Just Friends

Chapter 20

Maria reached across for her phone to turn off the alarm. She had one eye open but she still couldn't see properly. She sat up when she heard a knock on her door.

"Yeah?" 

Her door opened and her mams head peeked around. 

"Hey girly, just making sure you're awake."

Maria's eyes widened Oh yeah, she was leaving for college today. How could she forget?

"Thanks Ma, I'm getting up now. Umm if you're making coffee, I'd love one" 

She gave her mam a big goofy smile as she laughed and left the room. Maria threw the duvet off her and jumped up. She quickly changed from her pyjamas into the jeans, vest top and jumper she had left out last night. After she ran a brush through her hair a few times and pulling it up into a ponytail she went to the bathroom then downstairs to get her coffee. 

Maria walked into the kitchen and plonked herself down on the stool next to her dad. 

"Morning Da, sleep ok?"

"Goodmorning my angel, yeah not too bad actually. Would have been better if SOMEONE stopped hogging the duvet all night though" 

Ellen walked to the counter and placed a cup of coffee in front of each of them. She laughed and rolled her eyes. 

"Don't mind him, he kept kicking them off then complaining that I was stealing them." 

Maria sipped at her coffee and looked up as Colm walked into the kitchen. He looked adorable, his hair was sticking up in different places, he usually kept it cut short but it had grown out slightly and he hadn't gotten around to getting it cut. He yawned as he said good morning and rubbed his eyes. James stood up and motioned for him to sit down.

"Here you go lad, you look like you need this stool a lot more than me." 

He laughed as Colm tried to stifle another yawn. Ellen put another cup of coffee on the counter in front of Colm. He smiled and thanked her.

"Can't have you still asleep when you're driving our baby to her new home..." her voice cracked a little on new home and she turned away quickly. James pulled her towards him into a hug. 

Maria and Colm looked at each other in surprise.

"Ma, I'm only a few hours away. It's not like I'm leaving the country."

Colm shoved her shoulder and gave her a look. She shrugged.

Ellen walked around the counter to Maria, hugged her and gave her a kiss on the cheek. 

"I know I know but you're my baby, I'm going to miss you" 

"I'll miss you too Ma, love you" "love you too"

They finished their coffee in silence and Maria grabbed a banana to eat as she ran back upstairs to get her bags and make sure she had everything she needed packed. 

Less than half an hour later Colm's car was packed and Maria was saying another goodbye to her parents. She moved away from her mother and jumped into the car. Colm opened the window for her to wave as her mam and dad stood waving them off.

They had to drive past Keiths house and as they did she glanced out the window. The house was in darkness but hanging from the upstairs window was a banner that read 

Good Luck Maria

I'll miss you 

Maria looked at Colm in disbelief and they both burst out laughing. 

"I can't believe he's still trying to get you back." 

Maria laughed but it sounded sad. 

"Sometimes I wonder if maybe I was too harsh on him...I mean maybe I should have let him explain" 

Colm was shaking his head "No way, if anything you probably weren't harsh enough. You should have let me give him a few slaps" 

She took one last look back at the banner before taking out her phone and opening her messages.  She opened Keiths last message to her.

"Thanks for wishing me good luck, really wish we could have ended things differently but unfortunately this is how things played out. You're a good guy Keith, I wish you the best of luck with everything. I think it's best we just start fresh. I'm going to delete your number as soon as I send this. Goodbye x"

She had pressed send before she realised she put the kiss (x) at the end. Crap...she hoped he didn't read into it too much, she done it out of habit. 

Colm looked over at her as she put her phone back into her bag and sighed. 

"Everything ok?" 

"Yeah, I just said goodbye to Keith then deleted his number" 

She felt a lump in her throat but quickly swallowed it. She had cried enough tears for him she wasn't going to cry anymore. Colm gave her a quick smile then stared ahead. They drove in silence for the next half an hour.

"So how's Katie?" 

Colm side eyed Maria and she laughed.

"She's ok...I think. You know she was really pissed off at me that time when I asked you to go to the cinema with us?" 

Maria laughed even harder 

"No shit Sherlock, I thought she was going to pull your arm out of its socket when she pulled you out to leave." 

"I don't know what her problem was...actually well I do know but it's weird" 

Maria looked at him with her eyebrow raised.

"Oh come on you can't just leave it at that, you have to tell me now." 

He glanced at her again and she noticed his face was going slightly red. He always blushed when he was going to say something embarrassing. 

"Well....she was jealous of you" 

Maria's laugh filled the car "Give over, why on earth would she be jealous of me? I think she just wanted some alone time with her boyfriend and you nearly ruined it. You've no cop on sometimes" 

He glanced over at her and pulled the visor down in front of her
"Look in that mirror there will you? That's why she was jealous....its definitely not because of your winning personality....I thought you were going to leave us standing outside  the whole time"

Maria laughed "Oh shut up you...by the way van we stop at the next mcdonalds please. I'm hungry and we're actually early enough to get a breakfast"

"Yeah OK...I'm quite hungry myself actually"