Ashtray Hart, chapter 1
Katy scooped up the dirty clothing from the floor of her room and dumped them in the basket by the door. Looking out the window she sighed.
"Yet another beautiful day," she said to the walls.
Outside the clouds broke and rain pelted the ground.
Lugging the basket downstairs and into the kitchen Katy sang along to the radio. Blasting out each note at the top of her lungs. Emptying out the last of her dads clothes from the dryer she then threw them out onto the rain soaked patio.
"Bastard," she whispered to the air.
It had been three days since he up and left. They had only moved into the new house a few months ago. There was still no carpet's, half the kitchen was missing but at least there was hot water. They had been full of ideas for it. Now it was probably never going to be finished. It had been the most amazing moment wining the lottery. They had bounced around the room like lunatics.
That seemed so far away now. Her father had bought a camper van the next day and put a nice sum of money in Katy's bank. She went out to celebrate that night and came home the next day to an empty house and a note saying goodbye.
She was still angry. Though attacking his bed with some scissors had taken the edge off. His phone was off, she hadn't tried it but she knew it would be.
"Bastard" she whispered again slamming the backdoor.
Walking into the living room she switched the sound system over to CD and put it on track fourteen. As the intro sounded she could feel the anger bubble over again. But instead of throwing something, her knees buckled and she collapsed to the floor crying. She stayed there, a heap of salty tears and raspy sobs until her eyes dried up and her wavering breaths stung her throat. Fighting the weakness in her legs she dragged herself to her room. Each step outlining the silence of an empty house.
Sat on the bus Katy stared out the window, watching the trees wiz past spending only moments in her view. Her face had shown almost no emotion in the months since her farther had left and her paintings had become darker, moodier, gorier. She knew today was going to be just like all the others. Only Hanna would talk to her in class, all the other student had given up long ago. She would again be told off for being to dark with her tones. Come home to the sight of her lodger swapping saliva and spending the rest of the night hold up in her room painting.
She walked through crowds with ease, the tides of people opening up to let her pass through untouched. She didn't need to look where she was going she knew the rout off by hart. No one ever got in her way, no one ever bothered her. A group of boys went out of their way to go around Katy, they probably didn't even know she was there she thought to herself.
As she turned the corner into the college gates she collided with some one, knocking her to the floor.
"Sorry," they apologised crouching down and collecting the papers now scattering the ground. Katy said nothing but collected up a few sheets. Reading the top sheet the sides of her mouth creased upwards slightly.
"Green Day?" she asked handing over the sheets and looking up into crisp blue eyes.
"Yah, they're good been around for a while now. Here," A Leaflet was shoved into her hand. "It's their first UK tour. You should go. No offence but you look like you need a good night out."
"Yer, I think I do too," she smiled at him taking in his features. Long, scruffy, mousy coloured hair the fringe falling below his eyes. He was tall but then every one was tall compared to Katy's 5'3. She had to look up into his frosty blue eyes. Wearing ripped jeans and scruffy t-shirt he looked like he couldn't give a toss what the world thought of him. She liked that.
"Well I guess ill see you there then," he said smiling back at her as he walked past, "I'm Mike. I'll be at the bar most of the night so...uh come find me," he turned and jogged off down the street.
Katy looked back to the leaflet. Tomorrow night at Jessie's. Couldn't hurt.
Walking into class she still had a slight smile on her face. The sight had an impact on Hanna. She fell off her chair.
"Holey fuck!" Pulling herself up into her chair again she stared mouth open at Katy. "What happened to your face?"
The smile hid behind a ferocious glair. Hanna held up her hands in surrender.
"Ok. Ok I'm sorry, no jokes. What's up?"
Katy threw the leaflet on the table and started to rummage around in her bag.
"A gig!? You want to go to a gig? Ok what have you done with Katy?"
"Ha ha," Katy said dumping her books on the table. "It just looks good and I could do with getting out. Lodgers are driving me crazy. They where at it till 3 this morning."
"They probably weren't. You just think it is because of all that sexual tension your holding on to." Hanna grinned leaning over the table toward Katy, "You should take me up on my offer. One night with me and all your problems will just melt away."
"Until the morning when I would have to figure out how to remove a new growth from my arm."
Hanna leaned back in her chair and put on her best fake sulk.
