He was coming home

26

"How are you dear?" My aunt asks me turning a corner, leaving the airport behind

"I'm well, how are you?" I reply distractedly, I hear my uncle sigh

"I'm a bit drowsy but otherwise fine as well" she says and I nod, we don't speak

"We've enrolled you in a school near where we live, you start next week" they inform me

"Okay" I say and watch the trees go by as we drive by

"What's it called?" I ask them

"St Michael's Collegiate" Aunt Penny replies and I nod

"You'll have a tour sometime this week so you know where to go and where everything is" Penny adds

"Okay" I say, maybe this won't be so bad

As we drive through the small town, I see a boy, who has a black leather jacket over a white top, and he is smoking, he's going to get lung cancer or some other disease

"That's Ash West, he's bad news. Stay away from him" Mac tells me firmly and I nod only half listening, he doesn't seem so bad

"Mac that might be a bit hard, since he lives next door" Penny points out and he sighs

"Well than she'll just have to limit her time around them" he replies

"Well except I've invited them over for dinner and agreed to let Ash stay here while they are overseas" she tells him

"Than Mira, be cautious, don't get too close to him" he tells me and I nod not really caring, I do have a boyfriend, kind of, maybe, I think so

I should have kept my phone, then I could talk to him but there's hardly any chance that we'll ever see each again and when we do, we'll both have moved on with our lives and what we had will be far behind us

"We are here" Penny announces parking the car outside the wooden house

"Your bedroom upstairs, to the left" Mac tells me a do nod giving him a smile before going up there

I can hear Mac and Penny discussing things over, by that I mean arguing, Mac must really dislike Ash for some reason, more reason to get to know Ash more. Maybe that's why.

I'm probably the worst niece ever but oh well, at least my life won't be boring

I'm so bored, I hope there is something on tv so I don't have to raid the kitchen and disturb my aunt and uncle from their little discussion because that would be terrible, I should so do that

I causally walk into the kitchen and they both stop talking, look quite awkward standing there in silence not even looking at each other

I take out a packet of chocolate biscuits which is half empty and pour a glass of milk before heading into the living room so they can continue their argument discussion thing

I'm going to enjoy it here

***
"Mira, the West's will be here, so you might want to change into a dress, they are more into the lady like fashion, so they won't be happy if you are in a shirt and jeans" Penny tells me poking her head around the door

"Yay, I'll totally do that now" I say jumping up  enthusiastically and running up excitedly to my bedroom throwing the door open and pulling out a gorgeous dress that was six hundred dollars and matching high heels. I put it on and then when the door bell rings I waltz down the stairs elegantly and everyone was breath taken and Ash proposed and revealed that he is a rich prince and I lived happily ever after. The end.

Jokes, it went more like this:

"Okay, I'll do that now I guess" I say changing the channel to a more interesting show, not making a move to get up

"Mira you don't have all day, right now would be good" Penny tells me and I groan and slowly get up

"Also you'll be in charge of Ash, make sure he's got what he needs and all that" she adds picking my stuff

"Okay" I reply walking slowly up the stairs to my room, I have a selection of three dresses, the dress which I usually wear to go jumping in puddles and mud, which has taken a toll on it so nope. The one who Kelly accidentally split a mysterious liquid on that you can just make out, so nope. That leaves the third one, Daisy got it for me for David's twenty first, it will do. Did I mention the hat I don't really like dresses? If I haven't then I don't really like dresses

I put it on and grab a pair of flats and walk downstairs as soon as I get to the bottom the doorbell rings

They are here, see I knew I had more time

"Hello Penelope, Mac and who's this?" An old woman walking in followed by an older man and Ash

"Hello Cassandra, this is Mira my niece, Mira this is Cassandra, John and Ash" Penny introduces us I smile and nod, John kisses my hand, couldn't he just have shaken it, much to my delight Ash gives me a hive five, I like this boy already

"Dinner is about an hour away, why don't we go to the living tic tach and the kids can go outside and entertain themselves out there" Penny suggest

"Great idea, run along you too" Mac says

"Sure" I say smiling and Penny because she's known me longer and she has realised that Mac is in for it later, because he didn't give us the tv

"Come one Ash outside we go" I say cheerily and she laughs quietly

As soon as we are a bit out of sight I let my smile drop a bit

"What do you want to do?" I ask him

"Let's go for a swim" he suggest

"I am not ruining this dress and I am not getting changed so no, how about soccer" I say

"Sure or we could sneak into my house and watch tv for an hour

"Let's do that, won't we get caught though?" I ask him

"Nah" he replies dragging me towards the fence

"How are we getting across?" I ask him please don't say we are climbing

"We climb of course" he replies smirking

"Oh no, I can't climb anything" I protest stepping away

"Then I'll lift you up" he replies not giving in

"No I'm wearing a dress" I snap

"So? I promise I won't look" he says and I laugh dryly, he's a boy, he will look. But I do have shorts underneath I just don't want to climb in case of getting it caught on something and ripping it

"Come on it will be fine" he assures me

"Fine but if you look I will kill you and if something happens to this dress I will kill you ten times" I warn him and he laughs

"Fine fine" he says smiling mischievously