The Fleece Job (Olympus Drive Chronicles)

Chapter 11: I hate people

Angelica

"Did you know my dad had other kids?" I ask, as Bronte and I sit on the table in the room, eating candy she magicked out of the vending machine.

"No. I didn't," she says, gently.

"Why do you think?" I ask, not knowing how to complete the sentence.

"Ang, you know how I and your mom always call our dad a whore?"

"Yeah."

"Your dad is too. That means that they sleep with lots of people and have a bunch of kids. But it's nothing to do with you," she says, as kindly as she can. "Your moms love you. And so do I. Our dads are just idiots."

"Why wouldn't he tell me though?" was he embarrassed of me?

"I don't know," she says, gently, "Have you always known he's your dad?"

I nod. He comes around and plays with me and teaches me to run fast like him. I thought he was happy I'm like him. "My mom said not to tell anyone. That when he brought me when I was a baby he just asked her to take care of me and not tell anyone I'm his. He told me that was 'cause he didn't want them to hurt me because he does bad stuff sometimes."

"That's really valid; he does tick a lot of people off."

"But he had other kids," I say, folding my arms.

"Yeah, and we're gonna talk to them too. I'm sorry he lied to you."

I nod, a tear slipping down my face, "Do you think he left them with families too?"

"Probably. I don't think he raised them anymore than he is you," she says.

"You really didn't know?"

"No. I only met either of the last night. I'd seen them before, but I didn't know they were your dad's," she says.

"How are you okay having so many siblings?" I ask, frowning. Most of her siblings are older than her, and they almost all have different moms. My mom is one of them; my mamma is my mom's wife who isn't blood related to us. I have a brother who they adopted too. But that's different.

"I quit caring about what my dad does," she says, shrugging, "That's all you can do. And we'll meet your siblings and talk to them."

"Okay," I say, nodding. I would really like to talk to my dad. But he doesn't do talking.