Family drama

Elani lied to her mother and said she hadn't seen her brother that day, And when grilled by her father she lied again and said he wasn't far away, That he'd gone home with a friend to do extra studies and needed his aid, Elani lied to her parents and said he'd given her the number but it's mislaid.

She's usually the truthful one and her parents are quick to want to know, Who is this friend he's with, how long is he gone for and where did they go? Elani lied again saying it was a mate on his soccer team she thought, She'd lost the address on the same piece of paper but was asked to report.

And she had - for they were waiting in the lounge looking like they'd explode, Her brother was in over his head with this one but looked on max overload, So she threw him a bone and gave him her phone and said keep me in the loop, Then promised to deflect mum and dad while he tried to get out of "the poop".

Yes she's the good one, the Angel who does her homework and goes to bed, But her brother's a real rascal out all night partying and off his young head, Elani never asked much about it before he's older and wiser she always assumed, But now he was selling all his gear purpose and his lies had resumed.

Elani loved her parents but they didn't understand their modern day pressures, She'd seen bullies hassle her brother and if he failed them their drastic measures, Watched him flounder and try to do good but never getting a single break, So she'd decided to cut him some slack and lie for him just for his own sake.

She'd shoulder the outrage for losing the name and details they now sought, She took the hurt and shouting cos she knew it'd be worse if he got caught, She felt the bitter sting of their utter disappointment and went to her room, And from there she found her old back up phone and waited in a heavy gloom.

Every hour was a worry and she could hear her parents calling round others, Elani felt bad for them but knew the loyalty siblings owe to their brothers, Can't dig him out of a hole but she'd be damned if she threw him under the bus, Knowing his problems were more than hers could ever be - then came the fuss!

"Did you take the bills money we'd set aside hidden in the drawer?" they say, That's when she knew things were spirallfor out of control that very day, This was getting serious and she wasn't sure the fallout wouldn't be nuclear, But if she lies again what can can she say took their hidden money for?

What would you do? What would you say? And just then she heard her phone, She left them in the hall glaring at her and went running to her room alone, "Please don't tell mum & dad El, but I need you to cover for me a little longer, I paid off my debts tonight I swear and I just need an hour to get a bit stronger."

And she believed him, she trusted him, she heard the desperation in his voice, twelve year old girl making grown up decisions faced with a horrible choice, She went to face them, take the blame and make up some plausible excuse, To play for time and confess a crime and take the punishment and all their abuse.

Elani is the good daughter but how easy people believe the worst of you, Suffered the wrath of angry parents who didn't put together two plus two, When her brother got home she knew he'd probably get an earbashing too, But some thing's you suffer to help out another who's in a worse place than you.