I own nothing. Please give it a chance, I have a bad track record of not finishing what I start but I'm going to try my hardest with this fic. Let me know if you like it by reviewing, more reviews equals more motivation...even if the reviews are negative (any constructive criticism is very much appreciated).
Flashbacks are in bald-italics, thoughts are in italics and phone calls or texts will be in bold. The same applies throughout the fic.
Chapter 1
Raife Davies, 43 year old rock star, drug addict, father, lead singer of the band 'purple venom' quietly walks into his young daughter's bedroom and sits down on the edge of the bed next to her sleeping body, he begins to stroke her gorgeous brown wavy hair as she stirs from her partially unconscious state.
Raife: "Happy birthday Ashley, baby, are you ready to open your presents?"
The 9 year olds eyes shoot open bringing her fully awake when she comes to a sudden realisation of what today is.
Ashley: "Oh daddy, can i?! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"
She kicks the covers off of her small body and jumps out of bed, grabs her father's hand and begins leading her father quickly out of her bedroom and down into their living room which is now occupied with boxes of every shape and size. When seeing all the presents scattered over the floor, she lets go of his hand and rushes to the biggest box, like any typical 8 year old on their birthday.
Raife: "Slow down there sweetheart, once they're open you won't get a chance to do this until Christmas"
Raife beams at the eagerness of his daughter ripping the wrapping paper to shreds and the excitement of when she sees what was wrapped inside. Which included a skateboard with the helmet and body pads included, board games, a stuffed toy of a snow tiger – her favourite animal, new shoes that light up with each step, a new coat and a Nintendo DS with plenty of games for her to never get bored.
Ashley: "Thank you dad, I love all of them"
She runs over and throws her arms around her father's neck squeezing tightly.
Ashley: "You're the best dad in the whole world"
Ashley lets go of her dad and runs over to her stuffed tiger bringing it up to her side and holding him under her arm.
Raife: "Anything for you baby girl, I have one last gift for you, this one is especially important and special, I want you to keep this until you're a grown up okay?"
He walks over to Ashley and kneeling down in front of her, he holds onto her arms that were by her side gently to make sure her chocolate browns are staring straight into his, showing her how important this was to him.
Ashley: "Sure daddy, anything for you"
Raife stands up and walks over to his desk drawer and pulls out a small box, bringing it back over to Ashley, he opens the box and pulls out a gorgeous heart locket necklace, on the heart had a flower at the top and 'A.D' below carved onto it in a script-like font.
Raife: "When you're older I want you to dedicate this to the person who is most important to you, there are no pictures inside it at the moment, but I will leave that up to you to fill. You're too young to really understand it at the moment, but I need to give you this now"
He explains to his daughter.
Ashley: "But why now daddy? If I'm too young to understand then why can't you give me it when I'm older?"
Ashley is confused at her father, she isn't sure what's going on or why it's important for her to have the locket now.
Raife: "Because Ashley, daddy isn't very well. In a few weeks you'll be moving in with a lady who has been my friend for many many years and her daughter Kyla, she's only a year younger than you, you'll get along so well and grow up with each other until daddy gets better okay? You'll love her Ashley, she's your half sister, isn't that exciting? You can do all those girly things together that other sisters do"
Ashley begins tearing up at the news of her father leaving her, she loved him too much to let him be ill, she'll help him get better.
Ashley: "Daddy no! I don't want to go live with anyone else, I don't want a sister. I love you! I want to live with you! Please daddy, please stay!"
As tears are now streaming down her fragile face, Raife grabs his daughter and pulls her into a tight hug, water now pouring from his eyes too.
Raife: "I know baby, I love you too"
------------------------------------------------------
Ashley: "URGHH Kyla why is this so hard!"
A 22 year old Ashley slams down the newspaper onto the kitchen table of the apartment they're currently sharing.
Kyla: "Jeez it's only hard because you're making it hard. You need to find a place to live, and that means not finding ridiculous faults in every advertisement people put up"
Kyla raises her voice a little, getting frustrated with her half sisters
Ashley: "Well if you weren't letting your oaf of a boyfriend move in here with you then I wouldn't need to find somewhere to live, why can't you move in with him? It's not fair"
Sulking back into her chair, Ashley is becoming awkward for Kyla to deal with instead of being an adult about it.
Kyla: "Because Aiden still lives with his parents Ashley, that's why and you know it. Now stop being annoying and keep looking, what about this one? Two bedroom apartment, £400 a month rent, each bedroom has an en-suite bathroom, spacey kitchen and living room. 22 year old roommate looking for someone to help pay the rent, she's just moved here from Ohio, catholic, open minded as to who wants to live with her which is perfect for you Ashley"
Kyla stops reading from the paper and glances up at Ashley with a hopeful and pleading look in her eye.
Ashley: "Perfect? Are you serious? She sounds like some religious freak who probably decorates her whole house covered in shrines for god and doesn't make a single decision in her life without wondering what Jesus would do"
She gives Kyla a serious stare, only half joking.
Kyla: "No she doesn't, now stop being stupid. She seems perfectly normal"
Ashley: "That's what she wants you to think"
Kyla: "Ashhhley"
Ashley: "Blah fine! Just quit your whining, and only 'cause I love you, I want you to know I'm not happy about it at all, if she tries to force me into joining any cults then you're to blame."
The brunette rolls her eyes at her sister as she squeals in excitement and jumps up from her seat to hug her.
Kyla: "Deal! Her number is here in the paper, please call her an arrange to look at it, I'm serious Ashley, this means so much to me"
Ashley: "okay Ky, I'll do it for you, but you owe me"
Kyla: "I do, just name it and I'll do it, this is so big and I'm so happy you're doing this for me and Aiden"
Kyla confesses lowering her head.
Kyla: "I know you've never been his biggest fan, I just hope you see how serious we are now and that maybe you'll give him a chance, he's a decent guy"
Ashley: "I know, I just don't trust him to hurt my baby sister, that's all"
Ashley rises from her seat and grabs the phone to dial the number on the advertisement, not looking forward to it, but glad that she's doing this for her sister, Kyla is pretty much the only person in her life that she'd do something like this for.
This chick better not be crazy, Ashley thought to herself as she dials the number.
Woman: "Hello?"
Ashley: "Hi, my name's Ashley. I'm calling about paying a visit to your place, I saw an ad in the paper..."