Whatever You Want

Chapter 3

“Come with me to the airport,” Mum had said. “It will be fun,” she’d assured. Mum had probably been thinking this road trip would make a fun mother-daughter bonding experience. It wasn’t. So far it was a lot of sitting in traffic jams and listening to her mother shout obscenities at other road users. Raven could not decide who her mother despised more; cyclists, the drivers who maintained 40mph whether in a 60mph or 30mph zone or the people who treated speed humps like Mount Kilimanjaro. Raven thought mum was too harsh on the cyclists—at least they were doing something good for the environment.

Raven flicked through the radio stations, trying to find something that wasn’t the generic popular music she hated. Her tastes were geared toward punk, rock and metal and the occasional Katy Perry song, though she would never admit to it. To Raven, image was all important.

Traffic light after traffic light halted the vehicle. They seemed to hit every single one. Raven shifted in her seat before sighing loudly and asking, “Why can’t he just get the train?”

 “It isn’t easy for Zach. His father is working away all year, and he is stuck with a stepfamily he’s yet to meet. So, we will do our very best to welcome this boy into our family and make him feel at home,” Mum glanced at Raven. “Won’t we?” She added. It sounded like a threat.

Zach had not even arrived yet and the sibling—or rather, step sibling—rivalry was already in force. He wanted to move his collection of exotic animals from uncle Steve’s into Raven’s home. Raven vehemently protested the spider, partly because she found them gross and partly because her friend Alissa was super phobic about all things arachnid. Apparently Zach had not been happy about it, but so what?

‘It was my home first,’ Raven thought with a stubborn scowl.

As the car finally pulled into the airport Ravens phone beeped, ‘one new message’.

“It’s Zach, says his flight got in early so he got a taxi to our house.” Raven waited for her mum to react to the news. To show at least a smidgen of outrage about the inconvenience.

Mum laughed. “Typical!”

On the journey home, the traffic had died down significantly. As they pulled into the drive Raven spotted a figure sitting upon a pair of stacked suitcases. He stood as Mum excited the car, offering her a hand as though they were about to embark on a business deal.

“Wow, you are tall,” Mum blurted. “Ron never said you were so tall.”

“Does Dad normally forewarn you about people’s tallness?” Zach asked, eyebrows raised, and Mum broke out into a fit of giggles.

‘Jeez, she sounds like Adrienne when Matty makes a dumb joke,’ Raven cringed to herself. She gave Zach an obligatory wave when he glanced at her. He surprised her by smiling in return.

“Let me help with your bags,” Mum offered. Zach quickly rebuffed the offer, grabbing one giant bag in each hand.

“I know, I look pretty weedy, but I can handle it,” He smiled.

How cute, Raven rolled her eyes as mum giggled again. He isn’t that good looking, Raven thought, though deep down she knew he was. Luckily, he wasn’t her type at all. Raven was more attracted to the skinny, thoughtful emo types with soulful, kohl-lined eyes and jet-black hair. Maybe the description was too specific, but there was only ever one guy on Raven’s mind. She tried not to dwell on him. Crying now would invite too many prying questions.

“Come on, let’s get you settled in.” Mum showed Zach to his room. He basically had the whole third floor to himself.

‘Lucky git.’

Raven had been asking for the third-floor room for months, but mum always gave excuses. Apparently, Raven didn’t deserve privacy, but this virtual stranger did. The first thing he did was plug his computer in.

‘Typical guy, he is probably going to spend his first night here online gaming.’

Surprisingly, he joined Raven and her mother doing the chores before chilling with them in front of the T.V., making the occasional comment about their choice of shows. It struck Raven as odd how this situation felt so normal, as though Zach had always been there. He smiled and joked and seemed totally at ease. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad after all. It could be good having a male around the house now that Ron was filming abroad—some exotic cooking show he had told Raven about at length, though she hadn’t absorbed much of the information.

After mum stretched and yawned, declaring herself “cream-cracker’d,” she retired to her room.

Zach turned to Raven with a wide grin. “I’m going to get you back for getting my pets banned from the house.”

Raven sat for a moment, in shock. “Shit.” Sighing heavily, Raven pushed herself off the sofa and switched off the T.V. before retreating to her room.