Hello Sheffield

“No, Mia, come on sweetie, we still need to get home for your French tutor,” I chided gently, pulling the child into the car and strapping her into her booster seat. She giggled happily and ran her fingers through my hair. I smiled at her and shut the door.

I pulled the bags from the shopping cart into the back of the black Escalade Christie had told me to use. I wasn’t used to driving such a big truck, especially on the ‘wrong’ side of the road but I’d gotten used to it.

Christie had left a short shopping list and we had completed the grocery trip pretty successfully. Mia was an easy-going kid which I was thankful for. Now I realized I should have planned our shopping trip for an earlier time, as her French tutor would be at the house in twenty minutes.

I was driving back to their house in no time at all, and Mia was kind enough to help me carry in a few of the lighter bags. She sat at the island in the kitchen sipping a juice box as I figured out where the stuff should go.

The doorbell rang and I ran to the door. I nearly dropped dead when I opened it. Apparently, this was an increasingly small world.

“Liv? Yeh’re the new babysitter?”

“Daniel, you must be Mia’s French tutor,” I said, my chest deflating like an airbag. It was really just my luck. I stepped aside to let him in. He walked in and smiled down at me as I shut the door. “Mia’s in the kitchen. Where do you usually study with her?”

“The dining room usually,” he answered, following me into the kitchen. He still looked far too happy to see me. I hadn’t hung out with Daniel since he’d told me that he liked me, nor did he know that Oli and I were…friends again. Mia looked up brightly when she saw him.

“Bonjour Monsieur Daniel!” she greeted with an almost perfect French accent.

“Bonjour Mia. Comment ca-va?” he responded kindly, his accent also nice. I began to get annoyed at him and his fancy words.

“Ca-va bien! Et tu?”

Though she wasn’t my daughter I swelled with pride at how well she spoke. I set myself to finishing with the groceries while they went into the dining room. I still had three hours here, one and a half would be occupied by Daniel. I cleared up the kitchen and then sat down to watch TV in the living room.

I was less than happy that I would be seeing Daniel three times a week, whether he and I were both at work or not. In fact, I’d planned on cutting ties with Daniel completely, which wasn’t really the nice thing to do but he was actually a bit annoying. He was very self-centered and I hadn’t even missed him in the slightest.

I felt uncomfortable knowing he was just in the other room, and I bit the inside of my cheek. I didn’t know whether or not I should tell Oli. He would freak out and probably make a huge fuss about it. It wasn’t really a big deal.
“We’re done,” Daniel said an hour and a half later, leaning on the door frame. I jumped up and turned off the TV. I pulled my shirt down a little bit and smiled nervously. I felt jumpy around him and definitely uncomfortable. “I haven’t seen yeh in a while.”

“Oh, yeah, sorry about that. I’ve been pretty busy lately,” I explained lamely. He nodded in understanding and I boldly started walking toward the front door. He followed, speaking almost immediately after I did.

“That’s no problem. What are you doing when yeh get out of here?” he asked casually, obviously not sensing my unease. I bit my lip and glanced around. He was the one asking for it.

“I’m going out with some of the guys,” I said vaguely, “They have a photo shoot and Tom’s bringing me over.”

“Have yeh made up with Oli then?” he asked. My response was opening the door. He obviously understood. “I’m not wishin’ bad on yeh, but when he mucks up; I’ll be here.”

“I appreciate your concern,” I said coldly, “But I’m sure I’ll be able to manage on my own, thanks.”

He merely shrugged and stepped out the door. I slammed the door shut and bristled, shaking my head at his annoyingly over-confident personality. I wasn’t actually going to a photo shoot later on, I just didn’t want to hang out with him while also insinuating that I was friends with Oli.

Mia was demanding attention though, so I made some fresh fruit parfait and we did a jigsaw puzzle. After that she was content to watch some TV. I sat, twirling my phone in my fingers, wondering who to call. In the end, I texted Becca the entire story, unloading my problem on her.

She didn’t write back immediately, but when she did, her advice was sound.

