Shared Skies (4 page)

Andrew nodded agreement as Bryant collected
her file, put away her phone and headed for the door.

A cold, thin thread of
fear began to uncoil in Gaiah’s stomach.
What the hell? Why is this complete stranger offering to
drive me to Scotland? And what in God’s name is Dad doing, agreeing
to it. They can’t make me. I’m eighteen, I have to do something
here. This is too weird.

Andrew shook Bryant’s hand, assuring her
again that Gaiah would be ready tomorrow. Gaiah couldn’t bear
another moment of this. She elbowed her way past them as Andrew saw
Officer Bryant out. She pounded upstairs and slammed her bedroom
door behind her. Resisting the urge to scream in frustration, she
flung herself on the bed but tears of anger and confusion filled
her eyes. A tentative knock on the door made her sit up and the
mirror opposite gave her a depressingly clear view of her red-eyed,
scowling face as she glared at her father entering the room. She
turned her back on that as much as on her father.

He stood just inside the doorway. “This is
the best thing. I know you're upset, Gaiah. But imagine, seeing
your grandparents again, won't that be great? I'm not sure what the
problem was with them…Kaley didn't say...I think...”

She whirled around. “Can’t
you see how crazy this is, Dad? What’s going on? You do realize you
can’t
make
me go,
don’t you?”

He paused, stared at her, fingers
abstractedly patting his lips, and then abruptly said, “Look,
whatever the problem was, we'll sort it out, Gaiah. Of course, I
can’t make you go, but how happy are you here? You need a new start
and maybe this is it. You should really think about this option,
rather than rejecting it out of hand. Anyway, Officer Bryant will
be here to pick you up at nine thirty, so you should do some
packing.”

His footsteps receded
downstairs, and soon the smell of strong coffee filled the house.
Gaiah sat on the edge of her bed, her brain whirling, swinging her
from anger to curiosity to disbelief and back again.
This is mad. Where have they been? I heard
Grandma’s voice talking to Dad. It really was her. Why is Bryant so
involved? This is mad. I wonder what they look like? Why do they
suddenly want me? I could run away and get a job somewhere, though
I’d really love to see them, even just to yell at them.

Gaiah got lost in creating a devastating,
scathing, yet eloquent monologue that would leave her grandparents
close to tears and regretting whatever they had been doing for the
last eleven years.

Andrew’s knock made her jump. “Gaiah, come
on downstairs and talk,” he called through the closed door.

She threw it open and glared at him, swiping
her palms across her tear streaked face. “You are extraordinarily
quick to send me off to the very people who abandoned us. I know
I've let you down and you're upset, but this is unbelievable. How
can you do this to me?”

“
You must do this, Gaiah.
It's the only option I can see. Kaley said it was the best thing
and that it would be life-changing for you, and I think she’s
right.”

“
Oh did she? Well then, of course, that's what I must do!” The
minute the words left her mouth, Gaiah felt her heart leap.
God almighty, I am going to do it! I’m going to
go!
She slammed the door, and stood
shaking. Just like that, she’d realized she wanted to go. To find
out what had happened all those years ago. To learn about her
mother. To confront her grandparents.

Chapter Three

Gaiah was waiting outside in bright autumn
sunshine when Bryant arrived at nine thirty the next morning. She
always loved Linden Gardens at this time of the year when the huge,
shedding trees lining the street seemed to wave at their
reflections in the hundreds of gleaming window panes. But this
morning, she wasn't interested.

She had been ready for ages; there was
nothing left to say to her father and she was anxious to get 'this'
underway, whatever it was. Bryant was out of uniform, making her
far more approachable and human than she'd previously appeared. Her
hair was loose, blown around her face by the gusts of wind which
were choreographing leaves along the footpath.

“
Ready for an adventure,
Gaiah?” Bryant’s voice was cheery.

Adventure! Does she think
I’m eight? God, this is going to be a deadly journey.
Gaiah’s shrug inside her oversized duffle coat
was barely visible. She tugged her black hat down to her eyes. This
morning she had chosen her faded denims and the trainers she only
wore for gym. Yesterday she had thrown a small, random selection of
her clothes into her oldest case. She was determined not to make
the slightest effort to impress her grandparents. She was also
determined not to cry.

