‘What’s your name?’ I ask.
She hesitates, catching her teeth on her lower lip. ‘Don’t laugh,’ she says.
‘As if I would! You don’t laugh at me, and Sunset’s a very silly name.’
‘It’s Destiny. Destiny Williams.’
‘That’s – that’s a pretty name,’ I say. I don’t get it for a moment. Then, ‘You mean, Destiny like my dad’s song?’
‘You are my Dest-in-eee,’ she sings, raising her eyebrows. She’s got a strange, lovely voice, very deep and grown up.
Then we both giggle.
‘Imagine what it’s like for me at school. I don’t half get teased.’
‘Oh, I do too,’ I say, which is true, though there are lots of kids with odd names at Ridgemount House – Kester, Bambi, Starling, Plum, Primavera . . . ‘I hate school.’
‘Me too. But you don’t need to go to school, do you? Couldn’t you have, like, a private tutor, seeing as you’re so rich?’
‘I wish! Yes, a tutor that just teaches stuff like art and English.’
‘They’re my favourites too!’
‘It’s weird, we’ve got so much in common,’ I say.
‘We have, haven’t we!’ She sounds thrilled too. ‘We even look a bit alike, don’t we? Do you think?’
I’m not so sure. We’re both dark, I suppose, but she’s thinner than me and looks older and much prettier. I wish I did look like her.
‘Maybe we look a bit alike,’ I say.
‘Yes, we really do,’ she says, and she’s smiling all over her face now.
Then we hear someone calling, in a high, frightened voice.
‘Destiny! Destiny, where are you?’
‘Oh God, that’s my mum,’ says Destiny. She runs back through the trees towards the wall. ‘It’s OK, Mum, I’m here. I’m in the garden,’ she calls.
‘What? Whereabouts?’ She sounds frantic.
Destiny runs right up to the wall and tries to climb up it, but she can’t get a grip. She tries harder, but falls down, scraping her hands.
‘Don’t! You’re hurting yourself. Come to the gate,’ I say quickly. ‘Oh, your poor hands!’
‘It’s OK, only a graze. I’m tough as old boots, me,’ says Destiny. ‘Mum, can you hear? Sunset says to go to the gate.’
‘Sunset! You’ve met up with her at last!’ she calls from the other side.
‘You wanted to meet me?’ I say to Destiny.
She shrugs. ‘Perhaps my mum had better explain. She’ll tell it all to Danny.’
I swallow. How will she talk to my dad? He doesn’t talk to anyone he doesn’t know. You have to set up a special meeting with him via Rose-May, his manager – and then he mostly doesn’t turn up, not unless it’s for the media. And he doesn’t even talk to us in the morning. We’re not allowed to go near his bedroom before twelve, not even Sweetie.
I follow Destiny anxiously as she walks along beside the wall. She spots the swimming pool and raises her eyebrows. ‘You’ve got your own huge swimming pool!’ she says. ‘Oh my God, it’s guitar shaped. How cool is that!’
‘It’s a bit odd swimming in it with all those curvy edges,’ I say. ‘You can’t do proper laps.’
‘So you can swim OK then? I’m rubbish at it. I only went to our swimming baths once and someone pushed me under and the water went right up my nose, and I bawled my head off and wouldn’t ever go back. So, you can lie out in your loungers after a swim and get suntanned and drink piña coladas?’
‘Well, I don’t have proper cocktails. I have this thing called Over the Rainbow – it’s all different juices and lots of fruity bits.’
‘You really do have cocktails? You’re not joking me?’ Destiny shakes her head. Then she squints towards the house. ‘Sunset, your house is massive! It’s bigger than our entire block of flats. So which is your bedroom?’
‘That window up in the turret bit.’
‘Oh, that’s exactly the room I’d choose. It’s just like a fairy tale. Do you have to share it with Sweetie?’
‘No, but she comes into my bed sometimes. And Ace does too – not a good idea, because he sometimes wets it,’ I say.
She laughs. ‘I love all these things they leave out of Hi! Magazine,’ she says.
