‹ Prequel: Purple Hearts
Hope
Changes
Franky heard his car pull up onto the drive and watched him get Hope out from the car. She saw that she was crying, frowned to herself and ran to the front door to see if she was OK.
Hope was red in the face and crying loudly, Billie couldn't calm her.
"She has a bit of a temperature," said Billie handing Hope to her mother.
"So why didn't you bring her back earlier?" Hope said but headed off to the house, not waiting for Billie to answer.
Hope was hot, she wasn't that hot but a little warm. May be she was coming down with another cold Franky thought.
"Franky she isn't that bad but she's getting tired, I think thats why she's crying. I didn't bring her home because Julia was looking after her and said she was fine and I was busy with your father."
But Franky didnt answer just looked down into Hope's face, trying to work out whether her eyes were like Gerards or not.
**
"Wow, you were hungry," Tre said watching Ramona eat.
"Yeah, that was great Dad, my favourite. Thanks, I'm so full." She said.
Emily was pleased, she'd noticed that Ramona had hardly eaten anything just lately and could tell she was watching her weight but seeing that she'd eaten all her meal had pleased her. She placed her knife and fork together.
"Thanks Tre, thanks mum." She said.
"Thats OK," said Julia, "and we'll do the washing up, you can take your turn tomorrow OK?" She said standing up.
Emily watched Ramona rush off up the stairs. She wondered if she was still brooding about Joey, she'd told her about some girl he really liked at school but Ramona wasn't sure who she was. She knew she was devastated but at the same time she was sure that Joey felt the same way about her, they needed their heads knocking together she thought to make them see sense, to see what they could have because they would be perfect together.
Going up the stairs to the room that they shared she opened the door but Ramona wasn't there, the bathroom door was shut and then...then she heard Ramona retching, the awful sound of someone throwing up and she felt sick herself, realising what Ramona was doing.
**
"Jakey are you OK?" Said Joey to his brother.
"Yeah. I'm fine." Said Jakob. He had his head in a book but he wasn't able to concentrate on it, he had his mind with Josh and knew that he would have to speak to someone soon. He decided he'd contact Franky that evening.
"Good, good," said Joey. His brother was a bit quiet of late but then sometimes he did have quiet moments but he was sure he would tell him if something was up.
**
"Jen, you're going to have to look after Sam, I'm going to Tre's, there's something he and Billie have been workig on." Mike said. He was sick of this, Jen was on medication but still she was moping around, she hardly got out of bed and when she did she wandered around the place in just her dressing gown, her hair unbrushed, her body rarely got a wash and her eyes dull and lifeless and he just couldn't understand why. They had their whole lives ahead of them, a beautiful baby son that needed caring for and Estelle too.
He didnt get it.
"OK." Said Jen but still she lay there on her bed, unmoving. It was her bed now because Mike didn't share it, he slept in the spare room, away from Jen and he was glad to be away from her, he didnt seem to be able to relate to her anymore.
He shut the front door behind him as he heard his baby cry but knew that he had to do this. She had to get up and look after him.
She had to.
**
"Hi Jakob, how are you?" Said Franky into the phone. She'd just got Hope to sleep, her temperature had cooled and had picked up the house phone upstairs.
"I'm OK thanks," said Jakob, "but I really need to speak to you. Its urgent and I didn't know who else to turn to. Please Franky, there's some advice I need."
"Do you want to come here?" Said Franky concerned for Jakob.
"Is Dad there?" She heard him say.
"Yes, yes he is. You want me to meet you somewhere don't you?" She said, worried now.
"Yes please." He practically whispered.
"OK. How about Rudy's? In say, half an hour?"
"That's fine. See you then and Franky... thanks so much."
**
"I need to pop out for a bit." She said. "I need to pop out for a bit." But she hadn't said where she was 'popping out' to. Why not? Thought Billie.
She'd been acting strange ever since he'd got back with Hope earlier. What was wrong with her? He thought seeing a small white card on the mantelpiece that he hadn't seen before.
