This Still Belongs to You and Always Will
Chapter 35
*Two months later*
I silently whimpered to myself as I carefully stepped down the stairs. My time of the month’s gonna’ start soon. I always get really sore boobs a few days before. And it hurts going up and down stairs. I could hear the buzz of Dad and Frank’s voices from the kitchen as I reached the bottom of the stairs and sighed in relief.
“Happy anniversary you guys!” I called, bounding into the kitchen.
Both men beamed up at me from the kitchen table, where they were eating bowls of rice krispies and drinking coffee. I smiled and placed their gift and card on the table before raiding the cupboards for something chocolatey. Luckily, we had chocolate croissants. I happily munched my way through it and helped myself to coffee while they poked warily at their anniversary present.
“It’s not a bomb y’know.” I laughed, bending down to feed Luna.
“We’re trying to choose who should open it.” Frank stated.
“Open it together.”
They laughed and held hands in a really fluffy way before taking the wrapping paper in opposite corners. I laughed, leaning against the counter while they unpeeled the tape. They looked like they were afraid it would explode in their faces.
“BOO!” I suddenly yelled.
I laughed as they jumped and glared in my direction. Luna barked in alarm, making me laugh again and squat down to scratch behind her ears. Dad and Frank returned to their gift and sluggishly pulled the wrapping paper back. I rolled my eyes impatiently and fed Luna. Then I heard them both exclaiming their thanks.
“Thanks honey.” Dad beamed, getting up and hugging me.
“I’m just gonna’ pretend I know what they are and smile convincingly!” Frank insisted.
“Honestly, Frank, you’re such a dumbass!” I exclaimed “They’re key holders.”
“But I have a key holder!”
“You do?”
“Yes. It’s located on my ass via my jeans.”
Dad smirked and made suggestive little comments.
“I am, of course, talking about my back pocket!” Frank added quickly.
We all laughed at his stupidity. He picked one of the little silver key holders and observed it curiously. One was shaped like a guitar for him and Dad’s was shaped like a paintbrush. I had absolutely no idea what to get them this year so I bought some key holders, figuring they’d be practical as they’re always losing their keys and finding them in the weirdest places. I think Frank found his in the cutlery drawer once. Don’t ask me how it got there ‘cause I haven’t got a clue.
“You’d better hurry up or you’ll be late.” Dad said, glancing at the clock.
“Ok, ok I’m going!”
“D’you want me to drive you on my way to work?” Frank asked.
“Yeah please.”
“C’mon then.” He said, getting up and grabbing his keys…
…”Oh my God!” I exclaimed as Katie and I exited the school building for lunch “What the hell does he want now?”
Bert was standing by the school gate, leaning against it and smoking his way through a cigarette. Anger boiled up inside me at how apathetic he looked. Smoked wafted out of his lips and around his head. I scowled at him. He smirked when he saw me and made his way over, flicking the cigarette butt away.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” I demanded when I’d marched over to him.
“I came to see you.”
“Don’t you think you’ve caused enough trouble round here?” I spat.
“Any trouble caused wasn’t my fault,” He sneered “Frank was the one who started that fight. And it was your Dad’s fault that he had a panic attack.”
“No way!”
He was twisting everything and distorting the truth. Something he used to do to get inside Dad’s head. If they had a fight, he’d twist it all until he had Dad convinced it was his own fault.
“Whatever,” He shrugged “I came to see you ‘cause your Mom wants to see you. And she wanted you to see this.”
He concluded his sentence by reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small square shaped thing. I looked at it with little interest. It was black and grey. Then I realised. It was a baby scan. I looked at him, glaring.
“What the hell has this got to do with me?”
“Duh! You’ve got a half brother or sister on the way.”
“And it’s your kid?”
“’Fraid so.” He smirked.
I felt a twinge of sympathy for the unborn child. He or she already has their name down for prison and they’re not even born yet.
“She’s only three months gone,” He said “But she asked me to tell you.”
“Well why didn’t she come and tell me herself?”
“’Cause you’re so convinced that I’m lying. I told you, she wants to see you.”
“You’re making it up!”
“Jesus, Elena, what do I have to do? Bring her here with me?”
“If you really knew her you would.”
“Ok,” He shrugged “Be here after school tomorrow and you’ll be meeting your Mom.”
Then he turned around and walked off down the street. Katie put a hand on my shoulder as I stared, wide-eyed, after him.
“I dunno’ about this, Elena.”
“Let’s just stay here to prove he doesn’t know her.”
“But what if he does?”
“I dunno’.”
“D’you really wanna’ meet her? You told me she was on drugs and couldn’t take care of you.”
“She couldn’t.” I replied in a small trance.
“C’mon let’s go.”
“Uh huh. I’ll think about what I’m gonna’ do tomorrow, ok?”
“Ok. I’ll be here, whatever you choose.”
