have realised and let you warn him.”
Will stopped chewing and stared at us. “Fuck yeah. Next time okay?”
Ryan nodded.
I felt sad I had spoiled their surprise, tears tickled my eyes and I wiped at my face angrily.
“Hey Ry, has our little guy here told you he can swim?”
“What?” Ryan snapped. Will nodded his head towards me and gave Ryan an odd look.
“Oh...oh right. Really? Little buddy, you can swim?” Ryan said, smiling down at me.
“A little bit.”
“A little...you kidding me, Jo? You’re like a little fish,” Will said, laughing. I smiled because he was so happy. Ryan sat on a stool and held me on his lap.
“Aaaaand!” Will said, jogging over to the cupboards. “I got you a little surprise.” He turned around holding a frosted cupcake with a candle in it. He sang happy birthday to me and I blew out the candle. “It’s your favourite, peanut butter frosting.”
“Since when do you have a favourite cupcake?” Ryan asked, looking down at me. He knew I wasn’t allowed treats at my grandparents’.
“Will,” I said, pointing towards him.
“We have movie night on Tuesdays. I bring the donuts, cupcakes, and popcorn and this little guy picks the movie.” Will reached over but stopped suddenly and pulled his hand back.
“You—”
“He always brings different flavour ones, I like the peanut butter and the cookies and cream one.” I leaned into Ryan and whispered, “Will likes the pink one.” I giggled.
“Hey, you said you wouldn’t tell no one.”
I laughed and put my hand over my mouth.
“Thanks, Will,” Ryan said in a very serious voice. Will’s cheeks went a little bit pink.
I liked Ryan and Will, they were my friends, not special friends, just friends. The kind that don’t hurt you.
C hapter 5
Louise
York, England
When I arrived at the hospital, Dominic, Mum, and Dad were all in the waiting room. Panic settled in my stomach.
“What’s happened? Why are you out here?”
Mum stood up and grabbed hold of me in a tight hug. Dad smiled and sipped at his drink. “They’re removing the breathing tubes and placing a back brace on her. Now she’s awake they don’t want to risk any movements that could damage her spine. They are also checking her responses in her lower legs to make sure. They asked us to step outside because it can be a little overwhelming. They did say in the next couple of days she may be transferred to a general ward so she can have more visitors.”
I smiled and a euphoric laugh bubbled out of my mouth. I turned to look at Dominic who had the most adorable grin on his bearded face.
“Dominic, I hope you’re going to go home and shave before you see your girl. You look like Gandalf , sans the white hair.”
Everyone laughed and he stood up, tugging me into a warm embrace. “Only you would worry about that.” He chuckled.
“Maybe you could...” I cleared my throat as nerves took hold “Go see your mum too. She’s in a bit of a state,” I said quietly.
He pulled away and looked down at me. “You’re right, I should go see her, I just didn’t want to spend too much time away from Eve.”
“Sweetie, that’s understandable, but you’re mum believes everyone blames her .”
Mum gasped and Dad came towards us. Dominic scowled at me.
“How is it her fault?” he asked.
“He was her son,” I said plainly. “She feels responsible.”
“I’m going to take her out tonight just her and me, I’ll try and re-enforce how we feel,” Dad said, coming to stand beside me. I could see the worry marring his features. Dad was incredibly close to his sister and I knew this had to be affecting him.
“What worries me is, she has just shut herself away. And whenever we go see her she kind of hides herself as if she’s expecting a huge blow-up.” I paused, watching as Mum wiped her eyes. “I don’t think she’s grieved for...Elliott properly and although we hate him, it’s her son and she needs our support. I don’t even know if
Will stopped chewing and stared at us. “Fuck yeah. Next time okay?”
Ryan nodded.
I felt sad I had spoiled their surprise, tears tickled my eyes and I wiped at my face angrily.
“Hey Ry, has our little guy here told you he can swim?”
“What?” Ryan snapped. Will nodded his head towards me and gave Ryan an odd look.
“Oh...oh right. Really? Little buddy, you can swim?” Ryan said, smiling down at me.
“A little bit.”
“A little...you kidding me, Jo? You’re like a little fish,” Will said, laughing. I smiled because he was so happy. Ryan sat on a stool and held me on his lap.
“Aaaaand!” Will said, jogging over to the cupboards. “I got you a little surprise.” He turned around holding a frosted cupcake with a candle in it. He sang happy birthday to me and I blew out the candle. “It’s your favourite, peanut butter frosting.”
“Since when do you have a favourite cupcake?” Ryan asked, looking down at me. He knew I wasn’t allowed treats at my grandparents’.
“Will,” I said, pointing towards him.
“We have movie night on Tuesdays. I bring the donuts, cupcakes, and popcorn and this little guy picks the movie.” Will reached over but stopped suddenly and pulled his hand back.
“You—”
“He always brings different flavour ones, I like the peanut butter and the cookies and cream one.” I leaned into Ryan and whispered, “Will likes the pink one.” I giggled.
“Hey, you said you wouldn’t tell no one.”
I laughed and put my hand over my mouth.
“Thanks, Will,” Ryan said in a very serious voice. Will’s cheeks went a little bit pink.
I liked Ryan and Will, they were my friends, not special friends, just friends. The kind that don’t hurt you.
C hapter 5
Louise
York, England
When I arrived at the hospital, Dominic, Mum, and Dad were all in the waiting room. Panic settled in my stomach.
“What’s happened? Why are you out here?”
Mum stood up and grabbed hold of me in a tight hug. Dad smiled and sipped at his drink. “They’re removing the breathing tubes and placing a back brace on her. Now she’s awake they don’t want to risk any movements that could damage her spine. They are also checking her responses in her lower legs to make sure. They asked us to step outside because it can be a little overwhelming. They did say in the next couple of days she may be transferred to a general ward so she can have more visitors.”
I smiled and a euphoric laugh bubbled out of my mouth. I turned to look at Dominic who had the most adorable grin on his bearded face.
“Dominic, I hope you’re going to go home and shave before you see your girl. You look like Gandalf , sans the white hair.”
Everyone laughed and he stood up, tugging me into a warm embrace. “Only you would worry about that.” He chuckled.
“Maybe you could...” I cleared my throat as nerves took hold “Go see your mum too. She’s in a bit of a state,” I said quietly.
He pulled away and looked down at me. “You’re right, I should go see her, I just didn’t want to spend too much time away from Eve.”
“Sweetie, that’s understandable, but you’re mum believes everyone blames her .”
Mum gasped and Dad came towards us. Dominic scowled at me.
“How is it her fault?” he asked.
“He was her son,” I said plainly. “She feels responsible.”
“I’m going to take her out tonight just her and me, I’ll try and re-enforce how we feel,” Dad said, coming to stand beside me. I could see the worry marring his features. Dad was incredibly close to his sister and I knew this had to be affecting him.
“What worries me is, she has just shut herself away. And whenever we go see her she kind of hides herself as if she’s expecting a huge blow-up.” I paused, watching as Mum wiped her eyes. “I don’t think she’s grieved for...Elliott properly and although we hate him, it’s her son and she needs our support. I don’t even know if
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