Let's All Make Believe - Oasis

Chapter 12

The day of the match came and I had the tickets out ready to go over to Jamie's. I was busy trying to pack a bag for Ste, clothes, toys, some food for the day. Even with the baby kicking I could only think about getting to the match.

George came up to me with the envelope and presented the tickets. "What the fuck are these?!"

"Tickets to the match." I stated the obvious, trying to stay focused on my task.

"What match?"

"Read 'em."

"You're going to the match without me, today?" she asked, shocked as if she didn't already know exactly what they were.

"Yeah." I confirmed neutrally, I wasn't going to bite and get into an argument.

"You could've told me."

"Why?"

"What if I wanted to go?"

"You don't like the footie."

"I might've wanted to go with you, we are a family."

"You'll be bored, there's no point you being there. I never thought you'd want to go or I'd have got you a ticket too."

"No, you just want to cosy up to Jamie again."

"Oh yeah and when we get to it I'm sure Sinead, his fiance'll join in with my son watching it all." I told her sarcastically.

"Don't be like that."

"Be like what?" I responded, not bothered if we ended up pissed off at each other today.

Not much had changed since I'd spoken to Guigsy. I'd begun to think he was right maybe people didn't approve of George for a reason. However I wasn't going to let her go. Either we'd work or we'd fall apart, I wasn't going to force it either way.

"Making me feel stupid for wanting to be with you, not wanting you to be gone all day on a Saturday when I'm not at work until tonight."

"It's not all day, we'll be gone a few hours." I corrected. "We're coming straight back, we can do something then, Ste'll be worn out."

"Alright, I'll make dinner or something."

"I can't wait. Look, I gotta go." I kissed her cheek. "We're gonna be late."

I found Ste and took off to Jamie's.

....

Once we got there Jamie insisted we wore football shirts, noticing we were in plain clothes. He was almost militant about it. I pointed out that Ste's was in his bag and I didn't have one.

Jamie told me to wait in my old room and took Ste off with him. "Here, wear this." He quickly threw a ball of something red through my door before closing it so I could get changed.

I straightened out his shirt and held it against my body before quickly swapping tops. It was clean but it still smelt of him and alcohol to me. Just like when we went to the QPR game I was long past fitting into mine and I wasn't going to buy one for this one match.

"You should be wearing my shirt, not his."

I jumped and turned to see Luke sat on the bed, leaning back using his hands as props. He was in uniform, the shirt we last won the league in if I wasn't mistaken. "I didn't invite you. You're not invited."

Although I didn't want him there, risking things going badly I was relieved to see him. I didn't believe in ghosts but it seemed I should. I wanted to hold him tight, I wanted to touch that smile of his but I knew it'd all slip through my fingers.