Stonem Household, Bristol, England [Friday, Morning]
Pandora was sitting there across from her at her parent's kitchen table, breakfast completely ignored, while they both tried to pretend they hadn't just witnessed the catalyst to the argument raging in the hallway. The argument that had been going already for a good twenty minutes just upstairs.
Wasn't every day you witnessed one parent kissing the other parent's boss in the hallway in front of all of them. If she'd thought the incident a couple of days ago had been bad, it was because she hadn't had to deal with this part yet.
"Bitch, bitch, bitch, bitch." Her father was stuck on the one word as he stomped down the stairs with his suitcase. Effy was used to yelling, but this was a whole different kind of yelling, and being in another room really did nothing to muffle any of it.
"You don't understand! Jim, please. Please don't. Just let me--" Her mother's voice broke as she tried to come up with the right words. "Just let me explain!"
"All those fucking yoga weekends in Dartmouth-- Oh, you were bending all right, weren't you? In all the right fucking places."
"Please." The tears were starting to come through in her mother's voice as she pleaded, and Effy had to swallow hard. It wasn't like she hadn't been expecting this all to come out, but there was always a childish hope that it would just blow over, like every other argument they had.
Would've been nice if they could've saved it for tomorrow when she'd be a few thousand miles away. But no. Of course not.
Pandora slid a hand over hers on the table, and even Effy, who wasn't good at that that kind of show, wasn't going to turn away that offer of comfort right now. She didn't want to hear this, she didn't need to hear this. Weren't parents supposed to try and hide this side of things from their kids?
"They fuck you up," she whispered, glancing up at Pandora.
"They don't mean to, Eff."
"But they do." Effy shook her head. Staying in this house, listening to her mother's crying, was not an option right now. Air. She needed air, and took off out the back door without even looking back at Pandora.
[[And again, NFB for distance related reasons. Dialogue modified from Skins 3x04.]]
Wasn't every day you witnessed one parent kissing the other parent's boss in the hallway in front of all of them. If she'd thought the incident a couple of days ago had been bad, it was because she hadn't had to deal with this part yet.
"Bitch, bitch, bitch, bitch." Her father was stuck on the one word as he stomped down the stairs with his suitcase. Effy was used to yelling, but this was a whole different kind of yelling, and being in another room really did nothing to muffle any of it.
"You don't understand! Jim, please. Please don't. Just let me--" Her mother's voice broke as she tried to come up with the right words. "Just let me explain!"
"All those fucking yoga weekends in Dartmouth-- Oh, you were bending all right, weren't you? In all the right fucking places."
"Please." The tears were starting to come through in her mother's voice as she pleaded, and Effy had to swallow hard. It wasn't like she hadn't been expecting this all to come out, but there was always a childish hope that it would just blow over, like every other argument they had.
Would've been nice if they could've saved it for tomorrow when she'd be a few thousand miles away. But no. Of course not.
Pandora slid a hand over hers on the table, and even Effy, who wasn't good at that that kind of show, wasn't going to turn away that offer of comfort right now. She didn't want to hear this, she didn't need to hear this. Weren't parents supposed to try and hide this side of things from their kids?
"They fuck you up," she whispered, glancing up at Pandora.
"They don't mean to, Eff."
"But they do." Effy shook her head. Staying in this house, listening to her mother's crying, was not an option right now. Air. She needed air, and took off out the back door without even looking back at Pandora.
[[And again, NFB for distance related reasons. Dialogue modified from Skins 3x04.]]