Castlebay // Blake Richardson

Chapter 21

*Nate's POV*

      Even hungover I couldn't stop wondering about what had happened with Megs and Brenda this morning, like I don't want my bestfriend to leave me, never mind all of us. It had been the best part of 3 hours since we had seen her, Megs and Blake taking turns every 10 minutes to go knock her bedroom door and try to find out what was happening.

      "Someone just open the door and drag her out, problem solved" Reece had been quite moody for some reason this morning and as he said this he received questioning looks from the room.

      "Do you want one of us to die?" Lucy said to him and he shrugged, "You're an ass when you're hungover"

      "Let's all go to the beach? Maybe no-one will kill anyone then!" Austin suggested, "Plus everyone knows Brenda can't say no to the beach"

      "I'm going to tell her" Blake exited the room and we could faintly hear him speak through the door before it creaked open.

      "No-one, and I mean no-one, brings up Castlebay agreed?" I looked at everyone as they nodded.

      "I feel bad for upsetting her" Megs spoke quietly, Levi slinging his arm around her to comfort her, "She'll come round don't worry, she can't stay mad at any of us"

      I was walking along the beach with Brenda, Drew and Lucy now, watching as the others laughed and joked a little up ahead. Levi had already thrown Megs in the sea, her faking being annoyed with him when we all know she loves it, while George and Rosie were acting like couples in movies, holding hands while the water washed over their bare feet, all of us opting not to wear shoes.

      "Brenda?" Lucy dared to speak to the girl who hadn't said a word since we'd arrived. Her head shot up, as if she'd been pulled suddenly from a dream, "I'm gonna ask nicely, because I don't wanna upset you, but are you okay?"

      Brenda stopped walking, tears filling her eyes before she shook her head and broke completely.

      "Hey hey don't cry, talk to us" I pulled my bestfriend into a hug.

      "Whatever it is, it can't be that bad" Drew tried to comfort her, while looking at the others walking back towards us, signalling for them to maintain their distance.

      "I'm sorry guys, I didn't think they'd find out and I thought I'd find a solution and now it's all falling apart-"

      "Brenda, what did you do?" I looked her in the eyes now.

      "Dropped out of school" She whispered, Lucy hitting her a slap on the arm before apologising.

      "What's the big deal? Loads of people drop out" Drew seemed confused before Lucy turned to him, "Go to the others Drew"

      "Why?" I did my best to be reasonable.

      "I didn't mean to, I mean I thought I had everything done and then I got an email while we were in Ireland from my tutor saying I had this huge project to hand in and because of everything with Blake I wasn't thinking clearly and I withdrew and then my parents found out and they're so mad Nate like I've never heard them this upset-"

      "Breathe Brenda" Lucy reminded her before she began speaking again.

      "So now I have to go back to that hellhole of a school with those idiots and finish my GCSEs and now my parents are forcing me to go to the formal and I'd rather drown myself in the ocean right now than go back" She finished just as Blake arrived over.

      "I'm sorry I tried to come over sooner but they thought it wasn't best-"

      "We know why she has to go back to Castlebay" Lucy cut him off before briefly explaining what Brenda had told us.

      "Brenda, there's nothing to worry about, I'll be right there with you" He bent slightly to look in her eyes.

      "We'll all be there to support you" I confirmed, smiling at her again.

      Brenda laced her fingers with Blake and laughed a little, "What?" We all laughed too.

      "Well, the formal, it's, it's like how in England you have prom and I don't know if you'd want to-"

      "Brenda, are you trying to ask me to be your date?" She nodded shyly as he asked her this, "I'd be honoured"

      "Who else would've taken you if it wasn't Blake?" Lucy joked.

      "I had this promise with Alex after he took me to his that he'd take me to mine if I wasn't dating anyone"

      "Or he wasn't an asshole that you're not friends with anymore" I sarcastically rolled my eyes, "So when are we going back to Castlebay?"

      "Back? I've never been to start with" Lucy reminded us.

      "Oh yeah, you, Rosie and Megan have never been, the tour guide in me will have to come out again" Brenda laughed.

      "Orrrrrrrr someone else will be their tour guide while you study to pass your exams to be able to stay with us" I gave her a half serious look.

      "Yeah yeah I will"

      "Back to where it all began" Blake pulled Brenda into his side as we walked back to the others.

      "I wanna get back to where we started," I started singing, Brenda and Lucy joining in to finish the line, "TO THE SUMMER NIGHTS"

      "Ironic since it will be almost summer by then" Brenda laughed..

      Castlebay, are you ready for round 3?