Tame Read online

  "Okay?" Troy choked on his strange snack. He spat a little on me and I cringed.

  "Yuck! Troy, you grub!" I complained, flicking bits of bun and cheese from my clothing.

  "H-how was detention 'okay'?" He asked in disbelief. "You liked it? No! You were supposed to hate it, get all panicked, like Mom! It would have been so funny, damn you Farrah."

  What a nice brother I had.

  "Gee, thanks." I rolled my eyes. They landed straight back on his snack, which really was tempting me. It looked and smelt devine. A little weird, but devine.

  "Just wait until Mom gets home, it'll be so funny!" Troy cackled.

  "Hm, sure." I said, not really paying attention. "Hey, what is that thing in your hand?"

  "This?" He held up the hotdog-thing. "I call it, something-I-made-from-everything-left-in-the-fridge."

  "Everything in the fridge?" I cried shrilly. "Troy! I was hungry! And now Mom will have a go at us- why'd you do that for?"

  "She said she went to buy groceries so I ate the leftovers." Troy shrugged.

  "Ew." I shuddered. "So what's in it?"

  "It started with a basic hotdog." Troy put on a fake accent and I laughed. He was going to be all dramatic and pretend he was a master chef again. "Then, I melted cheese over the sausage, layered on some tomato ketchup, and grated cheese. On top of this I threw in some smarties, and chopped banana. I also believe there's a piece of broccoli in there somewhere."

  "Yuck yuck yuck!" I laughed. "Lemme try!"

  "Yuck, let me try?" Troy repeated. "Strange little sister, strange."

  He handed me the hotdog and I stuffed my face, so I had various sauces and crumbs around my mouth.

  "Mow mo mi mook?" I asked through the food.

  "How do you look?" Troy grinned evilly. "Picture perfect!"

  He whipped out his phone and my mouth fell open, dropping bits of grated cheese onto our carpet- Mom would love that.

  "NOOO!" I yelled as I heard his iPhone click. Food sprayed itself everywhere and I glared at Troy. "Evil- don't post it on Facebook!"

  "What a wonderful idea." My obnoxious brother laughed, running out of the room.

  "Come back here, I command you!" I roared. He ran up to his room and locked it, slamming the door onto my poor nose.

  "Yeeeouch!"

  "Idiot!" Troy called from the other side of the door.

  "You big meanie! Lemme in or else I'll-" I threatened.

  "You'll what?" He teased.

  "I'll, AHHH!" I screamed as I was knocked to the floor.

  "Not falling for it!" Troy called.

  "OW!" I protested loudly. "Rolo!"

  "Roo!" He barked cheerfully.

  "No, not roo. Ow." I told him, rubbing his furry coat. "That hurt, Rolo."

  "Roo." He sighed, knowing he was being told off. I wondered if Rolo could bark normally, but chose not to. I had never heard him. I heard Troy's door click open and glared at him.

  "I put in on Facebook- several likes already. And comments." He winked.

  "From whom?" I raised an eyebrow.

  "Oh I don't know...Cameron Carter, Jason Evans, Tanner West, Riley Tucker, and just you know, ten others." Troy smirked.

  "Bastard!" I screamed at him. I leapt at him, hitting his head. "People are gonna make fun of me forever now!"

  "That's what you said about Cameron posting that episode from the first time you met on Facebook. Nothing happened, did it?" Troy tutted.

  "Yes. It. DID!" I yelled, smacking him across the head again. "People think I like Cameron."

  "Well maybe you do. But I advise you not to." Troy leant against the door frame.

  "What?" I puzzled. "Whatever, I'm going on your account and deleting that picture."

  I barged into his room, and sat in the chair by his laptop.

  "Farrah-"

  Jason Evans

  knew she was weird.

  Troy Chambers

  she is weird! shes banging on my door and screaming.

  Jaosn Evans

  ha!

  Riley Tucker

  This is so mean. I think you should delete it.

  Troy Chambers

  who are you my wife? its freakin hilarious!

  Tanner West

  ur sis is so funny! can u send me this?

  Troy Chambers

  stalker!!!!!

  Riley Tucker

  I feel sorry for Farrah having to be your sister.

