Such an age difference

“Clare! Stop complaining, it’ll be fun!” Her mother shouted as she placed all the belongings that her daughter would need into the highly expensive car.
“But Mum…” She wined.
“Listen Clare, I know your dad hasn’t exactly been there for you, but you should be grateful he wants to get to know you… I know you feel that he’s trying to buy your affect now now he’s rich and everything, but give him a chance.” Her mother gave a faint smile.
“I’m not giving him a chance, he’s hurt me mum, the amount of times I’ve cried at night wishing he was here just to be my dad, but he wasn’t, he felt that his career was more important than you and me. How can anyone do that?” Clare explained to her mother.
Clare wasn’t ever the one to talk about her problems, they were personal and no one not even her best friend knew about them. Her emotions were stored in her body deep under lock and key, and no one had the key excluding her and she was scared to open it, scared of what was going to be revealed. Sometimes it was different, sometimes she felt she needed to get her emotions out, and this was the point to do this, to get her opinions over about her dad, even if they weren’t what everyone wanted to hear.
“I know darlin’, I know, but please just do it for me, its not like he hasn’t cared about you, he has asked about your exams and everything…” Her mother answered with a caring smile.
“And that’s meant to make everything ok is it?” Clare shouted whilst getting into the now loaded car.
“Certainly not! I know he’s hurt you and I will never forgive him for that, but you have to remember I was with him for a couple of years, I still have the burning flame, he really is very loveable when you get to know him.”
The conversation never really died down between both family members. Clare was annoyed with the fact that he wanted to get to know her now and not earlier. Ok so maybe he was famous and brilliant at music, but that certainly didn’t mean he had to leave his pregnant girlfriend. Maybe he was self centered and left while he had the chance, but he did care, after all Clare was his little creation. Clare meant the world to him, so maybe she didn’t know this, but he felt that if he came into her life so early, he would get to attached, Meaning he had to stay, he couldn’t do that, it was the start of his career.
“You’ll only be staying for a week and I’m sure when you get back, you will be telling me what a great time you’ve had.” Her mother smiled as she was looking at the road map.
“Mum I think we have to go up there.” and Clare pointed to a narrow turning at the side of the road.
“But it says we need to go straight ahead.” Her mother argued. No conversation between them waer cer civilized, every word uttered led to an argument.
“Well why does it say the village on that sign then?” Clare wondered with one of her sarcastic tones.
“Well fine, we will go down there but if my car gets dirty, I swear you will be cleaning it!” Her mother shouted. Clare rolled her eyes. They arrived just moments later and again for the second time that day, Clare felt the sickening feeling of dread well up inside her stomach.
“Right you get your belongs out the boot and I’ll go see you dad.” Her mother explained. Clare wondered why was her mother was so eager to see James again all of a sudden?
“Yeah whatever…” Clare sighed.
Her mother walked up to the massive house situated in the middle of the countryside and began to knock on the door. A man of average height and blonde spiky hair and blue eyes opened the door with a smile.
“Hey.” She smiled.
“You all right?” he beamed, and she felt seventeen again.
“Yes thanks, Clare’s just getting her bags and stuff.”
“I really appreciate this you know Jamie, I mean I know it seems like I’ve never really wanted her, but I feel so connected.” He whispered.
Clare carrying numerous bags bounded up the gravel driveway dodged the many cars, which her father owned. His smile grew bigger with every step she took; she looked so pretty with her long mousy hair and her blue eyes, just like his.
“Tha“Thanks for helping.” She moaned to her mother, each word dripping with sarcasm.
“I was coming to see your dad.” She nodded at James.
“They’re bloody heavy, I’m not superwomen y’know.” Clare complained again.
“You need the exercise, it will have done you some good.” Her mother shouted, and Clare rolled her eyes.
“Carrying my own bags along a massive gravel driveway aint my idea of exercise!”
James just stood there looking at the two arguing. He wasn’t going to break the up, but he thought a cough would give them a ‘subtle’ hint to stop. Clare’s mother turned her head.
“Sorry. Clare your dad, James, Clare.” She introduced them, not sure about what each other’s reactions would be or even about what else to say. James stuck out his hand, as he too, really didn’t know what else to do. Clare just smiled. She wasn’t going to shake his hand just yet; after all he was still a bastard in her eyes.
“Erm well follow me, do you want me to help you there?” James offered.
“No its ok, I’m managed for 16 years on my own, I don’t need your help now.” Clare said with about as much emotion as the talking clock, but with about fifty times the sarcasm.
“Clare!” Her mother shouted at the top of her voice.
“But its true!” Clare declared.
“It’s alright Jamie, I understand” James half-heartedly smiled.
“I’m really sorry!” She mouthed. He just smiled the way he did when he really didn’t know what else to say.
“I guess I’ll show you were your staying for the next week.” James led Clare up the stairs into a large room, which was nicely decorated.
“If you need anything, just ask.” He turned to walk out of the door. “O yeah and the bathroom is the 3rd on the right.” He smiled and walked out. Clare emptied all of her bags and made her way back down stairs.
“Well darling I have to go now, I will see youabouabout a week.” She placed her arms around her daughter kissed her on the cheek, thanked James and left.
