Olive Green [GxG]

CHAPTER 7

WE WERE JUST a few metres from the school after I had agreed to help my new friends with helping the theatre club when my phone started to ring. Slightly surprised, because I talked to my home town friends just the day before, I looked at the screen. Dad.

  I slowed my walk a little so I was at the back of the group and could focus on the call, which I accepted with a casual greeting, "Hi."

  "Hi, sweetheart, can you talk now or—"

  "Yeah, sure... just, what's goin' on? Shouldn't you be at work?" I asked, interrupting him.

  As I looked up from the pavement to the group in front of me, I saw Leah glancing at me. Did I sound worried? I had no idea and hoped that it wasn't the case. He could just have a day off and talk to me about... Christmas or something.

  "Can we FaceTime?" Dad asked, making me curious.

  "Yeah."

  Just as we both turned the call into a video one, I heard someone next to me speak up, "Who's that?"

  Turning my head to the side, I saw Leah looking curiously at my phone's display where my dad could be seen. I shifted my gaze back to the man on the phone and smiled, "My dad."

  "Hello, Sidney's dad," Leah politely greeted him, to which I heard another voice from my other side.

  "Hello, Mr Sanders."

  At that moment, I realised that the call wasn't private anymore as my friends surrounded me, stopping at the side of the pavement. Nosy people. I shook my head and was prepared to speak, but Dad was faster.

  "Nice to meet you, kids. I see Sidney made a couple of new friends."

  This time, I just rolled my eyes and took a better look at the caller. It didn't look like he was at his workplace or a shopping centre or anything like that, which made me a bit interested, maybe a little worried when I saw his bit too white surroudings.

  "Why are you in the hospital?"

  From the corner of my eye, I saw Amani furrowing her brows at my words. She might have been also concerned, however, we hadn't been friends for long. Just a couple of weeks. Or I didn't even know if I could call them my friends yet. Could I?

  "Don't worry," Dad laughed, which made me confused. Why is he laughing? He was in a bloody hospital. "I have only good news."

  Just as he said that, I could see him opening some doors. There must have been someone in the hospital room with him. He was only telling me not to worry, but didn't tell me anything else. What am I supposed to think?

  "Sidney," Dad called me back into reality, to which he looked over at someone there. "Say 'Hi' to your sister," he smiled, turning the phone so I could see the other person.

  Sister? Widening my eyes in a late realisation, I laughed as my gaze fell on his wife, Daphné, on a hospital bed with a baby in her arms. I didn't know why I did not think about this scenario. I could be so dumb sometimes.

  "You told us you didn't have any siblings."

  Turning my gaze to Jade, I shrugged, "I didn't.... until now."

  It still didn't even feel real. This whole time, it was only a pregnant belly of my stepmother on my phone's screen, and now it was just a baby on said screen. I was probably going to believe it when Christmas was here and I could see that little human in person.