My Sister Is Wasted Potential #2

July 1st. It had been the first Saturday that the three of us were free. Celeste had finished college for good, I had finished school for good and Caine had finished year nine, leaving him to enjoy his last summer before starting his GCSE work. Isaac Lane called for a party.
“That’s a terrible idea.” Celeste had protested. But he’d persuaded her. “Fine.” She’d given in eventually. “But just me and Skylar. Caine’s not coming.” She’d administered, to which Caine and Isaac had both rolled their eyes in unison – Caine opening his mouth to fire a peeved retort before Isaac had waved a hand in front of his face to cut him off.
“Celeste. Baby.” He titled his head to the side a little, opening up his arms and a giving her a sly smile. “I want to throw a party to celebrate your freedom. For all three of you. I can’t throw a party for Caine if he’s not there, can I?”
“He’s not coming.”
“He is.”
“I am!” Caine cut in. Celeste regarded him for a while – long enough that he began to smile in confidence that she would give in.
“Okay.” She breathed. “Okay. But we’re keeping a close eye on you.” She pointed a finger at him before lifting her gaze to Isaac. “He’s fourteen, for goodness sake; he’s never been to a party like this before.”
Caine and I had shared a look at that. Purely because of the kind of company each of them kept, it was likely that Caine had attended far rougher parties than Celeste. He pulled a face meant for my eyes only whilst Isaac leant in to kiss Celeste. She turned her face away and denied him.
“We’ll do it at Conner’s house. You’ll invite your friends, yeah?” Isaac nodded to Caine and me. Conner was a good friend of his, and lived in one of the largest houses in town. He was notorious for throwing wicked parties.
I remember getting the feeling then that he had already pre-planned this arrangement.
“Nah, it’s cool. Just invite whoever.” I brushed off his suggestion.
“Come on, Cabbage Patch.” He sighed, as if I’d said the most ridiculous thing he’d ever heard.
I just pulled a face at him and made an exit, dropping my phone on the sofa and announcing that I had to pee.
The party started at nine and by the time we’d turned up the place was already alive with people. I don’t remember much of the night. I guess it’s not important. I remember, almost immediately after walking through the door, having a coke and vodka handed to me in a plastic cup that somehow was never empty for the rest of the night. I remember North Johnson, a boy with whom I’d shared a few classes at school, approaching me to congratulate me on my A in drama. I’d asked him why he was there, explaining that I didn’t know he knew Conner personally (everyone knew Conner through word of mouth), and he told me that he didn’t, he’d come because he’d seen my Facebook status. I remember I’d only been confused for a second before it clicked that I’d left my unlocked phone in Isaac’s presence whilst I’d gone to the toilet earlier. He’d obviously made a party invite on my account – a fact that became more apparent as I walked round Conner’s house and noticed my previous school peers enjoying themselves in various locations. One of the last things that I remember is stumbling into one of the bedrooms and discovering a group of girls sat in a circle around a tray laden with filled shot glasses, playing some variation of truth or dare. I think they’d convinced me to join them.
But none of that is important.
The morning after, Celeste, Caine and I woke up in Isaac’s house. Caine and I had crashed on the two sofas in the living room. He’d woken up before me, and had appeared to have found a pack of gummy bears. He had one of the little sweets in each hand and was forcing them to make out with each other. I wondered if he was re-enacting what he’d gotten up to at the party, or if he was merely projecting what he wished he’d gotten up to. I knew he had a crush on Autumn Waters, who was in my year and had been my best friend in primary school. We weren’t close anymore – not for any major reason other than that we naturally drifted over time as we became two very different people.
“Canine, you’re such a pervert.” I said around a yawn as I stretched. He glanced over at me, shoved the sweets in his mouth and sat up.
