Chapter Seven

Oh Brother Where Art Thou

Maddie

It didn’t take long to get back home, I was in such a bad mood that I think of I could have run the minute mile and not even realised it...well I would have once the stitch caught up with me but now I really didn’t care. Once I got home I was happy to see Mum’s car in the drive as well as Rob’s battered old car he spent more time yelling at than driving. Obviously in the time I’d spent running back to Sabrina’s and ranting they’d come home. I guess I wasn’t in the mood to be nice or anything so I stormed down the front garden path, something I’ve actually always wanted to do just because it felt dramatic, and started to hammer on the front door hoping that Mum would be the one to open it.

“Open this door!” I yelled banging on the front door with more force than I thought I was capable of really. “Mother open this fucking door!” I screamed kicking the door this time.

“Maddie!” Sabrina yelled as she started to catch up to me. “Calm down!”

“You bitch!” I screamed at my mother has she opened the door. “You hypocritical bitch!” I screamed.

“Maddie!” Sabrina cried “Maddie don’t!”She gasped as she ran down our garden path and grabbed me by the hand “Maddie think of the baby!”

“What one earth is going on?” Mum snapped glaring at me. “What have you done this time? What mess do you want me to clean up?” She snapped her eyes cold. I hardly recognised the woman who had raised me. To be fair she didn’t even look like my mother anyone.

“You’re a fucking lying hypocritical bitch!” I screamed. Mum’s face went bright red, her eyes flashed with anger but before she could say anything I burst into more furious tears. “Why? Why didn’t you tell us? Why!” I sobbed glaring at up her, I could barley see her through my enraged tears.

“I have no idea what you are talking about” Mum snapped, she rolled her eyes and went to close the door but I wedged my foot in the way.

“This!” I yelled shoving the envelope containing her letter and the DNA results at her. “You lying bitch!”

Mum’s eyes flashed with rage as she glared at me, I noticed her hands were shaking. She obviously knew what the envelope contained and she also knew that I had found out her little secret. “You’ve been through my things? You sneaky little...”

“Me sneaky? You kept the biggest thing ever from the whole family! You kept it from me, you kept it from Rob and you kept it from Dad. We deserved the right to know!”

“Maddie keep your voice down!” Mum snapped glancing across the road at the nighbours. Mrs Gardiner from number seven and Aaron’s mum who lived at the number nine were glancing across the road through their curtains.

“No! Let them here! Let everyone on this damn street know what a sneaky cow you are!” I sobbed. Sabrina pulled me into a hug and tried to calm me down. “You’re a bitch!” I screamed at Mum.

“Maddie please calm down! This isn’t going to do any good!” Sabrina whispered furiously in my ear.

“How can you be so calm?” I asked. In our friendship Sabrina had always been the tempestuous one. The one who let her emotions cloud nearly everything, the one who was like a whirlwind once she got upset over something and here she was; a marble girl. Frozen without any emotion really just comfort towards me.

“Because this isn’t the time or the place! You need to calm down before you hurt yourself!” Sabrina whispered, her breath tickling my ear. “Now let’s go home, we can sort this out later and a lot calmer.”

“Carol? Carol what’s going on?” a voice called from inside the house. I lifted my head up from Sabrina’s shoulder to see Dad walking into the hall staring wide eye at us. “Maddie? Maddie darling what’s wrong?” Dad asked coming to the door and staring down at me. “Is it the baby? Has something happened?” He asked in his concerned ‘Dad’ voice.

“Why don’t you tell him you bitch” I snapped at Mum.

“Maddie! That’s no way to talk about your mother!” Dad said.

“That’s the only why to speak to someone like her! Tell him! Tell him what you did! Tell him the truth!” I cried.

“Maddie? Maddie is this something to do with the baby?” Dad asked again. I shook my head, tears still streaming down my face.

“Maddie pumpkin this really isn’t the best time.” Sabrina murmured.

“No.” I whispered “No, he has to know. They all have to know” I stared up at Dad and asked where Rob was. Mum’s eyes flashed with anger again.

“This is enough. Madeline I insist that you leave. Now” she snapped folding her arms across her chest.

“Not before they find out” I snapped back.

“Find out what?” Dad asked.

“Where’s Rob?” I asked again.

“In the shed practicing his bass I think” Dad said.

“Will you please get him?” I asked.

“What’s going on Maddie?” Dad asked looking more worried. I knew this was going to destroy him but he deserved to know the truth, know how much of a bitch the woman he’d married was.

“Nothing!” Mum yelled “Nothing is going on, now Maddie will you please leave!”

“No! Not until they all know!” I yelled pushing past Mum and storming into the house; I pulled open the back door and raced down to the shed. Rob was indeed playing his guitar in the large shed Dad had converted into our chill out room (Basically a place for me and Rob to play on the Xbox and his bass without being glared at for lolling around and spilling biscuit crumbs everywhere) Rob glanced up as the door flew open and seemed surprised to see me standing there, my eyes red from crying.

