We Were Right From The Start
fifteen
Saturday passed uneventfully. Dad was at work still, he was rarely home at all now. Liam didn't phone again or turn up. I kind of wished he would. Maybe if I spoke to him properly I would see whether he is being sincere or not. But maybe he's just doing what I asked – leaving me alone.
On Sunday morning, I woke up at 8 o'clock and made Sam breakfast. I went back upstairs and put on a denim skirt, leggings and a purple top. My Gran always made a fuss about what I was wearing, so I always had to put in extra effort when I went to see her. Their car pulled up outside the house at 10.20 and they both came to the door. Sam opened the door first and hugged them both excitedly. "Hey, sweetie," Gran said, picking him up and hugging him tightly. I smiled slightly and kissed her cheek.
"You're early," I noted and they both nodded.
"There was no traffic," Granddad said. They lived about 45 minutes away, an hour with bad traffic.
"We did it in 35 minutes," Gran said and I smiled and nodded.
"I'll just go get Sam's bag," I said and quickly went upstairs and grabbed a bag I had already packed with Sam's clothes, toothbrush and several of his favourite toys.
I went back downstairs and into the living room, where they were all seated. "Ready?" Gran asked and I nodded. I realised now that Sam was actually leaving, I was sad. I didn't want him to go, I wanted to look after him, but I knew I had to go to school. We all piled into the car, me and Sam in the back. My phone rang when we were about half way to their house and I pulled it out of my pocket. I glanced at the screen before answering.
"Hey," I said softly. I didn't want to talk to him with my grandparents so near.
"You answered?" Liam asked and I could hear his surprise.
"Yeah," I said softly. "But I can't talk now."
"But you want to?" he asked hopefully and I sighed.
"I don’t know," I sighed again. "I...I can't trust..." I stopped myself. "I'll see you tomorrow, ok?"
"Frankie, you know what I said on Thursday...I really did mean it. I promise." Tears prickled in my eyes. I really wish I knew if I could believe him. Could I trust that he loves me?
"I can't talk right now," I said.
"Don't you believe me?" he asked, ignoring me.
"I...I want to," I said softly. "But I don’t know if I should." I then closed my phone and put it in my pocket. I looked out of the window as we sped down the motorway. I knew my grandparents had been listening to the conversation and it was an awkward silence that then engulfed the car. Sam was unaware of it and happily played on his DS.
It was silent for the next 20 minutes and then we pulled up and the house. It was a large family house, in which my mum had grown up. Sam jumped out of the car and ran up to the front door. I loved coming to my grandparents house because I knew that there was no shouting, no arguing, just peace. We went inside and Granddad, Sam and I went into the living room while Gran went into the kitchen and started to get lunch ready.
About an hour and a half later, we were all seated around the kitchen table. Gran had made salmon for herself, me and Granddad, and chicken nuggets for Sam. He ate them enthusiastically, pleased at the change from pasta, which is all I can cook decently. The meal was pleasant and relaxed, unlike the family meals we had when we rarely had them at home. For desert Gran had chocolate cake with cream. "You didn't have to go to all this trouble," I said to her once she had served it up.
"Nonsense," she said. "If I can't spoil you two, who can I spoil?" I smiled. Sam and I were her only grandchildren, as mum was an only child.
"Thank you," I said sincerely. Gran nodded and smiled as she ate.
"I like your hair today, Frankie," she said and I looked up from my plate for two reasons. Firstly, she had called me Frankie, which she never did. Secondly, she had complimented my hair. Normally she was nothing but judgemental when she commented on my appearance. I was immediately suspicious but didn't say anything about it.
"Thank you," I smiled and she nodded.
I stayed there until about 4 o'clock. I knew I had to get home but I was hesitant to leave Sam. It wasn’t that I thought he wouldn’t be okay, I knew that he would be, but that I would miss him too much. Granddad came into the living room where Sam and I were watching Flubber on the television. "Ready to go, kiddo?" he asked and I nodded slowly. I stood up and Sam immediately jumped up as well.
"Do you have to go?" he asked and I smiled and nodded. I knelt down and he jumped into my arms and hugged me tightly.
