Chapter 114

It feels weird waking up in this spare room. I don’t think I’ve ever stayed in here to be honest.

Trying to get to sleep last night was almost impossible. I had the comfiest double bed and the room wasn’t too hot for me to be in, but I just couldn’t stop thinking about everything that happened last night. Everything was flooding around my head to the point where I had migraine. If anyone ever had to have a night like I just did, I really do feel sorry for them.

I get out of bed and check my image in the body length mirror hanging up on the wall. Angela leant me some spare pyjamas which are just some plain black frilly shorts and a white tank top. I re-do my pony tail before walking out of the room and following the noise leading to the kitchen.

I slowly walk into the room to see Jack and Angela having a serious conversation in there. They look as if they’re having an argument.

“Sorry, I’ll go” I mutter when they both turn to face me.

“No, Lucy. This is about you” Angela tells me, patting the seat next to me. I don’t know if that’s a good or bad thing but judging by Jack’s facial expression, he doesn’t want me here. “You two need to sort this out”

“We really don’t” Jack mumbles, looking in a different direction.

“Jack, stop being so rude and realise that Lucy clearly has a reason for what she did, and you being her best friend needs to listen to her and stop jumping to conclusions” Angela snaps and I mentally praise her for what she just did. Jack huffs and looks me dead in the eyes. God, it’s too early for this.

“I’m sorry” I sigh, looking down at my twiddling thumbs.

“Okay” he trails off, expecting me to say more.

“I didn’t mean to use you like I did or get you into that fight but I didn’t even think that I’d be with Zac. I just expected me and Conor to meet up and talk things through. Zac told me that Conor wanted me to go so I assumed we could work this whole thing out” I mumble. “Clearly not”

“But you must’ve known that after not talking all week in school and stuff, that your relationship was coming to an end” he frowns. As harsh as it sounds, he’s right.

“I know but I just kept thinking about him wanting me to meet him on Saturday. I just assumed he was going through a bad time” I shrug. I can’t help but feel seriously guilty as I look at his purple eye and his bruised cheek. His small cuts around his face still look fresh but he looks ten times better than what he did yesterday.

“Yeah, I get it” he nods.

“I felt so guilty all week about what I was doing and I really didn’t want it to be like this but I just really wanted Conor and I back on track. I was being so selfish so I get it if you don’t want to be my friend again” I tell him exactly what I’m thinking. I realise that Angela’s no longer in the room, leaving Jack and I to speak on our own.

“Lucy, of course I want to be your friend again. I get why you’ve done what you did and yeah, I’m furious about it but I understand” he nods making me smile slightly. I’m trying my hardest to hold back my tears. “Look, we’ve both done stupid things. I didn’t tell you Conor was cheating, you didn’t tell me Conor was meeting Zac. I nearly made you die in Sweden-“

“Jack-“ I almost disagree but he interrupts me before I have the chance.

“I’m just making a point” he teases, putting his hands up in defence. “Let’s just make this whole thing a lesson learned. Never use people and never trust Zac. And if you’re ever going through a bad time, talk to somebody. Preferably your best friend” he smirks.

“Okay” I nod, laughing slightly.

“Come here” he opens his arms. I smile, walking to the other side of the table we’re sat at, and wrapping my arms around his neck. I fucking love my best friend.

“I’m sorry” I mumble.

“It’s okay” he chuckles. We pull away when we hear someone open the kitchen door.

“Are we good?” Angela asks, smiling in hope.

“I guess” Jack rolls his eyes making her cheer. I start laughing as Jack just hides his face in embarrassment.

A tonne of weight has been lifted off my shoulders now that Jack’s my friend but I still feel so unhappy that I’m not with Conor anymore. We’ve been together for four months and now it’s just gone in the blink of an eye. I honestly blame my parents and Zac for this. Something’s making me believe that although Conor broke up with me, people have been putting these thoughts in his head. I mean, we were so happy before all this sudden weirdness from him.

An hour later, I decide I should go home seeing as Mum’s probably getting angrier by the second that I’ve not been texting her all night and day. I just can’t be bothered. Also, I need to shower as soon as I get in. I feel gross.

“I’ll see you tomorrow then, okay?” Jack pulls me in for a hug as he says bye to me at the door.

“Yeah, but if you still look like this, don’t bother coming into school” I tell him truthfully. I don’t want people staring and teachers asking him questions about it.

“Aw, thanks Lucy” he says sarcastically. “But I’d doubt this is going to heal up in a day” he points to his face.

“No school for you tomorrow then!” I shrug, making him laugh.

