"What's going on?" I ask the now silent and tense room.
"Ah, Charlotte, you're here. Took your time didn't you?" Mrs. Abbleton asks, raising her eyebrows at me over her black-rimmed glasses.
I sit down in the last empty seat next to my mum, who gives me a tight smile before averting her gaze.
"What's going on?" I ask again, getting slightly impatient.
"I think it will be best if Robert" Mrs. Abbleton pauses and gives my Dad a small smile "or Sandra explain." She sneers. I look at my parents expectantly.
"Well" My mum clears her throat nervously "as you have probably guessed, me and your father have been having some.. financial problems and its not getting any better. In fact it's about to get a lot worse." She laughs humorlessly and looks down at her hands.
"We didn't have enough to pay the bills for the house and, we received our last notice a few weeks ago." She looks up at me through teary eyes. "We're losing the house, Lottie." My mum sobs as my dad rubs her shoulder sympathetically, frowning at the ground.
My heart drops. Losing the house? I had grown up in that house.
"But, why are you telling me this now? Here? In my head teachers office?" I question quietly, slightly embarrassed Mrs. Abbleton is witnessing this whole conversation.
"We found out about an hour ago and we need to leave in the next two days." My Dad says, his voice quiet and filled with sorrow.
"So we need to sort out schools right now. Your sister, Emily, is going to be staying at Sam Thomas' house so she will resume her education here but.. if you are to go to your grandparent's house with your parents, and as I've heard its going to be quite a squeeze" Mrs. Abbleton giggles to herself. "we will have to transfer you to a school closer to the area, or arrange home schooling."
I only have two grandparents left, my mums parents, and they live in Norfolk. It is a four hour journey from Bristol and they live in a tiny cottage barely big enough for the two of them.
And what about Sarah? When will I see her? There isn't enough room with Nanna P and Grampy in Norfolk anyway and I won't know anyone there.
It would be better if I could stay with Sarah in her house but her family is struggling too and with three younger brothers, I can't expect her parents to pay extra than what they already are, on a child that isn't their own.
I cant believe I'm leaving. I've always wanted a fresh start somewhere new but with a house for my whole family or at least big enough for me to not sleep on the floor.
"I uh.. I need a moment." I stutter and leave the room, my breathing ragged and my head spinning. Once I make it out the front doors of sixth form, I sit down on the stairs and take a deep breath, running my hands through my hair and tugging in frustration.
While lost in my thoughts, trying to figure out a solution, I feel my phone vibrate in my pocket. I look at the I.D.. Sighing to myself I answer it anyway.
"Hello." I sigh again, massaging my left temple with my free hand.
"Wow. Honey, you sound like the dog died. What's wrong with my favourite cousin?" It's good that I don't have a dog otherwise that wouldve been a very insensitive thing to say, but being Laura she wouldn't have cared anyway.
"It's long and complicated and I'm too confused to explain it." I groan, looking up at the grey sky when I feel a small drop of rain on my nose.
"Come on. I didn't phone all the way from the states to have you mumbling and sighing on the other end when I have no idea what's going on. How can I cheer you up when I have no idea what's wrong, hm?" The familiar american accent says, and I can almost imagine the unimpressed face she will be wearing right now. Even though she is only three years older than me, she seems much more mature but at times, a lot more immature too. She is a weird one.
Giving up trying to avoid talking about it, I explain the whole situation, making sure to add an angry rant every now and then when appropriate.
I have always been close to Laura. She moved to the states with her parents at around the age of 5, her Dad being my Dad's brother. Her parents are now travelling all around the world, the last we heard they were in Thailand. That whole family is so eccentric and I wonder what happened to my Dad for us to be left in dreary England worrying about money instead of exploring everything else the world has to offer.
"Oh shit." Laura says after a good ten seconds of silence. I just hum in response.
"You have nowhere else to stay?" She questions, and I can almost hear the cogs in her head whirring.
"Oh my god." She mumbles after another few seconds of silence.
"What?"
"Come live with me."
"Excuse me?" I ask, hoping that she'll say she's joking.
"Come live with me, in Cali." She repeats, yet i still cant comprehend what she's saying. "Think about it. You're moving away from your friends anyway so that won't be much difference and here you don't have to sleep on the floor, you can have a whole room to yourself!" She exclaims, she's never going to give this up now.
"But leaving my family too? And where will I go to carry on my courses?" I question, trying to make her think practically about everything.
"You're eighteen, Char. Does it bother you that much; the thought of being without them?" Her voice is quieter now, I think she thinks I don't want to live with her which isn't the case at all. I'm just not sure whether I'm ready to move halfway across the world. I chew my lip and think it all through. "I can't Laura. I'm sorry, the thought of leaving my family does bother me that much. And we'll manage, it will be fine. I'll call you in a bit." I say to her. After hearing a loud frustrated sigh, she responds "Well Char, whatever you think is best. But, the offer still stands. You know, if you change your mind." She mumbles before adding a quick "Love you." and then hanging up.
Taking a deep breath, I try to pool my thoughts together to figure out how I'm going to deal with the current situation.
I was meant to just have a moment outside not half an hour but, I'm going to have to face them and their questions sooner or later if we're going to sort this out.
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I'm sorry this is slow moving I just want to get a bit of background going before we go get into the love action. Just hang on in there not long now but this isn't going to be a typical fast moving love story I want to make it realistic and more emotional than those lovey dovey ones (no offense meant to anyone I actually quite like them myself I just want this to be different)
