Being a carter. (Eastenders)

Nineteen

After my shower I get dressed and I leave to go downstairs to my nan and grandad pub and I start helping prepare for them to open up.

I'm drying up the glasses when my grandad comes up to me.
"Look princess but if Mick rings here I can't lie to him about you being here"
"Okay but why?" I said with a nod looking at the glass in my hand slightly confused as to why my grandad wouldn't stick up for me.
"His family his a good man, I've known him for a long time"
"Well let's hope he don't ring here then" I said putting the glass down rather hard.
"Look princess I love you dearly but you need to ring Mick tell him your safe and well he must be frantic"
"I can't do that" I said cutting him off rather fast.
"You need to if you don't do it I will"
I watch my grandad walk away and I knew in some ways he was right Mick was more than likely worried but I couldn't go back right now or talk to him and deal with everything all I wanted to do is hide the thought of talking to him about my feelings about our loss it scared me.

I'm down stairs in the pub and I'm on the other side of the bar today and it felt weird but good I felt like I could relax. I hadn't been downstairs long but I was enjoying myself talking to my nan and grandads bar staff Sam and Paula along with my cousin Harry catching up and talking about old times it was nice and I had completely forgotten everything I had gone through the last few days.

I'd been chatting away and drinking having a good time when my cousin Harry asked if I could help out for a few minutes behind the bar as Paula had gone on her break and my grandad had not been seen for a long time, I agreed and get behind the bar
"Hello good looking what can I get you tonight" I said feeling a little tipsy due to to many vodka and cokes
"Can I have a lemonade and pint and two bags of crisps please"
"Sure thing" I said turning around and getting the glasses I pull the pint and lemonade and take his money and give him the drinks
"What flavour crisps?" I ask him
"Cheese and onion and ready salted" he said not looking up from his phone
I walk over to get them hearing my grandad talking I pick up the crisp stepping closer as I go
"She arrived around quarter past nine last night" I heard him say
I rush over to the bar throwing the crisp in front of the guy who still hadn't looked up from his phone.

I walk back over to where I heard my grandad talking and I stand and listen the feeling of guilt rushed over me as I shouldn't be ear wigging but he clearly was talking about me and who to? Mick was my guess and rage hit me how dare he I knew it wasn't my mum as I knew my nan had spoken to her
"No she's fine fella, she's clearly a grieving mess but my princess she will come out the other end stronger you both will"
When he said both I knew it was Mick "great" I thought to myself now he will come down hear.
"No fella you stay there she's fine I will look after her" I hear him say, I breath a sigh of relieve hearing that
"Hey Ellie bean" Harry calls to me "help would be cool about now" I turn around and walk back over to the bar and help till Paula comes back.

I wake up in my bed and I look at the clock in my room it was nine o'clock I then get a really bad throbbing pain in my head it then hits me hangover
I fall out of bed literally and walk to the kitchen feeling drunk still
"Morning" my grandad said putting his cup in the sink
"Yeah morning" I said looking in the draw for pain killers
"Ya nan moved them to the cupboard there" he said pointing
"Moved what?" I asked him
"These" he said opening the cupboard and handing me the packet of paracetamol.
"Thank you" I said taking them " how did you know?" I ask him getting a glass and filling it up with water
"Well you drunk my bar dry last night" he joked "then you Sam and Paula had a drinking contest after closing as you insisted"
"I'm sorry" I said taking the pills "look I know I never paid and your out of pocket let me pay"
"Ellie don't be stupid I'm not worried about that, you was just enjoying yourself you was happy. But listen girl don't rely on the alcohol to help you forget and take the pain away, just don't go there it's always temporary" he said walking out.

After a shower and a coffee I felt myself again and not hungover and my granddads words was stuck in my head about the alcohol and taking the pain away and he was right I felt happy last night from what I remember the pain I felt the past week wasn't apart of me I was me and not grieving me.
I go down stairs and I start wiping the tables down while Harry stocked there bar till there was a knock on the door I look to my cousin Harry who shrugs his shoulders at me then there was another knock.
"Come back in an hour" Harry yells
Then there was another knock and my nan sticks her head in "open up that will be Sam his going to be in early today sorry was meant to say slipped my old mind" she said leaving.
I look to Harry and he shakes his head with a chuckle and I walk over and open the door.
"Hey sammy surprised you risen from your pit this early if you're hangover is as bad as mine" I said opening the door laughing picking up the cleaning cloth that I dropped in the process and in stepped two familiar shoes I look up seeing the body that I knew like the back of my hand and I come face to face with him
"Hello Elle" Mick said standing there.