Handsome Is As Handsome Does
five
As Adelaide made her way through the familiar, grotty streets, she felt more out of place than she felt she ever could. Her hands subconsciously wound around each other, tightly ringing her fingers. Adelaide was dressed in new clothes that stood out from the dirt encrusted streets. When she reached her destination she looked up.
The building with which she had spent the last two years of her life looked like multiple bombs had hit it, leaving only rubble and a half torn down building in its place. The unhinged door squeeked as it was pushed aside and the sound of shoes clinking against the broken bricks and cracked floor was the only sound audiable.
“Hello, is anyone there?” Adelaide semi-yelled, her voice echoing through the walls. An eery stillness had settled throughout the building. “It’s me Addy, hello?”
Suddenly the sound of a little pair of feet was heard faintly through the building. In little less than a few minutes a young boy was standing in front of her, a huge smile spread across his little features. The girl quickly rushed towards her brother and engulfed him in a hug, as huge tears formed in her eyes.
“I knew you’d be back, Addy. They all said you wouldn’t, but I knew you wouldn’t leave me.”
“Of course I would never leave you, buddy. Where is everyone?”
“Everyone’s upstairs, eating. I didn’t feel well so I didn’t eat.” A worried look pulled across Adelaide’s face. It was going to be hard convincing them to let them go, without explaining everything to them. There was sure to be an argument.
“Listen, Caid, we’re going to have to go say bye to them all just so they don’t worry, but I want you to get your stuff and come back here and wait for me, okay?”
“Otay.” With that Caiden headed towards where their old bedroom was situated whilst Adelaide head towards the main room.
The door swung open, quicker than what Adelaide had expected and soon everyone’s faces were in her direction; some in shock and some in distain. There were many people who did not like Adelaide in the house. They always made it clear that they despised her, yet she still did not know why. No one went out of their way to be friends with her, yet many went out of the way to make her life miserable. Fear sunk into Adelaide as she realised she’d have to face up to these said people if she were ever to get out.
“A-addy? What are ya doing here? We all thought you’d got caught! We saw that man tackle ya and take yous away and just assumed you’d been taken ta the coppers.” A girl named Gemima said this. She was one of the people who did not try to sabotage Adelaide’s life, but she couldn’t help either.
“Yes, Adelaide where have ya been?” A boy named Jesse spat, it was obvious to which side he was on.
“E-erm well it’s, it’s hard to explain. Yes someone did take me away, but uhh only to help me. Look guys, I just came back for Caiden, okay. And I thought it would be the best thing to tell you that we’re leaving instead of just, well leaving.”
“Leavin’? What?! Where exactly?” Jesse spat yet again.
“I-I can’t say, I’m sorry.”
“Well we want ta know! I’m sure when Teresa gets back she’ll want your guts for garters. Ya know she don’t like people just ditchin’ our family when they like.”
“I just can’t tell you guys I’m sorry, look I’ve got a letter here for Teresa, can you please just pass it on to her?”
“I will,” Gemima said in a little, timid voice gently grabbing the letter. Adelaide smiled at her and whispered a quick ‘thank you’ before heading back to the main ‘lobby’ of the building, away from all the people who had once been a huge part in her existence. She saw Caiden sitting on the floor, a small bin bag filled with what she assumed was his stuff along with a few of her belongings. Caiden looked up as he heard footsteps and grabbed his bag, along with his childhood teddy, Mr Snuggles, before Adelaide gently picked him up. With a sigh of relief they both left the retched house forever, glad that they had not bumped in to Teresa.
“Where are we going, Addy?”
“To our temporary home, baby.” Each had a content smile on their faces.
The building with which she had spent the last two years of her life looked like multiple bombs had hit it, leaving only rubble and a half torn down building in its place. The unhinged door squeeked as it was pushed aside and the sound of shoes clinking against the broken bricks and cracked floor was the only sound audiable.
“Hello, is anyone there?” Adelaide semi-yelled, her voice echoing through the walls. An eery stillness had settled throughout the building. “It’s me Addy, hello?”
Suddenly the sound of a little pair of feet was heard faintly through the building. In little less than a few minutes a young boy was standing in front of her, a huge smile spread across his little features. The girl quickly rushed towards her brother and engulfed him in a hug, as huge tears formed in her eyes.
“I knew you’d be back, Addy. They all said you wouldn’t, but I knew you wouldn’t leave me.”
“Of course I would never leave you, buddy. Where is everyone?”
“Everyone’s upstairs, eating. I didn’t feel well so I didn’t eat.” A worried look pulled across Adelaide’s face. It was going to be hard convincing them to let them go, without explaining everything to them. There was sure to be an argument.
“Listen, Caid, we’re going to have to go say bye to them all just so they don’t worry, but I want you to get your stuff and come back here and wait for me, okay?”
“Otay.” With that Caiden headed towards where their old bedroom was situated whilst Adelaide head towards the main room.
The door swung open, quicker than what Adelaide had expected and soon everyone’s faces were in her direction; some in shock and some in distain. There were many people who did not like Adelaide in the house. They always made it clear that they despised her, yet she still did not know why. No one went out of their way to be friends with her, yet many went out of the way to make her life miserable. Fear sunk into Adelaide as she realised she’d have to face up to these said people if she were ever to get out.
“A-addy? What are ya doing here? We all thought you’d got caught! We saw that man tackle ya and take yous away and just assumed you’d been taken ta the coppers.” A girl named Gemima said this. She was one of the people who did not try to sabotage Adelaide’s life, but she couldn’t help either.
“Yes, Adelaide where have ya been?” A boy named Jesse spat, it was obvious to which side he was on.
“E-erm well it’s, it’s hard to explain. Yes someone did take me away, but uhh only to help me. Look guys, I just came back for Caiden, okay. And I thought it would be the best thing to tell you that we’re leaving instead of just, well leaving.”
“Leavin’? What?! Where exactly?” Jesse spat yet again.
“I-I can’t say, I’m sorry.”
“Well we want ta know! I’m sure when Teresa gets back she’ll want your guts for garters. Ya know she don’t like people just ditchin’ our family when they like.”
“I just can’t tell you guys I’m sorry, look I’ve got a letter here for Teresa, can you please just pass it on to her?”
“I will,” Gemima said in a little, timid voice gently grabbing the letter. Adelaide smiled at her and whispered a quick ‘thank you’ before heading back to the main ‘lobby’ of the building, away from all the people who had once been a huge part in her existence. She saw Caiden sitting on the floor, a small bin bag filled with what she assumed was his stuff along with a few of her belongings. Caiden looked up as he heard footsteps and grabbed his bag, along with his childhood teddy, Mr Snuggles, before Adelaide gently picked him up. With a sigh of relief they both left the retched house forever, glad that they had not bumped in to Teresa.
“Where are we going, Addy?”
“To our temporary home, baby.” Each had a content smile on their faces.