Despite the police checks and the fact
Andrew had spoken to her grandmother himself, a part of Gaiah still
felt it was a mistake. These couldn't possibly be her grandparents.
If they were, where had they been? Why hadn't they been in contact?
And how the hell did they ever think she’d be happy to live with
them? Bizarre as the situation was, Gaiah felt slightly buoyed up
by the prospect of getting some sort of handle on her life, and was
determined to use her ‘ability’ to its fullest at any sign of
trouble.

Her father stood on the steps and hugged
her.

“
I'm sure it will all work
out, Gaiah, don't worry. Look, while you were packing yesterday, I
went out and bought these.”

He held up two mobile phones. Gaiah's eyes
filled. She knew what a big deal it was for him to tackle any
technology, and he had done it for her. “Now you can contact me
with your news. I even got them to program our numbers for me! I'll
ring you as soon as I figure it all out.” Andrew pulled her close
again and kissed her forehead, the unfamiliar feel of his stubbled
cheek rasped her face as he whispered, “I love you so much,
darling. See you soon.”

She knew he would miss her. However, she was
also sure that, as soon as the car pulled away, Andrew would be
heading up to his studio, his mind already on his art.

She waved at his turning back as the car
drove out of Linden Gardens. She couldn't have felt more unwanted
and confused, but…somehow she wasn't unhappy. At least she was
leaving London. The fizz of anticipation began in her stomach
again. Through the open window came the warm smell of traffic, and
the interwoven sounds of a weekday morning, well under way.

Gaiah leant her head back
against the leather and turned to watch the people, normal people,
on their normal day, with their normal problems of school exams or
work deadlines, cheating boyfriends or no boyfriends.
Let them
try
my life and see what they’d make of it, having
their hair grow to their waist every day, having their long lost
grandparents turn up overnight, apparently never having been lost.
Not knowing if today, their thoughts were going to be strong enough
to knock someone down.

Bryant glanced across at Gaiah. “What's your
favourite subject?”

“
English.”

“
Do you like
sport?

“
No, not at
all.”

“
Have you thought what
you'd like to do in uni?”

“
No idea.”

There’s no way she’s getting me involved in
a heart-to-heart here. Especially as I’m not even really sure that
I trust her. This whole situation is bloody unreal.

Bryant was looking at her expectantly.
“Well?”

“
Oh, sorry I was
daydreaming.”

“
I said, do you have any
favourite books?”

“
Not really.”

As they neared Leicester, Bryant gave up
trying to make conversation. Back in the car, after a quick stop
for coffee and a bathroom break, Bryant handed Gaiah a plastic
folder with a large collection of CDs. “See if there's anything you
like there.”

This was perfect for Gaiah. Then the time
and the countryside flew by as they took turns in choosing CDs from
the surprisingly varied collection.

“
Actually, half these CDs
belong to my children. They never notice when I swipe them.”
Bryant’s confession almost made Gaiah smile.

An hour or so later Bryant suggested
lunch.“Yes, I’m starving.” A rumble from Gaiah’s stomach confirmed
what she said and Bryant grinned. They were on the outskirts of
Leeds and a red Texaco service station was just coming into
view.

As she got out of the car, Gaiah thought
Officer Bryant was humming loudly. Surprised, she glanced over at
her, but the rictus that was Bryant’s face banished that thought.
Before Gaiah could run around to the other side of the car,
Bryant’s moan had become a shriek and she was collapsed, writhing
on the ground.

“
Help. Help! Someone
please get help!” Gaiah’s voice broke with the force of her scream.
There was no way to get Bryant’s attention. Her eyes were squeezed
tight and her hands clawed at her chest. People swung into action
instantly. Gaiah was gently moved back and Bryant covered with
blankets.

Within minutes there was an ambulance and a
police car screeching to a halt next to them. Gaiah watched as
something in a syringe seemed to help the stricken officer. Bryant
held out her hand for Gaiah as she was being lifted into the
ambulance.

