Wishful Thinking

Chapter Five - A Week In London... With Friends

“My word, this is where you used to live?” Kacie asked, kind of shocked. The car had pulled into my old neighbourhood and she looked around.

“Yep, welcome to Lord Napier Place.” I replied, stepping out the car. She followed after me and looked around again.

“I like it. Very homey.” She stated. I looked at her and she winked.

“Oh god, this is going to be an interesting week,” I sighed, she was already having a little wander, “Very interesting.”

--

“So are you guys alright to sleep down here?” my mum asked, shoving the sheet under the mattress.

“Yep,” I looked to Kacie and she nodded. “We’re good.” My dad came down the stairs then and clapped his hands together, loudly.

“Who’s hungry?” he asked,  a little too enthusiastic. I looked to Kacie again but she just sighed. My dad was a bit eccentric. “nobody? What a shame.”

My brother thundered down the stairs then shouting at the top of his voice, “Casa Mia!” he came to the last step but tripped and landed on his face. Kacie and I burst out laughing then.

“I suppose he is.” I joked in between laughs. Kacie laughed harder at this and we were practically on the floor.

--

The walk to the restaurant was a little tedious; well a little long is probably the right thing to say. Kacie and I walked behind my mum, dad and brother. They were looking around and bringing back old memories, I just cringed at them. “This is your old neighbourhood huh?” Kacie asked, intrigued.

“Yeah.” I replied, kicking a stone.

“You sound kinda sad to be back here.” She stated.

“No I’m not sad, it’s just this place. It’s gotten so bleak and well boring.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“I mean it used to be, oh I don’t know what I mean.” I tried to explain, but evidently failed. Who the hell knew what I meant?

We kept walking and then turned a corner, “It’s just here.” My dad pointed at a sign saying Casa Mia. We walked inside and I saw it was quite a small place, not many tables. But it was cosy.

“Can we eat now?” I mumbled, starved.

I was interrupted by an Italian sounding man who was greeting my dad with a hearty handshake and warm smile. It took about ten minutes before we could actually order anything. Kacie and I chose to share a Pasta Linguine which was pasta with seafood in like mussels and prawns, my brother had a pizza, my dad had chicken and my mum had plain pasta. My dad told terrible jokes all the way through tea and my mum told stories of when we used to live here.

“Are you sure you two are going to be alright tomorrow?” my mum asked, as we finished.

“Mum we’ll be fine. It’s only for two hours or so.” I replied.

“Yes but I don’t like leaving you like that.”

“It’ll be fine.” My dad butted in. “At least we don’t have to drag her complaining butt all the way to Paris with us.” I gave him a look and he just smiled back at me.

“Just as long as you bring me back a skull.” I asked, picking up a mussel.

“A skull?” my mum exclaimed looking surprised.

“Yeah, like one from the Catacombes souvenir shop, or something.” I explained. My brother looked at me weird and I shrugged. So I’m slightly strange?