Leaving London

Chapter Twenty One

Chapter Twenty One

My heart thuds as the neon-bright Arrivals sign starts to flicker.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the 171 EasyJet flight from Heathrow Airport has just arrived. Please allow ten minutes for the passengers to enter the airport." The voiceover booms, as my shoes trace intricate patterns onto the marble floor. My parents are sat wistfully on the bench next to me, and Mum's eyes gleam with excitement as she squeezes my arm.

"Are you alright, Fearne? You're looking a bit pale!"

"Yeah, I'm fine." I smile weakly, wishing I had brought a jumper so I could pull the sleeves down over my clenched knuckles.

"We've got ten minutes. Do you and Jake want to quickly grab something to eat? It's been a while since dinner, you must be peckish."

"Okay, thanks." I smile, as Mum dollops a handful of coins into my outstretched palm. Jake and I wander over to the closest café, eyeing up the bright menu standing up by the counter. I count out the money in my hand, whilst Jake selects a plastic-wrapped slice of lemon drizzle and I order a coffee. Not the healthiest choice, but it will keep me awake anyhow. I sip the burning liquid as we amble back over to the gates, my hands wrapped around the flimsy paper cup as warmth ripples through my fingertips. It's stronger than I usually have it, with only a mere trace of milky wisps, but it sends my eyelids shooting straight open and my limbs feeling like I have some sort of electrical current flowing through my bloodstream.

"Well," Dad says, mainly to Jake, "This is how we decided to spend my Christmas bonus, because we know we asked a lot from you to leave London behind and move here! So we decided to treat you and..."

The mechanical sound of the automatic arrival doors grinding open cuts off his speech, followed by the bustling mass of bodies piling through the opened gates. The people waiting on this side of the opening pull out huge white signs, decorated with names and pictures, and it's magical to watch people flying into their arms, married couples hugging tightly or children greeting family members. The airport feels alive, rejuvenated, and I'm so content with regarding the fairy tale beginnings and endings all around me that I don't even realise when Jake starts shouting and moving over to the suitcase conveyor belt. I fling my scrunched-up coffee cup into the nearest bin and scamper over to the conveyor belt, not sure whether it's excitement or dread that's fuelling my speed...or an overdose of caffeine. I race up to Jake, tugging on his shirt so I can fully see the figure stood next to him. It's...Eve.

"Hey, Fearne!" She grins, pulling me into a hug, "How are you?"

"Yeah, I'm good. How was the flight?" I ask, stalling for time.

"It was hell. There were these toddlers screaming right from when it took off...and Amy wouldn't stop complaining about not being next to her boyfriend, or something like that. I was trying to drown out the misery with my headphones. It was super generous of your parents to pay for half of the price though." She laughs, moving towards my parents, followed by a flood of appreciation pooling from her mouth. Amy. Her boyfriend. It feels as if sand has just been poured into my mouth. My throat is dry and raw and my chest hammers as I slowly turn around to scan the rest of the crowd. I'm taken aback when I realize that most people have already pulled down their bags and trundled away, so it's easy to spot the weirdly-familiar sight of Alfie, Amy and Kayla huddled around a stack of suitcases. Kayla pulls away from the group, yelling at the others and flings herself around my shoulders.

"Fearne! Oh my God! It feels like ages! Look, you're all tanned!" She gushes, pulling at my arm.

"I've missed you so much!" I smile, my throat clogging. She throws her arms around me, squeezing the air out of my lungs.