Headlights - New Hope Club Book 1 (Reece Bibby)

Ten

"I've got a past you wouldn't understand...
I can't afford to let you love me" - Former Vandal

Emma's POV

"No." I said leaning against the door frame.

"What, why? You haven't even heard the whole offer." George complained, his voice sounding flannel through the speakers of my phone.

"I don't need to, to know that I can't accept it, as thankful as I am." I responded and sighed. This offer was everything I had wished for, I mean being signed to a record label and producing your own album and touring would be amazing but of course wasn't possible for me. I had a little sister to take care of and becoming quite famous was something that didn't fit into the shitty life of mine.

"Just imagine all the opportunities that contract offers." George insisted but I just shook my head even though he couldn't hear that. I blinked away the tears that started to fill my eyes. George was making this all harder than it already was. He should have just let the matter rest but no, he only reminded me of what I couldn't have in my life.

"George I don't think you quite understand." I said and started to explain what I've already explained twice before. "I've got a little sister to take care of because my parents are barely home. I can't let a four year old be home on her own."

"You could find a solution if you wanted to. Talk to the guys from Steady Records."

"NO, George." I sighed. "Even if this was possible my parents wouldn't let me. They'd be afraid of losing me if I was barely home and they are too worried about me."

Lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies,lies.

Every time I opened my mouth, all that escaped was lies. I had enough of these. Would this ever stop?

"We can talk to your parents and we will find a solution. My parents can talk to them from parent to parent." As he said that I had to press my hand to my mouth to suppress the bitter laughter that was about to come out. That would have been really difficult to explain.

"No means no George. That's my last word. Thanks for the offer, I really appreciate you thinking of me but no. I can't and I won't." And with the words I hung up the phone.

I sighed and wiped away the tears from underneath my eyes. That all sucked but if I had to choose between career and Amy it would be Amy all the way. It's always been Amy because I loved her more than anything in this world.

I went downstairs to see Amy at the kitchen table drawing a picture. I smiled and got the letters from the letter box. I looked through them next to Amy at the kitchen table. Most of them were bills anyway.

I sighed again - something I did way too often - and started doing the finances. Writing down our spends and income, rent, electricity and water costs.

"What are you drawing, love?" I asked as I took a break from the finances because my brain was confused by all the numbers. I had never been really good at maths but it was enough to know that our financial situation was really bad. I willy-nilly had to find and extra job.

"I'm drawing you and me." Amy said proudly and showed me the picture. I couldn't quite recognise any similarities to her and me but it was sweet anyway.

"Is that me?" I asked and pointed at one of the two girls. Amy looked at me in high dudgeon.

"No this is me!" She corrected me. "This is you." She pointed at the other girl. Oh, now that she had told me, I could see that this one was taller than the other one. Oops, clever Emma. Really clever.