It looked like a fairly normal house to him. Bigger than a home but a lot smaller than a hospital, it seemed to him like just a big villa. He’d expected a big grey formal building, almost believing there’d be guards waiting to do a thourough bodysearch, but it didn’t look like it. It was a brick building with a small porch and a kind of front lawn, with white lacey curtains hanging by the windowframes and flowerbeds around that someone was taking very good care of. He clung tight to Beka’s bag, hoping they wouldn’t ask to go through it. He knew she was a bit touchy about her things and had felt a bit strange going through her drawers to get clothes. Especially her underwear drawers, but luckily she seemed to be into rather plain underwear and he hadn’t found anything there that was especially embarrassing. Just very small, which still make his stomach and eyes feel funny. Weird, how he couldn’t get used to it. Shaking his head and reminding himself why he was there, he took a few determined, if very trembling, steps towards the door. Lifting his hand and hesitating for a moment, he never got a chance to knock before the door flew open in front of him. Facing him was a middle-aged, round woman with a big smile on her face.
“Hello luv,” she said in a strong cockney accent, “yer’ here te see the new girl, ain’t ya?” Her cheerfulness rubbed off on him and he started to feel a bit calmer.
“Yes…Beka Valentine?”
“Oh yeah, saw her this mornin’, innit? Come in luv, sit down ‘ere, ‘ave a cuppa.” Before he could even blink, he was sitting on a chair with a cup of steaming hot tea in front of him. He looked up at the woman who was now sitting down opposite him. “She ain’t a very happy bird now, is she? I’m Liz by the way, and you are?”
“Harper.”
“Ah, well that’s nice, innit luv? Wait ‘ere, and I’ll ‘ave a look if she’s feelin’ any better, shan’t I?”
“Is she…what’s wrong?” Liz glanced back at him, still managing to look cheerful considering the serious tone of her voice.
“She was quite distraught when she got here, ya see ma’ darlin’. Quite common really, nothing te worry yer lil’ pretty head about.”
“So…she gonna be ok?”
“Ah, yes darlin’, she’ll get used to it, won’t she, they always do. Now ye just sit on yer lil’ bum and I’ll go see how she’s feelin’.” He nodded and watched as she energetically bounced up the stairs.
****
As she heard the knock on the door, Beka put the pillow over her head, blocking out the sounds. She didn’t want to talk to anyone. She was still trying to get her head around the fact they’d sent her away from them, that they didn’t want her anymore.
“Beka? Ye there, darlin’?” She heard the muffled voice through the pillow and groaned. Of course she was there. Where the hell else would she be? She ignored the continued knockings and decided to crawl under the covers and hide. Maybe it was childish and not what she usually did, but it made her feel a bit better. Safe. Hidden. At least she could pretend.
“Go away,” she moaned. The door opened and she felt a weight settling next to her on the bedside. She thought refusing to move over to make room would make a pretty good statement that she wanted to be alone, but either it fell on deaf ears or her will was being ignored. Either way, it wasn’t pleasant.
“Yer mate is ‘ere te see ya.” She groaned in reply. “He brought yer stuff wiv’im.”
“I could have got it myself you know.”
“I know that, luv, but ye know, we had te get ya ‘ere straight away, innit?”
“You didn’t ‘have to’ do anything. Anyway, I don’t want to see anyone.”
“‘e really seems concerned ‘bout ya.”
“I do have the right to decide if I want to see people or not, don’t I?”
“Course, luv, but I’m just sayin’…”
“Maybe later, all right? Another time.”
“All right then luv, but ye know, they’re only doin’ this for yer own good.” She didn’t answer and Liz eventually gave up and left the room.
****
He looked up at her as she came back.
“No?” She shook her head.
“Don’t wanna see no one, she does. Don’t take it personally, ya know luv. Girl’s jest upset.” He sighed.
“I know. Will you give her the bag?” He handed the small suitcase over to the older woman who grabbed it with a steady hand.
“Course darlin’. Ye come back tomorrow or summin, see if she feels better then. I think Mr Harrison, the manager, wanted to speak to ye all anyway.” He nodded meekly, just wishing to leave now. The adrenaline from the stress had left him and he was just left feeling…very, very sad. Drained. All he wanted to do was hide somewhere he could forget about everything. She saw the look on his face and went quiet, nodding at him sympathetically.
He turned and left, using all the strength he could muster not to look back.