"Ok well start today with the usual quick sketch..." the teacher rambled on while Katy doodles on the leaflet. She wasn't in the mood to pay attention, she was actually existed. She hadn't been out in ages. Hanna was always trying to persuade her out, usually in the hope of getting her drunk and taking advantage, Katy had always found a good excuse. Now that she had lodgers she didn't have to worry about work so there was nothing to do but paint... . or stair at the ceiling listening to the muffled sounds of bodies rubbing against each other. A sound proofed wall and a pillow still couldn't stop the sound. Katy would swear they where doing it just to annoy her. But now there was something that actually sounded interesting.
Class finished and Katy got up to go but was stopped by a hand grabbing her arm.
"Where do you think you're going?" asked Hanna "You're not gonna go to a gig dressed like you always do."
This received a burning glair.
"Not that you don't always look lovely! It's just...This...this is a gig. You need to look amassing!" Hanna covered.
"Fine. I suppose I could get something," Katy shrugged.
"Great! Shopping it is then!" Hanna shouted as she dragged Katy towards the door.
After finally getting home from 4 hours of shopping hell with Hanna. Trying everything on...Then going to another shop to try on, what looked to Katy, like exactly the same thing, only to go back and buy it from the first shop. Katy fell onto her bed and slept.
The sound of braking plates at one in the morning is not the best thing to wake up to. After picking up her house warming present from Hanna (a metal baseball bat) Katy crept her way down the stairs.
"Shit. Fuck. Shit. Fuck. Shit. Fuck," Katy whisper to herself as she waited, back pressed to the wall, ears straining to hear the frantic whispering coming from the kitchen. Another plate smashed into the kitchen wall. Thinking this was probably a good a moment as any Katy kicked the kitchen door open and stood with baseball bat at the ready.
Only to be confronted with a teary eyed Selina and a ducking Rob.
Seeing her, Selina screamed a string of French insults and fled the room crying.
Katy suddenly took a great deal of interest in her toes.
"Uh, sorry about that," Rob said bending down to collect what was left of 3 plates.
"S'alright...Let me help." Katy moved into the kitchen, manoeuvring bare footed to the far side of the room and collecting a dustpan and brush. They cleaned up in silence.
"How bout a drink?" Katy offered pulling out two bottles from the fridge.
Rob shook his head. "Thanks. But I should go talk to her."
Katy nodded and wandered into the living room, knowing that, no matter if they made up or not she wasn't getting any sleep tonight.
"Yet another beautiful day," she said to the walls.
Outside the clouds broke and rain pelted the ground.
Lugging the basket downstairs and into the kitchen Katy sang along to the radio. Blasting out each note at the top of her lungs. Emptying out the last of her dads clothes from the dryer she then threw them out onto the rain soaked patio.
"Bastard," she whispered to the air.
It had been three days since he up and left. They had only moved into the new house a few months ago. There was still no carpet's, half the kitchen was missing but at least there was hot water. They had been full of ideas for it. Now it was probably never going to be finished. It had been the most amazing moment wining the lottery. They had bounced around the room like lunatics.
That seemed so far away now. Her father had bought a camper van the next day and put a nice sum of money in Katy's bank. She went out to celebrate that night and came home the next day to an empty house and a note saying goodbye.
She was still angry. Though attacking his bed with some scissors had taken the edge off. His phone was off, she hadn't tried it but she knew it would be.
"Bastard" she whispered again slamming the backdoor.
Walking into the living room she switched the sound system over to CD and put it on track fourteen. As the intro sounded she could feel the anger bubble over again. But instead of throwing something, her knees buckled and she collapsed to the floor crying. She stayed there, a heap of salty tears and raspy sobs until her eyes dried up and her wavering breaths stung her throat. Fighting the weakness in her legs she dragged herself to her room. Each step outlining the silence of an empty house.
Sat on the bus Katy stared out the window, watching the trees wiz past spending only moments in her view. Her face had shown almost no emotion in the months since her farther had left and her paintings had become darker, moodier, gorier. She knew today was going to be just like all the others. Only Hanna would talk to her in class, all the other student had given up long ago. She would again be told off for being to dark with her tones. Come home to the sight of her lodger swapping saliva and spending the rest of the night hold up in her room painting.
She walked through crowds with ease, the tides of people opening up to let her pass through untouched. She didn't need to look where she was going she knew the rout off by hart. No one ever got in her way, no one ever bothered her. A group of boys went out of their way to go around Katy, they probably didn't even know she was there she thought to herself.
As she turned the corner into the college gates she collided with some one, knocking her to the floor.
