Roadkill (LiveWire) Read Online Free

members’ document arrests, hospital stays, and the flashing blue lights make me edgy. Did she see the lights of the ambulance, or was she dead already?
    “Caroline? Are you home?”
    Oh great, its Mum’s bloke, Garry. He’s a loser if ever I met one, with his dumb shaggy light brown hair, and big open face. Like a St Bernard dog. He even has big white teeth. Can’t believe Mum gave him a key. Reluctantly I log off and stretch, shoulders aching. The sense of surreal purpose that has kept me going has snapped, and I’m exhausted again. Wish I could sleep.
    “Hi Garry,” I stamp down the stairs, as he is bustling round, turning the oven on, taking ingredients from the store cupboard. The only good thing about this man is that he can cook. But men look stupid in aprons, and his is a naff jokey one, which makes it worse.
    I do try not to be mean to Garry, but it just happens. Despite the fact Leo is dead right, and he was always nagging her about careers and stuff, Rose liked him, and she used to lecture me on giving him a break, how happy he made mum. Mentally I give her two fingers, wherever she is now.
    “How are you doing Caroline? Do you fancy spag bol for dinner?”
    With his big muscular body, and slightly sweaty face Garry looks like he would be more at home wrestling snakes in the outback, than frying onions. His Australian accent gets on my nerves.
    “Whatever.”                            
    He looks anxious, “I hope you don’t mind me coming over…..but your mum did ask.”
    I make a huge effort, “Of course not Garry,” go on say it Caz, just do it, “ It’s….it’s nice to see you.”
    He relaxes and beams, big watery blue eyes disappearing into layers of tanned wrinkles.
    “I’ll see you later. Just going over to see Leo.” Of course I wasn’t, but now I just need to get out.              
    “Oh, well okay. Shall I leave some in the oven for when you get back?”
    “Yeah, great. Bye Garry.” I make my escape before Mum arrives home, especially as I told her I was staying in tonight. There is of course another reason why I don’t want to be alone with him. Again I hear Leo’s words, “He was always down on her about something.”
    N ever seemed to bother her though, she just accepted his criticism and carried on doing exactly what she had been going to do in the first place. He was interviewed by the police twice though….
    It’s cloudy outside now, the moon peering sulkily from a grey flecked sky, but the air is hot and sultry. Late July and I’m sick of summer. My head hurts from staring at the screen, and I meander slowly along our street, spying on the happy, and less than happy families in the ugly red brick houses. Little squares of parched brown gardens are littered with discarded kids’ toys, like garish plastic flowers. The smell of barbeque smoke wafts sausages, burgers, and a reminder of Dad.
    I don’t often let Dad into my head, because it was a long time ago and he messes with my mind. He was killed on duty in Iraq. Mum keeps all his photos up, and I’m surprised Garry ever dares stay the night with dad staring down at him from every wall. The Vultures have kind of been with me since I was eleven, and just as I get rid of them, finish those crappy counselling sessions, Rose brings them all back. Nice one sis.
    My hair is sticky and itchy on my neck and I fumble for a band to plait the curly mess out the way. Wish I had straight hair. A beep on my phone is Melissa, a girl from college. We get on quite well, and I think she fancies Leo, because she’s always trying to engineer the three of us going out. Sometimes we do and she goes all coy and girly with him. Bless him, he just turns red and mumbles rubbish. He made me promise not to tell anyone about him being gay.
    I scroll through the phonebook with an idle thumb, freezing when I get to Rose. As usual I hover over the edit button, until a little message on screen asks if I want