“You can talk, Larry. Don’t think I didn’t see you getting off with North Johnson last night.”
I frowned. “What are you talking about? I spoke to him for like, two seconds.”
He smiled and shook his head. “You don’t remember? Come on, Skylar, you weren’t that drunk.”
Before I could respond our attention was pulled by the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs. I turned in time to see Celeste heading towards us, legs bare beneath one of Isaac’s larger t-shirts. Her face was a picture of confusion and concern.
“I have seven missed calls from Liberty.” She waved her phone at us.
“Aunt Libby?” Caine’s frown matched Celeste’s.
I checked my own phone. “I have fourteen.”
“Why don’t I have any?” Caine frowned.
Celeste rolled her eyes. “She probably doesn’t have your number, the last time she saw us you were too young to have a phone. I’m gonna call her back. Don’t look so disappointed, Caine, I doubt a call from Liberty is good news.” She turned away and put her phone to her ear. Celeste wasn’t particularly fond of our mother’s younger sister. She labelled her an ‘irresponsible hippy’ – words that she’d actually taken straight from Mum’s mouth. Mum would go on and on about the travesty that was Aunt Libby and all the horrible choices she made. But whilst Celeste had taken on everything Mum said about her disasterly little sister, she clearly ignored the fact that Mum would always end her rants with a sigh of ‘I do love her though, dear old Liberty’.
Isaac came down mid-call. He watched Celeste for a moment before sitting beside me.
“Who’s she on the phone to?”
“Our Aunt. She left us loads of missed calls.” I told him.
“Oh. Are your parents okay?”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “Our parents? Why wouldn’t they be?”
He shrugged and didn’t say anything more.
During the phone call Aunt Libby had told Celeste that she was staying at a Bed and Breakfast in town and needed us to meet her there. She’d apparently made it very clear that we by all means should not go home, but straight to her. Celeste borrowed Isaac’s parent’s car and drove us to the place. Aunt Libby was waiting outside, looking exactly the same as she had five years ago: dyed blue dreadlocks pulled back from her face, nose ring in place, black vest-top revealing the plethora of henna-inspired tattoos scaling her arms. Celeste gave her a frosty greeting upon exiting the car and insisted that Aunt Libby ‘get on with whatever she wanted from us’.
She took us up to her rented room. She sat on the bed and hugged the pillow to her. She told the three of us to sit down.
“You know, it’s funny how I’d just gotten off my flight and was at Gatwick airport when I got the call. I was just stopping off in Ireland for a few days and figured while I was so close I would come and visit you lot-”
“Yeah, yeah, we don’t want to hear stories about how you’re travelling the world. Cut to the chase. What call are you talking about?” Celeste hurried her on, making Aunt Libby purse her lips.
“Celeste, I know I’m not the best aunt in the world but-”
“Cut to the chase.” Celeste insisted.
Aunt Libby watched her for a moment, before nodding her head slowly. “Okay.” She sighed, dropping the pillow beside her and placing her hands on the knees of her crossed legs. “While you were out last night… Something happened to your parents.” She paused and I could hear the sharp intake of Celeste’s breath, and the way Aunt Libby seemed to swallow around a lump in her throat before she carried on. “There was a fire. At your house. That’s why I told you not to go there.” She stopped again, chewing her lower lip and linking her fingers together.
“But mum and dad are okay though, yeah?” Caine asked, nodding, and Celeste looked at him with an exasperated expression because she already knew the answer.
“No.” Aunt Libby shook her head in response. “No, Caine, they’re not.”
She’d offered to look after us. To become our guardian. She told us that she had enough money to buy a place for the four of us, and that she’d stop travelling so that she could support us. Celeste said no, and that she’d do it herself, that she was far more fit to be a mother than Aunt Libby was. And then she stood up to leave, grabbing me by the collar as she left. I reached out my hand to hold Caine’s. That was the last we saw of Aunt Libby.

