My New Obsession [BxB]

Chapter Eighteen [Part Two]- Sometimes I think I'll Die Alone

 For the rest of the day everyone went home. George and Matt went to be with Ms Foster- I wondered if Mr Foster would be joining them. Bran went home to his parents. Rich went home to his parents and siblings. As much as I wanted to be with my mother, I didn’t think it fair to leave Jake alone, so we went home together. I told my mother that she could come with us to mine and Jake’s but she said she’d rather not. We didn’t have much to say to each other, really. I didn’t want to leave her, she didn’t want to leave me, and it rendered us near silent because we both knew that, one way or another, I would be getting in that van at six o’clock.

 Five thirty. Half an hour to go. Time was passing so slowly and I had nothing left to do but check and recheck my suitcase. I had clothes, makeup, booze, some food, some comfort things like my dad’s old letters to my mother and the aftershave my mum gave to my dad on his birthday every year. The bottle remained near full; I never used it. Sometimes I just smelt it because I knew that’s what he would smell like. Creepy in a way, but I didn’t care.

 Time was teasing us all. I was so excited that I felt I could practically run to the venue. Then run back home. The run back again. But at the same time I was nervous, terrified, horrified and more.

 “James,” Jake said, his voice breaking a little. “it’s time to go.”

 He had been sat on the sofa, staring into space, not filled with energy like I was but instead drained of it. I helped him stand up- he was clutching a rather empty bottle of Jack Daniels- and we walked into the hallway to grab our suitcases.

 “Scamp!” I called. He came running down from upstairs and we played for a bit before I fastened his lead and Jake opened the front door.

 We walked out to the car and put our small suitcases in the boot along with a box containing most of Scamp’s things. I got in the car whilst Jake went to lock the front door of the house. He slowly walked back to the car but turned to look at the house once more; saying goodbye to his parents. I mentally bid them farewell too. He got in the car and we both ignored the tears that were threatening to spill over his cheeks. Once again the worried thoughts about Jake drink-driving kicked in, but once we were on our way my fears were directed only towards the next two weeks.

 We approached Skull somewhat quicker than I had expected. I was really too wrapped up in thought to notice where we were along the journey. But soon Jake was pulling into a space in the club car park and we got out. My mother was standing a few metres away, staring at me. I leapt out of the car and over to her, her arms wrapped around me and she hugged me tightly.

 “I’m going to miss you.” she whispered. I breathed in the smell of her perfume, the smell of my childhood, and pulled away from her, smiling.

 “I’ll miss you too, mum. But it’s only two weeks.” I reminded her- reminding myself to be strong.

 The next two weeks would feel both like a whirlwind and a lifetime.

 I heard Jake whistled and Scamp, who had escaped from the car the second the door was open, came running over to him and licked his hand feverishly. Jake bent down to stroke the dog’s soft fur before picking up the lead and bringing him over to me and mum.

 “Ms King, are you sure-”

 “Yes, Jake, of course I want to look after Scamp. I won’t be home much but I’ll take him, no matter.” she said with a smile.

 “Jake, James- can we have your suitcases?” asked Eddie, the club crew member we had recruited to be our driver.

 I walked over to the car and pulled out the suitcases, insisting on taking them over to the van myself instead of making Eddie do everything. I then got the box of Scamp’s stuff out of the boot and put it into my mother’s care. Everyone was there but we were all keeping separate for now- me and Jake with my mother, the Fosters alone, the Tates alone, and the Brydons much the same.

 “Be sensible, kids. Don’t do anything foolish. Don’t get into fights, don’t drink… too much. Don’t do drugs.” mum told us sternly. “Rob says good luck, by the way.”

 It took a minute for me to discern that Rob was Mr Hughes. Even though I knew his first name he would always be Mr Hughes in my mind.

 “Guys, time to say goodbye!” David called to everyone.

 I grabbed mum and pulled her into a hug, once again breathing in the scent of my childhood.

 “I love you, mum.”

 “I love you too!”

 She released me and hugged Jake. Then Ms Foster hugged me- Mr Foster was absent- and she hugged Jake and soon everyone was hugging everyone, even the parents and siblings were hugging each other.

 “Two weeks, mum,” Matt was telling his mother. “two weeks and we’ll be back.”

 We managed to tear ourselves away. Eddie opened the van door for us and we all clambered in. I sat next to the window, George sat on my right, clutching my hand. The engine started and I looked out of the window to where my mother was standing, arm in arm with Ms Foster, waving frantically. I waved back. But it was two weeks, just two weeks.

 We pulled out of the club car park and started off down the road.

 “What CD?” Rich called to us from the front passenger seat.

 “Nevermind.” I told him.

 Two weeks. Just two weeks.