A girl finds out that her whole life she has been lied to and now she goes on a journey to try and find herself and stand up on her own two feet. Along the way she meets a family she didn't know she had and runs into a romance she didn't expect with Leon.
Today was Natasha's eighteenth birthday she day she had waited for years. She was finally a legal adult however Natasha was anything but happy. Natasha looked at the clock on her bedside table it was ten a clock. She knew she would have to go downstairs soon but kept trying to put it off for as long as possible. Natasha or Tasha as she likes to be called could feel the tidiness in her body. She had came home around three in the morning from a late pre birthday party with her friends. She had just laid in the bed for seven hours looking at the light bruises that had begun to form on her wrists and upper arms. The only evidence to prove that last night wasn't a dream. Tash had laid awake all night thinking about how someone she trusted so much and loved could hurt her so badly. That the person you give your heart to is the person who breaks.
Suddenly the sound of her mother laughing downstairs brought Tash out of her daydream she knew she should go down before her parents suspected something. They knew Tash had came home late so she would be tired but no matter how tired Tash was she could never wait to go downstairs and open her presents. Tasha slowly got up and looked down at her little black dress which she didn't bother getting changed out of last night. It was still wet from when she walked home last night in the pouring down rain. She was supposed to get a lift but wanted to be alone. Tasha went into the bathroom and stood under the hot shower. Letting the water run down her body hoping to let the memories of last night wash away as well. Finally Tasha got ready. She had worn light blue baggy jeans and a white tank top. Tasha had put her long dark hair which normally came halfway down her back into a messy bun. Looking in the mirror Tash used her side fringe too cover the small cut on the right side of her forehead. She also put a fake smile onto her lips before pulling her tank top down so that you couldn't see the light bruise on the left side of her smooch. Tasha turned around and walked to the door. Tasha went to open her bedroom door. Just as she touched the doorknob Tasha froze. She could see the buries on her wrist again which had now gone a dark purple colour. Picking the long grey cardigan of the back of her door Tash quickly wore it on. Tash loved her parents way too much to make them worry about her.
As much as Tash loved her parents she couldn't find it in herself to tell them what had happened. She knew her dad would flip. Tash had always been a daddys girl ever since she could remember. Derek could never see his little girl cry or even stand the thought of anyone hurting his little girl. She could also hear her mom saying I told you so which was something that Tash wasn't ready to hear.
Slowly Tash started walking downstairs. As Tash got to the last step she sat down and thought about how one of the best days of life had just turned into one of the worst. How in just a few hours how much things had changed. However Tash had no idea just how much her life was going to change in another few seconds. Tash finally took a deep breath to calm her nerves and got up. In a few steps Tash reached the kitchen door which was shut.
This was odd considering how the kitchen door was nearly always open but Tash was too busy trying to hold herself together that she didn't even realise it was odd until she heard her parents whispering. Tash decided to wait until her parents had finished talking so she could has a have a few more seconds until she had to pretend that everything was ok. Tasha's curious nature still managed to get the best of her and she decided to listen into what her parents were saying. This was one of Tasha's old habits she had never managed to change. Ever since Tash was little she loved listening to her parents talking and using what she heard for her own benefit. The first time Tash listened in onto her parents talking was when she was six and she accidently heard her mum telling her dad where she hid the chocolate chip cookies so Tash couldn't have them. So after realising how beneficial ease dropping could be Tash decided to listen to every conversation her parents had encase she found any useful information. Sometimes ease dropping paid off and other times it didn't however it had got to the point where Tash didn't even have to think about doing it she just did it.
"Tash is finally eighteen a legal adult can you believe it. Still feels like it was yesterday that she was dressed up in her fairy outfit dancing around the living room" laughed Tasha's dad Derek
"Tell me about it hopefully she might actually start acting like an adult" replied Tash mom Leah
"She might be a legal adult on paper but let's not get too ahead of ourselves. Sometimes I do worry that she is growing up way to fast. Don't you wish sometimes you could press rewind and just go back." Derek took a deep breath and lowed the volume of his voice to a whisper.
"I've been thinking lately maybe we should tell Tash I mean she has a right to know and besides she is now a legal adult. what if she manages to find out herself she would never forgive us if she found out we hid something like this from her"
Leah froze. Leah took a deep breath and sat opposite Derek on the dining table. She looked at Derek for a few moments while Derek starred at the empty cup of coffee in his hands. After what seemed like hours Leah finally spoke up
"there is nothing we need to tell Tash she knows everything she needs to know you know exactly how much Tash loves you ever since she was little whenever she got a star at nursery for finishing her lunch you were always the first person she went to. Every time she had taken an extra cookie from the jar and felt guilty she always went to you. Even now whenever she has a problem or she's worried about anything or she's happy you're the first person she goes to. Sometimes I really think that she loves you more than me." Laughed Leah as she reached over the table and put her hand on Derek's.