If you don’t tell him, someone else will. Skulls will be cracked.

I snorted at her line and rolled my eyes. She was telling the truth and I didn’t want her to be. I wanted to keep this to myself. Better yet, I wanted some old lady to be Mia’s French tutor, not Daniel. Of course, some things never went my way.

It wasn’t long before I heard a key turning in the lock and both Mia and I jumped up. Mia was at the door in a flash, pulling at the doorknob. I pulled her out of the way gently, so she wouldn’t get hit with the door.

“Daddy!” Mia squealed happily as the door opened, raising her arms up. Christie’s boyfriend chuckled and pulled his daughter into the air, smiling up at her. He was good-looking, which I’d expected judging by his girlfriend and child.

He had dirty blonde, almost brown, hair that matched Mia’s almost perfectly. His chocolate brown eyes met mine as he put her down and he reached out a hand for me to shake. He reminded me slightly of Daniel, just in the way of their similar style. It was easy to see why Christie had chosen him as a French tutor.

“I’m Josh, yeh must be Liv,” he introduced. I smiled at him.

“The one and only.”

He chuckled at that and ran a hand through his daughter’s hair. She was clinging to him excitedly, grinning up at him. With a sickening pang of homesickness, I remembered my own father and how I used to be with him as a child and more recently. It was gone in a flash. I loved it here.

“Well, I’m sure yeh’ll be wantin’ to run outta here now. She must’ve been drivin’ yeh crazy all day,” he said, picking Mia up again. She cocked her head at me.

“Liv can’t leave!” she screamed, reaching for me. I smiled at her and shook my head.

“Nah, she’s been great. She’s a really good kid,” I commented, “Yes, Mia, I’m leaving now. I’ll be back tomorrow morning okay?”

She pouted and tucked her head into her father’s neck, whimpering. I chuckled and slid on my sandals and grabbed my bag. I said goodbye to her again and she just smiled and waved, brightening after her father’s promise of playing.

“It was nice meeting you,” I said to Josh.

“Likewise, take care.”

I pulled out of the driveway and sped home. I only had an hour before the boys would be picking me up. I’d gotten an invite to the Sykes’ family reunion only this morning from Tom. Obviously the elder Sykes brother had forgotten this little soiree. I had been stressed all day about it.

I really only had about forty minutes to get ready, though I didn’t have much to do. The outfit I was going to wear was already lying on my bed and the door was shut to prevent Zeus from ruining it. Other than that all I had to do was change my makeup and I would be ready to leave.

I’d been clued in by Lee, who was my work text buddy that this get-together happened every year. Usually there were a few uptight aunts that disliked Oli and the rest of the band but loved Tom and always the uncles got drunk. Apparently it was a loud and noisy affair, and Lee always ended up having sex with one of the cousins.

Though I wasn’t at liberty to speak about that.

As I pulled up to my driveway, I noticed a beaten up car in the driveway. It was familiar but I couldn’t pinpoint who’s it was. Of course, as I pulled into the driveway I noticed the blonde girl leaning against the hood of the car. If I didn’t have the dinner, I would have just left.

I didn’t know why everyone insisted upon ambushing me at my house.

“What the fuck do you want?” I asked loudly and brusquely, as I got out of the car. She didn’t answer right away and I slammed my door shut, locking it. I stood expectantly, leaving the car between us as leverage.

“Liv, I’d really like to apologize to yeh,” she said. I snorted and raised a hand.

“Save your breath Kate, I’d rather fall in a pit of snakes.”

I started walking toward the house to escape from a confrontation that was brewing quickly. She reached a hand out as if to grab my wrist and I stopped, blinking in surprise. Her hand was at her side instantaneously, but I was still shocked at the gesture.

“You very nearly ruined my entire life, don’t you get it? Everything I had here you seriously tried to rip away from me. I don’t want to be your friend. I thought you figured that one out when I beat you the last time,” I spat out, hurt lacing my tone.