Deliver Us From Evil - review

As a horror fan, I couldn't miss out watching this film on the big screen and I am so glad that I didn't. I'd like to start by saying that Scott Derrickson, the director of Sinister and The Exorcism Of Emily Rose never fails to disappoint me when it comes to jump scares and Deliver Us From Evil is full of them. It has everything a good horror requires from deformed faces to hooded characters to creepy children's toys just like the owl teddy that rolls off the shelf in the trailer.

This film is full of great shots, the close ups are some of the best I've ever seen and are used in the perfect points to show the emotional performance from Eric Bana who plays officer Ralph Sarchie, a cop that spends to much time at work and not enough time with his pregnant wife and child. Although the family based plot of having a workaholic husband is typical, Bana takes it to a whole new level with his acting. The camera angles are very important in thrillers and horrors and Derrickson has outdone himself throughout this movie, the over the shoulder shots add suspense and it is beautifully filmed with panning crane shots over the Bronx and the close ups of hands and walls to show the attention to detail within the film from bleeding fingernails to scratch marks on the walls and floors.

Not only is it a great paranormal movie, it does have a little humour in thanks to Joel McHale who plays an adrenalin junkie partner to Sarchie called Butler making a few jokes throughout and adding even more action to the movie with his knife fighting the baddies.

The storyline consists of quite a few sinister characters with child molesters and domestic abusers, making Bana and McHale look better as the good guys once they've caught them, creating a liking from the audience towards them which is important because I feel that for someone to actually enjoy a film, they must like the main character or  at least the actor and both the leading roles make this so easy.

I don't want to say too much and spoil it for you guys but I will suggest that you go and see it for yourself because it's a great film, especially if you're into jumpy paranormal based-on-a-true-story films with lots of personality.

I give this movie a 4.5 out or 5 star rating.

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Summer Reading List

I've been busy lately, with trying to have a social life and revising for exams and all but I haven't missed the chance to have my head buried in a book for at least half an hour and as a result, I've managed to put together a Summer reading list that I hope you guys will enjoy!

 

1. Walking Disaster by Jamie McGuire. This is by far my favourite book, the second book to Jamie McGuire's Beautiful Disaster (told from the female protagonists point of view.) It's had me laughing, crying, angry, frustrated and absolutely delighted by end results, an absolute must read for all you non romantic types who enjoy a bit of complexity and reality when it comes to storybook relationships.

2. Because Of Low by Abbi Glines. I'm not even done reading this book but I already know it's great and I look forward to reading the rest of the series. The main girl isn't beautiful, blonde and busty, in fact, she's redheaded and voluptuous. Following the thoughts and view points of the main characters, it's written in a different way to all the books I've rested my eyes on. One of the best love triangles I've come across in the world of literature.

3. Morganville Vampire Series by Rachel Caine. For a young adult book series, they're probably more entertaining and exciting than most adult themed books I've ever read. The love story intertwined with the conflict and the genius behind each separate plot for all of the books and the detailed characters that you will without a doubt fall in love with is a favourite for me, Rachel Caine is an incredible writer! I've read  the whole series several times, they're just so beautifully written.

4. Looking For Alaska by John Green. I'm a total sucker for Tumblr famous books and this is certainly a commonly quoted one. It's a strange book and the love story is never quite fulfilled which is saddening, personally, it's nowhere near one of the best books I've read but it's so well written that I just couldn't help putting it in this list, however, be warned, it may cause a couple of wet eyes.

5. Little Face by Sophie Hannah. Of course I wasn't going to give you an entire list of romantic love novels, this is one of my dearest psychological suspense crime books in my box. It's absolutely intriguing however, it requires a lot of patience to be able to read it long enough to uncover the unexpected plot twist of a mother who denies that the infant she gave birth to just two weeks prior to the setting date of the book is her own offspring.

6. Two Little Girls In Blue by Mary Higgins Clark. Another suspenseful crime story focussing on twin girls being kidnapped and their lives held at ransom. The ability Clark has to be able to cause her readers to sympathise for her fictional characters is a must read.

7. I Heart New York by Lindsey Kelk. I'm not sure if it's my love for New York city or my passion for reading books where the protagonist is a journalist but Kelk's "I heart" series definitely caught my eye after I read the first book after receiving it free with a magazine. Following the life of a ditzy woman who boarded a spontaneous flight to New York after catching her boyfriend cheating on her, it's easy to say that this book is full of ups and downs that will have you chuckling in the suds of your bath.

8. The Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella. I actually first read this book a few years ago and from what I can remember, it's about a female lawyer who falls victim to a scandal in her work environment and runs away, managing to get herself accidentally hired and as a housekeeper, only thing is, she can't housekeep. This humorous book was so good I gave it to a friend, only, I never got it back.

9.  The Bodies Left Behind by Jeffery Deaver. Another one of my favourite writers alongside Rachel Caine and Sophie Kinsella, an author who writes so well his novels have had me chewing my lips till they were bleeding on the bus. The suspenseful cat and mouse chase between the law and the criminals is intense and I promise you will not regret adding this book at the end of your "To read" list.

10. Can You Keep a Secret? By Sophie Kinsella. This stand alone novel is my most favourite from Miss Kinsella's body length list of great writing. Emma is on a plane, being a nervous flyer, when the plane hits turbulence, she panics and spills her inner most secrets to the dashing American guy sat beside her. Only to discover he's the main boss of the entire corporation she works for. It managed to put me in a position where I had to question what the frick frack I'd do in a situation like that.

 

I hope if you decide to purchase and indulge in these perfect pieces then I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.