1998 - Lauren
The overwhelming smell of beer hit Lauren as she walked inside the house. Empty bottles were piled up by the door, ready to go in the bin, but not quite getting there.
Sighing, she looked at the mess in the living room. Just as they'd began to get their lives together, Jess had appeared, turning Mark's life upside-down and Lauren's with it.
The temptation to pretend this didn't exist was strong, as was the urge to crawl into bed and ignore it. She was just so disappointed in Mark.
There were rubbish bags in the kitchen, and she trudged back through the living room, collecting trash as she went.
How the hell does this get so messy in a single day?
Lost in thought, she jumped at the sudden noise from upstairs. Was Mark not at work again? If there was one thing this relationship with Jess had done, it had shaken her brother from his usual perfect work attendance. Every aspect of his life was negatively affected by her.
Jess stumbled down the stairs, beer in hand. "Oh hey, Lauren. Home from work already?"
"It is half past five in the afternoon."
"Oh?" Squinting as she tried to focus, Jess wobbled, laughing as she fell on the couch. "I didn't realise it was so late. Mark's usually home by now."
"Maybe he's actually working today, instead of that half-arsed job he seems to have been doing lately."
Jess grabbed Lauren's hand, pulling her towards the couch. "There is nothing half-arsed about your brother. He has quite a nice full arse, actually."
"I don't want to know."
"Why are you so hard on me? What did I ever do to you?"
She pulled her hand away in disgust. "What did you ever do to me? You invade my home, help yourself to everything, leave the house in a mess … My brother has gone from being slightly flaky to a complete dick around you."
Lauren sat on the couch next to Jess. "I used to be able to trust him with everything. Now he's reckless and irresponsible. He's not supposed to drink, we promised each other. Not after …" She could feel the tears coming, and fought them back unsuccessfully as renewed grief hit her.
"I'm sorry. I had no idea you hated me so much. I mean, I know I annoy you, but I didn't realise it was that bad."
"I don't hate you. I just don't like the way my brother is around you."
Lauren winced as Jess put her beer on the coffee table. No coaster.
"Look. Clearly we got off to a bad start, but I love your brother."
Sure. Bad start. It's only been two years.
"Does he say that in return?"
Jess shook her head. "Not yet, but maybe one day."
"I'm just over cleaning up after you two."
"I'll try harder."
Lauren sighed. Mark and Jess were destined for disaster. Anyone with a brain could see that. For their part, they seemed so besotted that it didn't matter that they were a train wreck. It was the devastation around them that Lauren wanted to stop.
She watched as Jess took the rubbish bag, filling it as she cleaned the living room. Within minutes, the room was much tidier, and Jess smiled as she came back from taking the rubbish to the bin.
"Mark can help carry the empties. Now that's done, do you want a drink? I just remembered he's working this evening, and I could do with a drinking buddy."
Lauren shook her head. "I'm not a big drinker."
"You don't have to be, just have a couple with me. I don't know if there's any beer after this, but I do have a nice bottle of vodka that you'll like."
"I don't know. Mark doesn't like me drinking and he does have a point."
Jess rolled her eyes. "Well, Mark's a fucking hypocrite then. How come he gets to drink and you don't? It's not like you have to drive any-where."
Lauren sighed. "Fine, okay. I'll have one. Then I am cooking dinner and going to bed. It's been a long day."
Mark could hear the music coming from the house as he walked up the front path. It wasn't like Lauren to make so much noise. Surely she hadn't left Jess there alone for the evening. He knew Lauren didn't trust her that much.
Nothing could have prepared him for what he found. Jess and Lauren dancing in the living room, watched by a couple of guys he didn't know.
"You two have about five seconds to tell me what is going on," he said calmly, switching the music off.
"This is Roy and Dave. We met at the pub the other night," Jess said.
"Right. So if I even look at another woman you go mental, but it's okay to invite two strangers into my house."
"It is Lauren's house, too, and she was okay with it."
Mark drew closer to his sister, noticing she wouldn't meet his eye. "Lauren? What's going on?"
She shook her head, and he knew in an instant she'd been drinking. He turned to the men on the couch. "Get the hell out of my house." He looked at Jess. "You too. I'm assuming you did this?"
"Lauren's a big girl. We just wanted to party," Jess said.
At that, Lauren stumbled, vomiting all over the rug in the centre of the living room.
"She's old enough to be drinking, Mark. She just has to get used to it."
"I am keeping calm right now, Jess. I suggest you leave and take those two with you before I do something that I'm going to regret."
She rolled her eyes. "You wouldn't hurt me."
"No, not you."
The men were already halfway out the door. "Let's go, Jess," one of them called. Neither of them were any match for Mark.
“Screw you, Mark. We haven’t done anything wrong. This is Lauren’s house too, and she can do what she wants,” Jess screamed.
He turned towards her. “It’s Lauren’s house when it’s convenient for you. The rest of the time, it’s all ‘it’s your house Mark, Lauren is in the way.’ I’m over it, Jess. She belongs here, you don’t. I’ve put up with your crap for long enough.”
Jess’s chest rose as she started to take a big breath for whatever it was she was about to scream. One of the guys she was with grabbed her by the arm.
“Leave it, it’s not worth it. That girl is really drunk and he looks angry.”
She opened her mouth to say something else, before obviously thinking better of it and closing it again. Her eyes were so sad for a moment, before her nostrils flared and she turned on her heel, storming off.
Mark just shook his head, looking down at Lauren on the floor. He bent to pick her up, pulling her into his arms as she wiped her face with her sleeve.
"Oh, baby girl. What have you done?"
Scooping her up into his arms, he carried her up to her room, lying her on the bed while he got a cold cloth.
"Lauren, I never wanted to see you like this."
She looked up at him with those big brown eyes. Every single time she melted his heart with those, and tonight was no exception.
"I thought it was only going to be one drink. We got carried away."
“Please don't do this."
"Jess said you were a hypocrite. That you drink, but you get upset if I do."
He sighed. "She's probably right. As of tomorrow, no more alcohol in the house."
With no idea how long that would last, he kissed her on the forehead before turning out the light.
"Mark?"
He turned in the doorway. She looked so miserable in her bed, like a little girl. His baby girl.
"I don't want us to be like Mum and Dad."
"Neither do I, sweetheart," he said. "Neither do I."