Wish

Chapter 5

The next week at school was a mix of good and bad. I kept having mean or derogatory comments thrown my way by people as I passed by but in the grand scheme of things it could be worse. Charlie and Mercedes were flaunting their 'relationship' for the whole school to see, including myself. It seemed every corner I turned there they were all over each other, kissing or Mercedes hanging off his arm. All I could hear were comments of how it was 'about time' they got together and how they were 'made for each other'. In all honesty I didn't care anymore that they were together, I'd come to term with the fact he'd moved on so fast. What I did care about, however, was the fact he'd cheated on me in the first place and tried to get me back, the fact that everyone used to tell me how we were made for each other and are now saying so about them, and the fact that people who I thought were my friends clearly just faked being nice to me. It hurt. My 'friends' had ditched me as soon as Charlie and I broke up. At least now I know they weren't real friends and aren't worth my time or attention.

On the bright side, I had Phoebe, Emma, Oliver and Justin. Justin and I were becoming closer every day. We really bonded over our shared love for music and I learned he actually wants to be a professional dancer, or at least teach dance. It seems his love for music runs deeper than listening and playing guitar, I admire that. I couldn't lie, when I found out that Justin was a dancer, I had to hold myself back from saying something incredibly inappropriate.

We spent our lunchtimes chatting and laughing in the school yard, we'd claimed the picnic bench furthest away from the building as our group table. It'll work for now while it's not too cold but come winter we'll have to migrate inside to the cafeteria, but by then everything will have blown over and life at school will be normal again so I wasn't too worried.

On Friday afternoon, I walked home from school as normal. As I walked up the drive I heard loud voices coming from inside my house. Not this again. They'd argued pretty much everyday for the last two weeks. Honestly, I was getting used to it. I'd stopped bothering to announce my arrival and instead just made my way up to my room, stuck some noise cancelling headphones on and some music and got on with my homework. Today was different. When I walked into my house, I saw something I wasn't expecting; a suitcase by the door. My heart dropped. I knew they had been arguing a lot but I figured it was a rocky patch and that they would sort things out eventually.

I couldn't take my eyes off the suitcase. Who did it belong to? Mum or Dad? Mum wouldn't leave me, I knew she wouldn't. The shouting had stopped. "Honey, we need to talk." Mum said softly, finally forcing me to stop looking at the suitcase and to look at her instead. When I saw her face my heart practically fell out of my chest. Her eyes were red and slightly puffy from crying, her body was trembling as if she'd gone into shock. I could see in her eyes that she was completely heartbroken and lost. I practically launched myself at her, pulling her into the biggest hug I could give her. "It's going to be okay Mum." I said simply. I didn't say anything else. I didn't know what to say, frankly. What do you tell your Mum to console her through relationship problems? It's usually the other way around. I didn't even know if this was just a break or a breakup. So I just held her, wanting to be there for her like she was always there for me.

After a minute she pulled away and told me she was going upstairs because she couldn't watch Dad go. I nodded and watched her retreat up the stairs, her steps slow and pained. Once I heard a door shut, I marched into the kitchen to interrogate my Dad.

"Why?" I demanded from the doorway. He was stood on the other side of the kitchen island, looking tired. I didn't know what was going on but from what I could tell, this was his doing. So I couldn't feel sorry for him in that moment.

"Thing's just aren't working out anymore." He said not having the guts to look directly at me., instead, he fiddled with the clasp of his watch, the watch Mum had bought him last Christmas to replace his old one that had fallen apart time and time again.