Razorblade Charm
Dinner Party
*Ryan's Pov*
Mum is desperate. She wants to do anything to make me smile again, and she somehow got it into her head that I would like to come to one of her dinner parties.
Mum has friends here. She has a whole group of them who host dinner parties, about two every month. Mum arranges a babysitter for Kate, and gets all dressed up. I can't be bothered and dress down in skinny jeans and don't even brush my fringe.
"Oh, Ryan," Mum scorns as if she's disappointed in me. She probably is. I've never scrubbed up to be the perfect son or hit rock bottom so she could pretend I was a perfect daughter instead. I've always been in the middle.
"What?"
"You're wearing jeans."
"And?"
"You could at least brushed your hair. And you're wearing a...a band T-shirt."
"It's Smashing Pumpkins, Ma."
Smashing Pumpkins or not, Mum clearly doesn't approve. She reachs for a comb and goes to drag it through my hair but I back away.
"Let's just go," I mutter. Mum raises an eyebrow but we leave. I spend the whole journey in silence, leaning my head against the window. Mum fiddles with the radio, humming along to some song playing. I catch one line.
I miss you
My hand shoots out and I turn the radio off. Mum sighs but sympathetically this time. I turn the radio back on, immediatly switching it to the rock station. Billy Talent's ' Devil in a Midnight Mass' blares from the car speakers as Mum inchs the car up a gravelled driveway.
This house is identicle to all the other's in the cul-de-sac-painted cream with bay windows and a oak front door with stained glass window. Mum gets out and I wait before following her inside.
It's the usual Plesentview decor-soft lights, cream walls, lots of suede and fancy flowers. Mum rushes off to catch up and leave me , stranded in a distant land of satin cushions and twirly silver vases.
I go exploring this strange new planet, poking around in all the rooms. I push open one door, but not to an empty room.
There's a mass of glossy black curls, and a pair of long, white legs with black ballet shoes standing there.
The curls turn and I see it's a girl. Black curls brushed to her wait, 3/4 of her face covered with a glossy black fringe. I can only just see her eyes but they are starting green. Amazingly, she is wearing a My Chem shirt with a black net skirt.Her ghostly cheeks turn pink and her mouth is wide open.
"Uhhhh.....I.......errrrr......"She looks desperatly round for something to say."Nice shirt."
"Your's isn't too bad, either. Proper fan?"
"I know Bullets is the first album, if that's what you mean."
"Clever girl", I actually smile. "I'm Ryan."
She blushes slightly, dugging her head.
"Got a name?"
"It's stupid."
"It is???"
"Fatima," she whispers. "I hate it."
I pause, not breathing.
"Fatima," I whisper. " Is it really you?"
Mum is desperate. She wants to do anything to make me smile again, and she somehow got it into her head that I would like to come to one of her dinner parties.
Mum has friends here. She has a whole group of them who host dinner parties, about two every month. Mum arranges a babysitter for Kate, and gets all dressed up. I can't be bothered and dress down in skinny jeans and don't even brush my fringe.
"Oh, Ryan," Mum scorns as if she's disappointed in me. She probably is. I've never scrubbed up to be the perfect son or hit rock bottom so she could pretend I was a perfect daughter instead. I've always been in the middle.
"What?"
"You're wearing jeans."
"And?"
"You could at least brushed your hair. And you're wearing a...a band T-shirt."
"It's Smashing Pumpkins, Ma."
Smashing Pumpkins or not, Mum clearly doesn't approve. She reachs for a comb and goes to drag it through my hair but I back away.
"Let's just go," I mutter. Mum raises an eyebrow but we leave. I spend the whole journey in silence, leaning my head against the window. Mum fiddles with the radio, humming along to some song playing. I catch one line.
I miss you
My hand shoots out and I turn the radio off. Mum sighs but sympathetically this time. I turn the radio back on, immediatly switching it to the rock station. Billy Talent's ' Devil in a Midnight Mass' blares from the car speakers as Mum inchs the car up a gravelled driveway.
This house is identicle to all the other's in the cul-de-sac-painted cream with bay windows and a oak front door with stained glass window. Mum gets out and I wait before following her inside.
It's the usual Plesentview decor-soft lights, cream walls, lots of suede and fancy flowers. Mum rushes off to catch up and leave me , stranded in a distant land of satin cushions and twirly silver vases.
I go exploring this strange new planet, poking around in all the rooms. I push open one door, but not to an empty room.
There's a mass of glossy black curls, and a pair of long, white legs with black ballet shoes standing there.
The curls turn and I see it's a girl. Black curls brushed to her wait, 3/4 of her face covered with a glossy black fringe. I can only just see her eyes but they are starting green. Amazingly, she is wearing a My Chem shirt with a black net skirt.Her ghostly cheeks turn pink and her mouth is wide open.
"Uhhhh.....I.......errrrr......"She looks desperatly round for something to say."Nice shirt."
"Your's isn't too bad, either. Proper fan?"
"I know Bullets is the first album, if that's what you mean."
"Clever girl", I actually smile. "I'm Ryan."
She blushes slightly, dugging her head.
"Got a name?"
"It's stupid."
"It is???"
"Fatima," she whispers. "I hate it."
I pause, not breathing.
"Fatima," I whisper. " Is it really you?"