1998

Chapter one: raining

29th December 1997
I'm in my room. My empty room. The Rain is trickling down the window as I look out on the shabby street I have called home for 14 years. The street contains a long string of 1950s semi-detached houses mine being the last on the street with a bottle green door and a weed infested front garden which mum had always said she would sort out 'when she had the chance' but she never has and never will not now we're moving to Yorkshire which is at least fours hours away from my home: Bristol. Not that I want to think about that about all that entails moving: leaving my friends Abi and Lucy and my boyfriend Frank who's my rock with his chocolate brown hair, bubbly smile and green eyes which when you look into them you know your safe from anything and that you can trust them. The removal vans coming to take the rest of our stuff not that there's much left tomorrow right in the middle of my Christmas break which has been ruined by the constant bustle of homes buyers nosing through my shit like it's there own and the constant reminder that this is it after this I'm going on some moor in the middle of no where with no party life, people my age or any fun. Just my whiny brat of a younger sister who with not leave me be or learn to shut up and my older sister who is in the middle of her constant revision that she might as well not live with us. At least I get to see Frank tonight.

'Karen, Franks here'. My mother yells.I charge down stairs want savour every moment I have with him. I saw him standing in the door way he's red lips in a forlorn expression although I'm kinda into it. he's wearing a black Tommy Hilfiger polo shirt with grey Adidas joggers and his hair is dripping wet from the rain. He smiles at me. A sweet kind of smile that makes my heart melt a thousand times over every time I see it. As reach him in the door way we kiss his soft lips reach mine for a second until we quickly pull way as I see my mother peer through the door. 'Be back by 9 for tea Karen' she says some what sternly like a warning of don't be stupid because I know what your like. I take Frank's hand and we leave my house in silence not an awkward one but one where we appreciate one and other. He finally breaks the silence "I'll come tomorrow to see you off I know you said you leave at 7am but I don't care I want to see you one last time". I look into his sparkling eyes "we can't do this can we? When I'm up there and your down here we're not going to work because we will grow apart and hurt each other and can't bear the thought of doing that to you so after tomorrow we can just be friends". "If that's what you want then that's ok but just remember I will always want to get back with you" Franks sadly. Frank pulls me in to close hug I can smell the strong smell of men's deodorant and of paint (he helps his dad with his paint business). He strokes my cheek and put's my hair behind my ear and leans in for a kiss out tongues lock together it's so passionate it's like electric runs through my skin making me buzz with excitement.We stop clasp each other's hands I don't care that he always has big clammy hands it's stopped raining now it's just plain freezing.We walk through a sea of houses,our breath white like smoke as we shiver together until we reach his large house which was a new building which his parents had bought when it was in first for sale it has an earthy red brick and a white plastic door.