The sound of a girlish shriek broke through the fog of deep sleep I'd been under.

It registered with me just moments before a strong, cold as fuck, stream of water blasted me straight in the face.

I sat up, gasping. I didn't know where I was, I didn't know what had happened and I had no idea why the fuck I was on the back deck, sleeping on a pool chair with Abby beside me on the other one.

Dad was standing at the end of our chairs with the hose in one hand an a cold juice in the other.

His cap was on, his glasses resting on the brim. He pulled the trigger and another blast of cold water hit us both in the face. "Rise and shine assholes."

"Fuck off," I snapped and leaned back in the chair.

It was a good thing the sun was streaming straight down on us, or it would be fucking cold.

I was still half naked. My shirt was wrapped around my head and I pulled it off, sopping wet, and dropped it on the deck while dad laughed and Abby flipped him off.

She stood up and beelined straight for the back door. Dad showered her before she could disappear again.

That was when I noticed Milly lounged in the pool chair at the end of the deck. She was in her uniform, an ice tea in her hand, the straw between her lips which were raised in a smug smile. "Good morning."

"Where's Max?" I asked.

Dad pointed at the house with the glass of juice in his hand. "Great looking out, Luc," he said. "You left him on the drive last night and Mom almost ran his fucking head over with her truck this morning."

"Dude, I don't even remember coming home last night. Blame her," I pointed at Milly. "She was the sober one that dropped us off."

"Sorry, Mr Lahey," she said. "Lucas told me he had him. What was I going to do? He's twice my size."

Milly shrieked when Dad hit her with the hose again. The water soaked her carefully curled waves. "That's for calling me Mr Lahey. I've told you all a thousand times it makes me sound like an old cunt. It's also for not waking me up to tell me that my three moronic offspring were walking around the pool area, drunk as fuck."

"Don't blame her," I held my hands up just in time to block another shower. "She did her best. We weren't making it easy for her."

"You just told me to blame her," Dad slipped his shades off his head and on to his face. "Never mind though. None of you drowned and Max managed to avoid turning into roadkill on the drive this morning. But—"

I groaned. Nothing good could come of that but.

"Your mom, being the angel she is, has gone out to get a hangover breakfast for the three of you. Milly, you can fuck off to school," he said.

That didn't sound so bad. Of course, he wasn't done.

"And I took the day off work. Just to ensure the full effect of a hangover is drawn out and painful as hell. It's going to be a great day."

He sprayed me one last time and then dropped the hose before he walked inside. Asshole. I suppose we could be grateful he didn't make us go to school though.

Although, it was entirely possible that going to school would be the better option. It is Dad after all. Who know's what he plans on torturing us with.

I also had a feeling he would have taken the day off anyway. Max was leaving this afternoon and he would want to see him off. I wondered how he was doing.

Milly was pulling her wet hair into a ponytail while she sat on the edge of the pool chair. "What are you doing here?" I asked. "Did you sleepover?"

"Nope. I just thought it would be amusing to watch your Dad drag you this morning," she wiped her neck where droplets of water sat on her skin. "If I'd known I was going to be lumped in with you lot, I never would have come."

"Title of your sex tape," I boomed, sitting up. "Jake Peralta is my hero."

"Who?"

"Get the hell out of my house."

She rolled her eyes and stood up. "Whatever. I had a free period this morning so I have to get back to school."

She stood there for a minute, staring at the pool water.

"What's the matter?" I asked.

"Should I say goodbye to Max?"

"I have no idea," I rested an elbow on my knee and ran a hand through my hair. "I don't know what he's like this morning. I don't know how hungover he is. I don't know if he's drowning in self pity or getting told off by his woman. Send him a text. Safer."

She inhaled and gave me a tight smile. "Well, I better head off. Have fun with your Father. I'm sure it'll be an eventful afternoon."

"I'm going to hide."

She laughed and said something else but my cellphone rang from somewhere beneath me.

I looked under the chair and found it face up on the deck. I said a quiet thanks to the good lord that I didn't throw it in the pool.

It wouldn't have been the first time. The call was from Amalia.

Before I answered, I searched and saw Mills halfway across the back lawn. She was heading for the back gate. I didn't want her to leave without giving me a smile. That was how I'd know she was alright.

"Mills!"

She turned around and held her palm above her brow to shield herself from the sun.

"Thanks for last night. Might have ended up asleep in that bar if you hadn't come around."

"It's a one off. Next time I'll leave your arses with that lag of a barman."

"We're never going back and you better not either. I don't need that kind of stress."

"Don't even think about playing big brother with me, Lucas."

"Yeah right, I've thought about having sex with you way too much for the big brother title to be legal."

She tipped her head back with exasperation but then she laughed and I felt relieved.

"Goodbye dork."

