CHAPTER 11

A week later, I have calmed down, trying to forget the tramautising events that happened last week. 

I walk downstairs into the living room and notice Lily, Lucy and Liz - in other words, the lusketeers already present. 'Did you just wake up now?' Lily asks.

'I can wake up whenever I want.'

'It's a little after noon, how do you wake up at this time?' Lily asks.

'Shut up Lily, I'm going to get some breakfast.' I state walking out of the room and into the kitchen.

'Hello Kiera,' Anna says and I smile.

'You know Elaine don't you?' She motions towards Elaine who is sitting comfortably on the sofa. I roll my eyes and say 'yes, I do.'

'She was just talking about you.'

'Don't you mean gossiping?' I correct and Anna gives me a confused look.

'No, she was just saying how different you looked even though it suits you.'

'Interesting.' I sarcastically mutter as I get the ingredients out to make myself some toast. I put the bread in the toaster and leave the chocolate spread and the peanut butter on the counter.

'Did you sleep well?' Anna asks, probably trying to change the conversation.

'Sort of.' I shrug my shoulders.

'What do you mean "sort of?" I open my mouth to reply but get cut off by the toaster. I turn around and feel grateful because for a second I forgot that Elaine was still present.

'Oh, it's nothing, I'll just tell you later.'

'Okay,' she replies and goes back to her conversation with Elaine. I finish making my toast and I put the ingredients back in their places. I get a glass out and pour orange juice into it. I take my plate and cup and go back to the living room.

'You're back then.' Liz sarcastically states looking up from the newspaper she's reading. I sit at the dining table, sitting down in my seat before replying 'why? Did you miss me?'

'You wish.'

'Whatever, I just saw your friend by the way.' I put some toast into my mouth smirking as Liz looks at me not looking amused.

'Not funny Kiera.'

'Who says it was supposed to be funny?' I rhetorically ask.

'Wait, what friend?' Lucy asks curiously.

'She means Elaine.' Liz explains.

'The old Elaine? As in the one that came here?' Lucy asks looking at Liz and waits for her to answer.

'Shut up Lucy, there is no need to call her "old" age is nothing but a number.'

'Clearly.' I mutter.

'You're actually unbelievable; I'm not talking to you until you apologise for what you said.'

'What did she say?' Lily asks.

'Basically, she came round to my house the day that you went to hang out with Kara and Elaine came over and I told her that she's awesome, as well as a friend. She replied by saying she was an "old gossipy friend." Rude or what?' Lucy bursts out laughing but Lily doesn't look amused as she says 'not funny Lucy.'

'It wasn't supposed to be funny; it was supposed to be the truth.' I say in attempt to defend myself.

'Shut up Kiera.' Liz snaps.

'Why don't you go back to reading your newspaper Liz?' I ask sarcastically.

'Speaking of this newspaper, it is actually pretty interesting,' she replies looking up from the newspaper in her hands to meet my gaze.

'I couldn't care less.' I reply, sipping my drink.

'I'll read it out for you, "missing teenager for more than a decade, have you seen him?"'

'Boring,' I pretend to yawn immaturely.

'Wait until you hear this,' Liz replies smiling.

'Well get on with it then' I snap. She rolls her eyes before reading aloud 'Kaiden Hayden has been missing for over a decade. With numerous police searches, a variety of phone calls and a lot of people willing to help, no-one knows what happened to this child who disappeared when he was three months old-' I walk over to her and take the newspaper out of her hand, reading the article silently. 'Oh, look at the picture.'

'Shut up Liz.'

'He looks exactly like you in your baby photos,' she smirks and I can tell she's enjoying this.

'I said "shut up" I'm not going to tell you again.' I reply before returning my attention to the article. The date 05/07/91 catches my attention. I realise it is the same combination to the safe at my old house.

'Hey Elaine, are you going now?' I look up to see Elaine standing by the doorway.

'Yes, I'm going out with Anna' she replies.

'Steady on, she has a husband,' I mutter loudly and Lucy snickers. Lily and Liz both gasp at my reply.

'Excuse me?' Elaine asks.

'What?'

'I don't like the way you twisted what I said.' Elaine replies, walking towards me.

'And I can assure you she is very sorry,' Lily replies standing next to me. I raise my eyebrows at her silently saying "am I really?"

'I want to hear her say it.'

'Well then you have a very long wait ahead of you.' I smirk and she clenches her jaw.

'Shut up Kiera.' Liz says standing up. 'I can walk outside with you until Anna comes downstairs,' she states looking at Elaine who nods gratefully. We hear the door close and Lucy erupts in laughter. Lily rolls her eyes and throws a cushion at Lucy and says 'shut up Lucy, it's not even funny.'

'It is a little funny.' Lucy replies causing Lily to glare at her.

'Why did you even say that to her?'

'It just sounded wrong.' I mutter, shrugging my shoulders.

'You made it sound wrong.' Lily snaps.

'Whatever Lily.' I sigh loudly and Anna walks in to the living room, asking 'where is Elaine?'

'Outside.' Lily replies.

'Okay, I'm heading out, I'll be back soon, behave yourselves,' she says as she looks at all of us.

'I think you should say that to Kiera.' Lily replies and Anna looks confused.

'Shut up Lily!' I respond. Anna looks at us before walking out of the house. Liz returns and glares at me before sitting down. 'You're so freaking nasty Kiera, seriously.' I roll my eyes, trying to ignore her.

