Title: song by Panic At The Disco
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Build God Then We Talk
Natalie was having breakfast in bed when she got the phone call. Ray had just made her a massive fry up and even put a rose on the tray! Her daughter just couldn't leave it alone could she? Why did she always have to make a scene? She just wanted a normal life with a normal family and not have all these constant dramas surrounding her teenage daughter. Was that too much to ask? Now on her way to Flagstaff for the second time this week, she had to have a cigarette to get her through it! She had quit 17 years ago when she fell pregnant with Nicole. She didn't want to risk her child's health. She was supposed to be a better mother than her own was to her. But she failed. How did she turn her beautiful daughter into a monster? Drinking, taking drugs and all that jazz. Her mother had always complained that she was a problem child but she was never this bad surely. Some of the things that girl would do for attention was unbelievable! Only one and a half hours to go until she has it out with her daughter once and for all.
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Aden had got the call and ran straight to Lily's house.
"Where is she?" He asked, breathless.
"In her room, I hope you have better luck with her." Lily pointed in the right direction and waited for the inevitable bomb to go off as soon as Natalie got here.
"Nic, are you in there?" Aden knocked, waiting for an answer, "Right, I'm coming in." He pushed the door open to find Nicole huddled in the corner of the room crying her eyes out. He ran over to her and held her, whispering comforting words in her ear, anything to stop her from crying so hard.
Eventually he got her to calm down a little bit. But she was still silently weeping and shaking like a leaf.
"Do you want to tell me what's going on?" Aden asked softly, not wanting to push her. After a couple of minutes Nicole looked up and said:
"You know how you asked me what age I was when I lost my virginity?" She asked so quietly, he had to strain to hear her.
"Yeah…" He prompted her to continue.
"Well, my stepfather, Ray, um, he kind of um," Nicole stuttered over her words, trying to say it again. "Well, I was 14."
"Right, so what's that got to do with your step…" He trailed off as realisation took over, "He forced you?" Nicole nodded.
"She told me to stop telling lies and that I was a tease and if he had made a move, which she doubted, then it would have been my fault!" Nicole explained and let out a heart-wrenching sob.
"She?" He questioned but got no answer, "Come on, lets get you out of here, we'll go for a drive ok?" Aden helped her up and guided her out the door.
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"She's lying!" Natalie announced as she stormed into the lounge room.
"You drove all the way from LA to tell me that?" Lily walked past Natalie into the kitchen. Natalie followed, trying to maintain her calm exterior.
"She's a compulsive liar! She always has been, and you would of known that had you been in her life at all." Natalie shot back.
"Well, had you have let me yes I would have known that."
"You know, she told me he made a pass at her after I found cocaine in her room. And then she told me that he had raped her after I found her with a needle in my en-suite bathroom!" Natalie ranted ignoring the gasp from Lily, "I told you, she just lies to cover her back! I'm not falling for it this time, she's gone too far. Bringing my poor Ray into it! I asked him aswell, and do you know what? He denied it."
"You knew? How could you just ignore that?" Lily asked, disgusted.
"Don't tell me you believe her?" Natalie asked in disbelief.
"I'm calling her father!" Lily walked away to get the phone.
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Roman Harris had always dreamt of going into the army. So when his girlfriend in high school got pregnant, he thought his dream of becoming an army troop was shattered. Of course he would put his own child in front of a silly dream, because that was more important. However when his childhood sweetheart's grandparents instructed that he stay as far away as possible from her and their unborn baby he didn't have a reason to stay. So off he went to army, eventually becoming a member of the very elite SAS. But after a while he realised that his dream wasn't all it was cracked up to be and he could potentially be making one of the biggest mistakes of his life, giving up his baby. So he left the force and went on a search for his baby. By this time it was fifteen years later and he had no idea whether he even had a boy or a girl. After a while he managed to track them down. Natalie had done well for herself. She had a rich husband, a lovely house and his little girl. She was beautiful. She had her mothers everything except for her eyes. She had his eyes! He had spent a few months in LA getting to know her and they had got on really well and he loved her. Then he moved out into the countryside, but letting Nicole know that if she ever needed anything, he would be there. When he got a call from Lily, he knew it was urgent so he booked the earliest flight available and ran.
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"Where is she?" Natalie finally asked after minutes of unbearable silence.
"She's out, with a friend." Lily answered grabbing herself a scotch. She hadn't drunk in over 30 years but she desperately needed it.
"Typical, she's out having fun while the rest of us pick up the pieces." Natalie shook her head and examined the pictures on the mantle. "Where's the picture of dad and Noel?"
