Connected

'As I grow I might forget what you said but I won't forget how you made me feel.'

My mum's biggest dream was always for me to go to the top medical school in France in her mind Sorbonne University.
We always talked about how I would become a neurosurgeon and she would joke that her brain would be the first one I had to do a surgery on because, "There had to be something wrong with her brain."

There really did.

I cried for what felt like hours before my throat became way too dry for my liking.

I got water before there was a knock coming from the front door, I walked to the door with as much strength as I could muster but at the same time trying to rack my brain of any idea of who was on the other side.

I opened the door expecting it to be some kids who were playing ding dong ditch like they always did but what I didn't expect was to open it and see four men and two women.

One which I recognised as my next-door neighbour Irene dressed in her usual black nightgown, the other women dressed in a light green cardigan and beige pencil skirt.

Then I moved my attention to the three men standing on the right, the tallest man in a police uniform seemed extremely giddy for the weirdest reason.

The other man looked exactly like me; the same brown curls, same nose, same face shape and even the same brown eyes that my mother hated, the only thing differentiating us both was the lighter skin tone I had gained since my dad was supposedly black which looked like the man standing directly in front of me.

Trying to shift my focus from the man who could supposedly be my dad to the last man.

Now that I think about it, he and the police officer looked much more younger than the rest of the people at my door, he wore a grey slim suit that fitted his body perfectly and he had brown curly hair which instantly reminded me of Jacob.

Let's pray he's not like him.

His eyes were beautiful, mesmerising. I found myself swimming in them, but I was pulled out of my trance when a smirk tugged at his lips.

If you had stopped looking at him way earlier than this, then maybe he wouldn't catch you.

Your mother just died, and this is what you're doing?

Really Niara?

That thought completely notified me of the fact that these people were still waiting for me to say something, so I say the first thing that came to mind.

"How can I help you?" They looked at each other before 'my dad' responded with "could we come in?"

When they saw my confusion and hesitance, the police officer said "we think it'd be better if you sat down for this instead and it is very cold."

He seemed extremely nice and looked like he had no bad intentions so I let them in, one by one stepping in and looking around, when the blue-eyed guy had gotten in he looked at me for a moment, I avoided eye contact for as long as I could.

(A/N-which wasn't very long, was it?)

I looked up and found him looking at me with an emotion I couldn't quite decipher which annoyed me since I could always see a person's emotions through their eyes ever since I was young but with him nothing. Absolutely nothing.

I looked away flustered and saw that the other four had situated themselves on two of the broken-down sofas, I shut the door behind me without sparing him a glance and sat on the wobbly stool, so they all had space to sit.

"Xoàn, Êtes-vous assis ou la regardez-vous toute la journée ?" The policeman asked him to stop the intense stare I felt from behind me.

(Xoàn,are you going to sit or stare at her all day?)

Do they think I don't know French?

So, his name is Xoàn.

So, I'm assuming he's French.

Let's stick to pretending I don't know French then; it should be fun.

He looks at me again before walking up to me and simply saying "Get up."

My eyebrows furrowed in confusion but despite this I stood up and he sat on the stool I was previously sitting on and pointed at the space that everyone had left for him on the sofa, I mumbled a "thank you" before I sat in the spot.

Only then did I realize that the police officer, 'dad' and the lady in the skirt had gone leaving just me, Irene and Xoàn.

Will someone just explain what's going on?

I wanna sleep.

"You're probably wondering why we're all here, I'll explain so that we're all somehow on the same page" Irene started. "I heard a thud coming from upstairs, so I tried to open the door where I thought it was coming from, but it was locked so I called your dad since your mum had given me his contact a few weeks ago."

She was here?

Oh yeah she made cookies for us and was putting in the fridge but she probably wanted to make more food.

Typical Irene.

So, he is my dad.

"I was going to get you, so I knew you were safe, but your door was locked." Because I was scared a random guy would come in and touch me like every other night.

Xoàn looked at me as if he knew something and I had never been more scared of a person knowing my personal life.

Irene didn't seem to notice as she just continued "Your dad's name is Michael and Xoàn over here is your dad's boss, the police officer, André, is Xoàn's brother and lastly the lady, Lydia, is my daughter who is a social worker."

How can he be my dad's boss but be so young?

I didn't know Irene had a child than to talk of a daughter.

Once I heard the words "social worker", I had mixed feelings, even though my mum had done the most unforgiveable things she was still my mother and I still loved her but at the same time I felt happy knowing I was finally leaving this prison of a home, but then I started thinking.

My dad can't get custody of me, he's here temporarily and I have to finish sixth form.

There's still many of my mum's boyfriends they could get custody, probably Jacob.

But even worst auntie Gracie.

If you think that my mum is bad then you should get ready for auntie Gracie, she's way way worse.

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1,033 words

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Hi guys,
This chapter took me like 2 days which in my dictionary is a long time and I was so scared to publish this chapter because I really don't know how to write speech but I tried anyway.

There are more characters and I feel a bit overwhelmed but there will be more.

What do you think of the characters so far?

Who's your favourite?