❝genetics (pronounced dʒɪˈnɛtɪks or juh-net-iks), noun
the science of heredity, dealing with resemblances and differences of related organisms resulting from the interaction of their genes and the environment.❞
Drew opened his eyes blearily, hearing his phone ringing under his pillow. He pulled it out, and sure enough, it was Elle calling. He always left his phone's ringtone at its loudest before he went to bed. She thought he just stayed up, but he just cared about her too much to leave her alone when she needed someone. He picked up, trying to sound as awake as he could. "Hello?"
"Hey," she breathed. "I'm sorry, I know it's late-"
"Don't worry, darling," he said. "I was just reading."
"What were you reading?"
"Erm..." His eyes searched around his room, before falling on a book. "A Clash of Kings, from A Song Of Ice and Fire."
"Right. Is it any good?"
"Yeah, it's pretty good. Is everything okay, cookie?"
She took a deep breath. "We're meeting Eva Porter today, in California. I found her Twitter, and she's checked into this one cafe every week on Sunday. We're hoping she'll be there today, too."
"Oh. That's good."
"Yeah, which means we can hold a performance and she'll likely be there. She's tweeted him a few times, meaning she's a fan at least."
"Right, right," he said quietly, moving through the house and going outside, sitting in the tire swing in his backyard. "How are you, though?"
"Me?" She sighed. "I'm, well... I dunno."
"Bruises?"
"Coming along nicely. I've got at least ten, now."
"Not funny, Ellie."
"It's the only way I'm staying sane."
"Any other symptoms?"
"I've been really sore all over, and I keep getting fevers. Pa's starting to notice, I've been playing it off-"
"Elle, I don't think this is a good idea anymore," said Drew, feeling his blood run cold. "The more you prolong the treatment, the harder it'll be to cure."
"It's gonna be okay," she said, trying to convince herself more than him. "I'll be okay."
"Please, just tell Hunter-"
"Tell him what?" she said. "We've got to find her. We've got to find my family.
"If you get sick, Ellie, if I lose you-"
"You won't lose me," she said.
"You can't guarantee that. Please, I'm begging you."
"I can't, Drew, I can't!" she said, before he heard her choking up.
"No, cookie," he said softly. "Don't cry."
"I can't stop looking, Drew, we're so close, I can feel it."
"Who are you looking for next?"
"I think... I think this might be her."
"Wh- you mean, you think this is it? You've found her?"
"Eva Porter. I'll send you a link to her Facebook, you'll see."
He quickly went back inside, grabbing his laptop and walking out again. He saw the message and looked at her. "Wow."
"Yeah, do you see it? Auburn hair, that could be a sort of mix of blonde and red. Her eyes are blue, like Pa's, she's got a similar facial structure to Lilly-"
"So you think it'll be over soon?"
"I think it'll be over today."
"Today?"
"We'll meet her today. And even if I can't, I have a feeling Pa knows more than he's letting on."
"What do you mean?"
"He's just... he knows. He'll know when it's really her."
He nodded slightly. "Right. Do you promise, though, if it's her today, you'll tell him?"
"I-"
"Elle, I'm not going to risk losing you," he said sharply. "Pinky promise."
She took a deep breath. "I pinky promise, then. I pinky promise I'll tell him tonight."
"Good girl." He smiled. "I love you, darling. Take care, okay? Go back to bed. You'll be tired."
"Alright. I love you, too."
"I'll see you soon." He hung up, and sighed, looking at his phone. Elle was only getting sicker. He just prayed it wasn't too late.
<><><><><><><><>
The moment Elle woke up the next morning, she knew she couldn't go on like this. Her body ached. Her makeup only did so much to hide how sallow her skin was, and she could sense that her fever was high. Her head was aching, but what could she do? One more day, she just had to stick it out one more day.
She walked into the kitchen of the bus, where her tea was waiting for her. Hunter was on his laptop, scrolling through his emails and news. He mumbled a good morning to her, and she responded the same way, taking a sip of her tea and trying not to clue him into the fact that she was shaking terribly.
It had been a month since she had found the first bruise, and sure enough, there were more. She was more than afraid- she was dreading the hospital, dreading the chemotherapy she had endured for so long. It had been so degrading, so painful... she wasn't ready to go back.
"So, we're meeting Eva Porter today?"