"You'll come home soon, though, okay. As soon as mum gets home," I said and he nodded. I looked over his shoulder at my grandparents and saw them exchange a look, but I didn't have time to wonder what that meant.
Once I had convinced Sam to continue to watch the film, I silently snuck out of the house and into the car. The drive home was reasonably silent, with Granddad asking me the occasionally question about school. I told him that it was good, yes I was keeping up with all my work, yes Mandy and Dom were still my best friends. He then asked if I had a boyfriend and I hesitated. "No," I said slowly, while my mind screamed, YES!! It was silent the rest of the car journey and when we pulled into my drive I saw a familiar car outside my house. "No," I whispered. Granddad frowned at me slightly and pulled up behind the car. Liam then climbed out of his car and waited for me to get out.
"Is that your non-boyfriend?" Granddad asked and I sighed.
"Yeah," I mumbled and Granddad smirked. "I'll see you soon, okay?" I leant over and kissed his cheek.
"You okay, honey?" he asked I nodded, smiled and got out of the car.
I waved until his car had disappeared and then I turned to Liam. I didn't say anything and he just looked at me sadly. "Where's Sam?" he asked.
"He's staying with my grandparents until my mum gets home," I said and he nodded. "Why?"
"I...um..." he said hesitantly and then pulled something out of his jacket. "I got him this. I thought he'd like it." It was Madagascar. I looked up at him sadly.
"Why do you do this Liam?" I asked. "One minute you're this incredible, sweet guy...the next you're...not."
"I'm the first guy," he said, stepping closer to me.
"I'm sorry," I said softly. "But I don’t know if I can believe you." I saw hurt fill Liam's face and it hurt me to see it there. I looked away.
"But you have to," he said desperately. "I love you, Frankie. How could you not believe that?"
"If you were me, would you believe it?" I asked him, even though my heart was breaking. He didn't know what to say. I smiled weakly, knowing I had my answer, and then went inside the house.
I went up to my room. I looked out the window and saw Liam walk up to the house, put the dvd through the letter box and then turn to leave. Tears ran down my cheeks. He got to his car and then turned and looked up at me. I didn't look away. I knew he could see that I was crying but I didn't care. I saw pain cloud over his face and then he turned away, got into his car and drove away. I fell back onto my bed and let tears fall freely from my eyes.
On Sunday morning, I woke up at 8 o'clock and made Sam breakfast. I went back upstairs and put on a denim skirt, leggings and a purple top. My Gran always made a fuss about what I was wearing, so I always had to put in extra effort when I went to see her. Their car pulled up outside the house at 10.20 and they both came to the door. Sam opened the door first and hugged them both excitedly. "Hey, sweetie," Gran said, picking him up and hugging him tightly. I smiled slightly and kissed her cheek.
"You're early," I noted and they both nodded.
"There was no traffic," Granddad said. They lived about 45 minutes away, an hour with bad traffic.
"We did it in 35 minutes," Gran said and I smiled and nodded.
"I'll just go get Sam's bag," I said and quickly went upstairs and grabbed a bag I had already packed with Sam's clothes, toothbrush and several of his favourite toys.
I went back downstairs and into the living room, where they were all seated. "Ready?" Gran asked and I nodded. I realised now that Sam was actually leaving, I was sad. I didn't want him to go, I wanted to look after him, but I knew I had to go to school. We all piled into the car, me and Sam in the back. My phone rang when we were about half way to their house and I pulled it out of my pocket. I glanced at the screen before answering.
"Hey," I said softly. I didn't want to talk to him with my grandparents so near.
"You answered?" Liam asked and I could hear his surprise.
"Yeah," I said softly. "But I can't talk now."
"But you want to?" he asked hopefully and I sighed.
"I don’t know," I sighed again. "I...I can't trust..." I stopped myself. "I'll see you tomorrow, ok?"
"Frankie, you know what I said on Thursday...I really did mean it. I promise." Tears prickled in my eyes. I really wish I knew if I could believe him. Could I trust that he loves me?
"I can't talk right now," I said.
"Don't you believe me?" he asked, ignoring me.
"I...I want to," I said softly. "But I don’t know if I should." I then closed my phone and put it in my pocket. I looked out of the window as we sped down the motorway. I knew my grandparents had been listening to the conversation and it was an awkward silence that then engulfed the car. Sam was unaware of it and happily played on his DS.