He turned it over and saw Gerard's address.
Please no, thought Billie.
Hope was red in the face and crying loudly, Billie couldn't calm her.
"She has a bit of a temperature," said Billie handing Hope to her mother.
"So why didn't you bring her back earlier?" Hope said but headed off to the house, not waiting for Billie to answer.
Hope was hot, she wasn't that hot but a little warm. May be she was coming down with another cold Franky thought.
"Franky she isn't that bad but she's getting tired, I think thats why she's crying. I didn't bring her home because Julia was looking after her and said she was fine and I was busy with your father."
But Franky didnt answer just looked down into Hope's face, trying to work out whether her eyes were like Gerards or not.
**
"Wow, you were hungry," Tre said watching Ramona eat.
"Yeah, that was great Dad, my favourite. Thanks, I'm so full." She said.
Emily was pleased, she'd noticed that Ramona had hardly eaten anything just lately and could tell she was watching her weight but seeing that she'd eaten all her meal had pleased her. She placed her knife and fork together.
"Thanks Tre, thanks mum." She said.
"Thats OK," said Julia, "and we'll do the washing up, you can take your turn tomorrow OK?" She said standing up.
Emily watched Ramona rush off up the stairs. She wondered if she was still brooding about Joey, she'd told her about some girl he really liked at school but Ramona wasn't sure who she was. She knew she was devastated but at the same time she was sure that Joey felt the same way about her, they needed their heads knocking together she thought to make them see sense, to see what they could have because they would be perfect together.
Going up the stairs to the room that they shared she opened the door but Ramona wasn't there, the bathroom door was shut and then...then she heard Ramona retching, the awful sound of someone throwing up and she felt sick herself, realising what Ramona was doing.
**
"Jakey are you OK?" Said Joey to his brother.
"Yeah. I'm fine." Said Jakob. He had his head in a book but he wasn't able to concentrate on it, he had his mind with Josh and knew that he would have to speak to someone soon. He decided he'd contact Franky that evening.
"Good, good," said Joey. His brother was a bit quiet of late but then sometimes he did have quiet moments but he was sure he would tell him if something was up.
**
"Jen, you're going to have to look after Sam, I'm going to Tre's, there's something he and Billie have been workig on." Mike said. He was sick of this, Jen was on medication but still she was moping around, she hardly got out of bed and when she did she wandered around the place in just her dressing gown, her hair unbrushed, her body rarely got a wash and her eyes dull and lifeless and he just couldn't understand why. They had their whole lives ahead of them, a beautiful baby son that needed caring for and Estelle too.
He didnt get it.
"OK." Said Jen but still she lay there on her bed, unmoving. It was her bed now because Mike didn't share it, he slept in the spare room, away from Jen and he was glad to be away from her, he didnt seem to be able to relate to her anymore.
He shut the front door behind him as he heard his baby cry but knew that he had to do this. She had to get up and look after him.
She had to.
**
"Hi Jakob, how are you?" Said Franky into the phone. She'd just got Hope to sleep, her temperature had cooled and had picked up the house phone upstairs.
"I'm OK thanks," said Jakob, "but I really need to speak to you. Its urgent and I didn't know who else to turn to. Please Franky, there's some advice I need."
"Do you want to come here?" Said Franky concerned for Jakob.
"Is Dad there?" She heard him say.
"Yes, yes he is. You want me to meet you somewhere don't you?" She said, worried now.
"Yes please." He practically whispered.
"OK. How about Rudy's? In say, half an hour?"
"That's fine. See you then and Franky... thanks so much."
**
"I need to pop out for a bit." She said. "I need to pop out for a bit." But she hadn't said where she was 'popping out' to. Why not? Thought Billie.
She'd been acting strange ever since he'd got back with Hope earlier. What was wrong with her? He thought seeing a small white card on the mantelpiece that he hadn't seen before.
He turned it over and saw Gerard's address.
Please no, thought Billie.