I watched her leave and answered the phone at the same time. "Morning beautiful."

"You sound chipper for someone that must have been more than a little bit tipsy last night."

"Did I text or call last night?"

"You left me a voicemail I had to listen to about seven times before I could understand what you were shouting about."

"Oh man," I stumbled through the kitchen. It was possible I was still drunk. "I'm so sorry. I was with Max and Abby. We were having an impromptu farewell. Max leaves this afternoon."

"Yeah of course," she said. I could hear the sound of lockers closing and students talking in the background. "It sounds like you were having a good time."

"Yeah it was good," I leaned on the staircase banister and stared at the steps with despair.

How was it that I was fit, in good health and capable of running the length of a football field in a matter of seconds, but I felt winded thinking about climbing these damn stairs. I needed a minute.

"We should do something tonight?"

"Like, sleep?" She suggested. "You're going to be exhausted later. I have something on tonight anyway."

"Oh," I began the trek upstairs. The thought of a warm shower was motivating me. "What are you getting up to?"

She paused for a brief moment. "Just hanging out with dad again."

"How is he?" I asked. "After the other night. Did you guys sort it out?"

"Oh of course. We're fine. He wa—"

Her voice was gone, a loud fog horn blasted beside me so damn loud that I dropped the phone with a fright so intense it sent my stomach into my ass.

My phone dropped, hit the steps and slid back down to the first floor.

When I turned around, dad was standing beside me with a fog horn in his hand and glee in his grin.

"What the fuck, Dad?!"

"How's the head feeling?"

"Can you grow the fuck up?" I snapped and started running downstairs.

He trailed behind, blaring the horn in quick successions. I was so close to shoving it u—

"It's still in one piece," he pointed at the screen when I picked my cellphone up and saw that Amalia had hung up.

There must have been something murderous in my expression. I sure as hell felt it. But he just laughed and blared the horn again.

"She'll call back."

Abby and Max came downstairs. Both showered and a lot fresher than I felt.

I hadn't even had the chance to put a shirt on or take a piss but I was getting hosed in the face and facing the threat of going fucking deaf at eighteen.

"You're a fucking pest," I said, squeezing the phone in my hand.

I felt irritable as hell and I knew he was loving it. He twisted his black cap backwards and grinned.

"Told you it would be a good day."

"The day hasn't even started," I shouted. "I'm going to school. Fuck this."

"Not a chance," he grabbed my arm before I could run upstairs. "You have to deal with the consequences. That's just how it is, Lucas."

"What consequences?!" I asked as the front door opened. "You're just being an immature asshole. It's fucking stupid."

"What the hell is going on?!" Mom asked, slamming the door.

We all gave her our attention and she stood tall - I mean she's pocket sized - but she's tall if you know what I mean.

She held a paper bag full of hot food that made me crave something decent to eat the second the aroma hit me.

"Lucas doesn't appreciate the method of punishment that I've decided to go with," Dad said.

"Yeah because it's just me," I threw my arms up. "Those two were there as well."

"Excuse me," Dad said. "Your sister had a cold bucket of water thrown at her while she was showering and Max has to travel with a hangover later."

They both nodded in confirmation but it didn't soothe me.

"We're going to sit down and eat breakfast," mom ordered. "And have a calm conversation. Max, where's Kyla?"

"She's still asleep," he mumbled with exhaustion. "She's tired and wants to be strong enough for the flight later."

Mom nodded and then walked into the kitchen. There was no room for argument. We were all to follow her.

Max and Abby dragged their feet, I went next and Dad, last. Which we should have known was a bad idea because he blasted the damn horn and we all jumped with fright.

But as it happened, Mom did have some sort of soul because her voice came from the kitchen, loud and authoritative.

"Throw that fucking horn out, Drayton!"

We sat around the kitchen table ten minutes later, a spread of waffles, bacon, breakfast burritos. There was a lot to choose from. As well as coffee or orange juice or smoothies.

As if we were on a trial, Mom and Dad sat on one side of the table, the three of us sat on the other with little miss innocent in the middle.

She always sat in the middle when we were getting told off, as if we would protect her from punishment. It had been my idea when we were kids. I wanted to keep her safe.

Now I sort of felt like throwing her to the wolves. I was in a fucking mood alright and it was her damn idea to go to that rapist breeding ground in the first place.

Sleep was becoming more and more essential if I was going to get through the morning without committing an aggravated assault.

"I'll start," Dad said, leaning back in his chair with a protein shake. "First of all, no one told us that you were going to be leaving last night. Second, you broke Abby's door and before you argue Lucas, I fucking know it was you. You erratic spaz."

Couldn't argue with that. It was true. The excitement got the best of me and I'd turned into a member of the SWAT and yeeted that shit right open.

So I shrugged and kept quiet so he could continue his rant without blowing a fuse.