Then we get to the gate – and there’s Destiny’s mother, pressing against the iron railings. She’s smaller than I remembered, not much bigger than us. Her ponytail makes her look like a little girl, yet her face is lined and eerily pale, and her eyes are staring so. It’s hard not to feel a little frightened of her – but Destiny rushes up to her and squeezes her hands through the narrow bars and pats her mum’s thin shoulders.
‘I’m so sorry I worried you, Mum. It’s just you were so sound asleep and I thought I’d have a go at hitching myself up the wall to have a quick look and I spotted Sunset here, dancing in the garden—’
‘Making a fool of myself,’ I say. ‘How do you do, Mrs Williams.’
‘Hello, dear,’ she says softly. She looks from me to Destiny and back again, shaking her head. Tears start spilling down her cheeks.
‘Don’t cry, Mum!’ says Destiny.
‘It’s just I’m scared I’m still dreaming,’ she says, wiping her eyes quickly with her black-mittened fingers.
‘You come in and be part of the dream,’ says Destiny. She looks at me. ‘She can come in, can’t she?’
‘Yes, yes, of course,’ I say uncertainly.
Destiny tugs at the gate but it just rattles, not budging an inch. ‘Tell us the security code then, Sunset.’
‘I – I don’t really know it,’ I say.
‘You must know it, else how can you get into your own house?’ says Destiny, staring at me.
‘Well, the only time I’m out is when John or Claudia or Mum takes me in the car, and they just press this little zappy thing. But you can press another one indoors. I can go and press it now and the gate will open then,’ I gabble. ‘Stay there. I won’t be a minute, I promise.’
‘You will come back, won’t you?’ says Destiny sharply.
‘Destiny!’ says Mrs Williams, sounding shocked. ‘Don’t talk to Sunset like that!’
‘No, it’s all right. I promise I’ll come back,’ I say. I’ll be less than a minute, you’ll see.’
I turn and rush through the garden, round the swimming pool, past the flowerbeds and the play lawn with Sweetie’s Wendy House and the jungle gym and the trampoline, across the patio, then round the back to the kitchen door. I’m scared Margaret might be there, or Claudia having an early cup of coffee, but the kitchen’s completely empty, thank goodness. Maybe I can make Destiny and her mum a coffee, fix them some toast.
I won’t actually take them into the house. I could bring their breakfast out into the garden – we could all sit by the pool. Then I can try to explain that Dad won’t actually come and talk to them, but I could find them a Danny Kilman signed photo instead. I know where there’s a whole stack, and I could maybe find them a special-edition boxed set of CDs – they’d love that.
But first I’ve got to get the gate open. The control panel is in the hall and I’m not allowed to go near it, so my hand goes a bit trembly as I reach out and press the switch twice. I hope that’s it, that there isn’t another code. Then I rush back to the kitchen, fill the kettle, put it on to boil, go back out of the door, and charge into the garden.
It’s worked! The gate is wide open, and Destiny and her mum are standing just inside, holding hands.
‘There!’ I say. ‘Come right in. If you’d like to sit down by the swimming pool, I’ll fix you—’
‘Cocktails?’ Destiny interrupts, laughing.
‘I’ll fix you breakfast!’ I say.
‘It’s so kind of you. You’re such a nice girl, though we knew you would be, didn’t we, Destiny?’ says Mrs Williams.
‘Come this way then,’ I say, and lead them towards the pool.
But before they can sit down there’s shouting coming from the house, and then Mum comes speeding across
the garden in her grey Pineapple tracksuit.
‘Sunset? I was just going out for a run. What the hell are you doing?’ Then she sees Destiny and her mum and she gasps. ‘What are you two doing in my garden? Get out!’
‘No, Mum—’ I try to interrupt her but she won’t listen.
‘I’m giving you five seconds to get out of here!’ she says. ‘How dare you break in like this!’
‘They didn’t, Mum. It was me. I let them in. They were outside, sleeping on the pavement.’
‘Be quiet, Sunset. Go back into the house. Dear God, how could you be so stupid?’
‘Please, Suzy, don’t be cross with her, it’s not her fault,’ says Mrs Williams.
Mum flinches at being called Suzy by a stranger. ‘Will you just go, please. You’re trespassing on private property,’ she says. ‘Do you want me to call the police? I’ve had it up to here with you crazy fans.’
