Never As It Seems

Chapter 15

"Seriously sweetheart chill out. It's just me and your mother." Amber's father sat across from her in the beautiful upmarket restaurant. Just the place for a full on argument, she thought to herself. She couldn't stop from jiggling her leg under the table and what fingernails she did have, were now gone. Why did Mum have to be late? She wanted to get this over with. Her mind was consumed with the conversation she was about to have but every so often she would think of Jay and wonder what he was thinking. Her stomach jolted when her mother walked through the door, bypassed the restaurant staff and headed for the table. She kissed her husband and then smiled at Amber like nothing had happened.

"Did you order yet?" She asked brightly and took her velvet covered seat. Maybe this wasn't going to be so bad after all.

In fact as the meal went on, and the conversation seemed easy and lighthearted, Amber found herself forgetting about the matter at hand and thinking about Jay. She was positive that her confession earlier would cause him to end their relationship. What man wouldn't? Unless he believed the same, which she knew he didn't. But she still had to hold onto any hope that he wouldn't end it. The alternative was too painful to think about. She was snapped back into the moment halfway through the main course, when her mother brought up the inevitable.

"So have you been sent a start date for University yet?" She asked, taking a sip of expensive red wine.

Amber shook her head and played with the piece of chicken on her fork.

"Well I guess it doesn't stop us planning too much. We know roughly don't we. Your father will take you down with your things. If I'm free, I'll come too but there's no way of knowing if I can until the day." She beamed at her daughter, which made Amber feel worse.

"Uh Mum, Dad. I need to talk to you about Uni." She still had the chicken on the end of her fork and she studied every detail of it so as not to have to look at her parents.

"Well that's why we're here darling. Did you not hear anything I just said?"

Amber put the fork down and plucked up the courage to look at the two people in front of her. At that moment she felt an overwhelming sense of love for them. Maybe it was because she knew she was about to hurt them.

"I heard what you said. It's just that I was thinking about not starting Uni this year."

She watched for their reactions. Her father stopped chewing on his food and surreptitiously glanced at his wife who was silent. She slowly put her fork down and Amber thought she was going to burst with nerves while she waited for their response. Finally David spoke.

"But you've worked so hard."

Amber looked down at her plate as her mother pitched in.

"Is this because of that boy? Has he talked you out of having a decent future?" She asked in a low voice.

Amber looked up. "No! No Mum. I made this decision before I even met Jay."

Sarah rolled her eyes. "He's quite happy to ruin your life is he?"

She looked at her father, hoping for some back up. There was none. He was sitting quietly rubbing his chin with his hand, as though he was thinking deeply.

"Far from it Mum. He's not even going to be here come September. The tour moves on at the end of August. This is my decision."

"Then why?" Sarah snapped. "What are you going to do for a year? Sit on your backside like you have for the last few weeks? Or follow a silly little crush around the country? "

Amber gulped back the pain of Sarah's comment as David put a hand on his wife's shoulder. They exchanged glances and he shook his head as if to tell his wife she was going too far. Silence fell between the small group and they all either ate or moved their food around its plate.