Serenis

Chapter 10

We pulled up to Merve and Amy's. Ben helped me out of the Jeep as I steadied the soup container in my hands. As I moved around to the front of the car a warm blinding light hit the windshield. I put my hand up to shield myself from the sun and through squinted eyes I saw a shadow running toward me. 

'Evie! Evie!' 

I put my hand down just in time to have Merve's daughter, Meredith, wrap her arms around me, her thin red curly hair covered my face as her bony freckly arms gripped me tighter and tighter. She sounded as though she was crying though I couldn't tell if it was from joy or sadness. 'Oh Evie, I'm so glad you came, it means so much.' 

She pulled away and looked at me, a sad smile slowly making its way across her face as tears welled up in her crystal green eyes.  

'What's happened? Where's your Dad?'  

Meredith looked confused as I began to panic. The fact that she had come home from college before spring break didn't fill me with confidence, things must have been worse with Merve than I originally thought. 

Meredith's smile had gone and she took a deep sigh. 'It's okay Eves, Dad is still in bed. The Doctor has been around again this morning but still has no idea what's wrong with him so they're transporting him back to hospital this afternoon for more tests. I flew in last night, I would have emailed but it all happened so last minute. Mom finally let slip how bad they both really are; I thought I could take him to Emergency myself but he's too frail.' 

Tears now began to well up in my eyes, as I tried my best to comfort my dear friend. 'Ben and I have brought some soup over - I figured your Mom may not have been up to cooking. Nancy made it for Dad and me so you know it's going to be packed full of veggies, she's probably even managed to sneak in a few extra vitamins.' 

'Why did Nancy make you both soup? Is your Dad sick as well?'  

As I was about to respond Ben piped in. 'BJ's fine, Evie's the one who's sick. She was in hospital yesterday and is supposed to be on bed rest so we have to make this a quick visit if that's okay Mere.' 

Meredith looked at me with wide-eyed concern. 'Evie what's wrong?' 

I glared over at Ben; my health was the last thing Meredith needed to be worrying herself with now. 'I'm fine, it was just a small panic attack and I'm feeling perfectly great now so we can stay as long as you need us to.' 

Ben looked away; picking up my point. Meredith moved to my side and linked my arm with hers, leaning her head against mine as we walked up to the house.

I had been friends with Meredith Bourke since I was five. We met at the annual Raven's family picnic. Meredith and her family had arrived late, a Bourke trait that had successfully been passed onto Meredith. I remember it like it was yesterday; out of the corner of my eye I spotted this tall, gangly girl with the prettiest curly red hair I'd ever seen. Dad called out to Merve and Amy as they struggled over with picnic chairs and of course carrying two large bowls of Amy's soon to be famous potato salad. Meredith (or Mere as we call here) hopped and skipped her way over to where we were standing. I remember watching her thinking how pretty she looked, like a graceful ballerina twirling and prancing across the grass. Once she spotted my Dad she bounded over, I was too wide-eyed and stunned to move, she was like nothing I'd seen before. Her huge smile beamed across her face as her hair struggled to get free from under her huge, pink sun hat. Meredith has very pale skin that's covered in orange freckles and is always wearing hats and copious amounts of sunscreen to avoid the inevitable sunburn.  

She came over, grabbed my hand and in a loud booming voice declared; 'Hi, I'm Meredith! You must be Evie, come on let's go play! We're going to be bestest friends!'