The Summer I'll Never Forget.

30.

I woke up to the sound of my mum rustling in the kitchen. I got up, careful not to wake Anna and went to make a much needed coffee.

"you're up earlier than I thought you'd be" Mum said, handing me the cup of coffee she'd just made then turning to make herself another.

"I could hear you, thought I'd come help"

"do I wanna know why you slept down here last night?"

"Probably not," I said looking down. "You're like a relationship counsellor to Anna and me at the moment"

"I'm your mum, I don't mind" she smiled. "As far as Anna's mum goes, i was not expecting her last night, or for her to call Anna out like that. What did Lucas say? Surely he knows Anna hasn't been staying her-" She stopped abruptly. "that's why you slept down here... you fought, didn't you."

"don't we always" i said standing to look out on the back garden, staring at the decking we'd sat on last night when we fought. "seems like we fight more than we get on recently"

"you live together, Hay. No one said it would be easy"

"that's never what we fight over though. It's always something else causing us to fight"

"But you're together so much more, and not by choice"

"I don't get it?" I said, turning back to face her.

"normally you'd see someone because you're arranging to see them - that's what makes it a choice, and thus fun. You two are together all the time because you live together, not because you're choosing to be together. You're comfortable and too soon in your relationship, maybe that's why you're fighting so much"

"You're right mum, and that makes sense but that's not me and Luc. We never fight over our own stuff - it's always something else causing us to fight. The boy at the party, the Chris drama, Anna's drama... we fight each other over everyone else. It seems pointless, what are we doing it for?"

"Are you hungover? You didn't drink last night, why are you hungover"

"Why do you think I'm hungover?"

"You look like shit, you needed coffee straight away and you're being sad as hell - typical hungover Hayley. When did you drink?" Mum asked, annoyed.

"Mum, stop"

"Answer me, where did you go?"

"Nowhere bad, mum! Just blew off some steam"

"Hayley, i thought you weren't going to drink when you're sad anymore... you're making me think you have a problem!"

"I don't have a problem, Mum jeez! I am a teenager, I drink no more than anyone else my age!"

"Drinking at a party is one thing, drinking because you're sad is another"

"Mum, I'm okay. I won't drink anymore if it puts your mind at ease. It's just an easy way to forget, I'm used to forgetting things instead of dealing with them. I'm learning to deal with them. I will get there, okay... just please don't worry"

I walked upstairs to shower, but when I got to the bathroom door I heard my name called. Turning around, I saw Cameron standing in his doorway - he stepped aside silently telling me he wanted me to come in.

"you okay?" He asks, walking into his room.

"yeah, are you? Haven't really seen you since you've been here" I replied. 

"Yeah, you've been too busy arguing with my brother and stealing my girlfriend"

"You heard us?"

"No, but it doesn't take a genius to work out that you going for a walk at 2 in the morning and sleeping on the sofa means you've argued with Luc. What's going on?"