Kizzy fly by night.

Chapter 53

Chapter 53

Kizzy.

My heart is racing while I imagine all the different ways that I'm going to kill her if she's made up shit. I shove my key into the lock and it swings open easily. Benita is already sitting at the table with a copy of the paper in front of her. She looks up and I instantly know, "It's bad isn't it?"

She smiles nervously as Phoenix appears from the kitchen with two steaming coffees. He looks up, "Morning sis, sit down and I'll get you one."

I plonk myself down and grab the paper wincing at the bold headlines, 'Starlight Velvet and the Rosebud Monster.' There is a huge black-and-white picture of her crying her eyes out, I scoff, 'Please!' I start reading and with each sentence, I can feel my eyes growing darker. The only way I can explain is by comparing it to a thunderstorm in your brain. Sweat is trickling down my back as I read on...Lovers! like what? Rape...This is worse than I imagined, how the fuck did she think she was going to get away with this? I am so going to kill her...no doubt Dad will be laughing his head off, what a fucking numbskull bitch!

Benita places a comforting hand on mine while Phoenix hugs me. I brush him away as B exhales, "Look we're all going to stay calm yes? We'll stop take a minute and think about our next move...she'll end up being a laughing stock."

I stare straight ahead, she's ruined Soho for me...my very own patch, and she's ruined it. It's always been draped in darkness but now it's tainted in scandal and I'm at the very heart of it. I look down at my knuckles which have turned white my fingers are twitching making me wonder if I'm more like Dad than I thought. I'm amazed that B is so cool about it all but then again I guess she has the patter of tiny feet to think about...and Phoenix? Well, he seems to be doing a great job of trying to distance himself into believing... almost, that all of this is happening to someone else and will blow over.

I look outside and see that customers are already lining up and across the road, I see some dodgy-looking guys that look very much like photographers.

Benita stands up, "I'm not reading any more of this crap." She tosses the paper in the bin and goes to open up. When her back is turned I retrieve it, I don't intend to forget, I want to remember every sordid lie from her pencil lips. I imagine how Dad would deal with her and then hastily push the image away. No time for hero worship, he's just a man and a killer at that!

1.30 pm

Lunch is normally my favorite time of day, only today I feel as if I have a target on my back. I leave the shop and walk down the road glowing like a beacon. Everyone looks, everyone knows who I am...Jesus, I bet Star's lapping this up, I fucking hate it!

"How's your Dad?" yells someone.

"Is it true that you fucked your Father?" snarls someone else. I glare at him and he laughs.

"Are you getting back with Star?" asks Jen from one of the jeans stalls, all chummy like she's on my side.

This is getting ridiculous. I turn and run back to the cafe, "Benita!" She looks at me warily, "I want to tell my side." I can't believe I'm saying this.

After serving the customer she locks the door and sits, "Don't you think the best thing to do would be to stay quiet and wait for this to blow over...if we just give it time."

I shake my head, "I can't B, it's the humiliation, the fact that everyone thinks I was in a relationship with that skank...I just can't."

She squeezes my hand, all I want to do is squeeze Star's throat until she stops breathing. Both of us stare outside dazed and conflicted by the unwelcome fame.

Star.

She had the newspaper in her hand and allowed herself a secret smile. This had to be it surely! The photos weren't as bad as she'd imagined, she looked stunning, job well done. Who knows maybe an acting career would follow.

Later in the week, she was booked as a guest on Good Morning London. It was supposed to be a re-telling of the same old story but perhaps this time she would add a few twists.