When to swear and when not to?

Hi, I writing a short story for a competition and was wondering whether the swearing I have in my story works. To me it does, as I believe its in context. But would love to hear other opinions...

 

Rosie’s Secret 

 

Sat in her room, Rosie was fuming, “It can’t be right. Why should I have to put up with this?”, Her mother, Jo, who was besotted with Alan - her step father of two years, just couldn’t see how horrible he was. Alan had no time for Rosie. She never knew why, she could understand if she was always aggressive towards him. “But I’ve not always been like this?”, as she cast her mind back. She was convinced he’d brought out the worst in her. Her mum never saw this side of him, he was too clever.

 

Staring at nothing, fuming, ‘Why can’t children have a say in who can and can’t be a step father?”. Following another burst of anger, Rosie found herself being sent upstairs to her room. What they didn’t realise was this wasn’t a real punishment, she’d rather be in her room than downstairs, when he was around.

 

Alan, had played a very good part when he was first introduced to Rosie. She actually liked him, and thought he liked her. It didn’t take long before the cracks started to show, usually when her mum was out. She thought he would make a great actor. The way he could switch his disposition and contort everything to suit himself.

 

She dreaded it when her Mum wasn’t around and it was just her and him.

 

Being a teenager of 13 years old, she could see how bullies worked in the playground, how in essence they were cowards and preyed on, in their opinion, the weak. But the victims weren’t weak, they just hadn’t worked out how to deal with it. Rosie knew Alan was a bully, a prize prat bully, and oh so conniving. Her mums myopic view of Alan prevented her from seeing this.

 

The behaviour that Alan drove in Rosie was obviously deliberate from her perspective, she could just never work out why he was so horrible. It came out as uncontrollable rage. Rage that would put words in her mouth, that, just appeared. Rage that allowed her to turn anything to hand into a lethal projectile. Over the past few months the missiles had ranged from; a cat litter tray, - full, to his stinking ashtray, also full. The rage he drove in her was uncontrollable.

 

She could hear them talking downstairs. “She’s clearly on the spectrum”, Alan stated, full of internet knowledge. “These aggressive tendencies are getting completely out of fucking hand”.

 

“Maybe we should get her to see someone, a counsellor?. Maybe we should speak to her teachers?” Jo replied limply.

 

She was dismissed out of hand, “A bloody counsellor! Are you aware how much those tree hugging knobs cost?”, Alan went on. “No, we can deal with this ourselves”.

 

“But Alan, if you say this is getting worse, we need some help”, Alan knew Rosie’s behaviour was all down to him.

 

The bombshell. “Maybe she should go and live with her father?”, Alan stated, as though this was the first time he’d thought of this. This was always his plan.

 

On hearing this upstairs in her room, Rosie thought “You’re the one that needs help, you conniving bastard”. In his self-centred world, he’d never considered that Rosie could be clever.

 

Rosie didn’t want to live in Dubai with her real dad. Her life and friends were here. And despite her mum’s obsession with that dick-head, she could never imagine a life away from her mum. She did love her unconditionally, as daughters do.

 

Rosie started to plan.

 

Alan could turn on the charm, as he had done when they first met. Could that charm be his undoing? Rosie also suspected he could be led astray. He just gave that impression, some people do. But not everyone can see that.

 

Rosie needed to be clever.

 

She had heard of a practical joke between a few of the older boys at school. This involved getting hold of someone’s mobile phone, without their knowledge. Going into their contacts and swapping a number, with the original name remaining. Swapping the number for one of theirs.

 

This particular ‘joke’ ended up with the owner of the mobile phone, Aiden, thinking he’d received very suggestive messages from a girl, Lucy, he’d fancied for ages.

 

The boy was so besotted with the ‘girl’ he would do almost anything. And did.

 

After exchanging a number of texts. It culminated in him being told that she would like him to go to a fancy dress party with her, with a Star Wars theme. “It would be great fun” she said on text. He of course tried to talk to her at school. He just assumed her coolness was down to the fact that she wanted to keep their pending relationship a secret for now. He was beside himself. He was told to call for her that Saturday at 7pm and they would walk round together, it was being held at a neighbour’s house. She was going as Princess Leia. He could go as whomever he wanted – providing it was a Star Wars character.

 

He wanted to look as cool as possible. He decided to go as Luke Skywalker. He still had an outfit from when he was a little younger, actually a lot younger. Some of it still fitted him.

 

That Saturday he was dropped off by his parents. He couldn’t face walking round in broad daylight, dressed as Luke Skywalker.

 

He knocked on the door.

 

Lucy’s father just stared. “Can I help young man?”.

 

Aiden, croaked, “Is Lucy ready for the party?”.

 

“Party? Party? What party?”, with a bemused look on his face.

 

It was at this point, his so-called friends, hiding around the corner, could not contain themselves anymore.

 

Realising what had happened, he was just grateful Lucy hadn’t seen him.

 

Poor Aiden had to walk home dressed as a Luke Skywalker. During the walk, it was then that his friends revealed the scam.