  Troy Chambers

  get off my photo. why am i friends with u on here???

  Tanner West

  dude her eyes looked crazed. shes feisty- like it

  Cameron Carter

  shes mine to tease, back off West!

  Troy Chambers

  ew thats my sister.

  I couldn't believe what I was reading. They were having a conversation about me? Cameron said I was 'his'...what the heck? And Riley was sticking up for me? He had a backbone?

  Ugh, I was a mean friend.

  I re-read the conversation, knowing Troy was leaning over my shoulder reading it too.

  "Do you often have conversations like this?" I demanded of Troy, spinning in his chair to face him.

  "No..."

  "Liar." I declared, turning back around. There was another new comment.

  Tanner West

  she always like this? wot was with the freak out on saturday?

  "I'll answer it, just move." Troy told me, brushing me aside.

  "No, no, dear brother-kins. Allow me." I pushed him out of the way, and began typing as my brother.

  Troy Chambers

  Farrah freaked out because Cameron Carter is an arrogant jerk who could have been stalking her to the movie theatre. She was merely keeping herself aware of the possibilities, that are very likely. Cameron Carter has a strange obsession with my sister, and it's bugging her. I must ask him to leave her alone.

  "There!" I cheered.

  "Farrah!" Troy moaned. "How could you do that, you little-"

  "New comment!" I cut him off, reading it.

  "Dot, dot, dot." I read aloud. "Written by Jason Evans. That's an ellipses by the way."

  "Yes I know." Troy muttered gruffly. He failed English at school, whereas I excelled at it. It was amusing to remind him of it.

  "Another comment." Troy smirked, pointing at the screen. I faced it and scowled.

  Cameron Carter

  hey there, Farrah Chambers.

  Creep! How did he know it was me? Apart from the obvious fact that Troy failed English and probably never used words like, 'merely' and 'arrogant'. And he never used capitals when typing. Or used correct grammar. Hmph.

  "Go away now!" Troy swatted at me.

  "With pleasure." I stuck my tongue out, leaving his room. I got halfway down the corridor when I realised I had not achieved what I went into my brother's pig-sty of a room to do. I spun on my heel and charged back towards his door.

  "Troy- get rid of that picture!" I yelled. I heard insane laughter before I saw him appear at his bedroom door.

  "Bye!" He waved, shutting the door. I knew there was no point in trying to get in, it would be locked. I sloped away again, but not before a voice met my ears.

  "It wasn't even locked, Farrah."

  I ran back again, determined to not get tricked this time.

  "Ooof!" I moaned as I hit the locked, yes, Troy locked it again, door.

  "Roo roo roo!" Rolo barked, bounding up the stairs again. Today was a good day. Sense the sarcasm.

  ***

  Mom flattened Troy's messy hair and sighed. It was Tuesday evening, and we were off to see our Dad.

  "Don't look so upset, kids. He's your Father."

  "He upsets us." I murmurred.

  "Come on now, it's one night. He hasn't seen you in four years- he just wants to see you." Mom tried.

  "Stop defending him!" Troy snapped.

  "Troy, Farrah, look. What's done is done. We can't reverse it. Just move on. He wants to see you and has big news. You never know, he may've won the lo
ttery and wants to give it all to you!" Mom tried lightening the situation but she couldn't. We just hated our Father.

  I looked in the mirror in the living room at myself before we left. My long hair was straightened and I wore a pale pink headband in it. I had a floaty white top on, denim jeans and pink slip ons. Troy wore his black jeans and a green top, paired with an black cap he wore backwards. He wore his black converse, and I couldn't help but notice they were exactly the same as Cameron's.

  "Got all your stuff?" Mom asked us. She was stood by the front door to our house, while me and my brother were sat on the couch, staring at the blank TV.

  "Uh huh." We sighed in unison.

  "Ew don't do that. We're not in sync." I shuddered.

  "Obviously not, I'm not crazy like you." Troy winked. "C'mon then."

  "I wanna sit in the front." I declared.

  "No way, I am. I hate sitting near you in the car. You'll burst my eardrum!" Troy told me, shoving me away from the passenger door.

  "You're both sitting in the back." Mom grinned. "Sitting next to either one of you is torture!"

  "Haha." My brother and I said sarcastically.

