Adopted by Katie Mcgrath

Chapter 7

Two weeks later   

"Clemmie come on or we'll be late" I heard Katie say.

"Yeah coming" I shouted as a ran down the stairs looking a bit flustered.

"Are you okay sweetie?" Colin asked

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be? You coming?" I said as I headed to the door. We got in the car and headed for the airport. When we got on the plane I decided to draw a sketch of the London skyline. After I had finished I put my sketchbook in my bag and I guess I fell asleep because the next thing I know we're at LAX. I looked out of the window in amazement I've never seen the sky so blue and clear.

"You want to go get lunch?" Katie asked

"Sure," I said, we packed our bags in a white range rover and came to a large white house.

"Welcome home," Colin said, my mouth wide open

"Holy sh-" "LANGUAGE!" Katie shouted as she walked past me I could hear Colin laughing quietly behind me.

I ran to the back of the house, the view was amazing you could see the whole of LA from there. They had a pool, with a slide, and a huge garden, there was a dining area I saw a basketball/ netball/ tennis court. It was astonishing. Suddenly I was lifted into the air and was taken inside. I sat down at the table.

"So what do you want for lunch?" Katie asked.

"Um- can I just have an apple, I'm not particularly hungry?" I asked

"Sure," Katie said as she chucked me an apple. I caught it but as I looked at my hand it started shaking vigorously and I couldn't stop it. Luckily it only lasted for about five seconds, so no-one really noticed as Colin and Katie were unpacking everything. 

I went upstairs to claim one of the guest rooms as my room. As I started unpacking my hand started to shake again, this time worse than the last. When it stopped I carried on not wanting to make a big deal. As I got downstairs I started feeling sick I walked into the kitchen and all I can remember was falling and blacking out. I could hear Katie calling my name and Colin picking me up but after that nothing.

As I woke up I saw Katie asleep in the armchair opposite my bed. I looked around I wasn't at home, I could hear sirens.

"Mum?" I asked but my mouth was dry and barely made a sound, yet Katie still woke up.

"Hey, you're awake," she said wearily, "We were so worried about you."

"Where am I? Where's Dad?" I asked

"You're in the hospital, you fainted and started having a fit so we rushed you here. You gave us quite a fright. Your dad's making a few phone calls back to the social services back home, he's asking if you had any medical conditions that may have caused this. Do you know anything sweetheart, because the doctors really need to know." she said sitting on the bed, with a look of concern on her face. Was she ready to know the true me? The true Clemmie? Am I ready to tell her? Well here goes nothing.

"Well..." I started whilst rubbing my head." Um- I don't really know how to explain it, well I do I just don't think you're ready to hear it."

"Hear what?"

"The truth is I um- I have been suffering from anxiety since the age of twelve and about six months ago I started self- harming my self..." I slowly rolled up my sleeves to reveal all my scars. Katie just looked at them and then at me in disbelief, then suddenly she pulled me in for a very tight hug.

"Don't worry we'll get through this, okay?" she said through her tears, I clung onto her and started crying just as Colin came through. With the same looks, Katie had. He sat down next to Katie and pulled both of us into him.

Soon after we talked to some of the doctors and specialists about appointments and treatment and left the hospital.

When we got home Katie and Colin said they wanted to talk to me, this I was nervous about.

I sat down on the couch with Katie and Colin sitting opposite me.

"Why didn't you tell us, Clemmie?" Colin asked I looked down tears welling.

"It never came up in conversation. And it's none of your business." I clearly stated

"Clemmie, you're our daughter, of course, it's our business. We care about you alright and we're gonna be here no matter what, okay?" Katie said. I got up and started heading for the stairs.

"Clemmie we haven't finished," Colin stated.

"Well, I have!" I shouted.

"Clemmie we are your parents we need to talk!" Colin shouted after me. I stopped and turned around tears in my eyes.

"You're not my parents, okay? My parents died in a car crash fourteen years ago. I'm never going to have a family or any parents!" I shouted I turned around and ran up to my room. I could hear Katie crying. I didn't mean what came out. I guess it was all the anger that has built up inside. I felt so bad, I decided I would go and apologise for what I said, but then there was a knock at my door.

Katie entered, we both just stood there looking at each other, Katie red-eyed me with tears building up. I ran to her and hugged her as tight as possible. I didn't want to let this go.