“Are you okay, honey?” Mrs Hanson asked with concern.

“Yes, mum, I’m FINE for the 15th time...” Zac answered his mum angrily.

“Don’t you talk to me in that tone, young man!” his mother replied.

“But mum, you’ve been fussing over me for hours. It’s not like I was in an accident or anything.” Zac protested.

“Excuse me? That’s not what I heard from Robbie”

“Huh?” Zac said in a confused daze.

“That innocent old lady, knocking her over like that. Really, Zac! Can’t you just leave the poor lady alone?”

“WHAT?” Zac screeched, “I am the victim in all this!”

He received a sarcastic ‘oh-really??’ glare from his mother.

“Uh!” was all Zac could choke out in response. “I’m going up to my room” he announced.

“Oh, and get started on an apology letter!” Mrs Hanson called after him up the stairs.

There was a disgusted silence, then finally a “What apology letter???” rang out.

“You, mister, are writing a formal letter of apology to that lady you asulted, and make it neat!” she explained.

“Asulted???” Zac yelled meekly in a hurt voice, “oh...”

“Yes, that’s right - asulted, you don’t want her pressing any sort of charges against you, Zac, you want to avoid that kind of bad publicity as much as possible.” Mrs Hanson said.

Bad Publicity? Since when had mum been worried about bad publicity? Zac thought to himself as he headed out to the living room to start his apology letter - Taylor and Isaac had been locked in their bedroom to study for a big exam that was coming up.
Luckily Zac didn’t have to do it, unluckily he wasn’t allowed into his room all afternoon. They’d also been shut in their to partly calm the feud between them (well, mostly Taylor) and their cousin, David.

***

“Ike, what the hell are you doing?” Taylor asked Isaac, who was staring off into space, his face set in a stern expression and his fists clenched and jittering.

There was no answer.

“Ike?”

Still no answer from him. He continued to stare into space.

“Ike, what the hell is wrong with you?” Taylor persisted, and he shook Isaac’s arm.

“Huh?” Isaac said, waking from his trance.

“Thank god, Isaac,” Taylor said, “you were starting to look like a constipated camel for a minute there - I was getting worried”

“Hmm,” was all Isaac responed with.

“Well ..?” his brother said.

“Well, what?” Isaac said.

“What is up with you?” Taylor asked.

There was a long silnece, in which Isaac fell back into his trance - staring off into space, Taylor was just about to shake his arm again when Isaac’s head snapped up.

“I’ve met a girl, Tay” he said, looking up at Taylor.

Taylor didn’t really know what to say.

“Umm ... congratulations ...?” he said dubiously.

“Her name is ... Tifiannabelkilisanickoreinachelisteina” Isaac said, ignoring his remark.

Taylor stared at him blankly.

“She’s got a really ugly name - but she’s beautiful, really.” Isaac explained.

“Sure.” Taylor answered.

“I’m serious, she’s really beautiful,.”

“But ... she doesn’t like you,” Taylor predicted.

Isaac was silent before saying : “How did you know?”

“Aw, lucky geuss I suppose.” Taylor said.

“So,” Taylor continued, “how exactly do you remember her name?”

“Oh, people just call her ‘Fi-anna’ and her parents call her “Ti-Fianna’ - it sounds like ‘Tif - yana’, it’s really quite funny!” Isaac explained. “I think her name was just some distorted thought created by her parents - they are really weird”

“Oh, and these pieces of information would be a result of your ‘I spy with my litle eye’ games around her house, eh?” Taylor snorted.

“Well, yeah ......... NO!!!! What do you think I am? Some kind of pervert??? Or freak???” Isaac yelled.

“Isaac, Isaac, Isaac, you know perfectly well that I already think you are a pervert and freak, so I’d stop wasting you energy,” Taylor said.

Isaac went quiet and seemed not to hear the comment as he’d fallen back into his trance. Taylor leaned over and carefully and presicionally flicked his ear. Isaac let out a piercing squeal and turned to his brother and attempted to whack him over the head - Taylor ducked.

“What did ya do that for,moron?” Isaac demanded.

“You were .... drowning dangerously in your thoughts and I came to rescue you ...” Taylor explained, making elaborate hands movements.

“Right.” Isaac replied.

“Anyway, tell me about this Fianna girl, how do you know her?” Taylor asked.

“Oh, she lives just down the street, at that old house, ya know?”

“Old house? Nah, I don’t really know ...” Taylor said.

“Yeah, ya do! That one with that stupid Barney letterbox?” Isaac laughed.

Taylor’s eyes widened.

“She likes Barney?” he scoffed, “How old is she?”

“No! Of course she doesn’t like Barney - she’s 18 for God’s sake!!” Isaac retorted, “her grandmother lives with her and her parents, dickhead”

“Oh, I get it,” Taylor said, then paused. “So, it’s her granny who likes Barney then?”

Isaac pondered on that thought.

“Hmmm, I don’t really know - but it’d be pretty sad if it WAS her grandmother, hey?” he laughed.

“God, yeah!” Taylor agreed, shaking his head, “That would be too weird, imagine if you were related to a person who was as mentally disturbed as that ...”

“Oh, I would have no idea what that would be like AT ALL, Tay.” said Isaac sarcastically as he lowered his head to dream on his angel of beauty, Fianna.

***

Mrs Hanson drove with a determination of an Olympic athlete, as she made her way through town towards a certain person’s residence. She took a right turn and turned into a street.
Driving up the road, she scanned the houses for numbers. She looked down on the sheet of paper she held containing the address. Finally, she reached her destination. She was confused as she viewed the scene.
Once again, she looked down at the paper.

Amanda Wilkinson
37 Gorgen St.

She looked back up. All she saw was a pile of rubble and broken bricks - the remains of a demolition.
Mrs Hanson was filled with sorrow, sympathy and regret for Amanda. She couldn’t believe she’d treated such a poor little deprived girl so badly. This dear girl was probably living on the streets. With a distressed expression, Mrs Hanson turned her car around and drove away - away from the information she’d just learnt.

***

Zac scavanged his brain for ideas for an apology letter. With pen in hand and paper in from of him, he scribbled down a rough copy.

Dear Lady I Ran Into,
I’m sorry, I hope I didn’t break your hip.

“Nuh” Zac said aloud, “Too direct.”

Dear Old Bag,
I have to say i’m sorry otherwise i’ll never see the outdoor world again (you wouldn’t want to be responsible for that kind of drastic deprivation, would you????). Anyway, I hope you know that it was all your fault in the first place - you should learn to walk faster. Also, i’ll make you a deal, i’ll pay for therapy sessions for you (think Barney - come on GROW UP) if you promise to stay right away from me (that’s permanantly).
OK?

“Hmmm, bit too insulting” Zac said, frowning.

He threw down the first two efforts which now scrunched up into tight little balls and swore.
Sitting there crankily, he sighed and kicked the desk.

“I’m too young for this crap!” Zac decided as he rested his head on the desk and closed his eyes.