“I’ll see you when I see you then” he chuckles.

“Okay, see you then” I nod.

“Bye” he waves as I begin to walk down his path.

I’m dressed in the clothes I wore to the club seeing as I have nothing else, so I am literally freezing right now. It’s still winter and I’m wearing a see through top that I’m covering by crossing my arms over my chest.

Mum’s going to have a go at me for not answering any of her calls or for telling her where I am but she must know by now that if I’m out with somebody for the night, then I don’t come home, I’m clearly staying at someone’s house. The chances of me getting kidnapped in the middle of Brighton are pretty slim.

As soon as I get home, I plan to call Eleanor to help me get through this a little bit better. I don’t really want to ask Jack for advice at the moment after everything I’ve just done to him. I’m surprised he even forgave me to be honest. I have the bestest friend in the world... If ‘bestest’ is even a word.

I jog up my path to get inside the house as soon as possible to get warm. I’m thankful the front door is unlocked. I quickly jump through the door, closing it behind me, and walk into the house where I see Mum storming out of the kitchen.

“And where have you been?” she snaps, a scowl on her face.

“At Jack’s” I frown, as if it’s obvious.

“Why didn’t you answer any of my calls or texts?” she raises her voice and I sigh, bending over to untie my shoes.

“I clearly wasn’t on my phone all night”

“I’m sick of this, Lucy. You don’t come back all night and you just expect me to let you off and not be worried! What if you’d have gotten kidnapped?” she over exaggerates.

“Why would I have been kidnapped? It’s pretty obvious that if I went to Jack’s for a gathering and I don’t come home, I’m clearly staying at Jack’s house. It’s highly unlikely that some kidnapper is going to come into Jack’s house and get me” I shake my head. Dad walks into the hallway and leans on the living room door frame, watching the argument.

“I’m sick of your attitude, Lucy! I rang you to check up on you so if you’re not answering your calls, I’m obviously going to be worried” she shouts.

“Stop shouting at me! I’ve not even been on my phone all night, look!” I pull my phone out of my pocket and give it to her to prove I’m not lying. I’ve literally looked at it once to see all the missed calls and texts from her then put it straight back into my pocket.

“You’ve clearly been on it to see that I’ve been calling you. I’d appreciate it if you called me back!” she snaps and I let out a frustrated moan. “I wouldn’t mind but I bet all you were doing all night is sat talking to each other. You couldn’t have taken two minutes out of your busy schedule to call me back?” she mocks me and my face just drops.

“No! Because of you, my night wasn’t so ‘free’. No, instead I’ve had a ginormous argument with Jack and my boyfriend split up with me. That’s why I didn’t answer your pathetic calls!” I shout. I’m fuming.

“Lucy, calm down now” Dad warns me.

“No, I won’t ‘calm down’” I use air quotes. “If it wasn’t for you two, I might have actually bothered answering your calls but instead, my boyfriend’s been giving me shit, Jack’s been in a fight, and me and him have been arguing all night. And it all leads down to you two!”

“What are you talking about? How is this our fault?” Mum speaks up. I can tell she’s worried about how my night’s been and she’s feeling slightly guilty for snapping at me a few seconds ago but I’m not going to back down. It’s my Mum and Dad’s fault that my night went do badly and I fucking hate them for it.

“You both spoke to Conor about our relationship and he’s been off with me ever since. If you just kept your nose out of our business then none of this would’ve ever happened!” I cry. I’m literally crying right now.

“Excuse me!?” Mum gasps, clearly offended by what I’ve said. “Don’t you dare blame us for caring for you!”

“You weren’t caring for me! You were being stupid. I’ll never forgive you for this!” I almost storm up the stairs before I realise that my Mum has my phone that I need to call Eleanor on it as soon as possible.

“Go to your room now. You’re grounded” Mum glares at me.

“Give me my phone” I hold out my hand.

“I don’t think so! I’ll have your laptop too for being so rude” she scoffs. No way is she doing this.

“What the fuck!?” I shout, all the anger just flowing out of me.

“Lucy! Go up to your room now!” Dad raises his voice. I at least expected my Dad to defend me.

“My pleasure!” I snap, storming upstairs and slamming the door. I fall onto my bed and just cry into my pillow before my door swings open again and Mum walks into the room. “Go away” I sit up and tell her.

“Just coming to get your laptop” she snides. She walks over to my desk and unplugs my laptop from the charger, closing the lid and walking back out of the room.

“I hate you both!” I shout after her before crying in my pillow again. As if my day couldn’t get any worse.