Chapter 3 LEAH
Lucy and Dani stayed with me for a while but left once Doctor Nadia told them visiting hours were over, but I asked if Lucy could stay. She slept while I stayed awake. I couldn’t sleep. Every time I closed my eyes I felt overwhelmed, but also scared. When Lucy woke up, I telling her I slept all night, when I didn’t. There was no sign of my mum for the rest of the evening, which I was thankful for. Dani came back in the morning. Lucy and Dani stayed all day, leaving when visiting hours were over. I was getting exhausted, but I knew I couldn’t sleep. Doctor Nadia stayed with me and made sure I was settled before she left to go home. I pretended to be asleep till she left and even when the nurses came in, but as soon as they left I woke up. I would wake as I couldn’t sleep, and every time I closed my eyes, I would see my father looking at me. Tears ushered to my eyes at the mere thought of him. I wanted my Dad back. Dani mentioned a funeral for my Dad, and she would help me. I was grateful, so I asked her to do whatever she thought was right and to organize everything. My Dad was a good man and had a few friends. I knew the funeral would be a small gathering, but Doctor Nadia told me I wasn’t going to be leaving the hospital for another few days. The thought of leaving the hospital had my stomach turning into knots so I was grateful to be staying there for now. I had no idea what I was going to o now. I didn’t know where I was going to stay, but I knew for sure I wouldn’t go anywhere with my mum. I didn’t even know the woman. 1 I hadn’t seen her since Dani kicked her out the day I woke up. The hospital was quiet, which was nice. I needed to clear my head of everything and sleep, but nothing seemed to work. I heard movement and looked toward the door, there was a shadow, it was clear someone was looking in on me. Someone was outside my door, but I couldn’t make it out who it was. I leaned further back into the bed as time dragged on, not knowing who it was. I turned over, so I could face the wall, away from the door. I knew sleep wasn’t coming any time soon. Insomnia seemed to be my friend, but I knew Doctor Nadia wouldn’t let me leave until she ensured I was alright. I guess she knew I was lying everytime I told her I was okay, I clearly wasn’t. Between the not sleeping, my head was hurting. I was pulled from my thoughts when I hear the door creak open, and I instantly shut my eyes, not wanting anyone to know I was awake. I heard two set of footsteps coming in, which meant people had walked into the room. I heard a few movements, but no one said anything. “How is she?” asked a male voice I didn’t know in a whisper. “Doctor Nadia said she is getting better,” said a womans voice, who I instantly knew straight away. Why the hell was she here? I felt anger fill my veins. She knew I didn’t want her here. I turned around and sat up, to two shocked faces staring back. “What the hell are you doing here?” I asked. My mum looked at me, but the man next to her cocked his head to the side. “I wanted to…” he started to say, but I shook my head and looked back at my mum. “I told you yesterday to leave me alone and to get out.” “Leah,” she said, but I shook my head. I looked at her, my headache came back with vengeance. My hand went to my head and I held it there. I could hear movement, which made me look up at my mum who had her hand outstretched to comfort me. I glared back at the woman. “Get the fuck away from me,” I yelled, moving away from her. I quickly glanced at the man who was looking at me, his eyes searching my face. “What are you looking at?” I sneered, while my hand clutched my head. The man smiled. “You act exactly like your mum did when she was a child,” he said, catching me off guard. I stared at him, but getting more annoyed with him and my mum, I let my anger take over again. “I don’t care,” I said. I looked between the both of them. They had similar features, they both had blue eyes with mousy brown hair. The man took a step closer and placed a piece of paper on the table. I stared at it, but I couldn’t make it out what it was as the room was dark. “What’s that?” I asked, glancing back at him with a frown. The man smiled. “Well sweetheart,” he said, glancing toward my mum and then back at me. “That there is a document stating you will finish school with your friends over the next month and then you will be moving in with your mum.” “WHAT?” I yelled. “No, I won’t.” Mum looked hurt, but I didn’t care. What did she expect? I wasn’t the little girl she left behind anymore, the same little girl who would sit on the bottom of the stairs waiting for her mum to come home. I was a freaking seventeen year old, who can cope without her. “Leah, I’m sorry,” she said, pulling me out of my thoughts. My mum took a step closer. “You are still a minor, you have to live with a relative.” 1 “Well, that’s not you,” I sneered back, moving away from her. My mum tensed. The man cleared his throat. “Enough,” he said. “You don’t get to speak to your mum like that. You will be moving with her at the end of the month and that’s it.” I turned to the man, and glared. “Nope,” I said. “Not happening.” I stared at them. “You think you can control my life now that you are back, you got another thing coming,” I said, staring at my mum. “I will make your life a living hell.” “You don’t meant that?” she said quietly. 1 I let out a laugh. “Your joking right,” I said. “I’m seventeen, I have one more year till I am an adult, why don’t you let me stay with my friend and her mum and leave me alone, like you did for eight years.” My mum stayed quiet, but I knew I had hurt her. The man spoke. “You need to be…” he said, but I cut him off, by shaking my head at him. “I need to be what? Huh!” I said, glaring at him. “You want me to live with the woman who abandoned me and my father, the one who never got in touch to see how I was, never watched me in any of my shows, had nothing to do with me.” I looked at them, tears were streaming down my cheeks as I turned my attention to my mum. “I used to wait at the bottom of the stairs after you left,” I said. My mum closed her eyes as a single tear slid down her face. “I thought it was my fault,” I said. “I would stay there for days, but over time I realized that you were never coming back and I accepted that.” I looked at her. “Dad and I were better off without you,” I said. “He never spoke about you. I could tell you hurt him. Dad made up for everything that you missed with me, being both parents.” I wiped my eyes with the back of my head and glared at them. “Get out,” I said. “If I have to go with you after the month, fine. But I don’t want you around here till then. I don’t want to see you till the day you pick me up. I am staying with my friend and her mum till then.” Both of them stared, the man went to speak, but my mother stopped him. He looked at my mum as she shook her head. My mum looked back at me and nodded, she didn’t say anything. Both of them turned to leave but a thought came to me. “Oh, I don’t want you there at Dad’s funeral,” I said to her. “You said your goodbyes, the day you left.” My mum didn’t say anything, but stopped for a few seconds, but carried on and walked out the door. The door closed behind her, but the man stood, looking at me with a stunned expression on his face. “You are one mean little one,” he said. 3 “I’m not so little,” I said with a slight frown. “I think you better go after her, don’t you?” The man stared at me, but sighed. “Your mum and I will pick you up at the end of the month by your friends house.” I didn’t say anything, but turned my head away from him. I heard the door go, but slid further down the bed. I turned back on my side and let the tears flow. I hate being a bitch, but how am I supposed to act. I lost my Dad, and now I have to live with a woman who abandoned me years ago. My head pounded hard, and I groaned out. I couldn’t take the pain anymore. I pressed the call button to the nurse, who came in like a shot. I wonder if she was the one who let my mum and the man in here. The nurse gave me painkillers, which were strong. I knew they would send me off the sleep, I just hope the dream wasn’t there when I closed my eyes. After a few moments, my eyes begin to get heavy and I fell asleep. Darkness washed over me, but the same scene came to my mind. The dream happened again. My eyes flew open, as I panted out as I tried to catch my breath. The room was dark, but I stayed awake. My insomnia was going to kill me, or this headache would as I kept my hand to my head.