It was silent for the next 20 minutes and then we pulled up and the house. It was a large family house, in which my mum had grown up. Sam jumped out of the car and ran up to the front door. I loved coming to my grandparents house because I knew that there was no shouting, no arguing, just peace. We went inside and Granddad, Sam and I went into the living room while Gran went into the kitchen and started to get lunch ready.
About an hour and a half later, we were all seated around the kitchen table. Gran had made salmon for herself, me and Granddad, and chicken nuggets for Sam. He ate them enthusiastically, pleased at the change from pasta, which is all I can cook decently. The meal was pleasant and relaxed, unlike the family meals we had when we rarely had them at home. For desert Gran had chocolate cake with cream. "You didn't have to go to all this trouble," I said to her once she had served it up.
"Nonsense," she said. "If I can't spoil you two, who can I spoil?" I smiled. Sam and I were her only grandchildren, as mum was an only child.
"Thank you," I said sincerely. Gran nodded and smiled as she ate.
"I like your hair today, Frankie," she said and I looked up from my plate for two reasons. Firstly, she had called me Frankie, which she never did. Secondly, she had complimented my hair. Normally she was nothing but judgemental when she commented on my appearance. I was immediately suspicious but didn't say anything about it.
"Thank you," I smiled and she nodded.
I stayed there until about 4 o'clock. I knew I had to get home but I was hesitant to leave Sam. It wasn’t that I thought he wouldn’t be okay, I knew that he would be, but that I would miss him too much. Granddad came into the living room where Sam and I were watching Flubber on the television. "Ready to go, kiddo?" he asked and I nodded slowly. I stood up and Sam immediately jumped up as well.
"Do you have to go?" he asked and I smiled and nodded. I knelt down and he jumped into my arms and hugged me tightly.
"You'll come home soon, though, okay. As soon as mum gets home," I said and he nodded. I looked over his shoulder at my grandparents and saw them exchange a look, but I didn't have time to wonder what that meant.
Once I had convinced Sam to continue to watch the film, I silently snuck out of the house and into the car. The drive home was reasonably silent, with Granddad asking me the occasionally question about school. I told him that it was good, yes I was keeping up with all my work, yes Mandy and Dom were still my best friends. He then asked if I had a boyfriend and I hesitated. "No," I said slowly, while my mind screamed, YES!! It was silent the rest of the car journey and when we pulled into my drive I saw a familiar car outside my house. "No," I whispered. Granddad frowned at me slightly and pulled up behind the car. Liam then climbed out of his car and waited for me to get out.
"Is that your non-boyfriend?" Granddad asked and I sighed.
"Yeah," I mumbled and Granddad smirked. "I'll see you soon, okay?" I leant over and kissed his cheek.
"You okay, honey?" he asked I nodded, smiled and got out of the car.
I waved until his car had disappeared and then I turned to Liam. I didn't say anything and he just looked at me sadly. "Where's Sam?" he asked.
"He's staying with my grandparents until my mum gets home," I said and he nodded. "Why?"
"I...um..." he said hesitantly and then pulled something out of his jacket. "I got him this. I thought he'd like it." It was Madagascar. I looked up at him sadly.
"Why do you do this Liam?" I asked. "One minute you're this incredible, sweet guy...the next you're...not."
"I'm the first guy," he said, stepping closer to me.
"I'm sorry," I said softly. "But I don’t know if I can believe you." I saw hurt fill Liam's face and it hurt me to see it there. I looked away.
"But you have to," he said desperately. "I love you, Frankie. How could you not believe that?"
"If you were me, would you believe it?" I asked him, even though my heart was breaking. He didn't know what to say. I smiled weakly, knowing I had my answer, and then went inside the house.
I went up to my room. I looked out the window and saw Liam walk up to the house, put the dvd through the letter box and then turn to leave. Tears ran down my cheeks. He got to his car and then turned and looked up at me. I didn't look away. I knew he could see that I was crying but I didn't care. I saw pain cloud over his face and then he turned away, got into his car and drove away. I fell back onto my bed and let tears fall freely from my eyes.
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