The Fairytale Life of Doris McQueen [#1] ✓

SEVEN

Chapter 7

"Here's some money," Gemima handed a few notes to Doris. "Take a taxi, find the goodie house and meet me at the Eiffel Tower in, let me see, six hours?"

"Six hours?" Doris repeated. "Why? Where are you going? We can't waste time like this."

"For once, I agree with her," Adam added.

Gemima made an irritated face, "I am a young woman-"

Adam scoffed.

Gemima ignored him, "I am a young woman and young women have other things to do. You know, apart from baby-sitting two irritating teenagers who squabble on one hand and on the other steal glances at each other."

"Aunt!" Doris nearly shouted, embarrassment clearly showing on her face.

"Fine, fine. Now you go do your work and I do mine."

Adam asked coldly, "Which is?"

"Shopping, obviously," Gemima winked. "I can't stay in the same clothes forever, right?"

And just like that Gemima flew into the air.

"There's something very wrong about her," Adam commented.

"There's something wrong with you too but I'm putting up with you. Take inspiration from me." Doris knew that Gemima's behaviour was odd, spiralling from caring and helpful to selfish, mysterious and irritating but Gemima was family, lately known but just as important. She didn't want to hear anything against her family which consisted of only two people, especially by the likes of Adam who had perfect friends and family.

"You know her behaviour is wrong and the way she helps us is slightly fishy. She turned up right after Laurine kidnapped your father. She gave what seemed like a really precious coin to Laurine without even batting an eyelid. It was as if she already knew what Laurine wanted. She knows a lot but only gives away what she wants to. What does she wish to gain by all this?"

Doris caught hold of Adam's collar, "You seem pretty helpful too. You turn up minutes before my life goes into gaga-mode and then you hitch up a ride while I go mad trying to figure the deal. You can fight five guards and escape unscathed. Why don't you explain yourself before trying to paint Aunt Gemima in a dark picture?"

Adam pushed away Doris' hand, "Violence won't get you anywhere, Doris. Just because you have powers, doesn't mean you can boss me around. Stop being so overbearing."

"Me overbearing?" Doris said adamantly.

"Yes, you," Adam repeated. "I know you love fighting with me and creating a scene but can we please stop fighting and try to figure out how to get the goodie house that you wrote in your deal that got all of us in trouble."

Doris couldn't reply to that. She knew it was her fault. She had thought Adam was slightly getting better but he wasn't. He was getting worse. He knew exactly where to hit. Earlier their fights were always kind of playful. Both of them swinging sarcastic insults at each other and drawing back feeling good but this time, he had gone too far. He was being really mean.

What he said is actually true, a small voice whispered in her head. It was her fault, a fault that her six-year-old self had made and now her sixteen-year-old self had to suffer. Add Adam and his family to that too. One big mess with an end that didn't seem to appear at all.

They stopped by at an internet café where both of them took a computer each and began hunting for the exhibit. An hour passed in silence that was punctuated by fingers flying over the keyboard.