‘No, Suzy, you’re getting it all wrong. We’re fans, of course we are, but we’re much more than that. Now, if we could just have a word with Danny . . .’
‘Look, you saw him last night. I remember you two hanging around by the red carpet.’
‘But we didn’t get a chance to have a proper chat.’
‘Don’t be ridiculous! You can’t just come barging in here demanding to talk to my husband, acting like you know us.’
‘But we do know you,’ says Destiny’s mother. Her pale face shines and her strange staring eyes glitter. ‘You’re family.’ She turns to Destiny and puts her arm proudly round her shoulder. ‘This is Destiny – Danny’s daughter.’
I gasp. Destiny looks at me, biting her lips and blushing.
‘You’re dad’s daughter too?’ I whisper.
‘Yes, dear, she is. Don’t you see how alike you are? Oh, it’s wonderful to see you two sisters together!’ says Destiny’s mother, clapping her hands.
‘You’re talking total ludicrous rubbish!’ Mum shrieks. ‘Stop it!’ She raises her hand as if she’s actually going to slap Mrs Williams.
‘Don’t you dare hit my mum!’ Destiny says fiercely.
‘It’s all right, Suzy, I can see it’s a big shock having it sprung on you like this. But I promise you don’t have to worry. It was just before you and Danny got together. I’m sure he’d never be unfaithful to you. Any fool can see how happy he is with you, a devoted family man – and I’m so pleased for you, truly. I’ve got no illusions. I might still love my Danny to pieces but I know I don’t stand a chance with him now.’
‘Get out, you demented muckraker! What are you trying to do, blackmail us?’ Mum shrieks.
Destiny’s mum takes a step backwards, looking totally bewildered. ‘Of course not! I don’t mean any harm. I just thought it was time for the girls to get to know each other, seeing as there’s only six months between them – and Destiny needs to get to know her dad now, for all sorts of reasons.’
‘You’re completely crazy. She isn’t Danny’s child! You’ve never even met him!’
‘I met him when he did the Midnight gig. He came to Manchester nearly twelve years ago. I met him afterwards, in the private bar of the hotel. It was a whirlwind romance – just like his song, Destiny. He wrote it for me, I know he did.’
‘John! John, come here!’ Mum shouts. Then she marches forward, almost spitting with rage. She takes Destiny’s mother by the shoulders and pushes her hard. ‘Get off my property, you stupid sleazy groupie! Go away!’
‘Stop shoving my mum! Stop it!’ Destiny yells, trying to grab my mum’s hands.
Oh God, they’re all fighting. I can’t bear it. I don’t know what to do. Should I help my mum – or Destiny and her mum? Is it really true? Is Destiny my half-sister?’
Then John comes running, and he seizes Destiny with one big burly arm and her mother with the other, and he’s dragging them towards the gate.
‘That’s it, get rid of them! I’m going straight back into the house to phone the police, so I wouldn’t hang around if I were you,’ says Mum.
‘No! Please! Let me see Danny just for a few minutes. He’s got to meet his daughter.’ Destiny’s mum is begging.
‘She’s not his daughter! Stop talking such rubbish. Stop it! As if Danny would ever have anything to do with a slag like you!’ Mum shouts.
Destiny starts screaming stuff back at Mum, hitting and kicking John, but he’s got his arm right round her and she can’t get away. He’s dragged them almost to the gate – he’s hurting them, it’s so dreadful, and there’s nothing I can do.
‘Sunset! Sunset!’ Destiny’s mum is calling to me now. ‘You tell your dad. Please, please, ask him if he remembers me, Kate. Tell him about Destiny. Tell him to get in touch. She’ll need him—’
But then they’re through the gate, and John shoves them hard, so they both fall down.
‘Stop it! Please don’t hurt them!’ I whimper helplessly.
Mum takes hold of me and slaps me hard on the face. ‘How dare you let those creatures into the garden!’ she says. ‘Get to your room this minute.’
‘But they just wanted to see Dad, that’s all. Mum, is it true? Is she really my sister?’
‘Of course not! It’s just a stupid con trick to get money out of us. Don’t you dare ever mention it to your father. Now get to your room and stop that ugly blubbering. What do you look like!’
She pulls John’s fleece off me and drags me back into the house so fiercely she rips the sleeve off my teddy-bear pyjamas.
