Luke The week before Easter and the two weeks after, the university was involved in Sevens rugby tournaments. Given that Sevens is a game of speed and style, grace and skill, I felt lucky to get into the third team of four entered for each. For those that don’t know, Sevens was traditionally an end of season variant of rugby invented so that under the guise of either playing or watching, people can spend an entire day eat...

Luke “A twelve-week placement starting twentieth June, finishing on ninth September. You have to register at the halls, at the Laurea University of Applied Sciences in Espoo, Finland over the weekend before. “Espoo, Finland?” Tina asked. “Finland? You got it? Fucking nice one, man!” “Sweetie?” “Yeah, thanks, I suppose, Rob. Just feels like some fucker is laughing at me. “Tina, this is the prime placement for any students...

Luke “Never. There that was simple, wasn’t it? Want me to expand?” Tina nodded. I pulled the duvet around us and we snuggled into each other more, “Sam’s my sister, but it’s not about morals or legalities, sure they are stoppers, but they are inconsequential compared to the real reason. “Morals are only the standards that the society you live in dictates to you. Incest is illegal here based on supposed science, though it’...

Tina “Ooh, Luke you can sing. Luke here, he can sing.” Too late, Luke turned to quieten her, but the person calling it came over, “You sure, Luke? I just thought being with your family and all…” “Nah, Luke’s good, aren’t you mate?” Said Rob. Sam had tears in her eyes; Mr and Mrs Evans were shaking their heads. “Go on, mush, I haven’t heard you sing any of your songs yet.” Then Diane and Andy started chanting the fatal wor...

Tina “Ah good, that makes it easy,” said the person at the door. “You’re coming with me,” he said, stepping forward and reaching for me. Luke stepped out of the door and across the front of me so he was in his way, “No she’s not and you need to leave right now.” “You make choices for her now? She your property, huh?” “Look, you’ve been drinking, don’t do anything you’ll regret.” “I’m sober enough. You think you own her? C...

Luke I had been downstairs at least twenty minutes before Tina appeared in the doorway. In the meantime, I had found out that Cara, Andy and Rob had come prepared, knowing that many places require, at least, smart dress on New Year’s Eve. Rob had run Diane home, so she could get changed, with Cara and Andy taking over my room. So much for an hour, it had taken over two from Sam waking us, until I made it down, now at near...

Luke “What are you two ugly bastards doing here?” I turned to the person approaching from the car, “Sorry, Cara, I am, truly, that you had to share a car with these two.” “We were passing and we thought, well, we wondered what you were doing for New Year. Got any plans?” "Passing? What bull! You're here sniffing after your boyfriend and Diane." “Actually, mum and dad are hosting a party here, if I’d known you were at a lo...

Luke It’s funny how quickly you can get used to something, how quickly you can get used to someone new in your life. When you just seem to click with that someone, everything feels comfortable with them. It is so easy to get used to little things, like having a hand to hold, an ear to whisper into, a head resting on your chest. Lying here, spooning behind Tina, my head propped on my hand, stroking her hair, it felt like i...

Luke I pulled up at Tina’s and was not greeted at the door by mother or daughter; I actually had to knock.        “Alright mush, come in. Tina will be down in a sec.” Mrs C leant up for a kiss, which I obliged and I swear she wiggled her bum as she walked into the kitchen. I thought I would have to watch her; I didn’t want Tina tearing my eyes out. “Hi, sweetie,” a quick kiss on the cheek, “bye mummy, be back late.” “Bye...

Tina “No show, pal,” said Luke The stranger stopped and blocked what little path there was, Luke stopped, pulling me to a stop too. Luke then turned to about forty-five degrees and looked behind again. That is when I heard footsteps and the dog from earlier started to sniff around our feet. Luke crouched and stroked the dog under the chin; then I noticed him leaning over the top of it, almost as if he lost balance he put...

Tina I heard the conversation and wasn’t sure if I was hiding or trying to protect myself under here. “Where is she?” asked a female voice. “Hi Sam, try knocking, now fuck off.” I felt someone sit on the bed, “Hi bruv,” Then I felt something poking my hip, “You must be this goddess that has stolen my brother’s heart? I’m Sam, it’s lovely to meet you.” “Seriously, Sam, fuck off.” Luke, with all the authority he carried on...

Luke It’s amazing how fast the brain can process information. It was a micro-second that told me who the three people where, Diane hadn’t finished saying “Oh, fuck!” before I knew. “I’m guessing that’s not her brother, that she’s never spoken of?” “She hasn’t got a brother. Luke, for Tina, please stay calm.” “When have you ever known me not to stay calm?” “Okay, how about you not go over and rip his face off?” “One questi...

Tina It was a little after four-thirty when I woke up. I was so comfortable, lying on top of Luke. He still had an arm around me and was holding my hand from earlier, even though he was asleep. Resting my chin on my hand on his chest and watching him, he had a little smile on his face and was at peace. I looked at the new scratches and the bruise I had given him and wondered what had come over me this weekend. It was less...

Luke “Trust me,” she said, two fingers with something cold and slippery on them, poised at the edge of my arse and she said, “Trust me.” On one hand, each time I had said it to her, she did with little to no hesitation. On the other, what did I really know about this person with her fingers ready to go where no one had gone before. The ‘bunny boiler’ thought sprang to mind just to add to my confusion. “Okay,” I thought, “...

Tina When I awoke again, Luke was sat on the side of the bed. I rolled over and was about to crawl over to him when I saw red lines crisscrossing his back. Some wide, some narrower. I silently put my hand over my mouth as it occurred to me what the narrow ones were. They were by his shoulders and around the bottom of his back, looking like they might go around his waist. I looked at my nails and then his back. I knelt beh...