Are we friends or are we more?

Chapter 8

Mum walks in as just as I hang up on my phone. "Hey sweetie." She smiles.

I look up from my phone, mum still looks exactly the same as she did this morning, her hairs still scraped into a perfect bun. "You're home early." I say.

She smiles at me. "Your dad I thought we'd take you out to a meal tonight. As a congratulations."

I grin. "Seriously?!"

Mum nods. "You worked so hard for this scholarship, you deserve it." 

Dad walks in, he wears a black suit and has his grey hair swept over to one side. He takes off his glasses showing his bright green eyes. "Did you tell her?"

I nod. "Yes!" I'm so glad mum and dad have recognized how much work has gone into getting to London. I'm glad my parents are proud of me and aren't telling me off for once. Plus I love food and haven't eaten out in ages. I jump off the couch. "Let me go upstairs and change!" I say beaming.

Mum and dad smile at me. "Don't take too long." Mum shouts after me as I run up the stairs.

I rummage through my box of clothes, it's the only thing I have left to take to London. I look for my dress I brought a couple of weeks ago with Harper and smile when I find it at the bottom of the 2nd box. I smile getting changed and doing my hair and make-up. I walk downstairs to find mum and dad sat ready and waiting for me.

"I thought your mum said not to take too long." My dad jokes.

I smile at him before sticking my tongue out. "Beauty takes time to perfect." I say.

Mum smiles getting up off the armchair. "Well you look lovely darling but we really should hurry, are table is at 6." 

"Lets go then!" I say excited to see where my parents are taking me.

Dad sighs getting up off the couch. "I'm missing the football highlights for you."

I roll my eyes. "You'll survive." I say, though I know he is joking.

Dad opens the front door for us and my mum and I step out. It's freezing cold, literally, I check the temperature on my phone and it's 0 degrees. I have no idea how I was outside in shorts earlier. The thought of earlier reminds me of Joe's lips on mine and I shiver. "Cold?" Dad asks locking the door to the house.

"Huh?" I ask. "What? Oh right yeah a little."

Dad chuckles. "You're always away with the fairies you are."

I beam at him as we get in the car and mum whacks the heating up to full heat. "Lets get going." She says.

Dad stops the car outside my favorite restaurant.  It's called Sotto Sotto and does Italian food. "No way!" I say getting out the car, I know this place is really expensive. I feel a little guilty now that they will be spending so much money on me.

"Anything for my little princess." Dad says using the nickname he used to use for me when I was young.

"You're so embarrassing." I say as we walk up to the front steps of the restaurant.

"You love me really." Dad says as he opens one of the glass doors for us to walk through.

"Only because we buy her food." Mum jokes as dad goes up to the main desk to get our table. 

"How was your day?" Mum asks.

I think back to the events of today. The next time I see Joe it's either going to be really awkward or he will just want to talk about it to me. To be honest I'd rather not think about it. I shrug. "Same old same old."

"Did you find a job?" 

"I applied for a few." I say. "I'm hoping to get the one in Hamleys." I admit.

Dad walks up to us all smiles. "The tables ready, lets go eat." 

I smile as a waitress in a crisp white blouse and black skirt comes up to us. "Your table is right this way." She says smiling warmly.

"Thank you." Mum says as we all follow her into the main dinning area. It's quite busy tonight, families and couples sit tucking in to their meals. I look about and watch as a couple sit bickering about something. I'm too busy watching the arguing couple to notice that the waitress has come to a stop at our table already. I look at the table in front of us expecting it to be a small round one but it's not, there are 9 seats and 6 of them are taken. I smile when I see my grandma,granddad and Auntie.  In the other 3 seats sit faces I am very familiar with, Zoe, her dad and Joe all sit smiling at me.  

"Oh." I say. "What a lovely surprise!"