This Summer

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

I had been in my bedroom nearly all day moping around and watching television. I was beyond bored so I decided to go around to Chas’s place besides I’m sure my mom and sister wouldn’t mind that I’d finally decided to leave the house of a while.

I grabbed my car keys from the side and took a leisurely drive down to the cafe, the roof on my car was down and a soft breeze blew onto my face. I pulled up outside and quickly locked the car. When Chas saw me walk in a huge smile crept upon her face.

“Shawna!” She exclaimed pulling me into a hug. “I missed you loads.”

I chuckled “I haven’t been gone that long.”

“Four days is a long time.”

“Whatever you say.” I replied smiling. “Where’s Owen?” I asked seeing he weren’t there.

“Oh I let him have the afternoon off because the place has been so quiet.”

“You need any help cleaning up?” I asked.

“Nope I’m nearly finished just need to mop the floor and I can finish up. What brought this visit on anyway?”

I shrugged. “I needed someone to talk to I guess.”

Chas smiled. “I’m all ears.”

I decided to leave out the boy trouble I was having at the moment because it wasn’t that huge. “It’s Ash.” I stated.

“What about her?”

“I don’t know, she came home in a really good mood today because Will had sent her white roses yesterday and a huge bunch of blue today.”

“Surely that’s not a bad thing?”

“No, I guess you’re right but there’s something about him Chas I just don’t trust the guy.”

“But your sister does.”

“That’s what scares me.”

“Why? He can’t be that bad.” Chas said to me but her facial expression changed when she saw me raise my eyebrows. “What’s he done that’s so bad and it’s going to tear Ashley to shreds to find out?” She asked me.

I was about to tell her that I’d slept with him whilst they were going out but I just stood there and remained silent leaning up the doorframe which lead into the tiny kitchen. I knew I could trust Chas but I didn’t think this seemed like the right time to go around and tell her that I’d slept with my brother-in-law to be. So instead I just stared at my feet in silence.

“Well then.” She sighed shrugging. “If you can’t find anything that bad wrong with him maybe it’s just you being funny.”

“Me?” I asked confused.

“Yeah, every since Ashley announced that they’re going to get married you’ve been cold towards him and your sister. Have you ever thought that maybe you’re getting in the way of yourself sometimes Shawna? If you didn’t hold such a grudge against Will for completely unknown reasons maybe you and your sister would be fine.”

I continued to stare at my feet, feeling like I had just been given a lecture from my mom, besides I had a grudge against Will because he was such an idiot towards me and loves playing with my feelings, not for unknown reasons.

Chas continued. “I don’t want to feel like I’m giving you a lecture but you came to me for advice and I am giving it you okay?”

I nodded without speaking.

“It’s just my opinion and it doesn’t mean that any of it is true but I believe if you showed Ashley that you were a little more interested in being involved in her wedding plans just like a maid of honour should then it would just make life a little more easier. Even if you do get a little frustrated and stressed just try not to think about it and just remember you’re doing what’s making your sister happy, you don’t have much longer with her just remember that.”

I nodded and hugged Chas again. I suppose she was right If I put up with the chaos which the rest of this week held then Will would be going away soon enough... taking my sister away with him. I sighed, I suppose nothing was going to stop my sister from getting married now, once my sister had made her mind up there was no changing it.

I thanked Chas for her advice again and got back into my car and drove home, now I had cleared my thoughts it felt like a huge weight which I had been carrying was now lifted off of my shoulders. I opened my front door and made my way to the kitchen all that listening and thinking had made me hungry.

I found some noodles in the fridge and smiled... stir fry for one what more could you ask for?

❀ ✿ ❀

I washed up my plate and everything else I had used in making my dinner delicious, I was going to run myself a hot bath and just relax for once. I made my way into the family bathroom and was getting all the lotions and potions ready when the door rang. I groaned.

“Mom, can you get that?” I shouted upstairs, but when no reply came I knew that I was the one left to answer the door. On my way down I noticed that a note had been left on the sideboard.

Ashley and I have gone out for coffee and late night shopping, I don’t know what time we will be back, you were out when we left so I thought I’d leave you a note to save the worrying. There’s food in the fridge and you know how to cook, see you later. Love Mom. X

I knew that at some point my mom would take Ashley out, she always took her side to any argument and when she was feeling down always took her out shopping or for a meal so Ashley could go on one of her long rants about everything she’d been worrying about. I sighed and the door rang again, this time I opened it to find a very tearful Frankie standing on the other side.

I noticed that she had changed a lot since I last saw her. Before her hair was past her shoulders, brittle and full of extensions now it was chopped short complementing her pixie features, her face was no longer orange but it looked like she had a lovely golden tan, she was dressed like a proper woman and for the first time in years she wasn’t with the B-lafz. Before I could say anything she broke down into tears.

I gestured for her to come inside and she did, I closed the door and we both made our way into the living room.

“Frankie is everything okay?” I asked her cautiously.

She looked at me her eyes tearful and whispered. “He’s back.”

I frowned. “What?”

“He’s back Shawna.” She wept.

“Who’s back Frankie, tell me.” I asked her worry building up inside me.