“Thanks, Katie.”
I silently whimpered to myself as I carefully stepped down the stairs. My time of the month’s gonna’ start soon. I always get really sore boobs a few days before. And it hurts going up and down stairs. I could hear the buzz of Dad and Frank’s voices from the kitchen as I reached the bottom of the stairs and sighed in relief.
“Happy anniversary you guys!” I called, bounding into the kitchen.
Both men beamed up at me from the kitchen table, where they were eating bowls of rice krispies and drinking coffee. I smiled and placed their gift and card on the table before raiding the cupboards for something chocolatey. Luckily, we had chocolate croissants. I happily munched my way through it and helped myself to coffee while they poked warily at their anniversary present.
“It’s not a bomb y’know.” I laughed, bending down to feed Luna.
“We’re trying to choose who should open it.” Frank stated.
“Open it together.”
They laughed and held hands in a really fluffy way before taking the wrapping paper in opposite corners. I laughed, leaning against the counter while they unpeeled the tape. They looked like they were afraid it would explode in their faces.
“BOO!” I suddenly yelled.
I laughed as they jumped and glared in my direction. Luna barked in alarm, making me laugh again and squat down to scratch behind her ears. Dad and Frank returned to their gift and sluggishly pulled the wrapping paper back. I rolled my eyes impatiently and fed Luna. Then I heard them both exclaiming their thanks.
“Thanks honey.” Dad beamed, getting up and hugging me.
“I’m just gonna’ pretend I know what they are and smile convincingly!” Frank insisted.
“Honestly, Frank, you’re such a dumbass!” I exclaimed “They’re key holders.”
“But I have a key holder!”
“You do?”
“Yes. It’s located on my ass via my jeans.”
Dad smirked and made suggestive little comments.
“I am, of course, talking about my back pocket!” Frank added quickly.
We all laughed at his stupidity. He picked one of the little silver key holders and observed it curiously. One was shaped like a guitar for him and Dad’s was shaped like a paintbrush. I had absolutely no idea what to get them this year so I bought some key holders, figuring they’d be practical as they’re always losing their keys and finding them in the weirdest places. I think Frank found his in the cutlery drawer once. Don’t ask me how it got there ‘cause I haven’t got a clue.
“You’d better hurry up or you’ll be late.” Dad said, glancing at the clock.
“Ok, ok I’m going!”
“D’you want me to drive you on my way to work?” Frank asked.
“Yeah please.”
“C’mon then.” He said, getting up and grabbing his keys…
…”Oh my God!” I exclaimed as Katie and I exited the school building for lunch “What the hell does he want now?”
Bert was standing by the school gate, leaning against it and smoking his way through a cigarette. Anger boiled up inside me at how apathetic he looked. Smoked wafted out of his lips and around his head. I scowled at him. He smirked when he saw me and made his way over, flicking the cigarette butt away.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” I demanded when I’d marched over to him.
“I came to see you.”
“Don’t you think you’ve caused enough trouble round here?” I spat.
“Any trouble caused wasn’t my fault,” He sneered “Frank was the one who started that fight. And it was your Dad’s fault that he had a panic attack.”
“No way!”
He was twisting everything and distorting the truth. Something he used to do to get inside Dad’s head. If they had a fight, he’d twist it all until he had Dad convinced it was his own fault.
“Whatever,” He shrugged “I came to see you ‘cause your Mom wants to see you. And she wanted you to see this.”
He concluded his sentence by reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small square shaped thing. I looked at it with little interest. It was black and grey. Then I realised. It was a baby scan. I looked at him, glaring.
“What the hell has this got to do with me?”
“Duh! You’ve got a half brother or sister on the way.”
“And it’s your kid?”
“’Fraid so.” He smirked.
I felt a twinge of sympathy for the unborn child. He or she already has their name down for prison and they’re not even born yet.
“She’s only three months gone,” He said “But she asked me to tell you.”
“Well why didn’t she come and tell me herself?”
“’Cause you’re so convinced that I’m lying. I told you, she wants to see you.”
“You’re making it up!”
“Jesus, Elena, what do I have to do? Bring her here with me?”
“If you really knew her you would.”
“Ok,” He shrugged “Be here after school tomorrow and you’ll be meeting your Mom.”
Then he turned around and walked off down the street. Katie put a hand on my shoulder as I stared, wide-eyed, after him.
“I dunno’ about this, Elena.”
“Let’s just stay here to prove he doesn’t know her.”
“But what if he does?”
“I dunno’.”
“D’you really wanna’ meet her? You told me she was on drugs and couldn’t take care of you.”
“She couldn’t.” I replied in a small trance.
“C’mon let’s go.”
“Uh huh. I’ll think about what I’m gonna’ do tomorrow, ok?”
“Ok. I’ll be here, whatever you choose.”
“Thanks, Katie.”