"Most likely. As far as I can tell from her Twitter and Facebook, she always goes to this cafe for lunch with her friends on Sunday afternoon."
Hunter frowned. "You okay?"
"I'm fine," she said quickly, taking a sip of her tea. "I've never been better."
"Right." He looked back at his laptop, and Elle quietly sighed in relief.
They left the bus and began driving. "Right, so we're just-"
"Gonna have a peaceful lunch," said Hunter. "She'll probably notice us. And if she doesn't..."
"She will. She's a fan of yours. And even if she's not, her friend, Dani, is."
"Dani?"
"She's got a Tumblr dedicated to you, she's got a link to it on her Facebook page. She and Eva tag each other in stuff all the time, and she's at the cafe the same day Eva is. So, I'm hoping this works out."
"If it doesn't?"
"We'll have another competition for her and a friend. She'll win, and then she'll meet us. I dunno. We'll cross that bridge when we get to it."
"Okay."
They ventured into the cafe, and Hunter ordered a coffee and a milkshake, for Elle. She could sense that her whole world was spinning, and she breathed deeply. Just a small while longer, just a small while longer.
"Is that her?" asked Hunter, pointing at a girl sitting at another table.
"No. She's got auburn hair, purple at the tips. She's a bit on the big side, she's got a nose piercing, doesn't wear much makeup."
"You've got this down to a science, huh?" he said. She chuckled, looking down at the placemat.
They didn't speak, until Hunter spoke. "I've decided we're going back for Ma's birthday."
Her head snapped up. "What?"
"That way I'll find out what's going on, and I'll get to see her again." He sighed. "I've missed her like crazy."
Her whole world was crashing. If he went back, then he'd know what was wrong with Ma...
But it was almost over, wasn't it? All she had to do was survive through it, and it'd be okay. Right?
"I know you're not telling me what's wrong because you're scared I'll stop the tour over it," he said softly. "It's the same reason she won't tell me either. But I pinky promise, I won't stop the tour unless it all goes wrong."
She hesitated. "I..."
"Please," he breathed.
"I may as well tell you."
He leaned forward. "Yes?"
"Ma... Ma's-"
The bell at the door rang, signalling a new customer, and in walked Eva Porter. Dani Jolly was behind her, and they sat together at the window seat before Eva stood up to order.
"That's her," breathed Elle.
Hunter looked at her for a long time. Was this it? Was Eva Porter his real daughter? Had it all come down to a girl with auburn hair, a mix of his and Lilly's hair? A girl with blue eyes, and Lilly's jawline?
"I'll go and order a cookie," said Elle, standing. "They'll notice-"
"I will," said Hunter. "They'll definitely notice me, even if not you."
"Good point." She smiled slightly. "Good luck, Pa."
"Thanks." He went to the line, and Eva looked around at him, before recognising him.
"Wait- you're Hunter Hayes!"
He smiled. "Hi!"
"I- wait, my friend is a huge fan. Dani!"
The girl glanced up, and gasped loudly. "Are you actually-!"
"Hi! Dani, was it? And what's your name?" he asked Eva, as though he didn't already know her first, middle and last name.
"Eva Porter," she said.
"Nice to meet you, Eva."
"Would you like to sit with us? My Instagram is totally gonna blow up!"
"Sure. Let me just get Elle." He called her over. "Ellie?"
She stood up and walked over, smiling at the two girls. "Hi! Are you two fans?"
"Oh my God, you're Elle! Hi!" said Dani.
"You're not his actual daughter, are you? At least, that's what the news said." Eva stared at Elle pointedly, and made her blush an angry red.
"N-No-"
"But that's okay," said Hunter, wrapping an arm around Elle's shoulders and squeezing, telling her without words to calm down. "She's still my daughter in my heart."
"Sure. Anyway, let's sit down."
Elle's milkshake arrived, and Eva and Dani had both ordered a warm drink of some sort. Hunter sipped at his coffee and looked at the two girls. "So, do you come here often?"
"Yeah, every week! It's the best cafe, you picked well!" Dani smiled brightly, and she hadn't seemed to realise that she had turned a bright shade of pink.
"Don't you drink coffee?" asked Eva, slightly obnoxiously, and Elle glanced at her.
"No thanks, I like not being addicted to a drug," she said coolly.
"I thought you were found in possession of weed?"
"It wasn't mine."