"You have always been there for trash. Even before she was born you have always loved her like she was your daughter so what if wasn't your sperm that made her your still her dad. Tash might not have inherited her eyes from you but you're the one who put the shine in them it might not be your blood running through her veins but it's your memories going through her head. You might not be her biological father but you are Tashas dad you're the one who taught Tash how to walk you are her dad" whispered leah a single tear made its way down her face as Leah took a deep breath
"Tash worships the ground you walk on she loves you because you have always been there for her when she has needed a dad " "now why don't you go wake up sleeping beauty its nearly eleven" said Leah whipping her tears away and getting up to wash the dishes.
Tash stood where she was and felt numb Tash felt like the floor had been pulled out from under her feet. All she could hear were her mother words "You might not be her biological father" going around her head. Her dad wasn't her biological dad. Tash didn't even realise that Derek had opened the door and was now standing in front of her. It wasn't until Derek started talking that Tash snapped out of her own little world. "ah heres the birthday girl" laughed Derek as he put his arms around Tash to give her a hug but as soon as he had Derek realised that something was wrong.
Tash stood there like a statue her arms by her side. Derek pulled back and saw the tears running down Tashas face. "What wrong Tash" asked Derek? Just then Leah came to the door way to see Tash crying. "Tash sweetie what's wrong why are you crying?" asked Leah worriedly. Derek put his hand up to brush the tears of Tashas face. But just as he went to touch Tash she took a step back. Finally looking at Derek Tash whispered" you're not my dad"
Derek felt like her had been stabbed in the heart. Those four words stung Derek so much he sub consesly took a step back. He could see the pain in Tasha's eyes and it killed him to see his little girl in pain because of him. "What are you talking about Tash Derek is your dad what are you talking about" said Leah her voice barely above a whisper deep down she knew from the look in Tasha's eyes that she had heard. "I heard you" shouted Tash "I heard you his not my dad why didn't you tell me eighteen years eighteen years you lied to me you hid this from me how could you didn't you think that I had a right to know who I was!" screamed Tasha taking a few more steps back so that she was now leaning against the wall.
"Tasha that not true" her mom tried to reason with her. Derek just stayed where he was this was his worst nightmare turning into reality. Derek might not have been Tasha biological father but he had loved Tash as if she was his biological daughter. "Stop just stops lying to me" shouted Tash getting more and angrier by the second. "Tash listen to me I'm your mom just hear me out Tash" whispered Leah moving closer to Tash. "Listen what more is there to hear I just want to know who my real dad is mom that is if you are even my real mom" screamed Tash getting really worked up. Leah looked like she had been slapped across the face."Tash of course I'm your mom I gave birth to you" cried Leah. "Then whose my dad" shouted Tash. "What difference does it make Derek it the one that has been there for you your whole life what different does some sperm make" Leah tried to reason with Tasha again. "It makes all the difference mom tell me please" cried Tash as she slowly fell to the floor holding her knees to her chest.
"His dead" whispered Leah "I met him when I was on holiday with some friends, we had a fling which didn't last we had an argument and we broke up. A week later I found out I was pregnant I went to tell him but I saw him kissing another girl I felt to angry I just couldn't take it and I left and came home without telling him. I thought that he already had two kids a boy and a girl so he didn't know you he didn't deserve you. A couple of years ago I found out he had a car crash and died. Derek and I had a thing before I left so he was there for me when I was pregnant and eventually we fell in love. It was you that brought us together Tash." Replied Leah who had now moved to also sit on the floor opposite Tasha. Moving to put her hand on Tasha's hand. As soon as Tash felt her moms hand on hers she looked up the whole way through the story Tash had been looking down at the ground. "what about me mom didn't you think I had a right to know I can't do this I just cant I cant even look at you guys right now I don't even know who I am anymore and its all your fault how could you hide something like this from me how "cried Tash as she used the wall behind her to stand up. "I have to leave I can't stay here" said Tash as she walked to the door picking up her keys that were on the table. "Tash wait you can't leave listen please where are you going to go Tash please come back" begged her parents. "no I cant stay here I always thought that everything I ever got in this house that dad no Derek got me was mine I had a right to it every time Derek gave me money I thought it was because I was his daughter I had a right to that money but now it just feels like it was charity I can't do this I need to find myself and stand up on my own to feet need to know who I am mom I'm sorry" replied Tash as she was opening the door to her black land rover.
Just before Tash got into the car she took a few seconds to look at her parents who were standing in the door way. Leah was crying and holding onto Derek who also had tears in his eyes. Tasha took a deep breath and got into the car and started to drive of even though she had no ideas where she was going or what she was going to do. All Tash knew was that she wanted to go somewhere that no one knew her and she knew no one so she could learn to stand up on her own two feet. Even if Tasha never admitted she knew she couldn't take care of herself so now she was going to learn the hard way. How could her whole life change in less than twenty-four hours. Everyone that Tasha had trusted and lived broke her trust. Leah and Derek stood in the doorway watching Tasha drive off both of them wanted Tash back but knew it was better to let her go for now. Tasha had always been a head strong girl once she seceded something there was no changing her mind. They also knew Tasha was hurting right now Derek was her rock they knew she would come back when she was ready but that didn't change the fact that they were still losing their little girl.