Not My Fault

Chapter 1 - Why me?

Olivia was riding home from school on her bike. She was 12, and now could cycle home, because she went to senior school, instead of driving back on the stuffy, noisy, crowded primary school bus, with her annoying brother and sister.
She stopped at the end of her street to say hi to one of her neighbours, Cathy, a petite blonde lady of about 25 who had just had her first baby.
She popped in and helped Cathy feed little Sammy, the cubby and mischievous infant. Olivia accepted a cup of orange squash and a slice of carrot cake, then remembered her siblings would be back soon.
She cycled down the road to her house. Number 32, Windswept Road. It wasn't much, but it was a house, and a house is better than no house at all.
She went inside, and had an early supper, knowing she wouldn't have time for it later.
She settled down with a cheese and marmite toast sandwich, a packet of Walkers prawn cocktail, a bottle of Vimto and a couple of polo mints. She couldn't believe no one in her family liked Vimto apart from her. It was too sweet, too sugary. To her it was just right, like you were eating a mouthful of fresh fruits of the forest, with a small heap of sugar on top. This was her tiny window into a peaceful life.
Then she her the thunder-like rumbling, and knew that the school bus had arrived. With a sigh, she got up, and went to get the kids.
"Livy!" they called out to her "We're back!"
She knew that alright. She bet the whole word knew, according to how loud they were.
"Come inside" she said to Trevor and Daisy " And I'll run a nice hot bath for you both."
Trevor groaned, but Daisy was practically skipping inside.
Olivia went upstairs, and true to her word, ran them a bath.
They undressed, and got in, splashing around like wild things.
You wouldn't think they were 6 and 8.
She went downstairs, and sat back down in the sofa to finish her dinner.
The dog padded in, and settled at her feet. Peace.
A passing aeroplane gave her shivers, so she went to make herself a cup of coffee.
When she got back, the cat had snuck in and was eating the remains of the sandwich, the guinea pig had got into the packet of crisps and the dog had tipped over the Vimto and was licking what wasn't already all over the floor.
"TREVOR! DAISY!" she shouted, "Ash and Fatso have got out!"