Wrong Side of Town Read Online Free PDF Page A

from beneath his lashes.
    “We’re home, get inside.”
    Nathan let out an incoherent groan, and we both got out, letting all the cold air in. He stumbled to the front door as I followed him.
    Once we were inside, Nathan stumbled off towards the living. When he disappeared, I stopped and listened for a moment, but the house was silent.
    There was no light peeking out from underneath Dad’s door which was a good sign. Even though it was only ten o’clock, he’d probably been drunk enough to pass out. I was just glad I wouldn’t have to deal with him in his drunken state. I’d been dreading it since his phone call earlier tonight.
     
    ***
    The next morning, Savannah and I were sitting at the kitchen table when her voice broke into my chaotic thoughts.
    “Hey, um, Dad threw up in the living room last night before you got home.”
    I glanced up, startled, and met her dejected amber eyes. She swept her long, honey brown hair to the side as she continued speaking. “I tried to clean it up as best as I could; it was really gross.”
    I heaved a sigh. Cleaning up vomit was not something my sixteen-year-old sister should have to be doing. That wasn’t her job. It shouldn’t have to be my job either. On days like today, I felt like a complete failure.
    “I’m sorry you had to do that,” I said with resignation. I reached out and took Savannah’s hand in mine.
    She shrugged. “I heard him on the phone with you last night talking about her .” I knew she was referring to our Mom and it pained me that she couldn’t bring herself to say that word. “He went into his room not too long after that.”
    I was just about to say something when Nathan strolled into the kitchen looking like death had kicked him in repeatedly in the shins. His eyes were bloodshot and his naturally tan skin was a shade lighter than usual. Alcohol definitely didn’t agree with him.
    “Ugh, my head.” He slid into the chair at the table across from Savannah.
    “Nate! What are you doing here?” Savannah was looking at our brother like she couldn’t quite believe he was here.
    Whenever Nathan dropped me home, he never came inside the house. He wanted to avoid Dad as much as possible. The last few times they’d come face to face, they’d gotten into really bad arguments. Since then, Nathan had stayed away from the house and Dad.
    “Nate had a bit too much to drink yesterday, so he stayed the night.” I stood up and went over to the counter to pour Nathan a cup of coffee.
    Savannah looked thoroughly annoyed as she took a sip of her OJ. “You’re such a stupid head, you know that, right?”
    He smiled at me gratefully when I handed him the coffee, before shooting Savannah a dirty look. “You should kiss the ground I walk on, brat. My good looks and biting wit are far more superior to yours.”
    Savannah let out a strangled choke and I patted her on the back before resuming my seat. “The only thing superior about you is your age, and I don’t think that being an old fossil is something to brag about.”
    “You are such a brat,” Nathan said with a glare.
    “You repulse me.”
    The expression on their faces grew more serious as they spouted obscenities at each other.
    “You stink like man sweat.”
    “You have small girl hands.”
    Nathan’s mask slipped and he cracked a smile. “Damn.”
    Savannah burst out laughing and I couldn’t help but join in. “Yeah! I won!”
    “We’ll see about that next time.” Nate was trying to look mad, but an affectionate smile was curling around his lips as he studied Anna.
    My mind couldn’t help but take a mental snapshot of this moment. It was hard to believe that despite everything the three of us had been through at such a young age, we could still have moments where we truly laughed and forgot about the problems in our lives.
    The Markson kids were no pushovers.
    We weren’t going to crumble just because life wasn’t going our way. We were going to do the best we could with what we had.