‘Have you seen this?’ I say to Rebecca, handing over my phone to her. She watches the video of Carla’s car being ambushed by the local young gang and she smiles.
‘Good. It’s about time that family got what was coming to them.’
‘No, Rebecca. Carla is innocent in all this. She hasn’t done anything wrong – what is your problem with her?’ I stare at my sister as she throws the phone onto the sofa.
‘I’ll tell you, shall I? We have lived off benefits and in shoddy council housing our entire lives because of what that girl’s family did to us. Can you blame me for feeling happy that karma has finally found them?’ Rebecca’s eyes are wide with fury and I am beginning to think this thing with Mum and us taking revenge is having more of an effect on her than anyone else.
‘Rebecca, look at me. Our mum was mentally ill because of what Stevie Laird did to her. How in any way is this Carla’s fault?’ I ask.
‘Why are you sticking up for her? Now that you have a second sister you want to be besties with her? If that’s the case then fuck you, Anika. You go off and find Carla while I sit here and clean up the mess the Shaws and Lairds left us in.’
I sit in stunned silence as my sister launches a torrent of abuse on me. She reminds me of Mum when we were younger, when she was having one of her many breakdowns.
‘Rebecca, you and I are my number one priority. You’re becoming a little manic.’
‘Manic? I’ll show you manic,’ she says before charging out the door. I watch her as she disappears into the street.
‘Shit, Rebecca wait!’ I say, chasing after her. Once outside, I look up and down the road but I can’t see her anywhere. She’s gone.