ASBO: A Novel of Extreme Terror(40)

“Look what they’ve done to my mother,” Rebecca told him.

Davie looked to his right and examined the woman. She was sprawled back on the sofa, staring at the ceiling, unblinking. A dusty film of cocaine particles covered her naked body and thicker clumps of it clung to the fabric of her bra. Davie tried not to stare at the woman’s breasts.

“Do you know that she’s a special needs worker?” said Rebecca. “She teaches kids from broken homes, just like you. She tries to help people just like you.”

Davie knew the role of special needs teachers well – he’d dealt with many – and could agree that they were generally very kind people. None of them ever really did any good, though. Kids like Davie and his brother, Frankie, never had a chance at anything aside from turning out just like their deadbeat parents. In fact, special needs teachers succeeded only in giving false hope. Davie didn’t waste his time with such things.

“Be quiet,” he said. “I don’t want to hear it.”

“Fine,” said Rebecca, “but by doing nothing, you are just as bad as they are.”

Is that true, thought Davie. Am I…bad?

Davie scanned the room, observing his brother and his girlfriend as they kissed and groped each other on the floor. Then he watched Dom and Jordan, scratching at their balls and laughing at a television program that wasn’t intended to be funny. Finally, Davie looked back at Andrew, who looked right back at him, eyes swollen half-shut either side of his crumpled nose.

Davie shook his head and felt nothing but confusion in his heart. I’m not bad, I’m not like Frankie…but I’m not good either, am I? But what can I do different? I’m powerless!

Or maybe I’m just weak…

Davie stared at the television and tried not to think anymore. He had a feeling that the truth would hurt him.





Chapter Fifteen


Horror melded with disgust inside Andrew’s stomach as the teenagers cavorted on his floor. Under the influence of grade-A drugs, Frankie’s lack of inhibitions persuaded him to pull off Michelle’s jeans and tug aside her skimpy panties. He then proceeded to enter the girl, right there on the carpet, rutting like monkeys on the Discovery Channel.

How can anyone be so…decadent? Frankie truly has no conception of other people’s feelings at all, does he? It’s almost like the world is just an illusion that revolves around him.

Andrew turned his head away as Frankie began to climax inside the girl, his naked buttocks clenching in coitus as he ejaculated for what seemed like forever. The sound of him cumming was like a wild animal being butchered, but, from only two feet away, Dom and Jordan lay watching television as if they hadn’t noticed.

“You disgust me,” said Bex from the sofa. She was brave being the one to speak what they were both thinking.

Frankie pulled out of Michelle and Andrew cringed as a sloppy wet sound emanated from between them. He quickly stood up and refastened his jeans, then laughed in Bex’s face, grabbing his crotch. “Just jealous because you want to piece of this, too. Don’t worry, princess, maybe later.”

“Never going to happen,” she said adamantly.

Frankie’s joking demeanour suddenly soured at the comment. “Hey! Show me some f*cking respect or I’ll forget all about my offer of leaving you in one piece.”

Bex chose to say nothing and Andrew was relieved. If she just kept her mouth shut then perhaps the only one to suffer tonight would be him. The irony was that watching his daughter’s torment hurt Andrew far worse than anything Frankie could ever do to him directly. By staying quiet, Bex would be doing everyone a favour.

Frankie looked at Andrew then motioned to Pen on the sofa. She remained in some sort of daze, fixated on an invisible spot on the ceiling. Frankie chuckled. “I think she’s lost the plot, mate? She this lively in bed?”

Andrew laughed a bitter laugh. “You’re evil! Hell would be too good for you.”

Frankie laughed right back. “Maybe they’ll make a place worse for me. Some deep dark abyss where I don’t have to put up with pricks like you.”

Andrew’s eyebrows raised. “I’m the prick. That’s a good one.”

“You getting lippy with me, old man? I already broke your nose; want me to break something else?”

Andrew shook his head, but couldn’t keep a lid on his anger. “Go right ahead. What difference is it going to make?”