I'd Like to be Somebody Else

Chapter 55

I babysat Thora and Charlotta as Kenzie finally took Tony to court. I couldn't believe they'd gotten so old, Thora was a year and five months and Charlotta was already six months.

"I swear to fucking God, if they keep messing with the release dates I'm going to go and and smash their offices up!" Noel threatened. "Doesn't make a fucking difference to us, our fans don't care but it's not rate."

He'd just got off the phone talking to Creation who'd told him Blur's record company were trying to make the releases of their latest singles into a sales competition.

"Just relax, it's out of your control so just forget about it. Roll With It is brilliant, it'll come out on top no matter what they do." I told him calmly.

He crashed on the sofa next to me. "It's not fair on us or Blur or any of the fans." he counted on his fingers. "They're just thinking about money and it's fucking wrong."

"Calm down cos you're pissing me off and it's not good for the baby." I told him. "Plus we've got guests you'll upset."

"I'm sorry, I just want the best for the kids, the fans, not some stupid friggin' marketing ploy." he put his hand on my growing belly. "Sorry lad."

Thora left the shape sorter she was playing with, marched up to Noel and slapped his knee, telling him "No!"

He picked her up and sat her on his lap. "What's up with you?"

"Think you're getting told off for swearing." I pointed out when she put her hand over his mouth.

He moved her hand away and said every swear word he could just to prove they were just like every other word to him. "How many can you say?" he asked her. "I won't tell your Mam."

"Fff 'uck."

"Yeah, we all know you know that one, what else?" he encouraged.

"Sit, piss, dick... cun." she spoke shyly, scared she'd get in trouble.

A devilish grin spread across Noel's face. "Good girl. Make sure you tell your Dad what you've learnt if he ever stops being a cock."

"Kenzie's going to kill me." I sighed. "Least you aren't convinced Thora hates you anymore. I guess."

"She does, don't you?" he joked, getting her to nod.

Charlotta started crying from her cot upstairs and Noel shocked me by offering to go to her.

"Rock n roll." he said sarcastically a short time later, holding a nappy bag at arms length.

"She wants to read this." he said after he'd gone back and carried her downstairs, he passed me her book.

I read it with Thora sat on my knee and Charlotta sat on Noel's. We cuddled together like we were a proper family. I was comforted to know Noel could do it, he could be there for us and he could be a family man.

Tony decided he wouldn't take any responsibility for his kids, he was ordered to pay child support but he wouldn't be involved in their lives. I was shocked that he would choose to completely walk away like that. I knew he didn't want anything to do with us but he shouldn't abandon Thora and Charlotta because of Oasis.

...

I was sat listening to Half Way Around The World, on the Whatever single for about the tenth time in a row.

"Don't play it again. Please." Noel complained. "You're going to end up breaking it or I'll snap the disk."

"The baby likes you singing and all the others you sing are too sad for my stupid pregnancy hormones."