Three Years Old

Chapter Twenty

Sorry it's been a bit longer than I said it would! I got a bit caught up in exams and stuff :S I've got one tomorrow, then a break for a few days, so hopefully I will get some writing done then, because as I've said before I PLAN TO FINISH THIS STORY (and therefore the whole trilogy :O) BY NEW YEAR. I can't even believe I'm saying that tbh, cause for the last year and a half Debby, Beth and Michael have been my life and I love writing about them, but I think it's time for me to move on to something new.

    Also, the first book is going to be hitting 100 thousand reads very soon, which is bloody incredible!!! If any of you reading this love me lots and lots you could go and tell people you know to read it so that it gets there quicker! If you do that, and drop me a message saying you have I'll be sure to pay you back in some way, whether you want me to read something of yours or fan you or whatever, you tell me!

     Dedicated to writingyearsaway because she is the best fan and you guys who read and never comment should all follow her example ;)

     Anyway, sorry for blabbering on... here you go :D

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     Michael and I sat in silence, watching Debby collecting her items of clothing and piling them into her suitcase. Neither of them had even mentioned the fact that Blake and Flick had been gone for the entirety of the two hours Michael had been here, but I guess they were caught up in their own situation.

     ‘Hurry up,’ Michael told her. It was said with impatience, as the two still hadn’t resolved their issues and he didn’t even know what it was that Deb had told me. They had a five hour car journey in front of them though, so they’d definitely get round to it.

     ‘Sorry,’ Debby said, throwing in her last shoe and closing the top. She didn’t even sound pissed off, which was a first for her as she was an incredibly defensive person. I moved closer to her and helped her with the zip on the suitcase. ‘Thanks,’ she muttered, lifting it up.

     Both of them stood up at the same time and looked at me, without saying anything. ‘Are you sure you’re okay to leave today?’ I asked, even though we’d already had this conversation. ‘You won’t be back till like eleven at night.’

     ‘No, it’s fine,’ Michael told me. ‘We’ve already been enough trouble. I just want to get home.’

     Debby looked at him and grinned. ‘Me too.’

     Seeing that neither of them was going to make a move, I started heading to the door, just trying to get the moment over. The tension between the two of them was stifling me. As I’d hoped, they followed me to the door, Debby pulling her suitcase along. I opened it for them and they both went through, stopping out on the drive.

     ‘Thanks again for everything, Beth,’ Debby called back to where I was standing still in the doorway.

     ‘It’s no problem,’ I told her. ‘Don’t be a stranger.’ Then I closed the door on them, desperately willing them to leave. I pressed my back up against the door, holding my breath. I didn’t know what I was waiting for, but I waited. I heard the doors of their car close as they climbed in. It was only then that I remembered what Debby had told me that day we’d visited Marloes beach – that they’d had to sell their car because they couldn’t afford it anymore.

     I resisted the urge to open the door again to go and ask them about it, determined just to let them leave. After another minute I heard the engine go on and they pulled out of the drive and away, far away. I felt bad about the surge of relief that overwhelmed me, but it was good – it felt so good – to be able to get back to normal life.