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Chapter four

Home truths

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From last chapter:

"LEAVE ME ALONE YOU STUPID FREAK!... At least my dad is a decent man." he pointed at Chris and continued "At least he isn't a murderer."

Dead silence.

Chris was shocked and sat on the edge of the teacher's desk.

"I'm your dad?"

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"Yeah." Derek said, looking down at his shoes again "But not hers."

"You wouldn't want me as a daughter anyway. Have a nice life with your son. He's nothing to do with me anymore. I am done with his crap." she stormed out.

"Kaitlyn." Chris called after her

"Don't bother. She's a stubborn cow. She'll talk to me again, I just hope she doesn't start it all again."

"All what?"

"It's not important."

"You said 'at least he isn't a murderer', implying that Kaitlyn's dad is."

"Yeah. It messed mum up really bad. He found out she was cheating on him again. He threw her out when I was six. Didn't allow any of us to see her. A few years later, I was putting stuff in the bin outside when I saw something in the shed. I found blood on a garden fork and an air rifle. I told Ally and one day he just wasn't there anymore."

"You know that if I'd known I'd have been there in a flash."

"Yeah. Ally said you were a big shot teacher in Rochdale, back where we used to live."

"Is that when you moved?"

"No. We moved a lot, but it was 'cos we kept getting in trouble or people would find out about him. They'd drive us out, then we'd move on. This was meant to be a fresh start. No-one knows our business or cares, mostly 'cos their own lives are kind of messed up anyhow. Someone else's mess just doesn't faze anyone round here as much as those other places."

"Hopefully now you can settle somewhere solid. I know eleven years is a long time, and we won't get it back, but I want to be a part of your life now."

"Are you going to tell Mrs Fisher?"

"Yeah. Sorry, mate. I have to."

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"What happened to you?" Harry asked Kaitlyn, who was sitting by herself under the same tree as earlier on.

"Nothing."

"Boy trouble?"

"No. Why?"

"Usually when either of my sisters are looking like that it has to do with some guy."

"In a way, two guys. My brother and Mead."

"Really? Did you find out the DNA results?"

"Yeah. He's Derek's dad, but not mine."

"So your dad is Gerald then?"

"No. Turns out my mum's a slag."

"So you don't know who your dad is?"

"I do. Well, I have an idea. It's disgusting."

"What do you mean?"

"Apparently I have half my mum's DNA and then some."

"What do you mean?"

"My mum and dad are brother and sister."

"Eugh"

"But it's not my uncle Henry, 'cos he's been in prison for twenty years."

"What does that mean?"

"That means my mum has another brother she doesn't know about." She looked over, squinting slightly in the sunlight, her hair whipped about by the wind "My dad."

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His upper left forearm was turning an ugly shade of brownish yellow. Just above his elbow, fresh purple bruises were forming. He was always early for PE, but wore a long sleeved white top under his shirt every day, just in case they showed through. Michael had come home drunk out of his mind the previous night. He had yelled at Joshua and told him that his girlfriend was coming over the next night and he'd better clear off so he could have the house to himself for getting ready to see her.

He pulled his football shirt over his head, the long white sleeves underneath looking pretty good, despite the real reason they were there.

"You're keen." He heard behind him. It was Mr Clarkson.

"Uh, yeah. I love a good bit of footie, sir." He flashed a grin and turned to pack his things in his bag.

"Did you get in a spot of bother recently?" Clarkson asked him

"What do you mean?"

"The back of your neck is a bit bruised, and there's a few scratches on your face."

"Oh, right, yeah. My neighbour's dog jumped up at me and I tripped and hit my back and a bit of my neck quite hard." He grimaced "Little bugger scratched me up as well."

"Right, well you be careful, alright? Don't want you ending up in hospital."

Joshua grinned again and glanced behind Clarkson at the other boys entering.

"Right, boys. Hurry up and get changed. Joshua here is raring to go. Maybe some of you could take a leaf out of his book." He clapped a hand on Joshua's shoulder, who winced and flinched away from him. Clarkson frowned slightly, but decided not to say anything in front of the other boys. "Maybe you could come help me set up some equipment, Joshua."

"Yeah, alright."

"Teacher's pet." Taunted Finn good naturedly

"Finn, come on, mate. He's just really raring to go." Said Josh, mimicking his dad.

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The hallway was quiet, apart from the muffled noise in the classrooms. Derek sat on the step, staring at the graffiti art on the wall opposite. He heard footsteps behind him.

"What are you doing out here?" It was Denzil Kelly

"Just sitting here. What are you doing?"

"Got sent out of Chemistry for talking top much."

"Surprised you're not on the way to the cooler."

"Technically I am, but I'm waiting on Mead, he has to make sure everyone's experiments are safe. Where are you meant to be?"

"What period is it?"

"Fifth."

"Maths. I think."

