(All characters, aside from Lyra and Dawn, are owned by The Gents- and not me. )
I stared up at the dingy door of the crumbling house. Obvious improvements had been made since the last time I'd been here- a combination of disgust and nerves had stopped me from knocking then- now I would happily touch the peeling red paint, without fear of contracting some life-threatening disease. I raised a scrawny, pale arm and knocked three times, quite light taps but obviously loud enough as I hear a scuffling from inside.
"Hokey Cokey Pig in a Pokey, just a minute." I heard the person, seemingly female; mutter something about missing bloody Trisha and then the door clicked open. I stared up at a large woman with rather short reddish hair; her lips covered with some hideous shade of pink and around her neck hangs a pen on a string. I covered up my disgust and smiled politely.
"Excuse me, does Ross Gaines live here?" I asked, my voice cracking on the last word. It's apparently been twelve years since I've seen him and I can't help but feel some emotion.
"N...n...no," the woman stammered, blushing violently. "Why do you want him?"
I thought for a minute, I could tell the truth- that he's my birth father and I've finally tracked him down for my mother - or I could lie. I opt for the latter.
"I'm a friend of his. I heard he'd been seen around here?"
The woman does something rather disgusting with her bottom lip before passing me a small square of card. I look down at it, feeling the laminated plastic between my fingers; the address isn't too far from here. I turn to thank the lady but she has already shut the door in my face. Feeling slightly weirded out I shrug and walk up the drive to my mother's car.
"Look Dawn, I did the best I could- all I got was this." I say, handing my mother the card. I smile to myself as she looks at it, revealing excitement in her yes but keeping pretty damn calm.
"It's excellent Ly." She says, nodding at me in a 'job well done' fashion. "At least this time you knocked on the door, instead of running away like a kicked pig."
I sighed deeply. My mum was always twittering on like this, I swear the only reason she had a daughter was so someone would do her dirty work for her. Anyway, at least I had a chance of meeting my birth dad. Ross Gaines, I rolled the name around on my tongue, muttering it out loud. I spoke nothing like my mum; strangely I had apparently inherited my dad's accent. This was the first time I'd ever been to Royston Vasey- the bleak little hometown of Ross. I pondered the thought for some time, letting my mind wander; I found myself thinking about how Ross would look- my mother had always said he was neat, with floppy like hair and intense brown eyes. I imagined him in a tuxedo, no wait; he'd be at home so it'd probably be a plain T-Shirt and black tight jeans...
"We're heeerre!" Dawn's voice cut through my thoughts. Our battered A-Reg Fiesta pulls up outside a block of stylish flats- the kind you see in American teen movies- and we walk up to the door. My mum applies about six layers of make-up and I notice her dress is one I've never seen before. Just as I am about to make a little joke my mother is speaking into the intercom.
"Ross, it's er me. Dawn. You know?" she says, her sentences forced and unrehearsed.
There is a faint crackle on the other end and after what seems like an age Ross's clear crisp voice overwhelms again.
"O.K come on up." I push on the door; my assertive spirit is probably another inheritance. Dawn follows me and I feel her grasp my hand. This is a first; we've never really been close but this simple gesture says more than words ever could. It's going to be a new life for both of us. That is, if Ross actually remembers...