  "Stop it!" I warned with a point of my finger. "We. Are. Not. In. Sync."

  "Agreed." Troy laughed.

  "Just get in the car." Mom interrupted, with a roll of her eyes. Troy clambered in, stretching across the whole backseat and re-arranging himself several times before getting comfy and moving his legs so I could get in.

  "Gigantor." I commented, climbing in. I hit my head on the door frame and fell backwards. "Ah!"

  "Doors hate you." Troy teased from his seat. I scowled and got in the car, plugging my earphones into my ears. Conor Maynard came on, and I knew Troy hated his songs, so I started singing really loudly.

  "You can take my heart, like a criminal,

  Won't you make me believe, I'm the only one?

  So grab me by the neck and don't you ever let go,

  Mess me up so good until I'm begging for more,

  You tear me apart, like an animal,

  Like an animal, animal."

  "Stop, it burns my ears! Please stop!" Troy begged. "Mom!"

  "Leave her alone, you big bully." Mom chuckled.

  "Take me to the dark and don't you ever let go-" I sang, even louder.

  "Mom!"

  "I like it when you treat me like an animal-"

  "Mom!" Troy cried. "It's Conor Maynard! Tell her to shut up!"

  "All right Farrah, you've had your fun." Mom chortled. "Sing in your head."

  I plucked my earphones out and wrapped them around my iPod, gently tucking it into my jeans pocket.

  "Well that takes all the fun out of singing." I grinned. "I guess I could tell jokes instead..."

  "Nooo!" Troy whined. "Lemme out!"

  "You're so dramatic." I prodded him.

  "Says you, Miss-scream-at-Cameron-at-the-movies." Troy reminded me.

  "I'm never going to live that down!" I wailed, ashamed.

  "Too right." Troy nodded to himself.

  "You know what you won't live down with me?" Mom questioned, looking at me in her rear-view mirror.

  "What?"

  "The fact that you got detention for being with Cameron Carter." Mom raised her eyebrows as if to say, 'I know you're hiding something'.

  So I never told my Mom or Troy about the whole episode with Cameron. Why would I?

  "Hey Mom, hey Troy. You'll never guess what happened today! Cameron Carter pinned me up against the wall and I kinda liked it!"

  I would totally do that.

  "I wasn't, 'with' him as such. He was just, there." I explained.

  "Uh huh, right." Mom teased. "So wanna tell me why you're spending all this time with him if you don't like him?"

  "I-" I faltered, unsure what to say. I decided on, "It's his fault."

  "It always is." Troy muttered.

  "Meaning?" I inquired, both eyebrows raised.

  "Never mind baby sister." Troy rolled his eyes.

  "I'm not a baby!" I cried out. Mom shifted in her seat.

  "You're my baby." She said softly.

  "Aw how very cliché." Troy ruined her moment.

  Nothing much else was said during the ride, apart from Mom asking when Jason was coming over the next day.

  "Straight after school, is that okay?" I asked.

  "That's fine honey. Now have a good night, okay? Call if you need anything." She told us both, looking at us seriously. She hated leaving us with Dad as much as we hated seeing him, but it was by law she had to let him see us. We climbed out of the car, waving goodbye.

  "His house looks different." I commented, looking up at the big white house.

  "The same monster lives inside though." Troy grumbled.

  "Okay, let's get this over with." I trooped up several stairs to the front door and rang the bell. Yay life.

  Chapter 10

  Silence. Nothing at all except my own heavy breathing.

  "Ring it again." Troy told me. I obediently reached up to the doorbell and pressed it down firmly.

  Still nothing.

  "Can we just leave?" I whispered, afraid my Dad would hear me.

  "Yeah, c'mon." Troy put his arm around me and we trudged back down the steps, out to the sidewalk. "Uh...which way?"

  "I can't remember. Ugh!" I buried my head in my hands. "I don't wanna be here, Troy."

  "Neither do I, but come on. Think." My brother urged, frowning in concentration.

  I heard a door creak open, as if we were in a horror movie.

  "Troy! Farrah! Get back here right now!" A sharp voice cut through the silence in the air. I slowly turned around and my Dad faced us, stood in the door frame, frowning.

