Trust \\ KELLIC

6

I paid the taxi driver and turned to look at the house which I hadn't been to for the past three years. It was a surreal experience walking back up to that front door. I had so many bad memories here and at first I wanted to turn around and run away, but where would I go? Definitely not back to Vic. Going back to Vic was my last option, and this here was my second last option, but it was the only option I have. If I had enough money for a hotel room then I'd stay at one, but I don't, so I can't.

I knocked on the front door, feeling a little weird because I've never had to knock before. I stood there for a minute feeling incredibly nervous. I had no idea how this was going to go. I had been texting my dad for a little while and he seems to have changed, then again for a moment I thought Craig changed too, but look how that turned out. My dad was unpredictable. I know I'm going to be on edge the whole time I'm here.

I waited at the front door patiently until it eventually opened to reveal...not my father. Instead, standing there was a middle-aged woman with platinum blonde hair and the fakest of fake tans, but she had a genuine smile on her face.

"You must be Kellin," she said, beaming at me. I had called my dad on the way here to ask for permission to stay, which he agreed to. I guess he must have told whoever this woman is about me.

"Um, yeah. Uh, not to sound rude or anything, but who are you?" I asked her.

"I'm Sandra, your father's fiancé," she said in a cheery voice. Fiancé? The word shocked me. I had never thought that my dad was capable of making a woman fall in love with him. He was a mean-spirited person, so how could he get a woman like this who seems so kind? He hadn't even mentioned to me that he'd been seeing someone.

"Oh, okay. Well, um..." I stood there awkwardly before Sandra realized I was still just standing at the door.

"Oh, sorry. My mind goes blank sometimes. Come on in," she said and stepped aside.

I smiled at her and walked in out of the cool afternoon's air. I looked around the entrance. Something was different For one, the walls were a shade lighter, plus there were a few pictures on the walls. I looked at one of them that was by the door. There were three people in the picture. First I looked at my dad. He looked different. For one he was smiling and it wasn't that sinister 'I'm going to have so much fun beating you up' smile, no, it was a genuine smile. His scruffy beard had been shaved and he looked like he had lost a bit of weight, plus he was dressed up nice. I could barely recognize him. Next I looked at the woman, Sandra. She was wearing a nice, blue dress and had the big smile on her face that she had on when she opened the door. Next I looked at the third person, a pretty girl who looked like she was maybe in her early teens. She was little and had dark blonde hair. Although she was smiling it didn't quite reach her eyes. Suddenly I was concerned for the girl. She's living here with my dad who I know is abusive and I'll be damned if I'm going to stand by and let her go through what I went through. So I made a quick mental note to investigate a little further and find out if he hurts her or could possibly hurt her.

I must have been standing there looking at the picture for a little too long, because Sandra put her hand on my shoulder to get my attention. I flinched and stepped away. I guess that was a reflex of mine now that I'm back in this house.

"Oh sorry, honey. Did I scare you?" Sandra asked.

"Oh, no, sorry. I was just lost in my thoughts," I told her quietly. She smiled and nodded, then gestured for me to follow her. She took me into the living room where my father was sitting on a recliner chair and there was the girl from the picture laying on the other couch listening to her iPod and reading a book. My dad looked up at me and smiled.