Hater

deafening and I feel uneasy. Maybe I'm just on edge after what happened at the concert last night. I'm worried that there's going to be trouble. Lizzie's thinking the same thing, I can see it in her face. She keeps looking around the crowd and frowning. She's noticed that I'm looking at her now and her expression has suddenly changed.
    'Okay?' she asks, trying to sound relaxed and happy but failing to convince me.
    'Great,' I grunt. 'No food yet and I can't hear myself think.'
    Ellis reaches across the table and tugs at my sleeve.
    'Don't do that,' I snap.
    'When's dinner coming?'
    'When it's ready.'
    'When will that be?'
    'I don't know.'
    'Just be patient,' Liz tells her. 'As soon as they've cooked it someone will bring it over to us.'
    'I want it now,' she states, not interested in any excuses or explanations. 'I'm hungry.'
    'We're all hungry, love. As soon as it's ready they'll bring it over to us and…'
    'Want it now,' she says again.
    'Did you hear what Mum just said?' I hiss at her, my patience rapidly wearing thin. 'Just shut up and wait. Your dinner will be here when…'
    I stop talking. Smashing glass. There's a sudden roar of noise from deep within the crowd around the bar. I stare into the mass of faded denim and football shirts looking for trouble. I can't see anything. I'm relieved when I can hear laughs and jeers amongst the noise.
    'What's up?' Lizzie asks me.
    'Nothing,' I answer. 'Can't see anything…'
    A very drunk, beer-soaked football fan staggers past our table on the way to the toilet. A member of the bar staff carrying a dustpan and brush passes them going the other way. Looks like it was a spilled drink, nothing more serious.
    Our food finally arrives. My mouth starts watering and my stomach is growling but I can't eat yet. Another one of the joys of parenthood. Josh is sitting next to me and I now have to go through the well-rehearsed routine of cutting up his dinner and smothering it in tomato sauce before I can start mine. Both Liz and Ellis are well into their meals by the time I finally manage to pick up my knife and fork.
    'Is it all right?' she asks me before I've finished my first mouthful. Christ, give me a second to taste it first.
    'Fine,' I answer. 'Yours?'
    She nods and chews.
    For a blissful minute or two the table is quiet. The rest of the pub is still filled with noise but with everyone temporarily distracted by their food there's a welcome pause in our conversation. It doesn't last long.
    'I want to go and see Dad tomorrow,' Lizzie says. 'That all right with you?' I nod my head as I eat. I'm not surprised. We seem to end up over at Harry's house most Sunday afternoons. We see him virtually every day now since he agreed to look after Josh so that Liz can go to work. She's a classroom assistant at the school Ed and Ellis go to. Harry's not happy about it but he does it because he knows how much we need the money.
    'Okay,' I answer, finally swallowing my food, 'we'll go over in the afternoon.'
    'He's been really good to us recently,' she continues. 'I don't want him to think that we're just going to keep taking.'
    'Like your sister does?'
    'Leave Dawn alone. She's been struggling since Mark left.'
    'Best move that bloke ever made,' I say, perhaps unfairly. 'She struggled when they were together. She'll struggle whatever happens.'
    'Come on, don't be unkind. It's not easy for her being on her own with the kids. I don't know how I'd cope.'
    'You'd just get on with it. You'd find a way of getting by, we both would. The problem is your sister is too quick to look for the easy option all the time. What she needs is someone to…'
    A sudden, unexpected and very loud clattering noise interrupts me. It's Josh. He's dropped his fork on the floor. I bend down and pick it up before cleaning it on a paper napkin and passing it back to him.
    'What she needs,' Lizzie continues, taking over where I left off, 'is some space and more time to try and come to terms with what happened and what he did. She didn't deserve any of it. You can't do that to someone and then just expect them to…'
    'I'm not saying she deserved anything, I just think that…'
    Another clatter of metal on floor tile. I pick up Josh's fork for the second time, clean it and pass it back. He grins at me.
    'All I'm saying is that…'
    Josh drops his fork again. Now I'm really starting to lose my patience. I pick it up, clean it and slam it down on the table next to his plate. He squeals with laughter. Irritating little