"You seem distracted. What's up?"

"Nothing. I think I here Mead coming, I'd better go."

"Alright. I'll catch up to you later."

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The last bell was both a godsend, but also a curse. Joshua made his way to the locker and emptied his bag into it. He lifted the dark purple plastic bag from inside and stuffed it into his bag. He noticed a small, delicate hand opening the locker next to him.

"Well, look at that." He grinned falsely "We're neighbours."

"Keller, I could punch you in the face right now and no-one would care."

His smile flickered, then spread as he said "Well, seeing as I'm not one to hit a lady, I shall back down while I still maintain a shred of dignity." He bowed slightly, stepping back a bit. "Miss Hess, I deem you a worthy opponent."

She rolled her eyes and they walked out of school together. Ana was confused when he didn't turn towards his house. "You not going home?"

"Eh, no, not right now."

"So where are you going? And what was in the bag?"

"What bag?" He smiled, innocently

"The purple plastic bag that you put in your locker this morning and shoved in your bag not five minutes ago."

"Ah, Miss Hess. So many questions, my dear."

"So where are you going?"

"What happened to the Ana who couldn't care less about me and wanted me to leave her alone?" he stopped them both and looked at her intensely

"What happened to the fake happy-go-lucky Joshua Keller who's been bugging me all week?" she retorted, with the same intense stare.

"Still here." He replaced his mask of mirth, that had briefly slipped, but his eyes showed a bitter coldness.

"Do you have a place to stay tonight?" she asked, her own eyes, soft and warm

"Yeah, my own house." He didn't look her in the eye, and walked on

"But you're not going back there. As far as I'm aware, you seem to always rush home, as if afraid of something. Or someone."

"You've known me all of five minutes, how can you just make assumptions like that?" his voice broke slightly, regaining his composure, he walked on. "Anyway, your assumptions are wrong."

She realized her house was the next street over. He walked towards the estate, and she headed after him. "Just tell me you have somewhere to stay tonight."

"I do." He said angrily, without turning back

"Look me in the eye and tell me that."

He stopped and turned, looking at the ground. He almost whispered "I do have somewhere to stay."

"Look me." She said intensely, stepping towards him "In. The. Eye."

"I-" he faltered "I was going to go find somewhere."

"You were gonna go squat somewhere on the estate?" she raised an eyebrow and rolled her eyes again "Come on" she nodded towards her street "You're staying with me tonight. Then we can talk in the morning."

"Won't your parents mind?"

"They're not there and I'm an only child, meaning it'll be just us."

"You trying to seduce me?" he asked, trying to regain his boyish charm.

"In your dreams, sweet cheeks." She rolled her eyes and took his hand, guiding him to her house.

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"Karen. Can I have a word? It's about Kaitlyn and Derek McAllen."

"Of course. Come in."

He walked to the desk. "There's been a development. I am apparently Derek's biological father."

"And Kaitlyn's?" Karen stood up, slowly

"No. Neither of them know who he really is."

"Let's sit down and talk over here." She indicated to the sofa, where they both sat down.

"I caught Kaitlyn using abusive language towards Derek, so I sent her to the cooler. She back-chatted me, and Derek took off. We found him when I took her up to the cooler, he was already there. Things were said, and I am apparently Derek's dad."

"You're sure of this?"

"Unless I have an identical twin I don't know about who was sleeping with Janet McAllen the same time I was, then yeah. I am his dad."

"What are you going to do?"

"Technically, I have no parental rights, so I don't exactly know. Hopefully, I'll get involved in his life now, if he'll let me."

"Well, I can only wish the two of you well."

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"Hey, Ally. We're back."

"How was school?"

"Alright." Said Derek, before pushing past his sister and going up to his room.

"What happened to him?"

"I dunno."

"Kay." Ally said, warningly

"We told Mead about the results."

"We, or you did?"

"Actually it was him. Mead brought us to the cooler to get some quiet to talk and he just shot it out."

"Mum's coming back."

"What? Really?"

"Yeah, she's been cleared. But I dunno how things are gonna turn out. It might just be like having another kid around."

"What do you mean?"

"There could be some brain damage, after the accident."

"Oh."

"There's something else. I'm going round to Mike's tonight, so you two have the place to yourselves."

"There's something else, isn't there?"

"Why? What do you mean?"

"You've got that face on you. The one that you put on when there's something you don't want me or Derek to know about. Every time we've moved, that same face. Then again when we came in before you told me about mum."

Ally sighed and sat down "I suppose you'll find out eventually."

"Find out what?" Kaitlyn stood at the table, staring at her sister, incredulously

"I'm pregnant."

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And that's the end of that chapter *swishes scarf over shoulder*

Soooo many loose ends...

Don't worry, my children, I shall tidy them up, after having a little more fun, of course.

daydreamerkid xx