Dancing with the Devil (part one)

Chapter 13: When You Were A Kid

Ana had dragged Astrid back into the house she had lived in for 4 years until she became old enough to work in a bar. Despite the flat she had bought in the centre of London nearer to her job being a lot duller than the bungalow she had hated, she wanted to get away from that place.

"So, what brings you back here?" Said the maid flatly as she flicked the kettle on

"just wanted to pick up some things, that's all."

"Like what?"

"Clothes, I dunno"

"All your clothes here are from when you were a kid."

"I'm sure they'll fit. I haven't grown." She smiled, breaking up the awkwardness.

"So, what's so great about this knew job that meant you had to not speak to me for two months."

"I was working abroad, with a friend." She lied, she hated lying to Ana, but she had to. Ana had helped her escape from the life she was currently living. It wouldn't be right to tell her that it was all for nothing.

"Which friend?" she quizzed

"Are you interrogating me now?" she raised her eyebrows, to witch Ana nodded, urging her on. Astrid rolled her eyes and gave an answer that would hopefully change the subject, "His name is James"

The Old red head's face lit up in a warm smile, she chuckled to herself as she began to pour steaming hot water into two mugs and took them to a small table in the corner of the kitchen.

"He sounds very, English."

"He's Irish actually."

"Hmm.." she sighed satirically and blew on the liquid in the mug

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Are you a thing." Ana suggested like an embarrassing but enthusiastic best friend.

"Oh my God." Astrid almost yelled in shock, "Ana, just because I'm working with someone who is the opposite sex as me does not mean that there has to be a relationship."

"That's not how it used to work."  she said matter-of-a-fact like, to this Astrid rolled her eyes.

"Well things have changed."

"Which part of Ireland is he from?"

"Dublin." The blushing blond replied probably to quickly, causing the smirk on Ana's face to grow. "What? It's the capital city so it's easy to remember."

However convincing or unconvincing her arguments against Ana's allegations that her and her 'friend from work' were more then friends, even Astrid knew that she was wrong. Well, she felt something for Jim over the months she had known him, naturally. He was a good looking man. Whether or not he felt something back was a fact that Astrid almost definitely knew; no.

"Love is the greatest force of nature"

"Please don't start quoting Einstein" She said, kneading her head as her friend grinned, "and please don't go on about you falling in love as a teenager. I'd probably die of boredom."

"That's a little harsh," Ana said, "the outside world has changed you."

"No, being alone changed me," Astrid stated sadly.

"You're clearly not that alone." she sighed, " I remember when-"

"I've been alone since I was fifteen years old." Astrid sad sharply, "no man can ever fix that."

"You don't have to say that, Astrid." Ana replied watching the young lady sip her tea, "your mother would have wanted you to move on."

"To move on?" she frowned and the other nodded, "you want me to leave that life behind?"

"Astrid, it's what Grace wanted."

"If you want to move on, then you have to stop calling me that."

"Oh Astrid." she said sympathetically.

"My name is Alexa Holton, not Astrid!" She slammed her mug down and a bit of tea spilled over the rim, "Astrid Wingham is dead!"

The read haired maid sat still, frozen in shock, she shakily stood up and began to mop up the small spillage.

"I'm so sorry, Ana." she said with her hand over her mouth. She stepped forward as Ana looked at her. The only thing that Astrid could think to do was to apologise, she hugged Ana tightly and they stayed like that for a good minute, "I don't know what's happening to me."

"It's okay,"

"It's been nearly fifteen years."

"I know."

There was a pause.

"You saw him, didn't you?"

"I did."

There was another short pause.

"Do you remember?"

"Yes."

"What did he look like?"

"Tall." they slowly broke out of the hug. "He had dark hair, thin lips."

"Does he look like me?"

"Not that I remember."

She bent down to pick up her mug and walked into the kitchen followed by Ana

"I'll just get some things and then I'll be on my way."

"okay," The redhead replied, not wanting another fuss.

"I'll go alone." and with that she was walking through the familiar hall, glancing at the familiar pictures of her in school. Her room was straight ahead, it still had the rude keep out sign on it, this made her smile to herself. She pushed the door open, and to her surprise, the room had not changed.

It was big, but not huge. There was a small double bed in the middle with little bed side tables on either side, packed full of books and old work sheets strewn around the place. On the walls there wasn't a lot, there was a Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince poster above a brown desk, just as messy as the other tables d and a huge poster of Ewan McGregor from star wars opposite the bed. The only important thing she had was the picture of her and her mum when she was nine. They were in that same villa, both in the pool with Astrid sat grinning her face off on her mothers shoulders- she remembered it clear as day.

Astrid took a cardboard box out from the top of the dusty wardrobe and started to place items in it, including the picture. There were several plain t-shirts and trousers that she could wear to make her look like a normal person and a few pictures she could put up to brighten up her room, as well as make it seem to the boys that she had interests. She needed to be as boring and routine as possible.

After collecting her things, she went back to the front door and called a taxi to take her back to the station. She promised Ana that she'd stay in touch, and that she was sorry for snapping. In truth, she wasn't, she couldn't move on, she loved her mum too much, and she despised her dad, so much so that it could never be too much. After waiting for her taxi in the hallway in uncomfortable silence with Ana, she said bye quietly and left.

"That was awkward." she said quietly to herself as she shoved the box of things into the boot of the car.