Born Evil. Kimberley Chambers

room. Debbie was calling him and he didn’t want to mug himself off, that would really give old Mickey boy something to get his teeth into. ‘What’s up?’ he asked.

      ‘Look,’ she said, handing him a wrapped up box. ‘Mickey’s bought you a present.’

      ‘Thanks,’ Billy said, ungratefully.

      ‘Well, open it then. Look at what he got me,’ Debbie said, her eyes shining.

      Billy glanced at the expensive gold cross hanging around her neck from a thick gold chain.

      ‘Aye, that’s nice,’ he muttered as he tried to get the wrapping off his own present. Billy took one look at the gold hoop earrings inside and quickly shut the box. He knew without a doubt that Mickey was taking the complete and utter piss out of him, and was unable to control himself. ‘Earrings? Bird’s fucking earrings! Do I look like some kind of shit-stabber or what?’

      Mickey gave him a cocky smirk. ‘Well, I knew you wore them,’ he said with assumed innocence, pointing at the two sleepers in Billy’s right ear, one of which had a cross hanging from it.

      ‘Not like these I fucking don’t!’ Throwing the box on the floor in temper, Billy grabbed Andy by the arm. ‘We’re off to the pub,’ he said as he stormed out the door.

      Debbie was really annoyed with her brother. ‘Why did you have to buy him them, Mick? He’s not stupid, you know. He can see you’re taking the piss out of him. You’re bang out of order,’ she insisted.

      ‘What am I meant to have done wrong?’ he said, holding up his hands and still acting the innocent. ‘I knew he wore earrings. The ones he had looked old, so I bought him a new pair. I don’t understand what his problem is.’

      Debbie sat on the sofa with her head in her hands. She didn’t need this shit, not today of all days. It was all right for her Mickey, he’d fuck off soon and have a decent Christmas elsewhere. It was her that was stuck here and would have to bear the brunt of Billy’s temper.

      ‘Cheer up, sis. What’s the matter?’ Mickey slung one arm around her shoulders. ‘You’re not frightened of the cunt, are ya? He ain’t ever clumped you, has he? ’Cause I swear, if he ever lays a hand on you, I’ll fucking kill him.’

      ‘Stop it, Charlie!’ Debbie screamed as her son rammed his new car into her legs for the second time. She felt ill with worry but had no choice other than to lie. ‘Of course he’s never hit me. It’s just that … oh, I dunno, Mick, sometimes I’m not sure if I’m that happy with Billy.’

      ‘Liar, liar, liar.’ Charlie leapt out of his car and viciously kicked his mother in the leg. ‘Daddy kicks you … I saw him. He kicks you like this,’ he said proudly.

      Debbie grabbed her son, smacked him and put him in his bedroom. She couldn’t speak openly in front of Charlie. He had a strong bond with Billy, was a clever little sod, and would probably repeat her conversation word for word. Turning the telly up to drown out her son’s screams, she sat down again next to her brother, who looked concerned.

      ‘Tell me about this kicking thing then, sis?’

      ‘I swear, Mick, he doesn’t kick me. Take no notice of Charlie. He has an overactive imagination. I am thinking of leaving Billy, though. Charlie’s behaviour is going from bad to worse and Billy doesn’t support me with disciplining him. He laughs when he swears and encourages him to be naughty. He thought it was hilarious when Charlie got himself excluded from nursery school. I’ve got to get Charlie away from him or he’s gonna grow up into a monster.’

      Mickey squeezed his sister’s hand. ‘Look, Debs, Billy’s a mug, a complete wanker, and you can do so much better. You don’t wanna be living in a shit-hole flat like this, and the area’s diabolical. Leave right now … come back to my flat with me. I’ll sort a place out for you and Charlie, somewhere decent in a respectable area.’

      ‘Thanks, Mick,’ she said gratefully. ‘But I can’t leave today. I couldn’t do that to Billy. Let me get New Year out of the way and then I’ll ring you. Billy’s got a lot of problems, stuff you don’t know about. I need to sit down with him and sort things out properly.’

      Mickey glanced at his watch and stood up. ‘The choice is yours, sis. I can’t make you come with me. I do worry about you living here, though, especially with that cunt. But I’m afraid I’m gonna have to be making tracks now. I’ve got a new bird on the scene, Danielle, and I’ve been invited round for Christmas to meet the parents. Between me and you, I don’t do families and I’m dreading it!’

      Debbie hugged him. ‘They’ll love you, Mickey. How could they not?’

      ‘Now are you sure you’re gonna be all right, Debs? You’ve got me mobile number. If that tosser comes in and starts, you ring me, okay? Danielle only lives on the Isle of Dogs. I can be here in quarter of an hour if you have any grief.’

      ‘I’m fine, Mick, honestly. You go and enjoy yourself. As soon as I’m ready to leave Billy, I’ll give you a ring, okay?’

      Mickey winked at her. ‘’Bye, Charlie,’ he shouted as he opened the front door.

      ‘Fuck off, fuck off, fuck off,’ was his nephew’s reply.

      Mickey gave his sister a sympathetic smile. ‘That kid has something severely wrong with him. The quicker you get him away from this dump and his scumbag of a father, the better. If you don’t, sis, you’re gonna have agg … major, major agg … trust me.’

      Debbie nodded and they said goodbye.

      Mickey thought he was giving her good advice, but all he’d done was tell her what she already knew. Monster … terror … horror … Debbie knew exactly what the world thought of her son. Family, friends, teachers, strangers – she’d seen their shocked expressions, clocked their sly glances and heard their snide comments. Difference was, Charlie didn’t belong to them. He belonged to her. She’d created him, carried him and brought him into the world. He was her responsibility. No matter what became of him, she knew she would always love him unconditionally.

       ELEVEN

      AS SHE LOOKED at the dried-up turkey and stone cold veg lying on top of the clapped out oven, Debbie knew she was in Shit Street and wished she had taken up her brother’s earlier offer.

      It was now nine p.m. and she still hadn’t heard a dickie bird from Billy. She had guessed he had a strop on when he stormed out earlier, but she’d fully expected him to come back with Andy for his dinner. Debbie knew from past experience that silence from Billy was a bad omen. Worried, she reached for her purse, took out the screwed up bit of paper and dialled her brother’s number.

      ‘It has not been possible to connect your call,’ a woman’s voice announced. Unable to think straight, Debbie headed for the fridge and opened the bottle of Liebfraumilch that was to have accompanied their completely ruined festive dinner. She hadn’t touched a drink all day, but now needed one desperately.