"You're going to bob the builder that shit and fix it," he continued. "I don't care how long it takes. Abby can have no door in the mean time."

"Dad," she groaned and let her head drop on to the table top.

She must have been wrecked. In most cases, she would have flipped this whole fucking table at the thought of her door being taken from her.

"Moving on," he said, letting his arm rest around the back of Mom's chair. "You went out and got pissed on a school night. The dumbest shit I have ever seen any of you do. Even your mother and I weren't that fucking dumb. And she did a strip tease in front of the entire senior year when she was seventeen."

"Drayton," she elbowed his ribs. "Can we not."

"You did that?" Abby snickered and received a scowl from our former stripper of a mother.

"She did. And you know what her punishment was?" Dad asked. "Public humiliation. She didn't have parents to ground her. And I hid my shit a whole lot better than you amateurs do."

"Don't start hiding things from us," Mom warned, pointing a finger.

"Can we say sorry and be done with this," Max groaned.

"Is Kyla mad?" I leaned across Abby who still had her head on the table while she chewed on a piece of buttered bread.

"Na bro," Max shook his head and winced as if his brain had just been thrown around inside of his skull. "Fuck you though. I didn't want to drink that much."

"Shut up," I said. "As if I could have stopped you."

"I'm disappointed," Dad interrupted our insincere tiff and set his protein shake down. "We let you guys have a decent amount of freedom and you keep pushing it. You're eighteen but you're still in school. You still live under our roof. You went out with your little sister and got ripped. At a fucking bar. Milly spilled under some threatening pressure. So don't blame her. But come on."

"Dad," Abby sat up. "The bar was my idea. They didn't even know about it. I go there all the time."

"The owner is a pervert," I announced, Abby glared at me. "What? I don't make the rules. He is."

"Don't even think about stepping foot in that place again," Dad warned Abby.

It was hard to get Dad worked up enough that he wouldn't resort to jokes when he was reading us the riot act. But he meant it. He was not fucking around.

"I swear to God, child, if I have to kill someone because he touched you without permission, I fucking will."

"Yeah, dad, I know."

He rubbed a hand over his tattooed arm. "Don't get me wrong," he said. "He doesn't have the right to touch you just because you're in his bar. But if you're there, you're at risk. And I won't sleep at night if I can't trust that you're making safe decisions."

"He wasn't so bad," Max said.

"He didn't do shit while we were there, Max," I said. "But come on. You could tell he wasn't legit. He looked at her all wrong, man."

Dad inhaled a deep breath and Mom rested her hand on the back of his neck, giving him an empathetic stare.

"Never again," he said. "Promise me Abby. Don't ever go there again. Or anywhere like that. At least not without your brother. If you're going to be a shit head, do it with someone who can take care of you."

"I promise," she said and I could tell she meant it.

"And you," dad pointed at me. "If you thought he was a creep, you shouldn't have had that much to drink. What fucking use are you if you can't help her?"

"That's on me," I nodded, acknowledging I had fucked up.

He was right. I should have kept in control. I knew Dad was thinking about his twin sister who was murdered and raped when she was twelve. This shit hit him hard and I should have known better.

"I think they understand," Mom stood up behind Dad and dropped her arms around him, resting her chin on his head. "You're not grounded. But don't be surprised if Dad continues to torment you. He figures there has to be some sort of consequence."

"And in the mean time," he said. "Lets try and enjoy our last couple of hours with Max."

So we did. It was hard to do much when the three of us had the hangovers from hell. We spent an hour beside the pool, sweating out our alcohol and sipping on water to rehydrate.

Dad wasn't too much of an asshole after our talk. He did get me a few more times with the hose and Abby ended up with a tablespoon of salt in her herbal tea.

Kyla joined us as well. She found some amusement in the retelling of Max being thrown off the mechanical bull about seven times.

It did explain his excessive bruising.

But the time went fast and before we knew it, we were at the airport on the private tarmac. The bags were loaded on.

The bags that held all of Max's most valuable possessions. His photos, his favourite clothes, his Knick knacks that made his room, his.

It was all in bags, leaving with him. The engine for the jet was running and the pilot had let us know he was good to go as soon as Max was.

We told Kyla we loved her and Mom shed a few tears when she gave her a hug. It was possible she wouldn't see her alive again and that made her feel a bit fucked up.

Kyla left us alone with Max after that and we all huddled into a five person group hug.

Max was sandwiched of course and didn't cope for long before he told us he was going to vomit.

I didn't doubt it when he said he wasn't going to touch alcohol again. It wasn't his most common vice in the first place and now he would be focused on his girl and getting into a decent college.

Man, I was going to miss this kid. We waved him off and he turned around when he stood at the threshold for the jet. I met his stare and heard him loud and clear.

Love you man.

I love you too.