Blueberry Wishes (12 page)

That was when Mum dragged us all over to sit with her on the sofas. The look on her face made me instantly nervous, though I couldn't possibly have foreseen the bombshell she was about to drop.

“Are you okay?” I asked.

“Something's come up,” she said. “It's just an idea, and I hope you'll hear me out before you jump down my throat about it.” She took a deep breath. “My friend Janine rang today. She knows what's happened, of course. Her, Peter and the kids are going to Canada for a year with his work. She wondered if we'd like to house-sit for them…”

Oh. My. God. I just stared at her – it was like she was speaking Japanese. Grace's face was frozen into a mask of horror. Even Saff was speechless. Janine's house was in Islington, as in Islington,
London
.

“
What?
” I gasped, after what felt like for ever.

“No way! We can't leave here,” said Saff.

“We might not have any choice,” said Mum flatly. “We're not even close to having all the rent money for Mr. Vulmer, so we'll probably lose the flat anyway.”

“We could get benefits,” said Grace.

“I don't think so, not if we've still got the beauty parlour,” said Mum. “And if we
haven't
still got the beauty parlour…” She paused, obviously finding it hard to go on. “Well, then, we might as well be in a rent-free house, building up the London side of things. Their kitchen is huge, more than big enough to make products in. And instead of sitting in a mostly empty beauty parlour, feeling more and more downhearted, I could be out selling our products with Dad – well, not
with
him, obviously, we'd kill each other, but
as well
as him.”

She was trying to be funny, but none of us even smiled. Saff and Grace were looking anxiously at me and I was glaring at Mum. How could I leave my life…my friends…Marco? How could Rainbow Beauty not exist? I felt like storming off, but I knew I had to stay put and talk her out of this crazy idea.

“You cannot be serious…” I muttered.

“But why move back to London?” asked Grace, looking dazed. “We can make and sell products to retailers from here, even if we close down the treatment side of things for a while to focus on it.”

“Grace, we don't have the money for the rent, and Mr. Vulmer won't budge!” Mum cried, getting frustrated. “You know that as well as I do. I'm sorry to sound harsh, girls, but there won't
be
any ‘here' in precisely sixteen days' time. We are going to be evicted, like it or not.”

“You're giving up!” I accused. “You said we'd never do that and you
are
!”

Mum sighed. “No, Abbie. I'm actually trying to save the business, believe it or not. If we can keep making and selling products, there's a chance we can stay afloat and, who knows, maybe open another parlour in a couple of years' time.”

I refused to nod or anything, but I knew what she meant. It was like when Jess had asked me for that body butter, and I'd had to tell her – and all those other girls – that we were out of stock. We were already running pretty low on other products at Rainbow Beauty – what would happen when we ran out altogether, or couldn't afford to order in more leg wax and nail files and body-wrap film? Things would grind to a halt.

“This opportunity has come up to have somewhere to live, rent-free, and keep the business going,” Mum was saying. “I'd be mad not to consider it.”

“Well, I suppose we'd be nearer to Dad,” Grace said quietly.

I glared at her. Whose side was she on, anyway?

“Yes, there is that,” Mum said. “Your dad would be over the moon.”

I felt bad then, like I was being anti-Dad or something by wanting to stay. But what about Ben and Summer? What about
Marco
? Just thinking of losing them made me feel sick…. “But I don't want to—” I managed to croak, as tears spilled down my cheeks.

Mum winced when she saw I was crying and tried to put her arm round me, but I wriggled away.

“Well, you lot do what you like, but
I'm
not going back,” Saff announced. “I like my course, and my tutor thinks I'm doing really well. I'll get some student accommodation. Maybe they'll let you stay with me too, Abs.”

Mum looked horrified at that. “Oh, Saff, love,” she said, “please, please don't say things like that.” I could feel that she was desperately trying to catch my eye, but I still wouldn't look at her. “I know it's a lot to take in,” she gabbled, “but just so you've got all the facts, you should know that I've checked and you could transfer to a London college with no problem, and you could enrol for a singing course at Arts Ed, just evenings – it's not nearly as expensive as the full-time one.”

“I'm not interested,” Saff grumbled, but she didn't sound outraged any more.

“How can you even
think
of leaving everything we've worked so hard for?” I asked Mum, still refusing to look at her.

“Abbie, we don't have a choice,” she said flatly. “We have to face facts – Rainbow Beauty is beaten. Now we've got to save what we can and move on. And if we want to make sure we've got a roof over our heads, I'll have to let Janine know as quickly as possible.”

I finally looked at her. “When?” I said quietly.

She looked awkward. “We can move in next Sunday.”

“Next Sunday?” I shrieked. “But we can't!”

