table.”

His voice rumbled close enough to my ear that every coherent thought fled.

“We’d love to,” Georgie answered before I could embarrass myself.

There weren’t enough chairs.

West frowned.

Then reached for me.

“There.”

Before I realised what was happening, I found myself perched sideways across his and JJ’s laps.

“Seat.”

“Oh…” Great. Very articulate.

Across the table, Dex hauled Georgie onto his lap while Bry declared he deserved shared custody.

Georgie sighed. “I suddenly feel less like a woman and more like disputed territory.”

“Same,” I muttered.

For one perfect moment…Everything felt easy.

Then Ashly arrived.

“Oh no…” She pouted. “No room for us?”

Liz looked pointedly towards Georgie and me. “Maybe those two could move.”

I smiled sweetly. “Or…you could jog on.”

Ashly ignored me completely. She leaned towards West, whispering something in his ear.

He sighed and then stood.

The moment he did, I dropped unceremoniously into the empty chair he’d vacated.

Ashly slipped in neatly beside him.

Across the table, Liz dragged Dex away under the pretence of getting drinks.

Georgie’s smile never quite reached her eyes.

Mine disappeared completely.

“I’m done,” I murmured.

She nodded. “Yeah.”

Nobody noticed us leave.

“So…” Mum quietly fell into step beside us. “That went well.”

Georgie sighed. “They hate us.”

Lilly smiled gently. “No. They’re just scared of you.”

“They’re definitely not,” I confirmed

Mum tucked one of my curls behind my ear. “They won’t always see you as little girls.”

Georgie laughed. “They’d have to see first, to see us differently.”

“Oh…” Lilly smiled knowingly. “They see you. They’re just not ready to understand what they see.”

I glanced back. West was laughing with Dex. Completely oblivious.

“Maybe…one day it’ll be too late.”

Silence settled between the four of us. The kind only mothers seemed to understand.

Mum kissed my forehead.

“If something’s meant for you, sweetheart… its arrival won’t be late.”