Hello, lovely people. Welcome to my new story. This is a bit different, I guess, although I hope none of my stories are the same! We arrive in Summer Bay when Charlie and Joey are fifteen. They are also strangers. And Charlie is trying to be a good mother to Ruby but struggling terribly. This is a Charlie/Joey story but it's also very centred around Ruby. Maybe this is what could have been. I hope you like it. As ever, the first chapter is quite short but it'll increase in length. I've written eighteen chapters so far and I will post between Interwoven and Somebody, Anybody, You in future. Love, IJKS xx
Save Me
Chapter One
Fifteen year-old Charlie Buckton was hiding in her new bedroom. She busied herself with unpacking her things and trying to make the place look pretty. It would take a lot of work and if she was really being honest, she didn't have much of an inclination. But it was what she was meant to do. She felt like she lived her life now doing what she was meant to do. It was so hard to keep up with life's duties now. It was tiring and she felt like she couldn't breathe. She paused when she heard the baby crying. Her heart sank and she waited, hoping that her mother or father would go to her. Ruby was three months old now. Charlie loved her but she couldn't cope. Every time she looked at her, she just saw him and the thought of him made her sick. Ruby continued to cry. Sighing, Charlie put her box down and threaded her way over to her daughter's bedroom. Trembling, she looked over the top of the cot. Ruby wailed and waved her arms. She kicked her legs and looked distressed. Charlie's heart went out to her but she was frozen in place. She knew she was meant to be picking her up, cuddling her and comforting her but she couldn't. She just leant over the cot and watched, fighting tears.
The sun was warm and the air was fresh as Joey Collins walked down the beach in bare feet. She liked the feel of the sand between her toes and the solitude of the life she lived. Her parents were at home watching television but being such an outdoorsy girl, Joey had escaped as soon as she could. Looking out at the sea comforted her and made her feel safe. Looking ahead of her, she saw a few people she went to school with mucking around. They weren't friends. Joey didn't really have any friends. Once upon a time, she had, but life had conspired against her and she'd lost them. Now, she was very much a loner, observing life around her instead of really living it. She didn't really mind though. The likes of the kids ahead of her, Angelo, Belle, Leah, Roman, Martha and Jack, all seemed rather shallow. All they cared about was having fun and making a nuisance of themselves. It just wasn't her world. She sat down on the ground and returned her gaze to the water, breathing in and out in time with the waves.
Downstairs in the disordered lounge, Ross and Sandra Buckton exchanged glances. They'd heard Ruby crying but resisted hurrying up there. They wanted their daughter to deal with her. They wanted her to step up and be the mother she was meant to be. But as their grandchild continued to cry, they sighed. Ross volunteered to go up and see to her. He paused in the doorway when he realised that Charlie was there but not doing anything.
"She needs you to pick her up," he said gently.
Charlie jumped and turned round.
"I know!" she snapped. "I just got here."
Still shaking and aware of her father's gaze, Charlie reached down and picked Ruby up. The tot continued to grizzle but eventually began to quieten her down as Charlie held her close. The teenager's heart was racing as she held her. She worried that she wasn't holding her right. She was afraid of dropping her. She was afraid that they would never love each other.