“And if we don't, the following Saturday Mr. Vulmer will come to collect a payment we can't possibly find, and then he'll throw us out,” Mum said. “At least if we go the week before, it will give Liam the chance to sell off all the Rainbow Beauty fixtures and fittings, so that revolting man won't get his hands on them.”

“But what about the pamper day?” I croaked.

“We can still do it as planned, on the Saturday,” she said. “Lots of our regulars and friends are coming, so it will be a nice chance to say goodbye.” She smiled at me, as if that was meant to make me feel better. Instead, a swirl of fury rose up in my chest. My pamper-day plan was supposed to help save the business, and she wasn't even going to give it a chance. Instead she was turning it into our final farewell.

I glanced at Saff and Grace for support. “Come on, say something! Surely you two don't want to leave?”

“Course we don't
want
to,” said Grace quietly. “But Mum's right. We can't afford to stay, or stay open. And this offer of somewhere to live won't come along again. I don't think we've got any choice.”

I looked at Saff.

“Well, I suppose, if I can carry on my course up there…” she began, then trailed off and looked at the floor.

I couldn't believe it.

It felt like one of those awful nightmares that you get stuck in and can't wake up from. I looked at the beautiful display of colourful products on the glass shelves, at the bright chiller counter full of delicious fruit, the gleaming granite smoothie bar and the gorgeous old-gold reception desk and comfy purple velvet sofas. My heart lurched in my chest.

No, no, NO!

This couldn't be happening, not after we'd worked so hard…

On jerky legs, I walked out.

“Oh, love, don't go. Let's talk about this,” begged Mum.

But I just kept going, slamming the door behind me.

I stomped round the streets for a while, thinking about whether to go to Marco's, or Summer's, or walk to the park where I knew Ben was playing footie with some mates. But I didn't feel like seeing anyone. I walked right up to the top of the high street, which made me really thirsty, but I didn't even have the money for a bottle of water, so in the end I had to go back to the flat.

I stormed up the stairs and marched into the kitchen. They were all sitting round the table with mugs of tea in front of them, and I pointedly ignored them as I reached for a glass and filled it from the tap.

“Abbie, I really think we need to talk—” Mum began.

“Why, have you changed your mind?” I snapped.

“No, but—”

“Well, we don't then,” I cut in, swishing past the table. I planned to shut myself in my chill-out room with a book and ignore the lot of them. But instead I found myself turning and shouting, “We can't just go back – why can't you see that? What about your new lives, your new friends? What about mine? What am I supposed to do without Summer and Ben? What about me and Marco?”

“And what about your dad?” Mum asked quietly. “You've got the chance to be nearer to him and see him much more. Isn't that what you wanted?”

“Well, of course, but…” I trailed off. I felt tongue-tied. How
would
Dad feel if he could hear me?

I just felt so confused then, and defeated. I didn't want to talk about it any more, so I grabbed a bread roll from the leftover supper bits on the table and hurried to my chill-out room. I put my headphones in and listened to the songs Marco had downloaded for me, read my book, and pretended I couldn't hear my mum and sisters knocking on the door.

On Saturday morning I woke up still in my clothes, sprawled over a floor cushion in my chill-out room (well, cupboard) and for a moment I wondered what I was doing there. Then I remembered everything that had happened and, feeling awful, dragged myself off to the bathroom.

I did go down to Rainbow Beauty to get things ready, but I found myself just standing still, looking around me and thinking about giving it all up, and I suddenly knew that I had to get out of there. I texted Summer and half an hour later Jim pulled up outside in their battered Land Rover, just as Mum and Saff were coming in.

“Hi, love. How are you feeling?” asked Mum.

“I'm going out,” I muttered.

“Abbie, please…” she began, but I pushed past her out of the door.

Jed was in the front passenger seat so I squeezed into the little back seat with Summer, saying hi to them all in my best, cheery not-about-to-have-a-massive-cry way. Summer and I had a big hug and I found it really hard to let her go, and even harder not to burst into tears.

“So what's up?” she asked, when we broke apart. I was about to tell her but then I realized that if I did that would be it. She'd know our friendship was going to change for ever. I wanted things to stay as they were for a while longer, so I found myself saying, “Oh, nothing. It's just that I knew you were doing your photos at the beach today and we weren't busy so Mum said I could go out.”

“Oh, okay. It's just that in your text you sounded a bit…”

A bit what?
Desperate? Gutted?

I shrugged. “Oh, I was going stir-crazy stuck inside, that's all. I just fancied some fresh sea air.”

Devon air
, I thought to myself.

Soon Summer and I were walking along a sunny autumn beach, with a strong breeze blowing my hair into mad styles, watching her brothers fly these massive multicoloured kites. Summer was taking photos of them for her GCSE photography project, and I was stealing glances at her, feeling a horrible ache inside and already missing her, even though she was right next to me.