"It's in the spare bedroom." Lily answered, looking away. Her husband and her little boy were still a sore subject. Her husband had been driving her 16-year-old son to football when a train derailed at a crossing and crushed them, "And for the record, Nicole will most definitely not be having fun, she left here in a massive state."
Natalie was about to retort but there was a knock at the door. Lily rushed to the door and opened it inviting the person in.
"Hi Lily where is she?" Roman asked stepping in from the pouring rain.
"She's not back yet, but come in and make yourself comfortable."
"Hi Nat, so would somebody like to fill me in on what's going on?" Roman wondered looking around.
"Yes, your daughter is a liar and a drama queen." Natalie replied.
"Roman, just take a seat, I think it would be best if Nicole told you, then you can make your own assumptions." Lily took his soaking wet coat to put on the radiator.
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Aden had done what he could to try and take Nicole's mind off of her mother and step-father and it had worked for a little bit, but now they were returning home and Nicole was back to being scared and guarded. When they walked into Lily's living area you could cut the tension with a knife.
"Daddy!" Nicole ran up to her dad and gave him a bear hug. It was clear that her and her father got on a lot better than her and her mum.
"Hi sweetheart. So who is this?" Roman asked referring to Aden.
"Oh yeah, dad meet Aden. Aden this is my dad, Roman." Nicole had considerably cheered up after seeing her dad.
"Great, now that we've got the niceties over and done with, why don't we move on to the fact that my daughter is a dirty, little liar?" Natalie spoke with malice.
"Mum" Nicole acknowledged.
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Nicole took her father into the kitchen and let him know what has been happening.
"And when did it stop?" Roman asked while holding his crying daughter.
"When I was fifteen, after a friend of mine threatened him." Nicole replied through tears. Lily, Natalie and Aden were sat in the lounge waiting for the other two to walk in so they could begin the conversation.
"Is it ok if me and Nicole have a chance to talk alone when she comes back in please?" Nat asked the other two. After seeing her daughter in tears it sobered her anger a little bit.
"Yes, I don't see why not." Lily answered. Roman and Nicole emerged from the kitchen a few minutes later and Natalie pulled Roman aside.
"You don't believe her do you?" Natalie asked, eagerness displayed on her face.
"Yes I do, why wouldn't I?"
"Because this is what she does, lies to get attention. How could you believe her after everything she's done?"
"Because she's my daughter, and I'll believe her no matter what she says. That's what a parent does." Roman told her and walked off towards the group.
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"Right Nicole, I'm going to try and get to the bottom of this." Natalie started.
"Get to the bottom of what?" Nicole asked confused.
"Why you need so much attention. Why you make up horrible, painful lies because I'm losing patience and I don't have any other weapon to use against you other then my love and I do love you, so much. Ok? So why don't we start from the beginning?"
"Because I'd rather finish it right here!" Nicole shouted and stormed upstairs. Natalie followed while shouting her name. She came to a halt at Nicole's door. She tried it but to no ones surprise, it was locked.
"Nicole, open up. Please Nicole. I want to talk. I need to talk, just so I can understand." Natalie begged. There was some movement on the other side of the door and Nicole opened the door slightly.
"What do you want me to say?" Nicole asked tiredly.
The other three had gone upstairs to give them some privacy. But now as the fight moved upstairs they were listening in waiting for their cue to come in and stop the brawl. Hearing Nicole's fragile voice, Roman stepped out so she could go to him if need be.
"Just say that he never touched you" Natalie said.
"He never touched me, ok?" Nicole screamed and slammed her door. She then reopened it and whispered:
"He never touched me, never begged me not to tell you, he never told me it was my fault. Never mum, he never did any of that." Nicole broke down at the end of that and ran towards her father who had walked out of Lily's room.
"Oh My God, it's true!" Natalie whispered. She stumbled down the stairs, got into her car and cried. She cried for all the years Nicole has suffered, she cried for herself, at her being so blind to not notice and for accusing her daughter of lying, she cried for her mother who had brought this situation to light. She cried for everything that had happened in the last 5 years that she has been with Ray, maybe even before then. She had unintentionally ruined her daughter's life, and she would never forgive herself!
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"I want a divorce!" Natalie stated into the phone.
"What are you talking about?" She hung up the phone and let out a breath. Her phone rang and rang but she ignored it. She had spent the entire night in her car, thinking of what was the best thing for her daughter and decided that killing Ray wasn't the best idea, no matter how badly she wanted to! However, she knew that if she let him speak then she would cave and let him try and worm his way out of it and that couldn't happen, for the sake of her baby girl. So she decided on asking for a divorce and then hanging up. She also contemplated running away but that was definitely not an option. Ray Dean was history, and surprisingly she wasn't a crumbling mess like she thought she'd be.