You're The Voice - Sidemen

Chapter 6

The woman nods, her face keeping straight as she steps away from the van. Tobi hops out, stretching his arms as he walks around to the back, opening the doors for Harry to fall out onto the floor.

Rolling his eyes, Tobi sticks out a hand to help Harry up, no words being passed between the two. It's uncomfortable, and Vik feels bad, like he's responsible.

In an attempt to ease the tension, Vik takes Tobi by the arm and drags him towards Ethan, who's currently stood trying to talk to the woman who's greeted them.

She's small in stature, a neat, curly, dark brown halo framing her pale face. Vik assumes she's an older woman, judging by her dress sense, a discoloured bottle green body warmer thrown over a greying blouse. The blouse isn't the only thing that's greying, he notes, her face is too. She looks worn down, tired, lifeless.

Clearly, over here, the tension is just as high as it was over by Harry. Great.

"Um... hello? I'm Ethan." Said boy sticks his arm out for a handshake, only to be greeted by an unamused stare. He eventually drops the hand, raising his other to scratch at the back of his neck, a coping mechanism to cover the awkwardness. "Okay then."

"Sorry sonny, I'm not touching your hands just yet." Her cold voice is monotone, and Vik feels conflicted.

Conflicted because he's used to this kind of behaviour, but not in the way the woman is presenting it.

It seems... forced. It doesn't seem to come naturally to her, and each word she speaks seems tinged with hatred, but not at them. At the world? At her blouse? At herself? Vik's not too sure, yet. He'll have to take the time to get to know her.

"I'm assuming you're Christine?" He is rewarded with a nod, and can feel her eyes scanning him up and down, their disinterest evident. "Vik. Can you show us where we can drop our bags off please? And if it isn't too much trouble, where we can park the van a bit more out of sight." Once again, she nods, a hint of a smile in his direction. Well, it's less a smile than it is a restrained grimace, but Vik likes to think he's making progress. "Thank you."

JJ, Sarah, Harry and Ethan are directed towards the village hall for the meantime, while Tobi, Vik and Christine unpile their small amount of luggage from the van and into the woman's house.

"You two, and that other one ought to be careful."

Tobi's eyebrow raises, "what exactly do you mean by that?"

She huffs, "locals aren't to used to seeing people of a different skin colour. I don't mean this badly, but I'm not sure what they might do."

Tobi goes to open his mouth, when Vik quickly cuts him off.

"That's fine, thank you, Christine." She nods once again, sighing under her breath before she speaks again.

"Three of you can stay with me, and three with David, who lives across the road." She lifts the curtain at the window above her kitchen sink, and points to a cottage with a green door and immaculate lawn, about four houses down from the one opposite. They nod, and Vik smiles again.

"Thank you so much for this Christine, we couldn't have all slept in the van while we're down here. I know I speak for all of us when I say I appreciate it."

The woman scoffs, drying up a teacup, desperate for something for her hands to do. Vik knows, and sympathises. It's horrible when you're anxious and can't find something to settle yourself.

"You don't need to overdo it, kid. You're here, I've let you stay. Thanking me isn't changing that. Although it's nice to see a kid with some manners, lot of the little fuckers round here don't seem to have that."