Beautiful Trouble

Chapter Eight

I expected nothing less than what happened the next morning. Nothing. That's right, absolutely nothing. I couldn't hear voices during the night, nor could I hear anything now. The house was silent, kendallwas soundly asleep on the floor next to my single bed, and I hadn't slept a wink. Not one. I was still replaying last night's events over and over in my head. I wasn't particularly thinking about Gary... Howard was taking too much of my head space. Silently, I tiptoed over Kendall and opened my bedroom door, ​ I have to know what's going on, ​ I thought as I stood on the landing outside of mum and dad's room. Was I brave enough to go in and see if there were any clues? Did I care about the consequences? Well... I guess I wanted to know what the hell was going on. Those boys had changed my outlook on life, really. It was time I had answers. Edging ever closer to the door, I stuck my hand out and touched the handle. Wincing and trying to be as

quiet as humanly possible, I pushed the handle down. Thankfully, it wasn't like my door handle... This one didn't need oiling (Mum always used to wake me as a child at Christmas time, it quashed my belief in all things magical by the age of seven, despite their best efforts) and I crept into their room. They were soundly asleep, but I had noticed something resting on the ottoman at the end of the bed, a photo album. It was old, the brown leather had stained on the front of the book. I quickly grabbed it and was careful not to make any sound on my way out... I knew that if I was caught I'd be in serious trouble. But, I made it. I could have wiped my brow with total and utter relief... but instead I sat up in bed and opened it... I wasn't sure that I was going to like what I saw. On page one, there were photos of a young baby in my mum's arms 'Howard Paul Donald, 28th April 1968' it read. I say gobsmacked at my discovery. So this was his game? He knew? How? I scanned every page, there were photos right up until Howard's second birthday... and then nothing. The remainder of the book was blank. I couldn't help but for thousands of questions in my head... how? Why? What the fuck was going on? How had I had a big brother all this time and never known a thing? Just then, Kendall started to stir. "Morning!" She yawned, as I shoved the tatty album underneath my pillow, "How'd you sleep?" "Not bad, I guess..." I lied. I was getting quite good at that. "How do you fancy going into town today? I need some new shoes and thought, y'know, maybe I could get some while I'm here?" I agreed. I could do with a welcome distraction, I thought. "Why are we getting on this bus?" I was totally confused this morning... as if finding out I had a soon to be famous sibling wasn't enough... she was now taking me on a magical mystery tour of Hull. I didn't need taking around the sights, and to tell you the truth, I wasn't really in the mood for games. My brain had completely switched its focus from Gary to Howard now... where had he been for the past 22 years? She pressed the bell on the bus when we got to the marina, a long stretch of pavement by the river. It was beautiful, especially on a day like this. She began talking pretty much as soon as we got off the bus "I really didn't know..." she began, "I'd have told you if I'd have put two and two together... I would have never let you think... damn it, stop feeling sorry for yourself, you do know I've gained a cousin from this too?" Her voice was raising by the second as she tried desperately to get my attention, but by this point, I was standing looking out over the River Humber, my elbows resting on the flood defence and my eyes following the velvety creases that the wind was making in the water. I couldn't speak... nor could I hear anything but the murky water lapping against the pebbles on the shore. "Look, if it was a waste of time bringing you here to talk, I can leave, I can go today and I swear to God you won't see or hear from me for another decade!" "That's one thing I remember about you, woe is me... it's all about me!" I spat my only retort in her direction, regretting the words as soon as I'd spewed them from my mouth. "Oh God, I'm so sorry..." I took my elbows from the wall and found myself rocking, sitting on the floor, the tears streaming down my face. Kendall sat down at a level with me, "You're not alone in this, y'know?" She stroked my hair and pulled me into a comforting cuddle. I still had my eyes covered, I didn't want to face her after what I'd just said, let alone let anyone else see me. I heard footsteps

around us, dog walkers loved this route, so I didn't think too much of it. Finally, removing my hands from my eyes, I saw a familiar face standing in front of me. "Thanks for calling..." he began, looking at Kendall,then reverting his gaze back to me, "Can we talk?"