“Mads? Why’ve you been crying?” he asked as he saw me standing in the doorway. Mum, Dad and Sabrina weren’t far behind us. Mum was still yelling about how Sabrina and I needed to leave. “Mads what is going on?” Rob asked staring at us all. “What’s happened?”

“Mother has something she’d like to say to you” I snapped.

“Madeline that is enough!” Mum snapped glaring at me.”Will you please go away?”

“No! Everyone here deserves to know what a bitch you are!” I snapped.

“Whoa…” Rob muttered under his breath. “Mads what is this about? I know you’re pissed at Mum for throwing you out but this is a bit melodramatic don’t you think?” Rob asked raising an eyebrow perfectly.

“No, you know what’s melodramatic? Mum’s attempt to hide the truth from us all” I said.

“Hide what? Maddie what is going on?” Dad asked. I stared at him then at Rob.

“I’m sorry…”I said in a small voice “Truly sorry” I said as I started to sob. I felt Sabrina grabbed me and pull me into a hug.

“Maddie let’s just go” she said quietly but I shook my head. “Seriously think about what you are doing, this could ruin everyone’s life…please…just think about it” her breath was cold against my ear and sent a shiver down my spine. “Please”

“They deserve to know” I muttered. Sniffling loudly I straightened up and looked Dad right in the eyes. “I was here this morning as you know, while I was here I went into your room to find a pair of pumps…anyway that’s not the point…the point is that when I was in your room I found a letter from Mum…and a letter from the hospital…” I mumbled, the envelope was still in my hands, I held it out to Dad. Mum didn’t even try to stop me, she was too busy crying. Dad opened the envelope and stared at its content. He was still for a moment then he turned to Mum. His face had turned so pale it was difficult to believe he was still breathing.

“Maddie…” Sabrina said in a wary voice, her hand placed lightly on my arm. It was like she was about to protect me from whatever was about to happen. I keep looking at Dad, trying to see his reaction as he read the contents of the envelope.

“Is this true?” he asked in a small voice. Mum didn’t respond. “IS THIS TRUE?” Dad then yelled startling everyone, I jolted from the loud tempo of his voice. Mum turned to look at him, she was trembling with nerves. I should have felt sorry for her but instead all I could feel was anger, anger at her betrayal. Her nod was barely a nod but it was all Dad needed. Without saying another word he threw the letters at Mum then stormed out the shed. Tears were coursing down Mum’s face as she tried to pick the letter up but Rob got to them first, Mum tired to snatch them out his hands but she wasn’t quick enough.

“Please…I never meant….I didn’t want….I never wanted you to get hurt” she gabbled in-between her tears. Rob read the letters without saying a thing; his face didn’t let us know what was going on in his head. Once he’d finished reading them he just stared at Mum. I though he’d yell, I expected him to yell and throw something. Instead he just glared at Mum then walked out the shed without saying a single word. The only sound was the ripping sound of Mum’s sobs. Sabrina tightened her grip on my arm and pulled me out the shed. It didn’t take much force, I was happy to leave Mum in the mess she’d created.

I walked into the house to see one of Rob’s bags in the hall. In it was already his CD’s and books. Pairs of jeans and a few t-shirts were thrown in as well. I stared at the bag as Rob came storming down the staircase and picked it up. He was just about to open the front door when I stopped him. “Where are you going?” I asked in a frenzied voice. I didn’t want him to leave…it wasn’t supposed to happen like this.

“A friends, I need to clear my head” He said, there was a monotone to his voice that meant he was trying to not show his feelings. I didn’t realise I was crying again until I felt tears dripping down my face. Sabrina mumbled that I should find my Dad; she’d take care of Rob. I nodded and walked into Dad’s study; he was sat, still as stone, staring at the bookcase. His face showed no rage, no sadness, no emotion whatsoever really. I knocked on the door gently and his head whipped round. I guess he thought I was Mum. When he saw it was me his face softened; he rose out his chair and enveloped me in a hug, it was so strong what I was nearly knocked off my feet.

“I’m….I’m so sorry” I muttered. These words were filled with so much emotion, so much desperation that Dad pulled away and stared at me.

“You have nothing to be sorry about Madeline. Nothing at all. You weren’t the one that lied to the whole family for nineteen years…”

“But if I hadn’t been sneaking in our room I would have never found it…it’s all my fault” I said as fresh tears ran down my face. Dad placed his hands on my shoulders.

“Madeline listen to me! You. Are. Not. To. Blame! You haven’t done anything wrong!” He said firmly. He dropped his hands and stared to walk towards the door.

“Where are you going?” I asked.

“I think I need to get out of here already, I might go and spend a few days with my parents. Please don’t feel guilty about this, it is not your fault” Dad said before he walked out the study door. More sobs ripped through me once he’d left the room, large sobs that made my whole body shake. What had I done?

