Not My Life | gxg

Chapter Seven

School days bled into one another, broken only by the arrival of a new student. Bethany was glad not to be the new girl anymore. Instead, all attention focused on Caroline Day, who was pretty, quiet, and immediately enveloped into the popular group. All the guys fancied her; Bethany even caught Lucas sneaking glances at her during History—something he vehemently denied when Ben also noticed. Trinity became again what it had started off as: a relief. Bethany felt the weight of her home life lift off her shoulders when she was in school. The weekends ended up becoming the hardest because there was little escape from her mum's worried glances or Alex's pale, sad face.

Bethany was lying on her stomach with her books spread out around her on the bed. It was Friday, and Kita would make fun of her if she knew she was doing weekend homework. But cramming it into Sunday had never worked for Bethany.

It was early evening when she heard Kelly arrive home. Alex was downstairs, and she heard their gentle voices drifting up the stairs. She remained where she was working through her French homework. Minutes later, her door opened, and Alex was there. He didn't say anything until he was sitting on her bed. He curled his thin legs underneath him, and Bethany sat up.

'I want to do the DNA test,' he said, without preamble.

Bethany blinked at him. 'Yeah?'

He nodded. 'Mum's going to talk to her lawyer about getting it set up. Will you do it with me?'

'Of course, if you want me to.'

Alex chewed his bottom lip, his small hands clasped together, forming a tiny fist in his lap. 'You say that like you wouldn't get it done otherwise. You don't want to know?'

Bethany shrugged. 'Either way, it doesn't matter, does it?'

'Why? Alex asked, confused.

'There are only two options: we're his, or we're not, but either way, he raised us. He was there at both of our births. He took pictures of our first steps and remembered our first words. And he still left. Being a dad isn't just biology, or else stepparents wouldn't love their stepchildren, and plenty do.' Most families were made up of half-siblings and step-family nowadays. 'He raised us, and he still left. So, I don't think any of this is about us. I think it's about him and Mum. He's trying to hurt her for some reason, and we're just collateral damage.' And for that, she hated them both. Her dad was cold and meaner than she could ever have imagined, and her mum had done something to make him hate her enough to forget about them.

Alex was staring at her. He didn't say anything for a long time. Finally, he said, 'But you'll still do this?'

'For you, yes.'

He nodded again. 'Okay.' He slipped off her bed.

He was still in his school uniform. He'd removed his jumper, and through his shirt, she could see the jut of his shoulder blades. He was small and fragile, so young to be thinking such grown-up thoughts. Alex had been born old, that was what her mum had always said, and it was true; because of this, it was easy to forget that he was actually so young. He wasn't even eleven yet.

'Alex?'

He stopped at her door. 'Yeah?'

'If you need to talk, you know I'm here, right? About anything. I know I'm angry at the moment and... I just want you to know I'm not angry at you.'

His eyes tightened. 'I know.' His hands fluttered by his sides. And then he was gone, his gentle footsteps barely audible on the carpeted floor in the hall.

Bethany turned a textbook to face her but was alone only seconds before her mum appeared in the doorway Alex had left open. Kelly was wearing a pair of joggies and a t-shirt with a faded bolognese stain on the front. She looked pale and tired. Bethany looked up, her pen poised over her notebook, and waited.