bound to happen | complete

chapter seventeen | you havent

M E L A N I E L E I G H T O N

THE SOUND OF the TV playing in the background of my room fills the silence of my concentration as I attempt to paint my nails.

My room smells of nail polish but that doesn't stop me from doing it, just a little bit dizzy as I do.

It's been around three months since I've moved to Cwmllyn, and it's been the weirdest, yet best, three months of my life. It's also been a couple of weeks since that night. With Carter.

I haven't spoken to him much since then, the odd group conversation or something in school, a glance or a smile between us as we pass in the halls.

Nothing more than that. For some reason I've wanted more than that. I've wanted him to stop me in the halls and ask me how my day was, or even just a hello.

But no, glances and smiles is all I get.

Although being the middle of the day on a Saturday, not much is going on within my house today, that is of course until I hear my name being called up the stairs, asking me to come down.

Finishing off the last coat on my pinky nail, I close the bottle up and put it on my side table. Carefully watching to make sure I don't move the wet polish as I fix my clothes up and get down stairs.

The house is as noisy as it can be. The sounds of balls bouncing, TV's blaring and kids arguing fills the walls, but I ignore everything and make my way into the kitchen.

As I do, I'm met with both my parents, Ben, Troy, Owen and Seren all sat around the kitchen table. Oh fuck. Who died?

Carefully I take a seat next to Seren at the table, watching both of my parents faces to see if there's anything on them that gives anything away.

Of course there isn't, because those pair never give anything away.

"What's up?" I ask, leaning over to the table and leaning into my closed fist.

"Your father has some news." Mam smiles around us and the five of us kids look at each other.

"You better not make us move again, Dad." Troy looks at him, shaking his head. "I actually like it here."

I nod my head, agreeing with him. God, please don't make us move. I have friends here, real friends, who like me for me and have no clue who my father is.

Some people may think is weird how nervous I am for my friends to find out about my father, but when you grow up with everyone wanting to be friends with you, to know your dad, when you have something to yourself, you want to keep it.

"No, no. Nothing like that." Dad speaks for the first time, he has piles of papers in his hand, he flicks through them, picking out a pink paper, laying it flat on the table and pushing it over to us.

When no one moves for it, I do. Leaning fully over the table to grab the paper, and then laying it flat in front of me. Carefully reading over it, there's a whole load of names and terms and conditions that I don't really read, focusing on the parts that will give me answers to whatever game he's playing.

It's towards the never end of the page I find out what he's planning. Rather, what he's done.

Coach Assistant : Job Application
Applicants Name : Mr Gareth M. Leighton.
Place of Work : Cwmllyn High School

Application Accepted.

No way. No fucking way.

Are you actually joking me? The one thing we had to ourselves!