Playing With Lightning

Mummy Dearest

“Smile girls,” Jay held up my phone, pointing it at Taylah and I. We posed stupidly and he took a picture, chucking my phone over to me. It was actually a decent photo so I decided to tweet it.

AwkwardlyMavis  Beach bums ;) twitpic.com/8Hdvd&gBSln

It immediately got a heap of replies. Tay looked over my shoulder as we read through them.

TomParkersWife @AwkwardlyMavis You two are so pretty! <3 x.

TWaremylife @AwkwardlyMavis forever jealous of you and @ItssTaylahBitch so pretty, and best bodies!

NathanSykesArmy @AwkwardlyMavis Don’t know what all the fuss is about these girls. Not even that pretty #SpeakingTheTruth

TWaremylife @NathanSykesArmy @AwkwardlyMavis I’d insult you, but it’s not nice to be mean to blind people…

One particular reply caught our eye and we clicked through to it.

NathanTheWanted @AwkwardlyMavis Pretty sure we’re hotter, just saying twitpic.com/2jB78Ju8k9

The picture was of him and Jay, posing pretty much exactly like us and pulling stupid faces. We saw it and cracked up laughing, looking over to where they were standing with goofy grins. There were a heap of replies casting their vote of who they thought was the hottest picture.

MaxTheWanted @NathanTheWanted @AwkwardlyMavis Actually embarrassed to be seen in public with either of you…

“Maxxie!” I ran over and tackled him with a hug. “I’m not embarrassing, am I?”

“Do you really want us to answer that?” Michelle laughed, looking up from her magazine to raise her eyebrows at me. “Come on, the car’ll be back for us soon.”

We all gathered our stuff together, finishing just as the car pulled up. Still all in wet bathers, we got in, apologising to the driver for wetting the seats.

“So, who’s actually going home?” the driver asked, knowing it was a stupid question.

“We are,” Michelle spoke up, meaning her and the other girls. “I’ll go home and get ready and be back later for dinner.”

“Since when does dinner at ours require getting ready in any form?” I questioned. Usually we just ordered take out and sat on the couches. Not exactly a black tie event.

“Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you,” Max said awkwardly. “Mum’s coming over for dinner.  She wants to meet Michelle properly.”

“Fine,” I agreed. “But Tay gets to stay. I need moral support if I’m dealing with her.”

“Your mum isn’t even that bad,” Tom rolled his eyes.

“Don’t get me wrong, I love the woman,” I said honestly. “She’s just… intense.”

“Alright, deal,” Max agreed. He knew better than anyone how intense she could be. “But the rest of you have to go home.”

The boys all complained. Honestly, they were barely ever home. You’d think spending every day together we’d get sick of each other, but no. They’d have to survive for one night.

“Bags first shower,” I called over my shoulder as I took the stairs two at a time, flying into the bathroom and stepping under the hot spray. I shampooed and conditioned my hair, getting out the effects of the salt water.

We swapped places and I rummaged through my wardrobe to find something to wear. I pulled out a simple floral dress and slipped it on, pairing it with some sandals and simple bracelets. Tay came out and went in to my clothes, not bothering to ask.

She came out in another of my dresses, this one pale pink. I straightened my hair and fixed my make up and sat on my bed with my laptop while I waited for Tay to finish up in the bathroom.

“Tay!” I called out to her. “Come look at this, like now.”

She ran out and jumped up beside me, looking at the tweets I had up on the screen.

LittleGeorgeLover My future wife at the beach today twitpic.com/4Hbf56H82

The photos weren’t any that we’d tweeted ourselves, and as far as we knew there were no paps anywhere. They were all of me, some featuring somebody else, but always of me.

“Maeve, these are really close up,” Tay commented. “Like, either they would have to have a really big lense, or they were hiding in the bushes or something.”

“I know,” I nodded, scrolling down to see how many he’d taken.

“This is freaky, you have to tell Max,” she insisted.

“I will,” I agreed. “But not today. He’ll be stressed enough already with mum coming. Besides, he’s not-”

“Doing any harm?” she finished. “Yeah, for now.” I was saved from further lectures by the doorbell ringing. Michelle was already here, meaning it had to be my mother. Fantastic. I plastered on a smile and went downstairs, being engulfed in her arms.

“Oh sweetie,” she clucked. “I’ve missed you. I really do wish you’d come back and live with me again. But look at you, growing every time I see you.”

“Thanks Mum,” I pulled back from her hug. “You remember Taylah, Tom’s sister?”

“Oh yes, hello dear,” she greeted. “Now where are your brother and this girl I’m supposed to be meeting?”

I lead her through into the kitchen where Michelle was helping Max cook dinner. They turned around as we came in and did the initial hugging and greeting each other. Tay and I distracted ourselves by setting the table.

We all sat down together to eat the pasta Max and Michelle had made, which was delicious by the way.

“So, Michelle dear,” Mum spoke up, breaking the comfortable silence. “What do you do for a living?”

“I’m an actress,” she said proudly. “I’m in a TV show actually, Coronation Street.”

“Oh of course,” Mum nodded, looking slightly like an oversized bird. Okay, weird image. Never mind.

“And Max, how’s that band of yours going?” she asked sceptically. The band had never been a good idea in my mother’s eyes, she just couldn’t support Max and leave it at that. That was something that really annoyed me.

“They’re really big Mum,” I informed her. “Did you watch that interview I told you about the other day?”

“Oh no dear, I had so much to do,” she made an excuse. I wanted to say something so badly, but Max stopped me with a look that said it wasn’t worth it. “I’m sure you’re very good though.”

“They’re the best,” Tay declared and I nodded my agreement. Max smiled at us gratefully. Conversation turned to random chit chat, the weather and such. Mum left pretty much straight after dinner, saying she had ‘things’ that needed to be done.

“Well, that wasn’t as bad as I expected,” Max said after she was gone.

“True, we’re all still alive.”