Memphis Wills wants out of Whitehaven, the tiny village she's lived in her whole life. So aged sixteen she leaves for college in the city and never looks back.
Until five years later when she finally wises up and leaves her dirt bag boyfriend. Fee...
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Sunday is spent moping, which consists of eating a share bag of crisps and watching Disney films on TV.
Jerri called again this morning and I ignored it. Mel messages to say he dropped by the flat to talk to me, but she wouldn't tell him where I was. He'd stormed off apparently. It had made me really angry at first but then the sadness had seeped back in again. He wouldn't need to look for me if he'd stayed faithful; I'd most probably be laying in his bed right now if he had.
By Monday morning I'm feeling a little less moody. I go to Dad's office without a single complaint and it's exactly what I'd expected it to be. There are only a few people in today, but I recognise them all instantly. My old science teacher, Mr Havers, sits behind a desktop computer that looks almost as old as me and Joy, my great aunt, is watering a collection of plants in colourful pots on the windowsill. As soon as she sees me she's gushing and offering me biscuits.
"Memphis. What a beautiful young lady you're growing up to be!"
I smile as her blue eyes crinkle in the corners. Her cardigan is the colour of custard and she's wearing the same floral blouse she'd been wearing when I'd seen her at Easter. I'm not sure how much growing I've done in the last three months, but I grin back at her anyway.
"Dad was raving about your Victoria sponge the other night."
Joy's cheeks go a little rosy at the compliment. "I'll be sure to bake another for when you're next here."
I see Dad shift beside me, and I make a mental note to remind him that I'm not making a habit of popping into the office. It's not even an office really; it's the building attached to the town hall which in this village is pretty multi-purpose. I'm fairly sure I've been to a birthday party here when I was younger.
Dad ushers me over to his desk and I instantly perk back up as I spot a stack of photographs next to a pencil pot and a notebook.
"Can I see?"
Dad nods and I pick the stack up, flicking through pictures of various village events. My hopes droop a little until I spot a photo of a beautiful orange sunset cast across the nature reserve just outside of the village.
"This one is lovely," I say, holding it out to him.
"I took that on my day off last week," Dad replies. "It's not going to be used for anything." He sits down on his desk chair and I perch on his desk. "What do you think of the others? We've got a column coming up for the folk festival in Ferndale next month. I was thinking about using the photo of the band from last year."
I sigh. "Yeah, I guess."
"I'm sorry this isn't your photography course in Bath," Dad says. "Life's a little slower around here."
"I know, but I don't understand why you're here and not travelling the world, making the book you always talked about."
Dad's gaze drops to the photo of the sunset but before he can say anything Joy calls him over to her desk, crowded with plants.