"Sorry," they apologised crouching down and collecting the papers now scattering the ground. Katy said nothing but collected up a few sheets. Reading the top sheet the sides of her mouth creased upwards slightly.
"Green Day?" she asked handing over the sheets and looking up into crisp blue eyes.
"Yah, they're good been around for a while now. Here," A Leaflet was shoved into her hand. "It's their first UK tour. You should go. No offence but you look like you need a good night out."
"Yer, I think I do too," she smiled at him taking in his features. Long, scruffy, mousy coloured hair the fringe falling below his eyes. He was tall but then every one was tall compared to Katy's 5'3. She had to look up into his frosty blue eyes. Wearing ripped jeans and scruffy t-shirt he looked like he couldn't give a toss what the world thought of him. She liked that.
"Well I guess ill see you there then," he said smiling back at her as he walked past, "I'm Mike. I'll be at the bar most of the night so...uh come find me," he turned and jogged off down the street.
Katy looked back to the leaflet. Tomorrow night at Jessie's. Couldn't hurt.
Walking into class she still had a slight smile on her face. The sight had an impact on Hanna. She fell off her chair.
"Holey fuck!" Pulling herself up into her chair again she stared mouth open at Katy. "What happened to your face?"
The smile hid behind a ferocious glair. Hanna held up her hands in surrender.
"Ok. Ok I'm sorry, no jokes. What's up?"
Katy threw the leaflet on the table and started to rummage around in her bag.
"A gig!? You want to go to a gig? Ok what have you done with Katy?"
"Ha ha," Katy said dumping her books on the table. "It just looks good and I could do with getting out. Lodgers are driving me crazy. They where at it till 3 this morning."
"They probably weren't. You just think it is because of all that sexual tension your holding on to." Hanna grinned leaning over the table toward Katy, "You should take me up on my offer. One night with me and all your problems will just melt away."
"Until the morning when I would have to figure out how to remove a new growth from my arm."
Hanna leaned back in her chair and put on her best fake sulk.
"Ok well start today with the usual quick sketch..." the teacher rambled on while Katy doodles on the leaflet. She wasn't in the mood to pay attention, she was actually existed. She hadn't been out in ages. Hanna was always trying to persuade her out, usually in the hope of getting her drunk and taking advantage, Katy had always found a good excuse. Now that she had lodgers she didn't have to worry about work so there was nothing to do but paint... . or stair at the ceiling listening to the muffled sounds of bodies rubbing against each other. A sound proofed wall and a pillow still couldn't stop the sound. Katy would swear they where doing it just to annoy her. But now there was something that actually sounded interesting.
Class finished and Katy got up to go but was stopped by a hand grabbing her arm.
"Where do you think you're going?" asked Hanna "You're not gonna go to a gig dressed like you always do."
This received a burning glair.
"Not that you don't always look lovely! It's just...This...this is a gig. You need to look amassing!" Hanna covered.
"Fine. I suppose I could get something," Katy shrugged.
"Great! Shopping it is then!" Hanna shouted as she dragged Katy towards the door.
After finally getting home from 4 hours of shopping hell with Hanna. Trying everything on...Then going to another shop to try on, what looked to Katy, like exactly the same thing, only to go back and buy it from the first shop. Katy fell onto her bed and slept.
The sound of braking plates at one in the morning is not the best thing to wake up to. After picking up her house warming present from Hanna (a metal baseball bat) Katy crept her way down the stairs.
"Shit. Fuck. Shit. Fuck. Shit. Fuck," Katy whisper to herself as she waited, back pressed to the wall, ears straining to hear the frantic whispering coming from the kitchen. Another plate smashed into the kitchen wall. Thinking this was probably a good a moment as any Katy kicked the kitchen door open and stood with baseball bat at the ready.
Only to be confronted with a teary eyed Selina and a ducking Rob.
Seeing her, Selina screamed a string of French insults and fled the room crying.
Katy suddenly took a great deal of interest in her toes.
"Uh, sorry about that," Rob said bending down to collect what was left of 3 plates.
"S'alright...Let me help." Katy moved into the kitchen, manoeuvring bare footed to the far side of the room and collecting a dustpan and brush. They cleaned up in silence.
"How bout a drink?" Katy offered pulling out two bottles from the fridge.
Rob shook his head. "Thanks. But I should go talk to her."
Katy nodded and wandered into the living room, knowing that, no matter if they made up or not she wasn't getting any sleep tonight.
