Episode 8 – Deep
Emotions
– Alex confided in Judi about his suspicions regarding Jenna and Grant.
– Divine lied to the police.
– Cleo and Leo kissed, but she later told him about an attempted rape.
– Gabe told Chardonnay that he was adopted.
– Nate received a threatening text message.
Wednesday,25th December
2002
“Just after my eighteenth birthday I found out
that I was adopted”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Chardonnay asked softly, moving closer to Gabe.
“I don’t know. I thought they had always loved
me, but they didn’t. I was never like the others and ran away after finding out.
I haven’t spoken to them since”
***
“Mom, I thought that you weren’t coming”
“Well I am here now. Sorry I am late, important
things came up at the hospital” Judi
said smiling at her daughter. Kayla
turned after hearing Nate
behind her.
“Kayla, come here I want to show you something”
“What is it?” she asked.
“Look” he said handing her the phone. She looked
at the message.
Merry Xmas Nate :) it cud b ur last
“I thought they had stopped”
“So did I”
“Well we don’t know if they are related or not
do we?”
“I suppose not” Nate said with a sigh. He felt
sick inside at the thought of the messages.
“Who would want to hurt me?” he wondered.
***
Cleo lay down on her bed.
“Let me in Cleo” her aunt shouted. Cleo did not
reply. She just lay there – thinking. The attempted rape, the kiss with Leo,
everything. It all went white as she fell asleep.
“She is not responding, you don’t think she is
going to harm herself do you?” Camille
asked. She looked at Russell
for reassurance.
“Why would she hurt herself? She is just doing
this to annoy you and it is having the desired effect. Sit down and wait until
she is ready to talk”
“Okay” Camille said sitting down. “Bringing up a
teenager isn’t as much fun as it seems” she thought.
Russell sighed. Ever since the night at the
party, he had been thinking about Judi
more than anything else. He wanted her, but he was stuck with Camille and Cleo.
***
“Are you okay?” Chardonnay asked.
“Yes I am fine” Gabe
replied.
“You have nothing to be ashamed of. Loads of
people are adopted”
“I know”
“Have you ever thought about finding your real
parents?”
“No, and I don’t think I will either. I love you
and I don’t need them. They don’t want me”
“Maybe they did want to keep you, but couldn’t”
“What could have stopped them? They had the
choice but they didn’t take me”
“I don’t know but maybe they could be at the
wedding” Chardonnay said.
“I don’t think so” Gabe said, creating an
awkward silence.
“So about the wedding,” Gabe began at last,
“when should we have it?”
“You want us to set a date?”
“Yes, I do”
“Preparing your vows already?” she joked.
“So any particular date in mind?”
“Well,” Chardonnay hesitated, “Valentines Day
would be too close and we wouldn’t have enough time would we?”
“No, probably not”
“Maybe sometime in April or May? May would be
the summer so that would be fun”
Gabe smiled. “May it is then”
***
Camille turned as she heard the lock of the door open. She looked at Russell
before getting up and walking to the door, which she pushed open. Taking a deep
breath Camille went inside. She was more relaxed than she usually was around Cleo,
guessing that her niece felt that no one wanted her.
“What is the matter Cleo?” Camille asked.
“Nothing, just go away” Cleo answered , without
looking up from the pillow. She regretted opening the door now. This was going
to be harder than she had imagined, but Leo
had forced her into making a choice between who would tell Camille.
“You think your mother doesn’t love you because
she isn’t here now trying to get you back and that I don’t want you either
because of what you heard me say earlier. That is it isn’t it?”
Cleo didn’t respond. She buried her face deeper
in the pillow. Camille couldn’t see the tears which were strolling down Cleo’s
cheek’s onto the pillow. Camille put her hand on her niece’s hand, but Cleo
pulled away feeling uncomfortable.
“Tell me what is wrong, please” Camille pleaded.
Cleo began to move. She turned to Camille and
looked up at her aunt.
“I know that mum loves me it is Kelvin that is
the problem” Cleo started.
“What is it? I know he is a little more strict than
the rest of your mum’s boyfriends but…”
“It isn’t that well it is sort of. He hits her,
that is why I ran away”
“He hits her, your mother?”
“Yes, he hits my mum and me. He hit her the day
after the wedding. I could see the bruises. He has been doing it for months and
started hitting me”
“And why doesn’t she leave like you did?”
“Mum tried to leave but he caught us and did
this to me” Cleo said as she pulled up her top. Camille felt sick as she
watched Cleo tenderly rub the wounds from a cigarette which had been put out on
her. The burns were terrible.
“He did worse to mum. When he was distracted I
managed to get out and tried to raise the alarm. I called the police and they
came around. Mum wouldn’t tell them what he had done and I decided to run away.
There is nothing I or you can do is there?”
“I don’t know, but I will try my best to get her
away from that man”
Camille hugged her niece, holding Cleo close.
Cleo cried, as she remembered the things which she hadn’t told her aunt.
Continue with
Episode 9 – New Year, New Beginnings