“
I’m so sorry to leave you
like this, but they will take care of you from here, contact your
grandparents and...” She paused while she squeezed her eyes closed
and dealt with another wave of pain. “Oh God,” she moaned. After a
moment she opened her eyes, and although tears leaked down her
cheeks, she tried to smile. “I really wish you well, you know.” Her
eyes widened. “Your hair! Gaiah, what on Earth?”

Gaiah’s hand flew to her head. Her hat had
fallen off in the commotion and her fair hair was now curling down
beyond her shoulders. Luckily, at that moment the medics slammed
the doors and took off with sirens screaming for the nearest
hospital.

Gaiah was driven to the local police
station, where she sat on a hard bench and read the messages on the
notice boards over and over again. She took out her phone to ring
her father, looked at it and decided there was no point. What could
he do? She looked at her nails. They were bitten down as far as
they could go. She buried her hands deep in her pockets and waited
for someone to give her some idea of what she was supposed to do
now.

Eventually, a rather cute, young policeman
appeared and introduced himself as Constable Fred Walsh. “Strangest
thing, Officer Bryant was right as rain by the time they got to
hospital. The medics in the ambulance were stunned, heart rate,
blood pressure, all suddenly back to normal! They’re keeping her
in, just in case. You were lucky she didn’t get that attack on the
motorway. God knows what could have happened. Anyhow, I'm dropping
you at Northallerton station, shortly, to get the train to
Edinburgh.” Her grandparents had been contacted, he added, and were
going to meet her at the station.

Gaiah nodded, agreeing to everything. There
was no point in protesting anyway. She sighed and leant her head
back against the wall, tired and listless, floating on a tide of
events over which she had no control. Fred disappeared and returned
shortly with a mug of coffee, some ginger nut biscuits and a
newspaper; they helped.

Sometime later, he appeared again, out of
uniform. Gaiah regretted her choice of deliberately grungy clothes.
She wished she was wearing something way cooler or more
sophisticated. The journey to Northallerton took about an hour and
Fred chatted non-stop. Gaiah had to smile at his stories of his
brother’s efforts to roller-skate, his friend’s failure to
captivate the girl of his dreams and his own endless problem of
hiding the station’s biscuits from the sergeant.

They arrived at the station with just enough
time for Gaiah to get her ticket and shout goodbye as she ran for
her platform. She caught Fred's amazed look at the length of her
hair as she turned away from him. It seemed to have grown even
faster than usual and was swinging almost to her waist.

The train to Edinburgh wasn't crowded. Gaiah
took a window seat and watched as people arranged themselves around
the carriage. A family group sat across the aisle from her. The
mother loudly double checked everything and fussed about everyone’s
positions. Two children grinned across at Gaiah as their mother
tried to move them yet again, and their stocky, cheerful father
rolled his eyes and allowed his wife to cram her huge hand bag
behind him to ‘support his back’. A family size packet of wine gums
appeared from the pockets of the woman’s beige gabardine.

“
Help yourself love.” She
held them open to Gaiah.

“
Oh, I'm fine thank
you.”

“
Nonsense, we've loads.
Nothing like a good chew to help pass the time, I always
say.”

Gaiah could see there was no possibility of
saying no to this woman, so she reached across and took a squidgy
fistful. She smiled at the two children as she chewed a rubbery
sweet. This was enough encouragement; they immediately wriggled out
of their seats and brought their new books to show her. “Look what
we got, they’re brill.”

“
We got two, but they’re
different, see?”

Their mother leant across the aisle,
introduced herself as Mrs. McCrea and interrupted them frequently
to quiz Gaiah on her plans, her family, and her destination.

Eventually the children
became sleepy, and moved back to their own seats, where they curled
up against their mother. Gaiah turned and stared out the
window.
That spin to the station with Fred
was really cool. I totally chatted like a normal person, didn’t
worry about my hair and didn’t suggest at him, even by accident.
Jeez, I should have left London ages ago.