MAC: The Twisted Alternative

10: Home

—SQUIDS POV—
Joe was in a bad way too, it appeared. I couldn't find any words to comfort him as he continued to shiver. After complaining of a migraine he fell asleep in his chair on the plane beside me.
I felt awful.
I sunk down into my chair and thought about how my parents would be feeling today. Tom was dead: I couldn't change that. I'd probably have to say something at his funeral, but I wasn't sure if I could.
It still hadn't sunk in that he was dead..
He wasn't out there waiting for me. And he never would.

I pulled out my phone and looked at my camera roll. Young pictures of Tom and I captured my gaze. Each and every picture was unique and perfect, a picture of Tom and I smiling on a bench, and the picture afterwards of us rushing to our mother with laughing and eager faces to see the photo.
The days at the beach with our old childhood dog brought more tears to my eyes. My hands in the fluff of my dog as I hugged him, Tom's arm around my shoulder as we laughed at the camera.
Videos of us sledging down the hill crashing into each other and crying of laughter.
I bit my lip, wishing I had made the most of all those years, thinking it should have been me that died in the car crash instead of him.
He died on my birthday, just as I was about to kiss Beth he was in a fatal accident.
How could I ever forgive myself?

I fell asleep, into a dream where I saw Beth in the café where I met her. She smiled at me, I put my hand in hers... I imagined taking her home again, but I took her name and her number this time, I imagined her eyes, her soft cheeks, I imagined that, if I kissed her then everything would be different now. Why didn't I just tell her I loved her then and there?
I woke up as the plane prepared to land.
London looked dull and grey as the rain poured from the clouds.
The city felt dead, juxtaposing the lively area I once saw London as. I looked over to Joe who was remained fast asleep for the duration of the flight. It dawned to me that I had too many people to care about, and that if I was to be with Beth I couldn't be friends with Joe; but if I stayed friends with Joe, I simply couldn't be with Beth.
I couldn't have both. I'd soon have to decide who I wanted more.

—STAMPYS POV—
I woke up by David nudging me.
"Stamps we're back in London." He told me as I squinted awake.
"Oh.. Hi.. thanks.." I muttered, getting my bearings. My head was still painful and I felt as though my eyes couldn't really focus.
I slipped on my glasses and stood up, collecting my bags from the overhead compartment. I hardly ever slept on planes, I guess it was just a symptom.. of whatever I had...

About an hour later we were on the train to Yorkshire. Part of me wanted to go back down to Chichester to visit my family, but I knew Netty would be coming up to the funeral.

I messaged decided to message Beth.
Hey, just arrived in London- how are you? X
I waited for a response.
I waited and waited.
Nothing.
I sighed, knowing it was mid-day with her.. she should be up..
I concluded that she must have been busy.

—SQUIDS POV—
I looked at my phone as it vibrated, I had a text from Beth.
Hey D- hope you're alright, you in London?
I smiled,
Hi Beth I began, then though of Joe.. Hi B, I'm okay :) we've just arrived- how are you?

As good as I can be at work! Xx

She sent two Xs?? I felt a warm sensation up inside me and I smiled, but that feeling was gone when I noticed Joe looking at me.
"Who're you texting?" He asked,
I panicked, looking at the last funny text someone sent me, he couldn't know I had been texting his girlfriend.
"Oh- Patricia from work." I told him, "I made a spelling mistake on the script."
"What did you say?" He asked,
"Well.. it was supposed to say Miguel sits on the log but I wrote Miguel shits on the log so I assume the animators had to question that."
Stampy chuckled, looking at his phone. "Beth must be busy." He sighed, switching off his phone and looking out the window.
I nodded, feeling bad... she texts me instead of her boyfriend?

My phone then started to ring, it was my mother, I immediately felt sweltered into the darkness again.
"Hi mum." I answered,
"Hi Dave where are you?" She asked with a slight undertone of despair,
"I'm on the train, I'll be there in a couple hours." I told her, hating hearing my mother stressed.
"Is your friend with you?" She asked,
"J-Joe? yeah he is." I told her,
"I heard that his sister and family are staying in a hotel somewhere beside the church.
I nodded, "Okay I'll tell him that." I said, feeling sad. "I'll see you soon, mum."
"Okay, safe trip." She said. I built up the courage to say the words I should have said to her long ago.
"Mum?"
"Yes?"
"I love you." I told her, my eyes watering reminding myself of Tom. Joe looked at me and put an arm around my shoulder as I bit my lip, trying not to break.
"You too D." She replied, touched.
A tear dropped from my eye. Tomorrow was the funeral of my brother, my friend was unwell and the girl I loved could never be with me. Everything just started to sink in.