My step family never had anything nice to say about me. David couldn't be happy that brains would suffice. No people with brains don't have common sense. End of story.
My parents grounded me. They never ever took my side when I fell out with a friend or fought with someone. I only reacted to other people and never started a fight in my life. It was dark and I was taking out puppy Sam a walk. I was upset and crying and whispering it's so unfair. And once I calmed down returned to my usual composure.
Turns out that my aunt and a friend spotted me somehow, when they looked out the curtains. So they told everyone I was speaking to myself. That wasn't quite the case. Talking aloud while distressed was a better description. Even though it was dark it made no difference but I was 8 at most. I wasn't a blood relative so I never expected to be treated as such. There was nothing wrong with them or me, just family dynamics.
I knew my father and all his side but I didn't need a proper relationship with them. We were acquainted that was fine. I got to know my father and I did speak to some on his side and visited along with him. But obviously I felt distant from them. I was accomplished at school and shy so they took me how I was. I didn't go to London because when they visited the girls didn't even introduce themselves. I would get asked what I wanted to be after school. And I had never spent more than half a day with my father. It was daunting. And after the abuse I got for the martial arts shoes, there wasn't any point in complicating matters if they even let me go.

But David did do his best to treat me and my brother the same. And he was honest and would tell us stories back yonder.
He told us why he wasn't comfortable with showing emotion. His dad found it hard and so he did too. One time, his dad drowned puppies when he was young . It was a common thing then and acceptable as they were just mongrels and not worth anything. They couldn't afford to keep them so it made sense. There wouldn't have been an animal shelter nearby back then.
He stopped playing football because someone picked on his shoes.

When my mum turned my grand parents against me, I couldn't do a thing about it. Whatever my mum said was gospel. Of course I was the liar, I was just a teenager. I have a hard time convincing myself I am not that defenceless youngster anymore. I don't have to resort to the things I did back then. But I still think why why why