Honorary Hope

Park

I've been staying with Carly for a couple of nights now and today we are out at the park since Carly was babysitting April and I wanted to get out of the house with them. April had run off to the climbing frame and was playing with a few other kids that I had seen around the village.

"So Ava, It's been a few days now, when is your dad coming down?" Carly asked.

"I'm not sure, He gets busy with work and stuff." I lied since I knew my dad wasn't coming.

"He let you come down here all by yourself not knowing when he will be with you?" She questioned.

"He'll come when he realises I'm not there." I say not really thinking that answer through.

"What do you mean? He knows your here doesn't he?" She questions

"No" I mumbled finding it increasingly hard to lie to her since I wasn't exactly overflowing with places to go.

"Ava! Right you need to ring him and let him know that you are ok and then after April's gone home, I am taking you home too." She tells me sternly.

"He won't even know I'm missing, he's probably off his head, either that or work." I argued.

"What do you mean off his head? Ava what's happened?"

"Pretty sure he was taking some kind of drugs, He spends all his time at the pub or work. I barely see him, then the other day when I asked about mum he hit me. I waited till he left for the pub and I walked out." I explained a few tears running down my cheek at the memory.

I sit being comforted by Carly before April comes over and asks me if I want to play with her to cheer me up. To my surprise it actually worked, I mean it's pretty hard to be sad when your chasing a little kid around a playground.

Later that day we walked April back home, Carly knocked on the door and a man answered. April threw her coat at the man who I assumed was her father and ran on inside.

"She's been fine, dragging Ava round the park." Carly laughed.

"up to her usual antics then. Well thank you for having her Carly and have a nice weekend." He tells us.

"Who was that?" I questioned as we left the house.

"That's Marlon, April's father. Also part of the Dingle family." Carly tells me.

"Who's the dingle family?"

"Big Family, we would be here all day if I told you about them all but Chas, Charity and a few of their kids live at the pub. Cain works at the garage and some of them live in wishing well cottage, the farm up the top of the village." She briefly explains.

Once we get home I went upstairs and laid down on the bed in the spare room which has become my room. I started to listen to some music and was happily in my own little world reading a book when I knock came at the door.

"Come in." I called out.

"Ava, I have spoken to your dad--"

"Didn't know that I had gone, doesn't care and doesn't want me back?" I asked.

"He thinks it's best if you stay here for a while." She replies ignoring my questions.

"Is that ok with you and Vanessa? I can find somewhere else." I lie, I had no where else but I also couldn't force her into taking me in.

"Of course you can stay her for as long as you want."

I liked the idea of staying here with Carly and Vanessa, in my very short few days here I had already felt a lot more safe then I did at home with dad worrying about finding him passed out, possibly high or hungover. Scared that the police would be round to arrest him or to take me into care.