“So its just us two then.” James smiled.
“Unfortunately.” Clare sighed.
”Listen, I know, I’ve not exactly been the best dad and everything but at least you could try to be civil.” There was evidence of anger in his voice.
“Try for you? I don’t think so, you fucked up my life so i\'m fucking with yours.” Clare yelled.
“Language liket ist isn’t becoming of a young lady.” James yelled whist pointing the finger.
“So?” They were interrupted at that moment by the sound of the front door slammin “ “Jay mate, you will not believe who I shagged last night.” He shouted with a cheeky grin. He placed his jacket on the sofa and smiled at James.
“Fuck mate when did you get a girlfriend?” He said with a surprised tone.
”Its not my girlfriend!” James answered with a rather shocked and equally disgusted tone.
“Well then who is she?” Matt wondered whilst looking her up and down.
“Clare, Matt, Matt, Clare.” James introduced them both. Matt gently took his hand out of his pocket wanting to shake hands with the young women he had just met. She placed her hand into his and began to shake. She was somewhat captivated by his good looks. Although she had recognized her father from the band pictures she had seen, his face showed the wear of time and his features had ages somewhat; however the man that stood in front of her now could still have passed for twenty five easily.
“So you shake his hand!” James angrily shouted clearly annoyed with the fact that his own daughter wouldn’t shake his, and Matt just stood there with a perplexed look on his face.
“Yes because he’s not a self centered bastard!” Clare retaliated.
“How the hell do you know if he’s not a self centered bastard Hey? Your physic now or something.”
“Yes actually but how would you know.” She answered sarcastically. “God! You’re just like my fucking mother.” Clare shot him a dirty look.
“That’s it! I’ve told you once and i\'m not going to tell you again, now get up the stairs and think about what you’ve just done!” James eyes hacomecome slightly bloodshot and his cheeks were now a deep shade of red. Clare just laughed, he was treating her like some 5-year-old child who had just broken something valuable, and she was having none of it.
“I’m not going anywhere, i\'m not 5 anymore you know, O yeah I forgot you wouldnnow now would you! Cause you weren’t fucking there!” A single tear began to drop from her eye. James could see this and suddenly began to think about how he had treated her, even if he hated her swearing, he knew that after what he put her through she was quite entitled to have pent up anger and bitterness.
“Listen I’m sorry ok, I know I’ve not been the best dad and I know I wasn’t there for you and your mum, but I really do care about you, you’re my little angel!”
“Dad?” Matt’s cheeky grin had now hit the floor and turned into a rather shocked expression.
“Yes, she’s my daughter.” James confirmed.
“But, when? How? What the fuck?” So many questions Matt wanted to ask, and yet so little sense sprang from his mouth.
“I was 17.” Everyone sat down as James began his narration. had had been going out with Jamie, her mother for about 11 months and we become really close, both liked each others families and everything went down hill when she turned 16 so to speak, we got a contract for busted, which I will never change for the world, and then she told me on that day that she was pregnant. I didn’t know what do. I was 17 for fucks sake.” Clare made a mental note to point that he had sworn then next time her raged her about it. “After much thinking, I went for the career instead. She cried for hours wishing I hadn’t made the choice. I don’t know if it was the right choice or not…I doubt it was but I’ve got a history of making bad choices.” Matt laughed at that comment and then there was silence so James carried on. “On October 9th I got phone call off my mum saying Jamie had a healthy baby girl, I wanted to go and see her but I didn’t have the guts too. Jamie’s parents hated me for leaving her in the condition she was, so they banned me from seeing her.” He lowered his head, and Matt gently eased his arm around his old friend.
“But Nan and granddad said you didn’t bother to get in touch, they said you didn’t care.” Clare explained.
“Its all bloody lies, I went to that hospital in Middlesex to see how your mum was and to see you.”
“Did you see me?” Clare asked.
“Yes I did, much to your Nan’s annoyance. God, you were so small and beautiful, I was scared though, and the nurses told me you weren’t very well that’s why there were so many tubes and machines.” He couldn’t continue.
All the emotions running through Clare’s head, all the lies she’d been told about James when actually he had trio mao make an effort, he just wasn’t allowed. Clare shot up off her chair and jumped onto James who was sitting on the sofa and placed her arms around him.
“I’m sorry, I\'m really sorry I shouted at you, i’m sorry, I love you dad.” Clare cried into his shoulder. James placed his hands on her back and started to comfort her.
“Its ok darlin’, honestly.” He smiled.
“I’ll go mate, I’ll let you spend time with your daughter.” Matt smiled; the last word was emphasized as if Matt was trying to get it straight in his mind that Clare was James’s daughter.
“No its ok you can stay if you want, I need someone to pay for the pizza anyway.” He smirked.
“Me pay for a pizza? Good man you’re loaded!”
After being in the UK’s biggest band for 5 years he had earned a vast amount of money, but being only 23 when they finished meant he needed something to do for the rest of his life. He was intelligent and good with music and so eventually ended up working for his record label universal. He earned about £200,000 a year, which meant out of himself and Matt he was the richest, although Matt owned more properties than him and was also not doing too badly for himself. Now aged 33 he had a lot of money to spend, he just wanted matt to get off his arse and buy the pizza.