Finding Jemima

One person to trust completly

MATTY

"What did you mean earlier when you said she hadn't told us everything?" Ed asked peter. Peter looked up and sighed putting his phone away that he had been looking at intently to avoid having a conversation with us.

"Look I'm sorry but it's not my place, I shouldn't have said anything ok, and I'm sorry I went off on you Matty"

"She's told us a lot though so what else could there be" Tom added.

"Look your sister...she's been through a bloody lot" peter sat forward leaning on his knees looking directly at me "I've known her for a long time, since she was three, I've even met you a few times Matty, you probably don't remember me, I was really young.  Anyway I've been there I've seen it, and believe me when I say I wish I could have stopped it, but you have no idea what it was like. I was only young myself, and he had...has this hold over her.  She's fragile you know, i didn't want to risk her tipping over the edge again, I nearly lost her and I ..."

"You could have told someone, told our mum" I said shortly.

"She did tell her" Peter snapped

"WHAT"

"Shit...sorry it's really not my place"

"Tell me what you mean."

"I don't know what she's told and what she hasn't so I had better just shut up."

"Please" I pleaded with Peter desperation in my voice.

"Well What has she told you?"

We all went on to explain what Jem had told us, Peter listened intently nodding his head and rubbing his hands over his face in frustration.

"Listen don't get fired up ok....but you've only really scratched the surface boys...I mean it sounds like she's told you the basics but she's left out a lot of the details, it sounds like she's played it down. I mean it's really not my place, but I can tell you care about her."

"I...I mean we do" max said defensively

"Look Steve he's a nasty piece of work, I mean really nasty.  Some of his actions...well.....they came with more consequences than you know.  And as for your mum goes, I'm sorry Matty but she was no bloody angel either.  But you need to talk to Em, I'm not going to betray her trust on this, some stuff she's only told me not even Tammy and Felix know. She needs to have at least one person in her life that she can trust completely, and I'm not prepared to leave her with out that, she deserves to have that."

"Thank you" I muttered "for being there"

"Hey mate...I...I'm going to take her out for the day" Peter told me and I shot him a look "it's ok I promise she's safe with me, we're just friends. I'll talk to her ok, while we're out I'll talk to her, try and get her to open up to you guys more."

"You'd do that?" Milo questioned

"Sure, I'm not here for long.  She needs to have someone closer to home that she can trust. Just don't let her down ok"

"So she's talked to you about...you know....Felix and his band mates...what they did to her?" Max fumbled out a question.

"Yeah she did. I take it she hasn't discussed it with you yet." We collectively shook our heads "Well Felix he's...well he's...he's tolerable at best, when it's just him and he's not drinking or high on something.  He did help Em a lot at the beginning but he can be a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde that one, he's trouble, he got Em into a lot of bad situations, she just couldn't see it, she'd always forgive him when he'd come crawling back, but not this time, she's done with him, I'm glad to see the back of him to be honest. But what happened with his band mates, as far as I know that was a one off it hadn't happened before, you should know that at least."

"Why are my ears burning" Jem stood in the doorway with furrowed eyebrows.

"Just getting to know Peter a bit more" Tom quickly reassured.

"You look like a mini female version of your brother Em" Peter giggled

"Hey" Jem pouted

"You guys pick her clothes out I guess" peter directed towards the boys

"She looks cute, shut up" Tom swiped back

"Of course she looks cute, she's adorable" peter joked

"Shut up all of you" Jem said annoyed.

"Come on, let's get going" peter smirked

"What time are you going out Matty?" Jem asked "it was his birthday yesterday, you kinda of crashed the party" she uttered in Peters direction.

"Oh I don't know if we're still going" I looked over at the boys trying to get them to side with me.

"Don't be stupid go, I'm fine, besides I've got peter here with me"

"Oooo maybe we should go out too you know like old times" peter rubbed his hands together

"Right we're not going" I flopped back on the sofa

"Don't be stupid, we're not going anywhere peter, we can stay in and have fun here. Boys take him out and I don't want to see him back until late OK"

"Yes maim!" Milo saluted sarcastically at Jem and I just rolled my eyes, as Jem led peter out of the house.

It was the first time she had left the house without one of us or our mums with her, it felt weird.