The Girl Next Door

Chapter 25

Saturday meant that Leigh would get to go out with Jesy.

Leigh-Anne stared at the clock on her dressing table with glee. Jesy was still asleep because it was only five a.m.

"Isn't she just the cutest Harvey?" Leigh had her dog on her lap, panting happily.

He barked and Leigh told him to shush. "She always wears a T-shirt to sleep." Leigh pouted. It would be nice to see Jesy in cute little PJs like hers. "Hmmm I should buy her some." She had not been to school yesterday because after taking her medicine she'd felt like a different person. It had been scary to Leigh that she could not really convey emotions and her mother had decided to call her psychologist. That one was way too strong. Luckily it did not last that long. She had been herself again after seven hours and had not taken it again. Too bad I couldn't see Jesy.

The day before yesterday, Leigh had cried herself to sleep over her embarrassment but the next day which had been yesterday, she'd longed for the girl back. Unfortunately she had not been allowed. After the medication wore off she had been sort of weepy over Jesy and her mother had actually begged her to take more medication so she would relax. But I'm fine now of course.

She was not exactly sure if she was A-okay yet but she hoped to be. Last night while Sairah was sleeping (Leigh had had to sleep with her because her mother did not want her associating with Jesy lest she slip into a manic phase), Leigh had gotten up to watch Jesy sleep and to her pleasant surprise she had seen that her friend had been up watching movies on her I-pad.

Leigh-Anne had decided to talk to her and they had had a nice conversation. During that chat Jesy had expressed to Leigh that she was going to the skate park today to 'meet the guys' and Leigh had invited herself. I mean I hate Jesy's friends as much as the next girl but I just can't help myself. It had been too long.

"Aww look at that. She's getting so comfortable." Leigh-Anne watched how Jesy turned in her bed and moved her face into her pillow. Right now she could see Jesy's legs and she was not fainting. She guessed she had just been excited that day.

Harvey licked Leigh's hand and panted up at her happily.

Leigh kissed him. "You're right. I should go check to see if Mum went to check on me and Sairah. If she did then she'd see that I'm not in her room at all and I'm directly disobeying her." That would end ugly for sure. She would listen to her mum more but it was way more fun to do what she wanted. I guess that's how delinquents think but any who.

Leigh got up from her bed and blew a kiss at Jesy. After that she set Harvey down and went to her mother's room quietly.

When she got to the hall outside of that room she peeped in. Leigh gasped because she saw that her mum was up! Gosh I need to head off then. She was just about to do that but then she noticed that her mum was on the phone and speaking softly to someone. Hmmm.

". . . yes I've been doing everything you told me to do in order to handle her but I just really can't."

Leigh found that her mum's voice sounded kind of sad and tired. Who's she talking to? The woman was sitting on the side of her bed that did not face the door with her back turned to the entrance.

"I've just got so much to do at work and I can't handle Leigh on top of that. I mean I love my Lee-Lee and want to be with her but I'm emotionally exhausted over here. She's a lot to handle John."

Leigh-Anne's shoulders fell. Her mum was speaking to her dad wasn't she?

"Yes, yes . . . but it would probably be best if she just went back to High Wycombe to stay with you. You're so good with her and she listens to you more."