A Writer's Wonderland [PDF] - University of Portsmouth

instantly, putting her hand on Brian’s chest as Adam struggled to his feet, covering his eye with
his hand.
‘Someone’s got issues,’ Adam spat. As he staggered back to his position on the window
ledge Brian went for another shot. Sue managed to push him back and shot a venomous glare at
her son.
‘One is enough,’ her warning was to Brian, ‘Unless you’d like to hit me as well?’
Adam was laughing, ‘You should listen, Dad.’
‘I said enough!’
Brian huffed like a stroppy child and stormed into the kitchen, slamming the door
behind him. Adam rubbed at the tear in his eyebrow and looked at the blood on his hand. He
took a step towards the stairs.
‘Don’t you dare leave this room, Adam Noble. You’re not getting out of this.’
‘Out of what?’
Sue glanced fleetingly at the red wood cabinet, ‘Were you lying?’
‘About what?’
‘Were. You. Lying?’ Each word was slow, emphasising the hidden meaning which she
couldn’t bring herself to say.
Adam faced the window and pinched a piece of tobacco from the net curtain. He let out
a muffled, ‘No,’ as he flicked the tobacco to the side. Sue had to sit down; she buried her face
into her palms. There was silence for a few moments and then she rubbed her face on her
greasy apron. Her eyes were puffy.
‘Why did you do it? How could you do it – just the other day you were saying,’ she let
out a frustrated sigh. ‘What did we do?’
Adam turned around to look at the pitiful woman on the couch, her eyes swimming in
the salty, liquid disappointment.
‘Nothing.’
‘Then why?’
‘No, that’s it. You did nothing. I told you that I – about – I told you I was gay and you
didn’t even pretend to care. Dinner was more fucking important than I was!’
‘So drugs were the answer? Adam, I don’t care whether you’re gay, it doesn’t bother me.
What I do care about is my son doing drugs, stealing from his own father.’
‘It fucking hurt, okay? It hurt when you just ignored it, like I wasn’t there or something.’
10