  "Dad." I croaked. "Hello."

  "Hello? Is that all I get?"

  My sibling and I looked at each other before moving towards the man we called our Father. Once I had reached the top step, he engulfed me in a hug, but he let go quickly, only shaking hands with Troy.

  "Son." Dad nodded.

  "Whatever." Troy scoffed, pushing past Dad and going into the house. I followed him, ignoring Dad's weak smile at me.

  "You'll be sharing a room, we don't have enough space at the moment." Dad told us, beckoning us to follow him upstairs. Troy went first, ducking where the ceiling stooped low. I was looking at the pictures on the wall. There wasn't any of me and Troy, just Dad and his girlfriend, Hannah.

  "Farrah?" Dad called. I broke my gaze at one particular picture of Dad and Hannah- they both looked so happy. The picture couldn't have been taken very long ago, because it showed Dad's small bald patch on the top of his head. Never the less, he was still grinning like a teenager in love.

  I had never seen a picture of him and Mom like that.

  "Coming." I sighed. I clutched my bag harder and began to go up the stairs, looking at my feet to make sure I didn't trip. "Ow!"

  "Did you not see the ceiling, Farrah?" Dad asked irritably.

  "No." I replied, rubbing my head. I ducked and continued up the stairs, and followed my Dad and brother down the corridor to our room for the night.

  "It's a little small, but you'll both fit." Dad beamed at us. I saw his smile falter at our faces. Small? This room was pocket-sized!

  "Dad, where are we supposed to sleep?" I asked, looking around. Dad grinned.

  "You'll like this!" He told us eagerly. He fumbled in a box and pulled out two blanket-looking things.

  "What are we going to sleep on?" I quizzed.

  "These are sleeping bags!" Dad cried. "It'll be like you're camping, like when you were little!"

  "Camping in a box room? Joy." Troy muttered sarcastically.

  "Stop being ungrateful. I would have thought you would know better manners." Dad snapped. "I blame your Mother."

  "You dare." Troy challenged, eye-to-eye with dad.

  "Get out of my face, boy." Dad pushed past him. "Put your stuff down and come downstairs to say hello to Hannah."

  "We just came to hear
this 'news' of yours. We don't want to stay over." Troy growled.

  "Farrah?" Dad looked at me, his eyes sad. "You've missed me haven't you?"

  "Um...uh, the...no, uh, I..." I stuttered, unhappy about being put on the spot.

  "No?" Dad echoed. He bowed his head, but I saw the anger written all over. "Fine. Be downstairs in five minutes."

  I sat on the floor while Troy rolled out his sleeping bag.

  "Is it bad that we still hate him?" I asked into the quiet atmosphere.

  "Of course not, stupid!" Troy barked. "Have you forgotten what he did? He wrecked our family and that stupid cow downstairs helped."

  "I know. I'm just..." I burst into tears. "I don't want to be here Troy!"

  My brother abandoned his task and came and sat beside me, comforting me.

  "I don't want to be here either." Troy sighed. "Let's just get through this for the God damn law's sake."

  "You're eighteen, you don't have to be here." I sniffled, wiping my eyes.

  "Why would I leave you here?" Troy demanded, his features tense.

  "Thanks." I smiled through my tears. We stood up at the same time, me wiping my tears away and checking my eyes weren't puffy.

  "Stop it!" Troy snapped.

  "W-what did I do?" I hiccuped.

  "You stood up at the same time as me." Troy grinned. "We're not in sync, remember?"

  "Smartass."

  "Stupid."

  "Weirdo."

  "Freak."

  "Farrah! Troy!" Dad called, interrupting our fun.

  We sloped down the stairs. I thought about Cameron's offer to go to the party from detention. If only I had accepted. I wouldn't have been able to, and I was not going to fall for Cameron's tricks. He was a player and a man-whore, no matter what he thought of himself. But it was better than here.

  "Hey, Farrah, hey, Tristan." Hannah greeted us. She was sat on the couch, slouching.

  "It's Troy." I corrected her.

  "Huh? You said the girl was called Farrah, Henry." Hannah said to Dad. Hannah was a stereo-typical, dumb blonde.

  "She is. My son is called Troy." Dad explained, gesturing to us both.