Billie had only be living with Lucy and George for a month when the eldest of the three had them sit in the front room so he could 'talk'. Lucy could tell immediately it wasn't good. He rubbed his eyes, meeting his sisters gaze for a moment
"We have to go home," he told her grimly. Her face fell "mum is really ill and we're needed to help look after her," he added. She pressed her lips together
"When?" She asked quietly, looking down when he told her they had four days.
"I'm really sorry Billie, I can't keep the house," he sighed "do you have somewhere to live?" He asked. Billie bit his lip
"Uh, I'll find somewhere, don't worry," he answered "thank you for letting me stay here," he smiled. Lucy looked down
"Can we go see Mike and Tré?" She asked her brother, swallowing the lump in her throat as he nodded and let them go.
"I have to go back to England," Lucy announced, standing in the middle of the room. Mike and Tré looked at her in confusion, Tré hadn't made a stupid joke or done something stupid and Mike hadn't pulled a stupid face or made a smart remark yet and it just made everything that much worse.
"Why?" Mike asked, his eyebrows knotted in a frown, eyes meeting Lucy's.
"My mum isn't well," Lucy answered, looking down and letting her hair cover her face, it's current brightness seeming contradictory of her expression. She scrunched her face up "can we all go to Christy Road and just get really fucking high?" She asked her three friends. They nodded and Tré grabbed the fat baggie of weed he had in his draw, sitting cross-legged on their dirty sofa to roll a joint. Mike sat on the arm and Billie was playing a gentle song on his guitar. Lucy reached for the Polaroid behind her and captured the moment, smiling as she let the picture develop
"Something for my bedroom wall," she told them with a soft smile.
Three days later the four friends stood at the airport, Mike hugged Lucy tightly
"Don't forget us," he mumbled
"As if I could," she answered, holding him tight "you guys had better come to Manchester on tour," she added with a smile. She moved on to Tré, who despite being only two or three inches taller than Lucy, managed to lift her off the ground, squeezing he until she almost couldn't breathe
"I'll miss you," he told her, his serious face showing for the second time that week. She scrunched up her face
"Do something stupid," she sighed "I wanna remember you for being an idiot," she added with a grin. He winked
"Don't be impatient, we've only been here three minutes," he answered, signature mischievous grin returning. Billie was last. Lucy hugged him tightly
"M'really gonna miss you twitch," she mumbled into his black hair. He hugged her back, squeezing his eyes shut
"I'll miss you," he whispered, pulling away and putting a small bag into her hand with a smile "look at it on the plane," he told her. She nodded and opened her arms for a group hug. All three boys squashed her in a hug, all grins and threatened tears, none of them noticed George take a picture of them until he handed it to Lucy and she smiled up at him. Just as they were about to leave, Tré pulled Lucy to a coffee stand, asking loudly if they had any crushed coffee beans he could shove up his ass. The barista looked at him in horror and he looked her in the eye with a straight face
"My partner is really into it..the short one over there," he told her, pointing out Billie. Lucy bit her cheeks to stop herself laughing, apologising to the barista and dragging a curious looking Tré away before he did any more damage.
"I fucking love you guys," she grinned, waving as George dragged her through to the bag check in and security. Once on the flight, Lucy looked into the bag Billie had given her and smiled. It was the necklace he always wore, a simple chain with a plectrum that had belonged to his dad. She clasped it around her neck and smiled softly to herself.
