Your old neighbour (Lucy Bronze)

Part 4

I was crying so hard. Just stood, hanging onto Lucy and sobbing.

Someone clears their throat from behind me, ruining the moment I'm having with luce. Turning around I meet eyes with Kiera Walsh. What!?!!?

"Care to introduce me, luce?" I hear the girl behind me say.

Lucy let go of me and when I turn round to face Kiera, she puts her arm over my shoulder.

"Kiera this is ruby, ruby this is Kiera," Lucy says and I quickly wipe away some more fallen tears before putting my hand out for her to shake, which Kiera gladly accepts.

"Wait your ruby as in ruby ruby. The ruby who lived next to Lucy?" she says finally realising who I am, excited but also a bit nervous.

"That's me," I let out a wet chuckle. Before I can say anything else, Lucy grabs my shoulders and spins me around so I am facing her.

"Now where the hell have you been," Lucy said sternly, no longer with a smile on her face.

"Luce it's a long stor-" I began to say but was cut off.

"No, you're going to tell me it." her voice began to shake. "I haven't seen you for years ruby, do you know how worried I was."

I sighed deeply. "If I'm going to tell you, I'm not doing it in the bathroom," I say taking notice of the locked stools, probably listening to our conversation.

Lucy drags me over to her table and I quickly pull out my phone to text soph.

Soph <3

Where are you????

I just found an old friend, I'll come to find you in a bit

Alr

"So are you going to tell me?" Lucy says once we sat down at her table in the corner of the room, she asked Kiera to stay back a bit and give us some privacy.

"So" I begin, not sure where to start. "What do you want to know?" I asked Lucy.

"Well telling me why you left would be a good start," she says angrily.

"Lucy, I had leukaemia," I state bluntly.

"WHAT!!," Lucy shouted bringing lots of unwanted attention to our table. I can see Kiera start to come over out of the corner of my eye. Tears are brimming from lucy's eyes and I just feel so helpless, how can I make her feel better in such a shit situation.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Lucy asks quietly, I can tell she is hurt as she won't make eye contact with me but force her to look at me as I begin talking.

"I didn't know what was going on luce, I was 11. All I remember was being extremely ill and my parents taking me to lots of doctor's appointments. We suddenly moved to London, that's where I had treatment. I asked about you every day Luce, "I started to say but was stopped when Sophie came up behind me and tapped my shoulder.

"Ruby, we have a taxi waiting for us outside," she starts "who's this?"

All of a sudden I couldn't speak like all my words just got stuck in my throat.

"I'm Lucy," she says for me.

"YOU'RE THE LUCY!?" Sophie shouts, almost as shocked as I was.

"Yes, Sophie it is 'the' Lucy," I speak now.

After a long time of everyone just staring at each other, no one knowing what to say I stand up.

"Lucy I'm so happy I've found you again and I can't lose you. Not now, not ever." I say on the edge of crying again. Lucy stands up and makes her way over to me. She pulls me into her arms once more and begins to speak.

"Shhh it's ok, you're never going to lose me, where are you staying?"

"We're getting the train down to London."

"Ruby are you dumb, that's so long and it's dangerous, especially at night time, come stay with me and Kiera."

"Are you sure? I don't want to intrude."

"You won't intrude, you and your friend can both stay over."

"Thank you," I and Sophie say at the same time and make put way to lucys car with Kiera.