Under One Condition

Chapter Four - She's trouble

I was still half in shock on Friday when my parents came home. I was lying on my bed in my pyjamas when I heard three knocks on the door.

‘Rachelle?’ I didn’t answer. ‘RACHELLE!’

‘Uh I’m coming!’ I literally rolled off the side of my bed and cracked my back as I got up and stretched. I dawdled to the door, noticing that Tyler wasn’t home. I knew that the moment I opened the door I would be squeezed with hug that never fails to cut of my air supply. As I opened the door I breathed deeply and prepared myself for the squeeze.

‘Ahhhh! RACHELLE, I MISSED YOU!’ She dropped all her stuff and cuddled me.

‘Hi Mum,’ I looked behind her, ‘hi dad.’ He waved and smiled.

After they made they’re way in I decided I would crack the question they were both dreading. My mum made breakfast and my dad hid himself in their room. Apparently he was ‘cleaning’, but that was impossible because he never did that.

‘So mum …’

‘Do you want your eggs sunny side up?’

‘Yes but mum …’

‘Okay! Coming right up.’ She cracked the eggs and put them in the pan. 

‘MUM!’

‘Honey, just let me cook the breakfast first.’ After what felt like a long time of waiting and sizzling before the eggs came out in front of me.

‘Mum I really …’

‘Eat.’ She walked away before I could say anything else. I decided that she probably was discussing what to say with my dad. I quickly ate my egg and cereal, then I ran to their room.

I opened the door and immediately they stopped talking.

‘I really don’t mind that much that I’m adopted okay? I just want you to answer something really important and then we can talk about everything else later.’ There was a slight pause and I could hear my dad swallow.

‘Okay?’ I told them about the photo that was sent around the school and they looked horrified until they heard that it wasn’t me.

‘Well, you remember how I told you that you had a sister?’

‘Yeah.’

‘She looks almost identical to you.’

‘Are you serious?’

‘Yeah.’

After a bit of talking about her I got her address, well as long as she hasn’t moved. My mum seemed certain that she hasn’t. I called Jonathan but it went straight to voicemail so I decided to go by myself. I called a cab, waited for ages on my front doorstep and then gave him the address. The house was a little shabby and well, dirty – ish but I didn’t really care. I knocked on the door and waited.

‘Hello?’ I heard a few bangs and a grunt then the door opened.

‘What?’ It was a man’s voice. ‘Oh, Felicity it’s ‘bout time you came home.’

‘No, I’m not Felicity.’

‘Don’t joke ‘round.’

‘No I’m Rachelle.’ There was a pause, the man opened the door and looked at me.

‘Yeah, you ain’t Felicity, you ain’t got that lil’ mole on the side of your eye.’

‘Right.’

‘You want to come in?’

‘Uh sure.’ He held the door opened as I entered cautiously.

‘It’s a lil’ dirty, sorry ‘bout that.’ I laughed a nervous laugh.