CHAPTER 3 - Winslow Trailerpark 236

"This is it," I stated. I felt uneasy on my feet. Like my ankles could snap at any moment, leaving me helpless on the ground.

"Are you ready?" Liam asked quietly. I nodded and looked around at the many house trailers.

I slowly start walking through the old trailers. Lots of them had little lawn chairs in front of them, some even rickety plastic tables. It was all very eighties.

A distant music sounded - a kind of country song, but clearly played through a bad radio or speaker.

"That's number 232," Liam mentioned and pointed to a trailer with a guy sleeping outside it. I heard yelling from another one nearby.

"That must mean that... That'd be it," he stated and nodded toward a yellowish camper. In front of it was placed two lawn chairs, both rusty and with green pillows in them.

"Do we just... Knock?" I asked awkwardly, stopping in front of it. Liam nodded.

"Are you ready?" he asked and took my hand. I shook my head before leading the way to the door and firmly knocking.

Some noises sounded behind it, making me look to Liam for reassurance, and then the door opened.

"Yeah?"

I looked at the woman. Her washed out blonde curls framed the skinny face.

"Angela? Angela Wilkins?" I managed to ask through my dry throat.

"Yeah? Who are you?" she asked suspiciously. I didn't reply.

"We're-""Selling vacumeers!" I interrupted Liam, who looked weirdly at me. I rolled my eyes.

"Okay, we're not," I admitted before looking back to the woman who looked weirdly at me.

"I need your signature," I stated bluntly.

"Why?" she asked. I swallowed the lump in my throat.

"I'm Veronica Stark," I admitted.

"You're... You're her, huh? And you're here?" she asked. 

"Come in," she offered slowly, showing us the way to a large circular couch-ish chair surrounding a chair. I shifted uncomfortably in my spot, the pillow lumpy and, quite frankly, smelly.

"Yeah. And as I said, I need your signa-""Where is your dad?" she interrupted while putting a cigarette between her lips and lighting it up.

"He's back home. New York," I replied honestly; "But all I need is for you to sign this." I pulled the papers from my bag and handed them to the woman, who made no move to receive them.

"I don't like being handed stuff," she stated. I placed the papers in front of her and got a pen from my bag as well. I took the lid off before placing it on top of the paper.

"You look like him," she stated.

"He's always said I looked like you," I admitted. She shook her head quickly.

"You know who you look like? Your grandmother." I opened my mouth slightly.

"My... My grandmother?" I asked quietly.

"Yeah. The old bitch is probably dead by now. I probably have a picture around here somewhere, if you want to see," she offered. I nodded without saying a word.

"Hey, do you kids need a place to stay? New York's pretty far away. I don't, have a lot of room, but, I could, I could make up the couch for you," she continued. The trailer was not big, and the only couch I could see was the one we were currently sitting on.

"No, thank you. We have a room at the White Cliff Hotel," I explained, not feeling comfortable actually spending the night with the woman.

The door opened, and a bulky man in a tank top entered. He looked at Liam and I.

"Who's this?"

"Mark, this is Veronica, my daughter, and her boyfriend," Angela introduced us.

"I'm not her boyfriend," Liam quickly said while I stood up.

"Veronica," I greeted and held out my hand; "You must be?"

"I'm the owner of this trailer. What the hells are you kids doing here?" he asked. I looked at him.

"I just need my mum to sign these papers, then I'll leave," I promised. He looked at Angela, who smiled reassuringly to him.

"No. She's not signing your damn papers," he claimed and opened the door.

"Why not?"

"'Cause this is my trailer, and anyone here'll follow my rules." His voice raised with every word, and I raised my eyebrow at him.

"Mark, sweetie, calm down," Angela tried.

"Angela! Doesn't this worry you? How the hell did they even found you?"

"First of all, it's find," I corrected; "Secondly, why does it matter? I am her daughter, am I not? Seems only fair I get to meet her."

"I told you I didn't want you two... Talking 'nd stuff," Mark mentioned while pointing a finger at Angela.

"Veronica, let's just leave," Liam mumbled while sliding an arm around my waist.

"No! I need someone to sign these papers!" I argued.

"Don't you raise your voice in here!" Mark warned me angrily.

"Yeah, I think I'll raise my voice where it fits me, thank you," I said coldly before turning to Angela.

"Please just sign them. I'll be out of your life again. I swear," I promised, looking into her eyes, searching for a sign of any kind.

"That's it, get out," Mark stated and grabbed my arm to pull me back.

"Don't touch me!" I warned him, pulling my arm away from him.

"Get the hell out," he replied loudly.

"I don't see what the problem is," I admitted; "What if we want to stay?"

I provocatively sat down on the uncomfortable spot again and looked at my mom.

"So, I take it this is the abusive ass your call your boyfriend?" I asked her. I felt someone grab me, pull me up, and then a fist hitting my eye.

"Veronica! Lets just go!" Liam begged. I looked at Mark, who seemed unsure of what to do.

"Have you ever touched her?" I asked calmly. He looked at me.

"Answer me. Have you ever touched my mother?" I repeated. He stood silently. I smiled.

"Right. That should be answer enough. I'll contact you," I promised my mom before leaving the trailer in a rush.

I practically ran back to the hotel before stopping up.

"Veronica!" Liam breathed as he caught up with me out of breath. Right, he was just a normal human, I remembered. I wiped my cheek.

"I didn't think it'd be like that," I admitted.

"What did you think?" he asked quietly. I sat down on the sidewalk, not caring about the weird stares.

"I thought I'd go meet her. And against all reason, she'd be this perfect woman and a perfect mom," I laughed at my own stupidity; "We'd have dinner. She'd want to hear all about my life. My family, friends, school, everything. She'd be perfect," I repeated.

"But why does that matter? You have a great life, Veronica," Liam mentioned as he sat down besides me.

"Are you kidding me? I hate my life!" I exclaimed; "My dad couldn't care less about me. I broke up with my boyfriend because he apparently never even liked me. I have no friends because I have no way of knowing who's using me for my name and who genuinely likes me, if there are any people who does actually like me for me." I sighed before leaning my head on Liams shoulder.

"I like you," he mumbled shyly. I sniffered, but couldn't help but smile a little.

"I like you, too," I admitted.