A Guide to Finding Fathers (A One Direction FanFiction)

Chapter 7

True to her word, Eleanor was waiting outside the flats when I got home. I rolled my eyes playfully and brought her up so I could get changed and finally use my Wednesday bag on an actual Wednesday again. She kept glancing at all the pictures on the walls, studying my mum with a strange frown on her face.

'What's wrong?' Eleanor jumped when I spoke in her ear.

'Your mum just looks familiar, that's all.' I shrugged and we went back down to her car.

I thought she'd just take me to the high street, but at the end of the road she turned right instead.

'Where are we going?'

'Over Oakland way, is that okay?'

'Why that way? Isn't that really expensive?'

'Maybe...'

'Eleanor! I haven't got that much money!' She ignored me and carried on out of Laburnum and into Oakland. The houses were bigger here, and fancier, and the cars match Eleanor's: sleek sports hydros. I sat back in my seat and stared at all the expensive things. What was Eleanor thinking, taking me here? I didn't belong in a place like this. I was a little part-time alley cat with a mum who worked full time to scrape by. These people looked like they spent a couple of hours at the office, made thousands and relaxed in huge gardens. Now that I thought about it, I suddenly wondered what Eleanor did for a living. Moongate was bigger and fancier than all these and yet she and her partner had still bought it. I horrible thought suddenly formed.

'Eleanor, you're not planning on buying this for me, are you?' Eleanor didn't answer. 'Eleanor, you don't have to do that! I'm fine with what I have!' She still ignored me and pulled into a parking space. She got out.

'Theo. Theo. Come on!' I sulked but got out of the car and she dragged me off to the centre.

We went into shop after shop and I tried dress after dress and outfit after outfit. I would have been happy with the first one but apparently it wasn't good enough for Eleanor. In fact, I would have been happy with any of them, but none seemed to catch Eleanor's eye. Then we went into a huge shop with a big, fancy sign above the door that read Vintage Vogue in swirling, looping letters. Even the sign looked like it was worth millions. I swallowed and followed Eleanor in.

'This, and this, ooh and that one too, oh and Theo grab that one as well.' Eleanor grabbed a whole armful of things, then dumped them in my arms and gently pushed my into the changing rooms. I tried on the first one. It was a flouncy pink thing that looked like a fairy had thrown up on me and to top it all, I couldn't move in it either. I waddled out to show Eleanor, who made a face. I nodded in agreement and hurried to take the ghastly thing off. Next was a little dress with a tartan skirt and a sparkly top with a black bow around the middle. It was quite nice and I liked it but Eleanor still made me go and try on the others. The next one was a black tee with red and white writing on it that said 'Love is all you need'. It had a triangle of tartan at the back and Eleanor had put red jeans with it. I liked this outfit as well, but still Eleanor made me try on the others. Next was a horrible sailor dress that was way too costume-y and finally I tried on the last one, a red dress with only one sleeve that I thought was way too fancy, but Eleanor had told me to put black tights and a black leather jacket with it. Finally she was satisfied and told me to go wait in the car. I narrowed my eyes but did as she told me to.

She came back out with two big bags.

'Eleanor!'

'I got the first dress, the top and jeans and the last dress, for special occasions.' I opened my mouth to protest, then sighed in defeat. It hurt my pride but I knew I wasn't going to win so I had to attempt to swallow it and deal with it. Eleanor looked over at me with a smug smile.

'Don't go getting a big head, I'm only letting it go because you won't.'

'I win!'

'No you don't!'

'Yes I do!'

'You don't!'

'Do!'

'Don't.'

'Do.'

'Red!'

'Wha- oh.'

Eleanor stopped at the red just in time.

'By the way, I won that,' I said. She protested and we had another play argument while we waited for the red to change. Soon we were driving again and she took me up to Fantasy. I danced into the shop and found Genie.

'It worked! I love you so much! Thank you! I don't think I'm going to have a problem with Marian again.' Genie beamed.

'That's excellent! Come in and have some cake.' Eleanor hung back and watched us. Genie beckoned her in and she smiled. We sat around Genie's flat and the old lady handed out slices of iced sponge on dainty china. I always thought her plates fit her perfectly: delicate, and a little bit magical. When I first met her, I used to tell her that the little pictures on them moved when we weren't looking, and I tried to show her proof. She told Eleanor about this now.

'What were you doing out alone at eight?'

'Mum's job was really full on and I was bored, so I stole the house keys and went out alone. It was quite fun and now nearly everyone around here knows me.'

Eleanor hummed and had another gulp of t.

'Isn't that dangerous?'

'No,' I said, not very convincingly. She gave me a look. 'Not deadly, anyway,' I muttered. Luckily, I don't think she heard and I was spared further interrogation.

Eventually Eleanor decided she had to go and offered me a ride home. I accepted it, quickly buying a new book from Genie (You Only Live Forever, one about vampires or something similar) and running out to jump into the hydrocar. I really liked Eleanor's car. We just had a little 'lectric that I never got to use anyway because I couldn't drive and Mum was always at work or sleeping.

'How much does a car like this cost?'

'A little over a quarter of a mill.' I gaped. Ours had cost about 10 thou and even that was a stretch, one only overlooked because of the necessity of a vehicle to get Mum to work when she first got the nurse job. I couldn't imagine how anyone could afford a car that much, but then again, Eleanor had moved into the Moongate mansion and the stars know how much that cost.

Thinking of the property made me think of the house-warming party. It was in three days, on Friday night and I was exited but a little bit apprehensive. I would only know three people there. Eleanor reminded me of it when I got out.

'I'm really busy for the rest of the wee, so I probably won't see you until then, but either one of the twins or myself will come and pick you up at six.'

When I got upstairs I pulled my dress out of the wardrobe and hung it on my door, impaling a slip of paper on the hanger.

Six o'clock=Party time!

Word Count: 1267