"So!" said Hunter, trying to diffuse the tension. "You two live around here? What's it like?"
"It's usually not this cold," said Dani, realising that Hunter was trying to make everyone less angry. "Erm, yeah, it's been... cold... lately."
"Wow. You meet your idol and you're talking about the weather?" said Eva, laughing and flicking her hair over one shoulder. Elle felt annoyed by this already, and it had barely been five minutes. Eva reminded her too much of Felicia. Though Dani laughed, Elle could tell that Eva was laughing at her, not with her.
"I've lived here my whole life," said Eva, in almost a bragging tone, and she leaned forward on the table, clasping her hands together. Elle stared at her hands, and something clicked in her mind, but she didn't say anything yet. But she glanced at Hunter's hands, too, which were also clasped on the table. She remembered something Drew had taught her...
"Really? Born here?"
"Nah, Nashville. Mom and Dad were on a business trip at the time, and they had to go to Nashville when I was born."
"That's interesting. And you, Dani?"
"Born and raised in good ol' Cali," she said, smiling.
Hunter kept chatting to her, and Eva smiled at Elle, though there was something extremely fake about it. "So, you're not his kid, right? Who is?"
"What do you mean?"
"Lilly was pregnant, right? And if she was pregnant, there has to be another kid. One that isn't you."
She shrugged. "I don't know how it all went down."
"Were you adopted?"
"None of your business."
"Someone's let the fame get to their heads."
"How so?" snarled Elle, feeling her fists curl up under the table.
"What does it matter? Just spill the damn beans. You obviously know-"
"And I'm obviously not going to tell some nobody that I just met," she said coldly. "Pa, come on, let's get going. The band will be waiting."
"Right, yeah. Well, it was great to meet you!"
"You too! Thank you so much for having coffee with us!"
Elle took Hunter out of the cafe. "Hey, hey, what's the rush?"
"Eva pisses me off."
"Did you get to talk to her?"
"Yeah, I did. It's not her."
"What?!"
"Let me explain when we get inside. I'll need to check some stuff first, but then I think I'll be okay to show you. Okay?"
"Um... sure."
<><><><><><><><>
"So, this is something Drew taught me. Ready for your first biology lesson in twenty years?"
He frowned. "I'm... not following."
"Okay, well, now you'll have to start following. Clasp your hands."
"What?"
"Did I stutter?"
He looked confused, but did so. "See? Your right hand goes over your left."
"Erm... what?"
"That right there, that's a recessive thing. Most people, like me, put their left hand over their right. That's the dominant gene."
"Okay. What does that have to do with anything?"
She brought out a notepad, and drew a graph on it, three by three. "Do you, by any chance, remember how Lilly clasped her hands?"
He blinked. "Uh... no."
"Okay, well, I looked at some pictures. Just as I thought, she does her hands right over left as well. So do her parents, meaning that she has no way of carrying the gene. Aunt Rose does it, too. I took a look at some other photos, and so do Grandpa Leo and Grandma Lyn."
"How did you find all these photos of her parents?"
"They own a big company, right? Crawfish?"
"Yes, that's right," he said, remembering. "They did."
"Anyway, that means that you and Lilly are both recessive- two lower case r's." She drew four 'r's in each of the squares of the graph, leaving the top left hand corner blank. "Now, see how if you put these together, the only thing it can be is 'rr'?"
"Yes, but... why?"
"It's a little hard to get. But it's because your parents and Lilly's parents both have the recessive gene. Basically, it's impossible for your child to clasp their hands left over right. Try it now."
He did so, and if felt uncomfortable. "That's weird."
"Exactly." She laughed slightly, though her head was beginning to ache. "Well, it took a while for Drew to explain it to me as well. But basically, Eva can't be yours and Lilly's daughter, because she has to naturally clasp her hands right over left- which she didn't." She put the pen down and leaned back in her chair. "Science."
He chuckled. "So basically-"
"Your kid can't clasp their hands left over right. They'd have to do it right over left. Therefore, Eva Porter isn't your kid." She felt dizzy, and stood up, swaying. "I... um..."
He frowned. "Wait, Ellie? You look pale."
"I'm fine," she said quietly. "My... my head... hurts..."
And she collapsed.
*A/N: woop, there it is
VOTE, COMMENT AND FOLLOW!!!!!!!!!
Nethii <3*