 

“You bastards. You fucking bastards”, screamed Aiden.

 

His justified outburst lacked all seriousness…..dressed in an ill-fitting Luke Skywalker costume.

 

“So, Lucy never knew anything about this?”, his voice becoming quite high pitched.

 

“Sorry mate, but she had no clue, but she will now though”, they almost said in unison, still reeling with laughter.

 

Alan felt like crying, he would get over it, in time. Little did he know the trick played on him would have a much greater impact on someone else’s life.

 

Rosie continued to plan.

 

Her mum had a huge intolerance for deceit. She was badly burnt by Rosie’s father, who was for ever going out, with the boys apparently. This clearly wasn’t the case and was caught out on a couple of occasions. The final straw was finding her dad in their bed with another woman. Jo came back early.

 

“If I could get hold of his phone, I could do untold damage, and make Mum kick him out”. Rosie thought. “But what number could I swap, and replace with mine?”, she was laying on her bed deep in thought.

 

“Yes, of course. My Mum’s sister, Jane”, she knew he fancied her. Rosie could tell by the way he was always flirting with her, and being his ‘usual’ charming self.

 

Rosie now had to think of the set up. After a few days, all was in place.

 

Rosie, or Jane, had exchanged a few texts with Alan. Despite very suggestive texts from Alan, she resisted joining in. That would have been too creepy. She was though, shocked and disgusted that he never once questioned himself, behaving like this with his wife’s sister. “How could he be like this?”. The end result would be quite catastrophic for her mum. Two failed marriages. “But she had to know what a creep he was, didn’t she?”, convincing herself.

 

As they sat round the dinner table, Alan mentioned that he’d been invited out by an old friend, and it might be best he stayed over. They hadn’t seen each other for ages so were bound to have one too many. “Who’s the friend?” Jo asked innocently.

 

“An old school friend - Richard, you wouldn’t know him”, Alan said, convincingly lying through his teeth.

 

“What a scum bag”, Rosie thought.

 

That Saturday, it all kicked off, predictably. Alan went off for his ‘boys’ night out’, complete with overnight bag. It all went swimmingly well. Jo’s sister, Jane, answered the door. ‘What are you doing here?” she said in a very confused way.

 

“What do you mean?” said Alan, equally confused. He was so gullible. He actually thought, out of the blue, his wife’s sister would invite him round for a sordid evening. And not just an evening!

 

“I’m here as we planned” he was verging on aggressive.

 

At that moment, Janes husband, Duncan, appeared at the door. “What’s up” he had heard what Alan had said.

 

“What do you mean, as we planned?” Duncan said looking at Jane suspiciously.

 

“And why do you have a bag with you?” he went on.

 

Alan, now totally confused by the situation, couldn’t think fast enough.

 

“What the fuck is going on” Duncan emphasised ‘fuck’ before Alan had a chance to say anything.

 

He was looking at Alan’s bag. “What’s with your fucking overnight bag?”, Duncan said.

 

Jane was trying to make sense of the situation and bring some calm to Duncan who was clearly ready to punch Alan’s lights out. “Just why are you here?”.

 

Alan panicked, truly believing she had invited him round, “But you invited me!”, looking at Jane.

 

“Is this true?”, Duncan not sure who or what to believe.

 

“I have absolutely no idea what he’s talking about”, Jane stated firmly.

 

Alan, on the verge of being humiliated, thought he’d go on the offensive. “Your wife, had other ideas for tonight. I can show you her texts if you want?”.

 

“And you just thought you could rock up here, while I’m here, you sad fuck?”, Duncan was now shouting.

 

Alan still on the offensive, “Go on Jane, show him your texts you sent me”.

 

“I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about”, Jane said forcefully.

 

“OK, if you won’t show him your texts, I’ll show him mine, from you!” Alan thought he should include ‘bitch’ in his response, but refrained.

 

Fumbling, he got his phone out and scrolled down his messages, until he found the texts from Jane. Clear to see.

 

Duncan looked at Jane, ‘You get in the house, and you fuck off”.

 

Duncan slammed the door. “Oh shit, what the hell I am I supposed to do now?”, Alan thought.

 

Duncan, was still suspicious, but Jane easily proved she had not sent any texts. He rang Jo. Then it all kicked off.

 

Alan, decided to go home, thinking of some cock and bull story to tell Jo.

 

Jo was having none of it. She’d already thrown his stuff out. It was strewn over the whole of the front garden.

 

There was no way back from this for Alan.

 

No one had ever realised what Rosie had done. All Rosie knew was that she had got rid of the one person whom she despised. Her mum didn’t quite feel this way. Rosie had started something she couldn’t stop. She had never really stopped to think about the consequences for everyone concerned. She felt very bad for her Mum, who began to feel guilty over kicking him out. Over the coming weeks Alan begged to be let back in and almost succeeded, where it not for Rosie’s reminders of what he’d done.

 

Rosie had stopped being angry, but not feeling guilty. It would have to remain Rosie’s secret for some time.