Then suddenly tears sprang into my eyes and, as hard as I tried, I couldn't hold them back. I did the oh-gosh-the-wind's-making-my-eyes-water thing for a few seconds, but Summer was onto me.

“I knew something was up,” she said, pulling me down onto the sand. She sat beside me and put her arm round my shoulders. “Come on, tell me what's going on.”

I shook my head. “I don't know how,” I muttered.

“Is anyone hurt?” she asked, looking panicked.

I shook my head.

“Has something happened with Marco?”

“No,” I sniffled.

Summer squeezed my shoulder. “Abs, you know you can tell me anything. You're my best friend – whatever it is, we can talk about it.”

“And you're mine,” I choked out. For a moment, I closed my eyes against the tears that were trying to escape and listened to the waves crashing on the shore. Then I fell onto her and burst into huge, shaking sobs. “Mum's moving us all back to London,” I said.

She sat bolt upright, looking startled. “What? Why would she do that?”

I explained about the house-sit and how everyone was completely sure we wouldn't have the cash to pay Mr. Vulmer on the eighth, even Grace.

Summer listened without saying a word. I think she was in shock. “But that's crazy,” she said, when I'd finished.

But the worst thing was, as I'd been hearing myself speak, it hadn't sounded crazy at all. It had sounded sensible. Sensible, but
wrong
somehow. I couldn't put my finger on why exactly, but it felt very, very wrong.

“You can't go!” she cried. “I can't believe this!”

“I can't believe it either,” I told her, “but it looks like it's happening.”

“When?” she asked. “At the end of term?”

I shook my head.
If only.
“A week.”

She gasped at that. “Oh my God, no!” she shrieked. “You've got to persuade your mum out of it. Tell her how much you want to stay!”

“I have!” I cried, feeling really frustrated. “Course I have! But she really thinks it's our only choice.”

“Don't go,” Summer pleaded. “Stay with
us
. At least in term time. Mum will love it, she's always saying how us two are outnumbered by smelly blokes.” She was nearly in tears herself.

I peered at her. “Do you think I could? Really?”

“Yeah, course,” she insisted. “Mum and Dad think the world of you. We all do.”

It was such a kind offer, and I wanted to stay so much that for a moment I seriously thought about it. But I knew deep down that it wasn't an option. Reluctantly, I shook my head. “Thanks, but I couldn't,” I told her. “My family has been fractured enough already. The most important thing is for us all to stay together.”

“I understand,” said Summer. “If it was me, I couldn't do it either, however much Jim snores!” We both smiled a bit at that. “What a nightmare, though,” she said then. “What did Marco say?”

I sighed, picked up a pebble and threw it into the sea. “I haven't told him yet.”

“Oh, Abs, it'll be alright, you know,” she said, pulling me close again.

“I'm just worried that…if we're apart…” I began. But I couldn't even finish my sentence. I could hardly bear to think about not seeing Marco every day, never mind about whether we could make a long-distance relationship work. I leaped up and headed down the beach. I suddenly felt like I needed to walk.

“You two are
meant
to be together,” said Summer, jogging along to catch me up. “No amount of distance will tear you apart. You can come down and stay with me any time you like. Every holiday, and then some weekends in between. And I bet Marco would love the chance to be in London all the time, going to gigs and mooching round record shops. You'd probably never get rid of him!”

“Thanks,” I said. “I suppose it's only London, not the moon,” I conceded.

“Exactly,” she said. “And what with me coming up every five minutes to go round Camden Market with you, and Ben wanting you to show him all the Royal Parks, you'll be sick of the sight of us.” She tried to smile, but she couldn't stop the tears from falling down her cheeks. As soon as I saw them, it set me off again too.

“Oh, I feel like I could just…I don't know…” I kicked the ground and a spray of pebbles skittered down the beach. “I feel like throwing myself on the floor and having a massive tantrum, two-year-old stylie!”

I knew Summer understood because she took my hand and said, “Try this.” She pulled me along the beach and let out a loud war cry. I ran as fast as I could, and shouted as loud as I could, and we ran and shouted until Jim and Jed and the kites were tiny specks. Then, as our legs gave way underneath us, we fell onto our knees on the stones, gasping for breath.

I'd asked Summer if they could drop me in town, so I could go straight to see Marco at the rehearsal studios, where I knew he was sorting out a new set for Headrush's next gig at the cafe. The sky had clouded over and threatening storm clouds had gathered, and as I walked down the road, shivering in just my little jacket, it felt like they were deliberately hanging right over
me
.

When I got to the studios, I was planning to hang round at the back until they stopped for a break, but Marco saw me and immediately put his guitar down, bounded over and dragged me up to the other guys. I said “Hi” to them all and, even though I had the biggest lump in my throat from knowing what I had to tell him, I managed to ask, “How's it going?”

