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We’re interrupted by Smalls poking his head around the door.
“You ready, kid? Car’s here to take you to Camilla’s and then straight on to the airport.”
I glance over my shoulder at Kalen who is sitting on my case in a desperate attempt to close it. Jesus, how much crap has he been buying on those trips out with Chelsea? I shake my head in exasperation at him and give Smalls a smile.
“Ready as I’ll ever be.”
I leave Kalen and Smalls to get the bags and head downstairs to say goodbye to my dad and Chelsea. Aadi too if he’s calmed down enough to stop being an ass and come say goodbye to me.
In the kitchen, everyone assembles and I say goodbye to them all. It’s a lot less painful than last time because I’m at peace with my decisions now.
We head out and Kalen plugs in, before laying his head in my lap and groaning. I run my fingers through his hair, grateful once again that it’s growing back. I loved his hair when it was longer. Not everyone can pull off shoulder length hair, but Kalen with his carefree attitude and good looks can pull off anything.
“Why did you cut your hair?” I whisper to him, curious.
“Didn’t.”
“Kalen—” Why is he lying to me?
“Branson did it. He beat the crap out of us in your honour or some shit. Knew cutting my hair would hurt worse than any punches he could throw.”
I blink in surprise at that snippet of information. I recall Baxter’s split knuckles and the guys’ injuries but I never considered Kalen’s hair being connected to that event. I also didn’t really understand why Baxter would do that.
After that, the drive is quiet and as we pull into Camilla’s driveway I notice it’s very different to the other day. This time, the front door is guarded by some skeezy looking gang bangers and goosebumps rise on my arms. Surely this isn't a trap?
Kalen sits up beside me, squeezing my hand and giving me a look of concern.
“Your granny isn’t a sweet little old lady, is she?”
“No, Kalen.”
“Is this safe?”
I hesitate. I really want to say yes, but I don’t know this woman at all. Just because she used some Italian terms of endearment and hugged me, doesn’t mean she cares for me.
I consider texting Baxter, but what can he do from the other side of the world? Maybe I should ring Smalls or Aadi. My father’s earlier warning rings in my head. I shouldn’t have brought Kalen here.
Shit. The gates close behind us and I realise it’s too late to leave.
As the car pulls to a stop at the top of the driveway, the front door opens and my ‘sweet little old lady’ grandmother steps out. She looks taller than last time. She’s dressed impeccably, head to toe in black, with a diamond necklace glinting at her throat.
She smiles warmly at me but I can’t help but feel that it doesn’t reach her eyes. The driver gets out and opens the car door for me. I slide out and am about to greet her when she turns to speak to someone just inside the house.
“Amelie?” Kalen asks. In my peripheral vision I see him turn to face me but I can’t tear my eyes away from the newcomer as she steps out into the light. “Do you know who that is?”
The newcomer looks exactly like she did in the photographs I once saw. She hasn’t aged at all. I can’t believe that when I glanced over the images, I thought I didn’t recognise her. Now I feel like I could be staring in a mirror. Only one that shows my future in twenty years’ time maybe.
“Amelie?” Kalen asks when I fail to respond. “Do you know this woman?”
“Fuck,” I manage to croak out. “Yeah, I do.”
“Is that…” I turn to Kalen and his eyes are saucers, flirting back and forth between me and the woman standing beside my grandmother. “Is she…?”
“My real mother?” I croak out in disbelief as I stare at the ‘dead’ woman in front of me.
“Yeah?”
“Fuck. Yeah. She is.”
“Fuck.”
“Yeah.”
F*ck Her – Knox Academy - Term 3
