In the Middle - Book One

Chapter 42

I looked him up and down. 'Is this some kind of sick joke?' I stammered. He shook his head. 'I guess I may look a bit different.' He said.
'Piss off or I'll call the cops.' I threatened. I couldn't believe this was happening right now. 'Wait!' I half-closed the door on him.

'I'm never gonna leave you my cherry pie.' He sang horribly. I looked him up and down again. My mouth hung open.

'Harry?' I asked. 'Is this for real?' He nodded. I dropped the bat and jumped around him. My arms clinging against his neck.

Harry had made up a small song when I was little and he sang it to me every day for almost ten years. No one even knew about it but Mum. Dad hadn't even known about it. He always sang it when I was sad or scared or angry.

Tears fell from my eyes yet again but for the first time in what felt like years, they were happy.

Harry sat across the kitchen counter from me, I hadn't stopped staring. 'Look how big my baby sister is.' He cried for joy.

'You were just a tiny kid when I remembered last.'
'Yeah, years go quick.' I looked into Mum's bedroom from the kitchen. The back at Harry.

'WAIT!' I stammered. 'WHAT THE HELL?!' I started yelling. 'Woah!' He freaked. 'YOU HAVE BEEN ALIVE THIS WHOLE TIME? WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? WHAT?!' My mind was finally working and I had so many questions.

'I can explain everything.' I made a face, letting me know I was expecting an answer now.

'It started eleven years ago. I started failing school, I got sidetracked and I started hanging with some wrong people. I got involved in drugs and got drunk, smoked a ton of weed every day. That's why dad was mad, he wanted me to go to med school remember?' I nodded.

'I kept getting into fights so dad dragged me over to the gym made me fight him. Said if I was going to fight I might as well be good at it. I had been drinking that day, I was also high. For the first time ever, dad was sober. He just kept smashing my head in until he knocked me out.'

'But, I thought you died.' A lonely tear fell.

'The day before some guys came to visit me at school. I had brought some drugs from them, owed them a huge amount of money. You wouldn't even believe it. Said if I didn't pay up they'd kill mum and you. That's why I got drunk the next day, why I got high. I was trying to get my mind off it. I also kinda threatened them. Said if they touched you or mum I'd burn their whole family alive. They weren't especially pleased with that.'

'So you left? Pretended to be dead?' He nodded. 'But dad, he went to prison!'
'He went to prison for something else. Not for killing me. He was involved in a hit and run.'

'HOLY SHIT!' I swore. This couldn't be possible, this was all some big fucking dream. 'He was angry, but he wanted to protect you.' Now I was crying.

'That's bullshit! He threatened to kill me. Put a gun in my back, I was used as a bargaining tool for someone.' I argued.
'He would never have actually hurt you. He was an asshole and an alcoholic but he loved his kids.'
'He killed mum, right in front of me. He shot her, she bled out in that bathroom floor.' I cried. He shook his head.
'I can't explain that. I wish I could but I can't kid.' He said.

This was all too much, this was all INSANE. 'So where have you been?' I asked wiping tears away.
He did a little smile.
'I was in London for a bit, Paris. I had to go to PNG, but I was mostly in London.' I thought about it hard for a second.
'WAIT! Mum, she....she went to all those places.'
'What do you mean?' He asked. 'She was a flight attendant.' Harry started laughing. 'Yeah right! Mum hated planes, she hated flying.' I stared at him confused.