Downhill

Chapter 3

I haven’t woken up this early for ages. It’s September 19th and today is the day I go to London! I roll out of bed and tug at the curtains, letting the light seep through into my room. I half expect to see the milk man driving down the road it feels that early. I do one final check of my suitcases before stepping into the shower and getting dressed. 

“Becky?” my dad says, tapping on my door. I’m sitting on my bed with my hair dripping down my new shirt holding the hairdryer. He steps into my room and says “are you excited?” 

“Yeah” I reply “I can’t wait to be living with Tara, I haven’t seen her in ages” Tara is my dad’s little sister and she’s been living and working in London for the past six years so we haven’t seen much of her.

“Give her my love, I‘m off to work. I hope you enjoy your trip babe” he says giving my shoulders a slight squeeze “You‘ll love London” he says.

“I hope I do, I’d hate to get there and not enjoy it at all” I sigh, “But staying with Tara will be such a laugh” I smile

“I know right, don’t let her take you to any clubs or anything, please remember you’re sixteen” he laughs

“Dad, can you really picture me in a club?” I joke. I’m the polar opposite of the typical ’party girl’. I’d rather sit at home reading The Hunger Games and tweeting celebrities that don’t know I exist than get drunk in a place where the bass shakes the room worse than an earthquake would. I’ve never even tried alcohol, not even once, some people might think I’m a pussy but I really don’t care. 

“I know” he smiles down at me, “I’m so proud of you, do you know that?” she says kissing the top of m damp head. I nod and smile back “right I’d better go, have fun babe” he says poking my cheek.

“Bye dad, Love you” I say before he walks out.  I dry my hair and leave it wavy, I can’t be bothered to do it properly if I’m just going to be sitting on the train all day. 

Its half eleven I finish getting ready, stuffing my headphones and iPod into my handbag along with some strawberry laces and mints for the journey. I check my phone to find a text from Hollie ‘Adios biatch, call me later’. Typical Hollie, she’s probably only just woke up. I walk downstairs to find my mom stirring two cups of tea and a protein shake for Lucas. She slides one over to me.

“Thank you” I say before picking it up and taking a sip, its really sweet, just how I like it. 

“I put three in because you’ve got a long day” mom says giving me a cheeky smile, she doesn’t usually let me have more than one and a half spoonfuls of sugar because I’m mildly diabetic, so I have to be careful and check my blood sugar with a weird little machine that pricks my finger every three days. Alice joins us in the kitchen giving me a bear hug from behind.

“Are you ready?” she says picking up her car keys and jiggling them a bit.

“Yep I think so” I say swallowing the last sugary mouthful of tea. I stand up from the table, pick up my handbag and swing it over my shoulder. 

“Oooh have you got everything?” my mom says, wiping a bit of tea from the corner of my mouth and pinching my cheeks.

“Yes mom” I say just smiling back, she’s so cringey its untrue. I give her a hug.

“Well I’ll see you later, call me when you get on the train and when you get there please” she says when I turn around and begin to walk towards the door.

“Okay mom, I’m not five” I laugh “Tell Lucas bye when he gets up” 

“You’ll be back before that happens” she jokes “Bye Bex” I pull my second suitcase out the front door and follow Alice with the first one, we stack them into her boot and get in the car. We reverse down the drive both waving at my mom. I’m so excited now, I’ve never been to London and I can’t wait so live there for two and a half weeks with the funniest auntie in the world. Alice turns the radio on and we sing along for the fifteen minute drive to the train station in the middle of Wolverhampton.