“Will yeh at least let me apologize?” she asked quietly. I shifted my weight to my back leg and crossed my arms over my chest, eyes rolling. I waited expectantly. “Liv, I am truly sorry for fuckin’ everythin’ up. I was drunk and just a bit jealous.”

“Well, if you’re finished now,” I said, turning and walking up to my house. She called out to me and I turned again, starting to get annoyed. I had to get ready and she was cutting down on my already limited time.

“Is that really it then?”

“That is really it.”

“Yeh’re a right bitch, yeh know that? Throwin’ away a friendship over somethin’ that yeh’ve already fixed up. If yeh think that was me ruining your life, just wait. I can be a bitch too.”

With that charming threat hanging in the air, she got in her car and slammed the door shut. As she drove away I shoved my middle finger in the air. She honked the horn and sped off. I turned toward the house, worry in the pit of my stomach.

I had no doubt that she would keep her promise.

*

“God, Becca, you’re being so bossy,” I whispered harshly but still jokingly. We were sitting in the backseat of Tom’s car, Matty in the passenger seat. Becca pinched my arm lightly and cocked her head.

“I’m not saying tell him tonight, I’m just saying you’re gonna have to eventually and that sooner is better than later.”

I rolled my eyes as I took in her logic. I knew all of this already. I planned on telling Oliver about Daniel being in close contact three times a week tomorrow. I was a procrastinator at heart and besides, that news I didn’t really want to crack.

“I’m telling him tomorrow, I promise. Now can we just focus on the fact that we’re going to get drunk in a short amount of time?” I asked. She grinned wickedly at me and then winked.

“I hope the boys take us away before we get too crazy,” she said. I shrugged. I hoped I wouldn’t make a complete ass of myself. Then again, I always make an ass of myself, drunk or sober.

“I doubt my family minds very much,” Tom said, “They make themselves look like arses after dinner anyway. If yeh wait till then, yeh’ll just fit in.”

We snorted at that and Matty started talking about how one of Tom’s uncles had impersonated Winston Churchill having sex last year. That sparked some interest and I very much wanted to meet that particular uncle.

When we pulled up to the hall where we would be spending the evening, Becca and I were nearly running to the doors. Then we realized how awkward it would be if we just walked in and we waited for Matty and Tom at the front door.

“Realized yeh needed me hm?” Matty asked Becca, wrapping an arm around her waist and kissing her temple. I felt a pang of jealousy, not for Matty but for a boyfriend. Particularly I wanted a boyfriend to be a certain male named Oliver.

That particular male was already inside as he and Lee offered to help Carol set up the catering and tables. I was excited to see him though and we walked in. We’d been a bit late seeing as Becca wasn’t ready when Matty went to pick her up. It seemed that there were a lot of people there already.

Most were sitting at tables and some were standing, all chattering. There was a general greeting of Tom as we walked by. He didn’t really introduce me to anyone, neither did Matty for Becca, but I was sure we would eventually.

I spotted Oli standing over a table with Lee, Vegan, and two girls sitting at it. I immediately figured this was a ‘friends and non-embarassing cousins’ table, judging on how the girls kind of resembled Tom in a slight way. Oli was wearing black skinny jeans and a t-shirt with a cardigan, reminiscent of the first time we’d gone clubbing.

“Liv! There yeh are love, let me introduce yeh to some of my family,” he said, wrapping his arms around my shoulders in a tight hug. I spent the next 20 minutes being toted around and shown off to Oli’s family members.

His uncle’s mostly made comments about how Oli didn’t deserve me or whatever, and his cousins probably could have cared a lot less. His older aunts were the most interesting bunch, swarming around me.

“Who is this Oli?”

“She’s pretty Oliver.”

“Is she your girlfriend?”

At that particular question, Oli pulled me into his side and smirked. I bit my lip and looked away. All attention was pointed in my direction and I was sure the blush on my cheeks was reminiscent of an apple.

“Not yet,” he replied smoothly, “Soon though.”