Sabrina

Rob stared at me for a few moments before he snorted. “Seriously? You want me to come and stay with you and my sister? Yeah and what do I say to your uppity mother? ‘Hey Diana, guess what! It’s turns out Michael is my father! Who’da thunk it?’ Yeah I really wanna see her face. Thanks Sabrina but no, really no.” Rob sneered.

“My mother is not uppity and it would make Maddie happy to have there with us, she feels really guilty about this!” I snapped. Rob snorted again.

“Sure sure, your mum ain’t uppity, and this about Maddie at all. It’s about you. You’re happy you finally got a big ol’ brother and you want me in your house so we can be one big happy family. Like that’s gonna happen!” Rob said glaring down at me. Seriously? I thought to myself You think I’m happy about this? You think I want this? My life is becoming even more screwed up by the second and you think I’m happy? You really are stupid! “Now Blondie just get out my way. I’m really not in the mood. This morning I woke up and thought the only fucked up thing in my life was a pregnant sister now it turns out my skank mother slept with her best friend not long after she got married and now my Dad turns out not to be my Dad…oh and I’m related to you. The resident freak show heiress. You can tell I’m just trilled by that” Rob snapped pushing me out of his way. I started to shake as soon as his hands touched my arm. No-one spoke to me like that, it didn’t matter if he was Maddie’s brother…or mine.

“You know what?” I yelled after Rob as he walked out the house and started down the garden path. “I was going to offer you a place to stay and some plane tickets so you could go and see my Dad and sort this all out. I wanted to help you but now you can just take a flying leap!” and with that I slammed the front door and went off to find Maddie. Really…my life could not get more messed up could it?

Maddie was in no state to tell my Mum anything when we got back home. Anna was ranting about us leaving when we did and in the way we did and Mum kept asking what had happened and why was Maddie so upset. I tired to get her to stop asking us question but it was no use. Once she found out what had happened she seemed to go into shock, she didn’t even blink when Anna cussed several times after another.

“Maddie is this true?” Mum asked her voice hoarse as if she was fighting back tears. Maddie simply shrugged as tears dribbled down her cheek, the make-up she’d been wearing that morning was completely washed off her face and she looked like hell. In fact she looked how I felt. “Sabrina?” Mum asked turning to me.

“I told you! Just leave it!” I said finally snapping, I turned on my heels and stormed towards my room.

“Sabrina!” Mum called after me but I ignored her. I ripped my bedroom door open and whirled around my room searching for my phone. When I found it I tried to ring Harriet but she didn’t pick up, I tired Saskia and Cassie but the same thing happened. Then I tried Ed. It rang and rang until I got the answer machine. “Hi this is Ed, I’m not around at the moment but just leave a message and I’ll ring you back.” Ed’s voice said. I sighed and decided to leave a message, I was happy just to hear his voice.

“Hey…it’s me. Things have gotten really screwed up here and I mean screwed up, please ring me…I need you kind of...bye” I mumbled before hanging up. I then tried Justin, yes I’d already scared him off before but this was different. I rang but got no answer, I groaned loudly. I needed to talk to someone…anyone…anyone…

“Hey…” Tyler’s voice called from behind me. I was sitting alone in the library for once, Maddie and the others had gone into the village and I’d just wanted some peace and quiet. I glanced up and smiled at him.

“Hey, not with James and Aaron?” I asked noticing that he too was alone. I didn’t mention Nicole; I didn’t want to remind him of his girlfriend in anyway.

“Nah, I just needed some alone time I guess” Tyler said pulling out a chair “Mind if I sit with you?” he asked, I shook my head smiling. “Are you ok? You seemed quiet in English, it’s unusual for you” Tyler said.

“Yeah…I guess I’m just tired…my Mum wants me to visit my grandparents over Christmas.”

“Is that a bad thing?” Tyler asked. I snorted.

“Being with them is like being in a week along detention. They just wallow in their wealth too much…” I said in a low voice.

“They sound…fun” Tyler said sarcastically.

“Yeah if you love snobby bigots” I muttered darkly. I closed my eyes and was shocked when I felt a hand upon mine. I opened my eyes to see Tyler’s hand upon mine and his smiling face looking at my downcast one.

“Things can’t be too bad Sabrina, don’t worry.” He said grinning, I couldn’t help but smile. Despite my annoyed mood he made things feel better. He was someone I could talk to…

No…no I couldn’t see him. I hated him didn’t I? But I needed to talk to someone and he was the only one who would by there…maybe…

My decision was made up before I even realised it. I pulled on one of my hoodies and slipped out my room. Mum was sitting on the sofa in the lounge just staring into space and Anna seemed to have gone to her room. Maddie was no doubt in the bathroom crying. It was easy to just walk out the front door. Easy…but what was next wouldn’t be…but I needed it…I guess I needed him despite what my head was saying, for once I was listening to my heart…the stupid part of me basically.

Author's Note: Hey! Hope you're liking this sequel so far :D I basically live for reveiws so please do review though I love that you are simply readiny my story. it means a lot to me :D

Sam AKA I-Bother-Snape

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