Never Really Over

Chapter 3

John and Beth are watching Avatar, trying to see what all the fuss is about. Neither of them gets it, and their no chatting during the movie rule has been broken multiple times. As the weeks have passed, John has started to relax more around Beth; his tongue has loosened, and now she could tell you his favourite TV show, band, pizza topping... Basically everything, but nothing important.

Tomorrow is Easter Saturday, in the morning John is booked on a train back to Barnsley for his first visit home since he signed for Everton. On Sunday, his mum is hosting her annual Easter Lunch for the entire extended family.

"Why don't you want to go home?" Beth's question comes completely out of the blue and leaves him momentarily stunned. How could she tell that he is dreading tomorrow!? "You love your family," she gestures to the wall behind her as she sits on her usual spot on his bed. He hasn't revealed a thing about his family to her, other than telling her that Jenny is his best friend, or perhaps she was, but he supposes the abundance of photographs speak for themselves.

She receives the same responses he always gives her when her questions become too close for comfort, silence.

"It's because of Georgia, isn't it?"

In shock, John pauses the movie; how can she possibly know about Gigi?! "When are you going to tell me what happened between you two?"

"When it's your business," John says pointedly. "Which will be never. And how do you know about Georgia anyway?"

"Your phone..." It's been almost two months and John still hasn't changed his lock screen picture. "And your face the first time I asked who she was." He feels his cheeks flush and hopes that Beth doesn't notice through the darkness. "Why did you split up?"

John re-starts the film and hopes that will be enough to distract her, but it is no good. "John, I thought we were friends?!"

John has never placed a label on whatever this thing that they have going on is. When he first moved here, he wasn't even certain he would make friends, because until he establishes himself in the first team, everyone else is an opponent. He never anticipated that there would be someone else, someone who had nothing to do with football. Most days Beth will come over and they will watch a movie. Sometimes they go to the cinema or out for something to eat or do something else together. He supposes they are friends.

"I know you think I'm prying, but I'm just trying to get to know you."

John sighs, "Because I came here." That's the gist of it anyway, and all he is willing to divulge, although he is sure she could have guessed that much.

"What's she like?" He doesn't expect that to be the next question.

John smiles, "She is perfect." That's all the detail she's getting.

"If you miss her as much as I think you do," Beth says cautiously, knowing that her advice is not welcome. "Then you should get her back. Barnsley isn't that far away."

"No talking during the film, remember?!" John turns the volume up and pretends that he is not interested, but he thinks Beth might be right.

*

When John steps off the train in Barnsley, he feels like he can breathe for the first time in weeks now that he's left the smoggy Liverpool air behind. He makes his way to the designated meeting point outside WH Smiths, "John!" The sight of his mum's smiling face nearly reduces him to tears, he has missed her so much. "I think we have to have a chat about how our versions of you visiting 'all the time' differ!"

John smiles ruefully before she wraps him into a hug, she clings on a little longer than usual, she knows him so well; she can see that Everton isn't what he thought it would be, and that the jealousy over Ross' success is eating him up.