Never Summer Again

Chapter Eight - The Not So Innocent Ones

Score: Rehab - Amy Winehouse

Lydia

Mark and I follow Gloria through the massive hallway and through the glass doors out on the patio.

Diana is lying in a sunbed by the pool, fully clothed, and looks asleep. I reach out and take her hand and lift it up, dropping it in the air. It does an eery free-fall as if she is asleep or unconscious.

Or dead.

I check her pulse and her chest. It is rising and falling slowly, but rhythmically. She is breathing and looks like she is in deep sleep.

I try and shake her a little. Nothing happens. I shake her harder. Still nothing. I turn around to face Gloria and mouth "I'm sorry" at her. Then I turn back to the unconscious Diana and slap her across the face, hard.

Nothing.

Gloria is now sobbing uncontrollably next to me.

"Is she going to die?" She is so upset, I want to turn around and slap Diana again, as hard as I can, for doing this to her daughters, but then I realize she won't feel it, so, there's no point.

God, parents are idiots!

"No, Glo, she isn't going to die," I say softly and wipe her wet cheeks. I take her face in my hands to force her to look at me. I need her to focus.

"Glo, has she taken anything apart from coke? Please, I need you to think, babe."

"I...I don't know... She was drinking earlier. She said she had a couple of G&Ts..."

"That," I say and I point at the motionless body on the sunbed" is not just blow and gin."

Gloria whimpers next to me and Mark softly pulls her by the shoulders to comfort her. It is such a sweet gesture. He is being so nice, even though I dragged him to Hertfordshire to take care of our friend's drugged mother.

It is now that I notice someone is missing...

"Where is Liam?" I ask and furrow my brows.

"He doesn't know," Gloria whimpers again and I feel the frustration building up inside me.

"Hm, why?" I ask, my annoyance creeping into my voice.

"I just couldn't tell him, Lyds... What if his parents found out? What if someone found out that Liam Hayes' girlfriend's mom is a coke addict? Can you imagine what this would do to their career? And all the unwanted attention that we'd be getting? We had to run from the paparazzi the other day because he was buying cigarettes at a street kiosk, and he's underage still. Can you imagine what this would cause?"

"I don't care, Gloria! He is your boyfriend, and he loves you! I know he does! And he would be glad to help you and be there for you! He is a nice guy, and he deserves to know the truth! Plus, I am sure his parents have done way worse..."

"I know, OK. I know." Gloria sobs and I feel sorry for her again. I wrap my hands around her neck and pull her in a tight embrace.

As I lay my head on her shoulder, I see a small figure standing in the frame of one of the glass doors of the patio.

"Hey, baby" I smile and Petra takes a couple of steps forwards. "Come here" I wave at her with the hand that is wrapped around her sobbing sister and Petra joins in our embrace. "It's OK" I mutter in their hair. They smell of violets and coconut, the Dior Sauvage scent lingering on Gloria's neck. "It's OK."

I release them from my embrace and look into Gloria's swollen eyes.

"Do you have any essential oils?" I ask her.