It is when it is the darkest that the light shines the brightest
Prologue:
"I knew I'd find you here." He sits beside her on the grass.
"Well whoop di fucking doo. I'd give you a blue Peter badge but I'm all out." Venom in her voice.
"You're a bit cranky…did you get out of the wrong side of bed this morning? " He pushes her, not too hard but hard enough to piss her off.
"What the fuck Freds?! What do you want?"
"Your parents were looking for you they're a bit worried I think." He pauses, "Me too. Haven't seen you in the Lion in weeks… you okay?"
Her shoulders slump and she looks at the ground. As she hugs her knees to her chest, Freddie puts his arm round her.
"I'm not...not okay I mean. There was a guy I really liked, I thought he liked me too, but it turned out he didn't." She sighs. "I know its stupid hiding down here away from everything."
"You're right about that. And you're coming out with us tonight, no excuses. Plenty of guys out there who'd give their arm to be with you. "
"I don't know I'm not really-"
"Alcohol will numb the pain I promise." Cheeky grin on his face.
"Okay."
Chapter 1
The night we met wasn't an important night. Well not to anyone but us. It wasn't like some fairytale where all it took was the right foot for the right shoe. There were no fireworks, no fairy godmother, no happily ever after... just the same tired old faces and the smell of stale beer. The weather was shit and the company worse than that.
The pub was pretty much my family's second home. All their friends were in the same boat, pretty fucking sad if you think about it. I only came round when Katie made me. I didn't understand its appeal, I'd be way happier just chilling on the couch watching DVDs... watching paint dry would probably give me a bigger thrill. But yet here I was again, surrounded by the same sweaty, drunken arseholes. Suppose you can't choose your family... but I don't get to choose my friends either, I had Katie to thank for that.
Somewhere a butterfly was flapping its wings...