Fragments Read Online Free

guilty at least once a day. 
    “Yeah, yeah. What’s for lunch?” I asked, looking into our fridge, trying to find something to eat. Her homemade produce lined the shelves, with gentle wafts of peaches and nectarines permeating my nostrils.  Some of our fruit trees were in season, so a selection of half-full jars of peach jam were already made and used. As my hand lingered over the cheese drawer, I stole a glance at the cake she had obviously made earlier - cheesecake lined with slivered almonds. This often meant that someone was coming over. Good impressions were imperative to my parents, and Mamma’s cheesecake was definitely that. Despite all the options, nothing grabbed me.
    A loud slam of the dining room door stole my attention away from the cake. It was followed closely by the stomping of heavy footsteps. Around the corner from our kitchen bench, my father, brother Robbie, and Alex came barrelling through, a look of determination on their faces. For a moment, I worried that something was wrong until my brother started yelling.
    “Mamma, we’re hungry. Feed us!”
    Instead of throwing the wooden spoon at him, Mamma laughed. For some reason, she adored his playful nature. This bothered me more than I would like to admit.
    “Robbie, don’t be a dickhead. Just ask nicely.” I grabbed the ladle and began pouring the soup into large bowls, being careful to avoid the steam from stinging my eyes. Mamma, instead, stood there glaring at me, again. 
    “Your tongue needs soap. Do not use that language in my house.” A quick peek over at Robbie saw him chuckle and stick his tongue out at me. I clenched my teeth, ready to bite back, when all of a sudden, my father’s hand came out and retreated quick as lightning, slapping Robbie on the side of the head.
    “Ah, Dad, what did you…” but my father’s scowl cut him off.
    “Do not ever talk to your mamma like that and leave your tongue in your mouth.” I smiled triumphantly at Robbie. Take that! Arsehole. 
    “Well, it’s safe to say it’s never dull over here.” Alex piped up while I scowled at him. Alex never left my brother’s side.  He was more at home with Robbie by his side, than at his own home.
    To call my brother a ‘golden child’ would be an understatement. He was both striking in appearance and in personality. He could commandeer any room or conversation and anyone nearby would feel the gravitational pull and linger on his every word. He was so incredibly animated. Every story he told seemed over exaggerated, yet he got away with it. It drove me insane and Alex and I seemed to be the only ones who would call him on his bullshit. Luckily, I was Daddy’s little girl, so Father would only interfere if Robbie was being a direct arse to me.  Yet, despite his fan club being half of the skanky girls in my year level, when he wasn’t being an arse, he was a decent big brother.
    Robbie’s melted chocolate eyes and short curly hair were a popular subject at school. He carried himself like a strong rugby player, as he had large shoulders and often worked out in our garage with the small selection of weights. Both he and Alex thrived on seeing who could ‘out lift’ who. His eyes and hair were definitely from our father as his were also dark. Unfortunately for my father, he had grown a beer belly from a life of over indulgence in beer and rich food, yet he nevertheless seemed youthful with his still naturally dark hair - mostly due to the gel he slicked through it.
    Alex, well, he was chalk to Robbie’s cheese. Where Robbie was dark, Alex was fair. Despite Alex’s strong shoulder set, he still looked soft in comparison. He was a blue-eyed, blond, spiky-haired athlete. He looked more at home in a beach setting rather than a dirty river, though he hated the sea.  He thought it was okay to look at, but his aversion to saltwater made his allegiance to the river stronger. Where Robbie was the enthusiastic storyteller, Alex held a serious stance, especially