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“Home sweet home.” Pamela sighed, unlocking the door to the trailer she was finally able to rent. Pushing the door open, she found it wasn’t as bad as she was expecting. The door opened into the open plan living room/ kitchen, where a cracked leather couch sagged against a wall. A series of cupboards and a sink stood opposite, alongside a small fridge and a stove. Pamela was surprised to find that they both worked well enough, if a little dirty. She moved forward into the trailer to find three separate rooms- a bathroom and the two bedrooms. The bathroom was small; the shower dripped slowly like the tap in the sink, and the toilet lid was cracked and dusty, but nothing they wouldn’t be able to manage. She peered into the first bedroom. It was reasonably sized, a double bed stood in the centre of it, the sheets crumpled and dirty- Pamela made a mental note to get them washed as soon as possible. A large wardrobe sat in the corner next to a large window. Flea bitten curtains hung from the ceiling, and the buzz of electricity filled the silence as she turned the light on. Pamela lugged a large suitcase onto the double bed before turning out the light and shutting the door. Finally she pushed open the door to the last room. Inside stood a twin bed, the sheets in the same state as the others. A wardrobe stood opposite, and various shelves hung on the wall. She nodded before shutting the door once again.
Outside, Lex sat on the steps of the trailer. She was tired and pale, and desperately needed a shower. Her stomach ached and her head hurt as she stared at the metal steps. Glancing around to check nobody was there, she slipped her thumb into her mouth. She knew it was babyish, and if her Mom ever caught her doing it then she would definitely get a smack, but it made her feel safe. It was 3 days until her 10th birthday and they were finally moving somewhere more permanent. After spending weeks sleeping on sofas and sharing a bed with her now 8 months pregnant mother, they finally had a place of their own. Lex knew this was a good thing, since she knew she’d have a new little sibling to care for in a matter of weeks. She was used to looking after herself- she’d could feed herself easily enough, and she knew the importance of keeping herself clean so she tried to brush her hair and wash her face everyday, alongside brushing her teeth. But Lex didn’t know all that much about babies. She knew they need warm milk and soft food, and she’d made a long list of everything she’d need to steal. Lex didn’t like stealing, but it felt like the only option. She knew her Mom had no interest in looking after this baby whatsoever, and the responsibility of keeping it alive and healthy would fall to her.
Hearing Pamela returning behind her, Lex quickly ripped her thumb from her mouth and gathered her things- a small backpack and various carrier bags. She stood up and headed into the trailer.
“That ones yours- I’m going out for a bit but I’ll be back later.” Pamela nodded towards the second bedroom, before putting her arm around Lex. “We did it kid- finally got us a proper home.” With that, she left Lex in the trailer, shutting the door behind her.
Lex breathed out a sigh of relief. Her Mom was unpredictable- sometimes she would be fun and happy and kind, sometimes she would be angry and loud and violent, but more often than not she was just… gone. Lex hardly ever saw her, which was for the best. She dragged her bags into her new bedroom, looking around uncertainly. She tried to picture living here with a new brother or sister as well. The thought of not being by herself so much made Lex’s heart thump. She would finally have somebody to talk to. A friend. Someone to love. Someone to love her. Lex sat down on her bed with a heavy thud. The room smelt weird, like a combination of sweat and old people. She wrinkled her nose and tried to think of something else. She reached into a carrier bag and pulled out a small yellow bear, called Dave. She sighed, positioning him on the windowsill. Her stomach growled as she laid down. It was gonna be a long evening.
Hours passed and the light pouring in from Lex’s bedroom window started to lessen. Lex rolled over, staring aimlessly at the sunset, when suddenly the face of a young boy appeared in the window.
“Hello!” He said, grinning. Lex was startled but gave him a slight nod. “I’m Ethan- want to come out to play?”
“No thanks.”
“What, so you’d rather sit inside in the dark by yourself?” Lex shrugged, turning away from him. Her stomach grumbled. She hadn’t eaten all day. “Come on, we’ve got pizza!” The thought of finally having
something to eat forced Lex out of the trailer. She practically ran down the steps, stumbling on the last one before racing after Ethan, licking her lips at the promise of food. They rounded the corner to see a group of kids sat on the floor, gathered around two pizza boxes.
“Okay so, this is Alice, Deb, Danny- and June- guys this is,,, uhhh,, “
“Lex.”
“Right, yes, Lex!”
“Ethan, how many times, you can’t bring random kids here.” One of them muttered- she seemed older, and was mindlessly flicking a lighter.
“That’s my sister, June, just ignore her, she thinks that just because she’s in middle school she’s better than us- I’m 10, how old are you?” Ethan babbled, handing Lex a piece of pizza.
“I’m 9, but I’m almost 10.” Lex said, biting into the thick cheesy slice in her hand. God, had pizza ever tasted so good? Lex wolfed down as much of it as she could manage whilst the others chatted. Well,
all except this June girl, who intermittently looked up from her lighter to Lex.
Suddenly, a voice bellowed from a trailer not too far away, yelling at the kids to scram before he called their mothers.
“FUCK YOU!” June yelled back. Lex and the other kids giggled nervously.
“June Green is that you? You’re already in trouble with your Mother, go home for petes sake.” The voice bellowed back.
“Fuck. Ethan we’re going. Bye, Alex.” June muttered, grabbing Ethan by the sleeve and yanking him from the group.
“It’s Lex!” She called after them.
The other kids started to leave too, running back to their own trailers. It was dark… and now Lex was all by herself. She tried to retrace her steps, panic setting in as she was sure she’d be lost forever, just as she spotted a small yellow bear sat in the back window of a trailer- Dave! Just where she left him. Lex ran up the stairs and threw open the unlocked door to find the trailer exactly as she left it. She shut the door and headed for her room, laying down on the musty sheets of her bed. Grabbing Dave the bear, she rolled over, falling asleep, still dressed, but belly full.