'Don't ignore me.' My phone begins ringing loudly and I feel grateful but Liz doesn't look pleased. 'Reject the call.'

'You wish.' I smirk before getting my phone out. I see Doctor Jon's name appear on my home screen and my eyes widen. The phone rings in my hand and I can't help but think why is he calling me? Is something wrong? Has something happened? What did the tests show?

'Are you going to answer your phone or not?' Lily asks, putting an end to my thoughts. I look down at my phone, expecting it to stop ringing but it keeps going to my distress. I sigh as I answer the call and walk out of the room. 

'Hello?'

'Hi Kiera, it is Jon from-'

'I know, I can read you know.'

'Okay well, I have received your results and I know you're not in New Castle and that you're in London so I'm thinking of sending your results to your mother's doctors because they know about the current situation.'

'Erm okay then.'

'So who would you prefer? Doctor Ash or Doctor Jonathan?' I fold my arms as I think of which one to choose. It's hard as they were both my mother's doctors and tried to help treat her. I end up choosing Jonathan because he treated my mother last. Obviously not treated as she is dead.

'Doctor Jonathan.'

'Okay, I can arrange an appointment with him next Tuesday, so in five days then, is that okay?'

''Yes, that's fine I guess.'

'Okay then, have a good day Kiera-'

'No wait, can't you just talk to me about my tests over the phone before I go to see Doctor Jonathan?' I ask desperately as I pace around the kitchen.

'No, I'm afraid not Kiera, but you will find out soon.'

'Fine, whatever.' I reply rudely.

'Kiera, it is going to be fine.'

'Is it really? Because that is what you all said to my mother and then my grandmother and now me?'

'Kiera, I understand how difficult this is but you need to calm down and trust us with this.'

'Don't you have patients to go and see?'

'You're my patient but yes I do and I will call you soon okay?'

'Okay.' I reply and quickly hang up the phone.

I stand in the middle of the kitchen. Frozen. I let my thoughts catch up to me. They run wild, making me think about the appointment I have next week with Doctor Jonathan. 'Are you okay?' Lily asks as she walks into the kitchen.

'I'm fine.'

'You're not.'

'Yes I am.'

'Kiera,' she replies folding her arms, standing in front of me.

'Fine, I'm not, is that what you wanted to hear?'

'Of course it's not,' she replies instantly. 'What's wrong?' She asks once she realises that I'm not going to reply.

'A lot of things.'

'It was the phone call you got wasn't it?' I sigh, nodding my head. She sits on the sofa and pats the spot next to her. I roll my eyes before sitting next to her. 'Who was it?' She asks as she raises her eyebrows at me.

'It was my doctor from New Castle,' she looks puzzled so I take a deep breath before explaining everything. 'My grandma died of a brain tumour-'

'Like your mum?' I nod and she holds my hand in order to comfort me.

'Well, they think it's genetic so they ran some tests and I have the dominant gene-'

'Oh my-'

'Lily, stop interrupting.' I sigh and she apologises as she squeezes my hand. 'He made an appointment for me with Doctor Jonathan about some tests that he did on me, he's going to send him the results.'

'When is the appointment?'

'On Tuesday.'

'Are you okay?' I shrug my shoulders as I really don't have a clue. She wraps her arms around my neck waiting until I've calmed down.

----------

After a while, I sit up and Lily changes the subject 'so why were you so rude to Elaine earlier? Liz said you were pretty rude to her at her house too.'

'I just don't like her.' she smiles and asks 'and why is that?'

'She was gossiping about me with her friends and wanted me to confirm if my grandma was really dead in front of Andrea.'

She pulls my hair behind my ears 'that doesn't give you the right to give her attitude though does it?'

'I really don't care, I don't like it when people gossip about me.' I rest my head on her shoulder.

'I know you don't but don't be that harsh next time,' she softly says as she strokes my hair. 'Liz said you really hurt her feelings.'

'People like her don't have feelings.'

'Kiera-'

'Fine, I'm sorry,' I mumble.

'I know but it's not me you have to apologise to is it?' I sigh because I don’t want to apologise to Elaine. 'Come on, it's not that bad' she says noticing my resistance.

'I'm not apologising to her.'

'Please?'

'No.'

'Fine, for me then?'

'Lily!' I whine and she smiles looking hopeful. 'Fine.' I mutter and she wraps her arms around me again. I sit up next to her and she asks 'so what do you want to do?'

'I want to go and have a nap,' I reply quietly. Before she can reply, Lucy and Liz walk in and Liz sighs 'you guys are taking your time.'

'We got carried away talking,' Lily replies.

'About?' Liz questions and Lily looks at me.

'You can tell them, I'm going upstairs,' I say and she nods. 

I stand up and before I can walk away Liz calls my name. I look down at her, 'if you're going to give me crap and get me to apologise to Elaine then I have already agreed to apologise.'

'Actually, I was going to apologise for the way I acted.' I raise my eyebrows and she cuts me off replying 'if you're going to say something sarcastic or rude then just don't say anything.'

'Well, in that case I won't say anything.' I reply and she smiles. As I'm walking away, Lucy grabs my wrist softly turning me around to face her. She pulls me into an embrace and wraps her arms around my neck. 'What was that for?' I ask as we pull apart.

'You looked like you needed one,' she replies. I smile gratefully before walking upstairs.