Dad finished his drink and stormed out. I made more toast and took it to my room. I guess a few hours passed while I was on my Xbox but I’m not sure. Dad made me jump when the bedroom door banged open. He almost fell inside. His face was red and sweaty and he was shouting but I couldn’t make out exactly what the words were. He looked furious. I pulled my headphones off one ear.

‘You okay?’ I asked.

‘No, I’m not bloody okay.’ His words were slurred. I hate it when he drinks. He jabbed his finger at the television screen where I’d paused my game. ‘This! This is the problem.’ He stumbled forward and I laughed. I couldn’t help it. It was a proper comedy stumble and it was funny. ‘You could be out working but oh, no! You’re too bloody lazy. You sit on your arse, wasting your life away on this… this…’ He struggled to find the word he wanted and I had to bite my lip not to crack up. It wasn’t that funny this time but I think it’s a nervous reaction that I sometimes snigger when it’s not appropriate. He stared at me almost daring me to laugh. ‘You think this is funny. Do you?’

‘No.’

‘No… Because it’s not funny.’ I think he was hoping I was going to say yes. ‘And I’ll show you what else isn’t funny.’ He staggered over to the games console. Ripped out the cables and picked the box up.

‘Hey! What are you doing?’ I hadn’t saved my progress.

‘It’s time you grew up. Stopped playing games and found out what the real world is like.’

‘What, am I meant to get a job now? At…’ I scanned my alarm clock ‘…almost midnight on a Saturday?’

‘It’s up to you. But I’m keeping this until you do,’ he said with a classic bad-guy sneer. He gave a Disney villain sort of sneer.

My Xbox is my life. ‘Seriously? Don’t be a dick.’

His expression changed to one I hadn’t witnessed before. It kinda scared me. ‘What did you call me!’ he bellowed.

‘I didn’t call you anything.’ For the second time that day I held my palms up, to show I wasn’t after a fight.

‘I. Said. What. Did. You. Call. Me.’ He stepped closer clutching the console so tight his knuckles were white. A stark contrast to the dark red of his face.

‘It was more advice. I said, “Don’t be a dick.”’