5
DESTINY
It takes us all day to get back home. The whole morning is taken up with hitching back to Euston Station. No one will stop for us, and then when this great fat guy in a white van gives us a lift he drives us the wrong way. We end up in a derelict factory site, and then he gets really leery and Mum and I are scared stiff. He gets hold of me, but Mum punches him right where it hurts most and then we jump out of the van and run like crazy. Thank goodness he’s built like a tub of lard on legs. He tries to chase after us but he can’t keep up.
Still, we’re properly lost now until some nice woman stops because Mum’s crying. We tell her about the creepy fat guy and she wants to take us to the police to report him, but we talk her out of it. She drives us to the main London road and we’re just starting to get out when she suddenly says, ‘No, get back in. I’m going to worry about you. I’ll take you up to town myself.’
We can’t believe she’s so kind, especially as it takes ages because we’re stuck in awful traffic jams.
‘I’m so sorry,’ Mum keeps saying.
The woman reaches over and pats Mum’s knee. ‘Come on, us girls have to stick together.’
She shares a Kit-Kat with us too, which is great, because we’re both starving by this time. She puts on a CD, and you’ll never guess who the singer is – Danny Kilman! Mum starts crying again when she hears the music. I hope she isn’t going to tell the woman everything because it was all so weird and horrible. I couldn’t stick that Suzy treating us like we were dirt. She didn’t even believe Mum.
That’s the worst bit. I’m not totally sure I believe her either. When we get to the station at long last there’s another battle to fight, because our tickets aren’t valid any more, but Mum’s still crying and the ticket collector relents and lets us through the gate. When we’re on our way I go to the toilet and have a good long stare at myself in the dingy mirror. I turn my head slowly from side to side, tilting it up and down. Do I look like Danny? We’re both dark, but that’s about it. Maybe I look a little like Sunset, but she’s all posh and glossy and talks like someone on the telly.
At least she was nice. Really friendly, and not a bit snobby. Thank God she’s not like her mum. I hate that Suzy. Danny should have stuck with Mum. If they were ever an item.
When we get back home at long long last there are two bills waiting on the doormat. Mum looks at them listlessly and then drops them on the carpet. She goes to the bathroom and is in there a long time.
I go to the door and knock. ‘Mum? Are
you OK?’
‘Mm? Yes, yes, I’m fine. Just a bit of a tummy upset – you know what I’m like. Can you put the kettle on for a cuppa, love?’
I go and start boiling, and then peer into the fridge to see if we’ve got anything to eat. There’s just a hard knob of old cheese and some soft tomatoes. I find the end of a loaf in the bread bin and cut it carefully in half. We can have cheese on toast with grilled tomatoes. I wish I could run out to the chippy. My mouth waters as I think of fish and chips, but I know Mum’s purse is empty.
I feel down the sides of the sofa and chairs and go through all our pockets and find a single penny, not even enough for one chip. It’ll have to be cheese on toast then. I make it carefully and lay it out on a tray.
Mum’s looking very pale.
‘Are you OK, Mum?’
‘Yes, I’m fine,’ she says quickly. She starts scurrying around, tidying.
‘Sit down, Mum. You look ever so tired. In fact, why don’t you go to bed? I could squeeze in beside you and we could both have tea in bed.’
‘Don’t be cross, darling, but I’m really not very hungry. I just don’t fancy anything right this minute.’
‘You’ve got to eat, Mum. Look how thin you’re getting.’
But she just sips at her tea and then wearily walks to her wardrobe, shuffling like an old lady. She pulls out a jumper, her tight skirt, those white heels . . .
‘Mum? What are you doing? What are you getting dressed for?’
‘I’m going to work, sweetheart.’
‘But you’re absolutely knackered! You can’t go to the pub!’
‘I’m fine,’ she repeats, painting a grisly red smile on her lips.
‘You’re not fine. Mum, I won’t let you!’ I take hold of her by the shoulders and try to steer her towards her bed, but she wriggles away from my grip.
‘I have to turn up tonight or they’ll give me the sack. We need to pay all these bills – and the mortgage – and everything else.’ She says it as if she’s reciting multiplication tables, with no emotion at all, but suddenly there are tears streaming down her face.