I'd Like to be Somebody Else

Chapter 50

I went to see Kenzie the next morning, it felt so long since I'd seen her and the kids even though it had only been weeks.

I was surprised to see her like she was, hair tied up out the way, mumsy clothes, nothing like the girl I first met. The kids were asleep when I got there.

"How are you doing?" I asked as she made tea.

"Not good if I'm honest." she admitted, she didn't hide her low mood in her tone. "I'm a full time, stay at home Mum now. I love my kids but I never, never wanted this."

"You lost your job?"

"I had to quit, there's no one else to take care of the girls."

"Tony is still awol?" I couldn't believe him.

"Haven't seen or heard from him or his parents since he left. My Mam stopped talking to me when she found out. Peggy and Kate babysat a couple of times but I really don't like asking them, my kids aren't their problem."

"How are you paying for things?" I asked feeling sorry for her. "I'm guessing Tony's not paying child support or anything."

"Savings." She shrugged. "Social services told me to take him to court but look at me, if the courts saw me like this I'd lose custody."

"No, you wouldn't. They are trying to help you. If you go to court I'll look after the girls, support you all I can." I assured her.

"He'll want DNA tests and everything to drag it out and try to get out of paying up though." She didn't have the energy to go through all of that.

Liam's stupidity was still affecting them over a year after he last said it. I wished he'd learn to think before he acted but that wasn't who he was.

"You can't let him get away with it. They are his. I'll go round his and make him pay up if I have to." I knew I was responsible and I had to make it up to her.

"No, you don't need to get involved. I know it's shitty being stuck here, pregnant while the lads are doing who the fuck knows but it doesn't mean you should do this."

I'd already committed to solving the problem. I had to. I'd made Tony angry with me and exposed my best friends' cheating just to argue with Tony.

Thora started shouting "Dada! Dada!" as loud as she could.

"Shit, she'll wake Charlotta." she groaned before going to get her from her room.

"Aunt!" Thora shouted as soon as she saw me.

She ran straight to me as soon as Kenzie put her on the ground. "Thora! You're getting so big, stop growing." I told her.

"All she does is grow out of her clothes and miss her Dad." Kenzie rested her chin on her hand.

"Bump!" She poked my tummy. "Bump!"

"Stop it Thora." Kenzie said, sounding exhausted.

"You're alright, it's my baby." I told her.

She looked up and frowned at me so I set about explaining it to her. I wasn't sure about what to say to a child if her age so I hoped Kenzie would stop me if I said something wrong.

...

Noel phoned that evening, he'd vowed to keep in touch every day but I hadn't expected it since he'd never managed it before.

"How's France treating you?"

"I'd rather talk about you and our kid."

"Me and Liam?" I asked, confused. I had nothing to say to him on that subject.

He sighed. "No, not you and him, you and my unborn child. This is why we need to know the sex so we can give it a name."

"We are fine, I promise. We're both just getting bigger, waiting for you to get home."

"You could come and see us on the 14th and 15th in Scotland. You and Kenzie like the good old days."

I laughed at that. "You're not old enough to be a reminiscent old man. Kenzie's not going to come, she's right down now Tony's gone."

"But you will?

"I don't know, it's a long drive. Is Guigs' still Tony's mate?"

"Dunno, whatever you're trying to do, fucking don't. You can't get force him back into our lives."

"I don't want to force him back into anyone's lives except his kids'. It's my fault that he stopped seeing them. I've ruined Kenzie's and their lives."

"Does Stacy listen to any of you?" I heard him ask the people he was with. "What did you do exactly?" He sounded suspicious of me.

I told him about the argument between me and Tony and how it had led to their break up.

"Wow Our Li' is into pregnant birds?" He laughed

"Am fucking not!" I heard Liam shout in the background.

"Shut up." he sighed. "I mean we knew Kenz' was into The Liam Gallagher but still I'm surprised."

I shook my head. "None of us know the celebrity Liam Gallagher, especially not you, you're his brother... Okay she was kind of interested because he's a rockstar the first time." I admitted.

He got serious. "How come you sold out your mates? Thought you cared about Liam and Kenzie."

"I do." I hadn't thought about it like that before. "I was angry and pregnant. He was being a dick. You weren't talking to me, neither was Liam. I was really worried about you."

"So it's my fault you told Tony about Liam trying to have it off with her?" He got annoyed. "All of us made sure Tony was never going to know. Clearly being someone's mate means more to us lot than it does to you."

"Noel, please, you know that's not true. I was pissed off, I could have told him what they did in California but I didn't. I didn't mean to hurt anyone, not Kenzie, not Liam, not even Tony, that's why I have to do something."

"Promise me you won't go talking to him."

"Why?"

"Things didn't end on a good note, did they?" He stated the obvious. "He swore he'd get me back. He wasn't fucking clear what he meant by that but if he did anything to you or my kid, me and Li' would find ourselves in prison for life."

"He wouldn't do anything to me." I denied.

I'd never seen Tony do anything violent, at all. He was plenty malicious but that was all in the mind.

"Promise me Stacy or I'm coming home right now." he threatened.

I promised with acquiesce. "Don't come home and I'll think about coming to Scotland. Oasis are nothing without you Chief."

"I know but don't let the lads hear it... You sure I can't come home for an hour or two?" He spoke quietly.

"No you'll destroy the planet..."

"We're not that explosive together, are we?" I could imagine his eyebrow raised and his lips forming a smirk.

"Tornado meets a volcano every time." I replied.

I heard him shout "Oi dickhead!"

"We've got stuff to do Yorkie." Liam spoke. "You and STD have had enough of his attention for today."

"Please don't fight..."

"We're not." he interrupted and then I heard the line went dead. "Stop calling it STD." I said to no one.

Author Note- Chapter 50! I didn't know I had the attention span for it.

Thanks for keeping with the Swamp Song. I'm betting it will make it to 80.

I appreciate every single read, vote and comment :D