My heart beat wildly at this and I ducked my head, looking away from them all. I wondered if he was actually going to ask me out and then I bit my lip. What would my answer be? I already knew.

He didn’t address the question or his answer as we walked back to get food. I acted like it didn’t happen as well, it was slightly awkward. As we sat down at the table, I noticed Lee hitting on one of Oli’s cousins subtly. I smirked to myself.

Once Oli’s uncles started drinking, that’s when Tom brought over shot glasses and Captain Morgan. Coincidentally, that was also when Jona showed up. He brought a blonde girl with him. None of us were sure about what she was to him as he only introduced her as Simone, but they seemed cozy enough to be dating.

We took shot after shot and I distinctly remember Becca dancing with an old bearded man to a waltz. That was a definite highlight of the night. About two hours into our drunken shenanigans, we decided that we wanted to watch the sunrise.

Of course, we still had quite a few hours until that happened so we contented ourselves with drinking more and dancing on a table in the corner. Carol came over to scold her children, who simply grinned sheepishly and promised to settle down.

I tried to have a conversation with Jona but he was trying to count the stars in the sky. That might have been difficult for him, considering he was staring at a chandelier and not the night sky. I noticed a lack of Becca and Simone and went on a hunt for the two.

“Liv, yeh aren’t hangin’ out with me,” Oli complained as I walked by him. He pulled me by the hips to sit on his lap and I smiled goofily at him. He laced our fingers together and we silently stared at each other.

“Why do you always look so pretty?” I blurted out, feeling dumb as soon as I said it. He just shrugged and then leaned his head on my shoulder.

“Maybe its Maybelline,” he muttered and I fell onto the floor, literally. As I sat laughing, dizzy from slipping off his lap, I noticed blonde hair disappearing into the bathroom. I got up, saying nothing to Oli and following Simone.

This, though, ended up being a mistake.

“Shit, Lee! You could find a better place than the fucking ladies room. I mean, really now,” I shrieked, shielding my eyes as I found his newest cousin conquest in a compromising position. I didn’t really see anything, considering they’d only just entered, but the idea was enough to make me feel gross.

He flipped me the bird as I blindly made my way to the door. I heard it lock behind me. I shook my head and wandered around as a rousing chorus of some vulgar song was started by some of the Sykes uncles.
After stumbling into a small kitchen, I discovered my newest Australian friend. She was filling up balloons in the sink. Simone was nowhere to be seen and I decided to ask her about it.

“Op, well her and Jona disappeared out back,” she said, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively. We giggled about that for awhile. “I thought about finding Matty and doing the same but then I realized I’d rather throw water balloons at him.”

We filled a few up. In the main room, a balcony ran along the top and we found the stairs up. It took a while to get up there considering our state of mind but soon we were poised above the two boys.

“Three,” Becca breathed, barely containing her laugh.

“Two,” I said next.

She dropped hers without saying anything and it hit the table, splashing everyone present. Lee was back now and was glaring up at us. I dropped mine and she dropped hers as we ran toward a top room for cover.

It turned out to be just a staircase though. We headed up, hearing sounds of pursuit. As it happened, the staircase led to the roof and Becca and I couldn’t really hide anywhere. We sat down and started to laugh.

No one got that wet and apparently they were too drunk to even do anything about it. Oli sat next to me and I leaned into him. We waited patiently and somewhat quietly for the sun to rise.

“There it is!” Tom exclaimed, hitting his cousin in the shoulder lightly, “That pink blob!”

We watched in awe as the sun crept over the horizon, growing brighter and larger. The sky looked beautiful and despite the chill we all felt, it was a wonderful experience. Nature would never cease to astound me.

“Did you mean it Oli?” I asked quietly.

“Mean what love?” he asked, wrapping a tattooed arm around my shoulders.

“You’re gonna ask me out?”

He looked down at me and grinned. With the first rays of dawn hitting his face, he looked absolutely stunning and my heart skipped a beat. He watched me intently, amusing dancing in his too sober eyes. He looked back out at the sun.

“Yeh’ll see love, yeh’ll see.”