“Great!” Marco enthused, putting his arm round my waist. “We're working on a new song – it's definitely one of our best.”

He did a big sweeping gesture towards Tay, who nodded sagely and said, “I thank you.”

“Well, if you're busy, I'll just catch you later,” I began, getting that feeling I'd had with Summer too, of not wanting to tell him, of wanting things to stay the same.

“Course not. I've always got time for you, Abs,” he said, smiling at me and giving me a kiss on the lips, while the other guys pretended not to notice. “Do you want to hear it? Yeah, let's go for it!” he cried, and did a big American-type whoop. He seemed a bit manic and over the top, not his usual self. And hang on…wasn't Luke supposed to be down here watching? That's what Marco had told me, anyway.

“I thought your dad was coming down,” I said.

Marco's cheerful façade slipped then – just for a moment, but long enough for me to see the hurt underneath. “Oh, him? Nah, he left town again. Usual story. Boring old story,” he said quickly. “So, let's give this song a go—”

“Oh, Marco, I'm so sorry—” I began, but he cut me off.

“It's no big deal. I totally expected it.”

I peered at him. I knew he hadn't. I knew that this time he'd really believed Luke had changed. That he was sticking around. I felt really hurt for him – I knew that under all the bravado he was wondering what on earth had happened, maybe asking himself what he'd done wrong. “But all the plans he talked about…” I began. I felt terrible. I should have stayed on my guard with Luke. Just because my dad had deserved another chance, I'd come to believe that Luke had too.

“Look, of course I wasn't happy about it,” he mumbled, “but I've had a chat with Mum, and I know that the people who matter are the ones who are really here for me. Her, you, my mates.” He leaped over to Chaz, still in manic mode, and did the big back-slapping bloke thing with him, and then with Tay and Declan.

OMG, now I had to tell him about London. I almost didn't. But then I remembered that Summer knew, and Jed and Jim. I couldn't keep it from him. That felt worse, somehow.

I took his hand. “Let's go outside,” I said. “I've got to talk to you about something.”

He grinned at me. “You can say anything in front of these guys. They're like brothers to me,” he said. Cue more of the back-slapping, man-hug stuff with Chaz, who was nearest. He was
so
going over the top to try and prove he wasn't that bothered about his dad leaving again.

“No really. Let's go outside,” I said.

Fat drops of rain were now spattering the gravel of the car park. I took a deep breath and went for it. “Mum's moving us back to London,” I half-whispered. “Next Sunday. For good.”

He didn't say anything. He just looked at me, completely bewildered and confused.

And then he walked away.

I dashed after him, calling his name, but he didn't turn around. Instead, he sped up.

I couldn't give up. I kept following him and I was almost at the bridge when the storm broke. There was a big crack of lightning, and then a boom of thunder as a huge black cloud opened above me. The rain pounded down so hard it was like someone had turned on a cold shower over my head, making me shiver and gasp for breath as I tried to run, feet slipping in my (well, Saff's) red ballet pumps. When I wiped the rain from my face, my fingers were covered in inky black mascara. I couldn't see Marco any more, but I had an idea where he might have gone. I ran across the grass on Vire Island – well, squelched across it – looking left and right, trying to shield my face enough to see. There was a man walking his dog, head down, making for home, and a woman shaking a rain cover out to put over her double buggy, but no Marco.

The rain began drumming down even harder then, and I squealed and tried to shield my face with my arms. I felt panic rising up in my chest and I just stood there, getting soaked, until someone rushed up behind me, grabbed my hand and pulled me over to the tea stand.

“Marco!” I gasped, falling into him.

We huddled under the awning at the side of the stand.

“Are you okay?” he asked, shrugging off his jacket and putting it over my shoulders like he had with his blazer, in the storm, the first time we met.

“Are
you
?” I gasped.

“Course not!” he cried. “Dad leaving, and now you—”

“But I don't
want
to go! I'm not
choosing
to go!” I cried. “Mum's made her mind up.”

He kicked the ground. “Well, tell her you're
not
going!”

I sighed. “I can't! You know how things are at Rainbow Beauty. She's sure we can't get the money for our rent in time.”

“But what about your big pamper day?” he asked. “Surely that will—”

“It won't be enough,” I said. “Not even close. Looking at the figures, well, I hate to admit it, but I can see why Mum's doing this.”

“But you don't have to go. You could stay with Summer,” he argued.

I shook my head. “She did offer, but I can't. My family has been through so much lately – whatever happens, me, Mum, Saff and Grace have to stick together. I can't leave them.”

“You're
not
leaving them,” he cried. “They're leaving you!”