With the Enemy

Chapter Five

Apparently, I've done something to upset Laura. I have no idea what. But when I called back five minutes later, her fiancee answered and wouldn't pass the phone onto her. I ended up swearing at him and having to endure a fifteen minute lecture about why people, especially women, shouldn't swear.

I hate that guy.

I didn't try and call again. Laura would call me and tell me whatever was wrong when she was ready to. I was about to go chasing her and get my head bitten off.

I was now round at my father's house. Dressed as smartly as a girl on minimum wage could. He invited me for lunch every Sunday and I always felt obliged to go as he was the only thing that convinced my brother to let me live in his house. It didn't make the day any more entertaining though.

"Did we tell you Danielle? That Elly won her gymnastics competition?" My step-mother asked me. "Under thirteens regional champion." As much as I didn't like her, my step-mother was a good mum, she was truly proud of her daughter.

"No ... you didn't." I replied. Elly beamed with pride. Elly was my twelve year old half-sister. The younger and nicer. She was only twelve and hadn't yet reached the stage that I couldn't stand to be in the same room as her. She was okay most of the time. "Well done Elly." I said in a genuinely nice way.

There was an awkward pause before my father asked. "So, Danielle, how are you? Anything interesting going on?"

"Um, no, not really." Awkward pause. "Though, I have been invited to my old sorority's ball." I told him.

My sixteen year old half-sister coughed loudly. She had obviously been trying not to laugh. Megan was the evil one. Most of the reason that I'd moved out. Megan had wanted me out anyway. Now that I was gone she didn't have to share a room with Elly.

"Are you okay Megan?" I ask, faking concern.

"I'm fine, sis." She replied once she'd recovered.

"That's great news Danielle, those girls were always so lovely, I'm glad you're getting to know them again," My father momentarily seemed to think I'd had a personality transplant and that I actually still liked these girls.

"I'm not, I just-" I started but my step-mother interrupted.

"Oh, we must go shopping and find you something to wear!" She exclaimed. Oh god. I thought she would just lend me something, but no, we had to go shopping. "We can all go together!" She clapped her hands together. "This will be such fun!"

It's quite depressing when your father marries someone only twelve years older than you. . I tried to get along with her, I really did, but your step-mother was not supposed to be smaller dress-size than you.

"That would be lovely," I smiled.

"Have you got yourself a date?" She asked.

"Ha, sorry mum, but can you really imagine Danielle having a date?" Megan laughed, even her little sister Elly giggled.

"Megan!" Her mother scolded. "That is not nice!"

"Soz, but we all know what happened with the last guy she-" Megan continued.

"Actually," I interrupted her. "I have got a date."

"Oh really," Megan challenged. "What's his name?"

"Charlie." I blurted.

I was really done for it now.

As far as my extended family knew, I had a lovely dress, a date, I was to be in good company and it was going to be the perfect evening. In reality I had a dress was nice but so wasn't me, a fake-date, I did not like the people I was to be surrounded by and the evening was going to be a disaster.