Sanctuary (A Dan Smith/ Bastille fanfic)

10. Chloe

I climb back through my window, embarrassed that Dan has just left so quickly. He obviously doesn’t understand my humour. I hope he doesn’t think that I’m actually stalking him; that would be awkward. I thought he seemed alright for the past 5 minutes, but clearly he can’t get over whatever grudge he has had against me since the moment we met. I’m just happy that he seems to act so distant to everyone and that I’m not getting any extra special treatment by him ignoring me.

It’s still early but I decide to go to bed, unsure of what else there is to do. I feel bad moaning about having nothing to do when I live in the capital city, but when there’s no one to enjoy yourself with, it doesn’t seem so fun. I want to really explore the area that we’re living in and then perhaps I will begin to enjoy it a bit more, but then again I’m stubborn and I don’t want to like this place at all. I hate it. I will always hate it.

After getting ready for bed I spend a while searching through various social media sites but the constant updates on my friends profiles of them enjoying the warm Saturday evening again makes me upset that I’m not joining them. Just to sit with a spliff in hand and the sand running between my toes would make me ten times happier than I am right now.

I sigh as I put my phone away. It’s like my mum didn’t think of me at all when deciding to move our entire family here. I don’t want to play the stroppy teenager in this, but I also can’t help how I feel.

I close my eyes and let myself dream of crashing waves, sunbathing on the beach and roasting marshmallows on a fire.

……..

When I awake I decide that I can’t spend another day cooped up inside or else I will end up going insane. I also know that my awful family are going to be in all day and I can’t handle spending any time with them.

I stretch out of bed and walk over to the small wardrobe in the corner of my room. I pull my bed shirt over my head and throw it on the floor next to the pile of clothes that I have worn all week. I pull out the first bra I can find in the drawer and put it on, as well as finding a clean pair of knickers to go on too. I grab a purple t-shirt, an oversized grey jumper and a pair of denim shorts and lazily tug them on. I find a pair of cream vans and throw them on the floor, slipping my feet in them and pulling them up at the back. Afterwards I grab my phone, cigarettes and a tenner and shove them in the back pocket of my shorts and then I’m good to go.

When I get downstairs I almost manage to sneak outside without my family noticing but of course my mother calls me over when she hears me nearly trip over my own foot. I swear my clumsiness will be the death of me.

“Chloe!” She calls as if she hasn’t seen me in ages. That’s probably because I keep myself to myself and have stayed in my room as much as possible since we’ve moved.

“Hi.” I sigh and walk over to where they are sat at the breakfast bar.

“Have some breakfast with us darling.” I cringe at her use of the word ‘darling’, she’s in an unusually good mood with me. I glance over the food on the table and grab a piece of toast and smother it with butter and take a bite.

“I’m just going out so this will do, thanks.” I hold the toast up as a sign of appreciation.

“With friends?!” My mum asks hopefully.

“No, on my own.” I snap back, wanting her to know that I have nobody to spend time with and am forced to walk around like a loner.

“Oh okay.” She quickly dismisses my rudeness, totally used to it by now. It’s like it just brushes straight over her and she almost expects me to throw insults and snappy comments her way. “Well could you be back before 6 please? We have friends around for dinner and I’m sure they would love to meet you.” I look at her and am about to say something nasty but then I see her pleading eyes. “Come on Chloe, they have children your age, this could be good for you. Just make an effort.”

“Whatever.” I reply before taking a long swig of orange juice from the glass she has poured for me and throwing my half eaten toast back on the counter. Without another word I turn my back and leave the house before she can talk to me any longer.

When I get out of the house I realise that I don’t even know where I’m even heading. I take a left, knowing that the station is that way.

I end up walking aimlessly around Putney and end up at the river Thames. I lean my elbows onto the stone wall and smile as I breathe in the air. The air is obviously completely polluted and thick with the city smoke, but I’m near water so I instantly feel more relaxed. I close my eyes and feel the breeze coming from the river and imagine myself on the beach. I didn’t even know the river was this close to our house, but now that I do I feel much better.

I feel my stomach rumble and I instantly regret not finishing even half a slice of toast. I walk back towards where I had seen a small tesco and I pick up a sandwich and drink to have whilst enjoying the river and the warm Sunday morning sun. As I walk towards the tills to pay I see a stand with a few books on it. I glance at them all and settle on a serious looking crime thriller book which has pretty decent reviews apparently. I shrug and pick it up, knowing that I could get lost in the book and sit on the bench with water in my sight for hours.

The rest of the afternoon is spent with my nose in the book, thoroughly enjoying the twisted plot. I find myself getting far too into it, occasionally gasping when something unexpected happens. Before I know it, I have goose bumps on my legs as the weather is cooling and the sun is setting. I panic slightly and pull my phone from my back pocket, it’s gone 7. I’ve read almost all of the book and completely got taken away with it. I stand up quickly and make my way home. I know my mum’s going to be pissed at me for being late, but the fact that I’m turning up is a bonus for her.

When I get in the door I hear my mother’s booming cackle predominantly louder than everyone else’s. I follow the sound to the kitchen where I’m greeted with my mum, stepdad, brother and three strangers. The man is tall and dressed in dark jeans and a shirt, the woman a floral dress, probably from some old woman’s shop, and the girl is wearing a short skirt and blouse. I recognise the girl instantly, she’s friends with Claudia. I smile politely as my Mum walks over and wraps her arm around me, something that she hasn’t done for a number of years. She must really be trying to make a good impression with these people.

“Chloe, my dear! Did you get caught up? Oh well, you’re here now!” She speaks quickly and is overly smiley. It’s freaking me the fuck out. “Darling, this is Isla, Rod and Fran Smith, and Dan is somewhere around, I think he just popped outside. You and Fran go to the same college, isn’t that funny?” No mum, it’s not. Thousands of others do too. Every teen around this area does in fact.

“Lovely to meet you.” Isla greets me with a handshake, which completely takes me aback.

“You too.” I keep my fake smile on my face as I think of a way to make an excuse. “I’m just going to dress for dinner.” I watch as my mum’s smile grows wider, she thinks I’m actually going to come back down to have dinner with them all, it’s quite amusing actually. I wouldn’t in a thousand years. I can’t imagine anything worse than spending time with my family plus this other clone of the perfect family. Plus, Fran is clearly putting on some bullshit act and pretending that she is an angel to her parents. I bet you she was at that party last night.

I get to my room and it’s only then that I realise that I desperately want another cigarette. I open my window and check the house next to me to see if Dan is sitting outside of his window too. Then I start thinking. My mum had just said that they had a son Dan. It couldn’t be the same Dan, could it? I shake my head as if it will shake the thoughts from my brain. Dan is a popular name, especially for our age, I’m sure it’s not him.

But when I get to the spot that I had found before I notice a figure in our garden. It is the same Dan obviously. He doesn’t notice me but I watch him as he inhales the last drag of his cigarette, lets out a deep sigh and then re-enters my house. I quickly clamber back inside and open my wardrobe to find something else to put on. Suddenly I feel like I could enjoy this dinner.