The impossible and broken truth
CHAPTER 1:/ The Boat
"What do we do now?" Freddie asked as he takes a sip of his beer. He looks at Cook and JJ, and then he looks at Effy. Effy looks at him and gives him the famous Effy smile, then looks away and gazes at the scenery. Because she knows she can't look at Cook. She knows that she would see the pain in his eyes, and she can't stand to look at that.
Cook doesn't speak much, which is odd but considering what he had just been, through nobody expected much commentary from him. He didn't look at Effy, and knew Effy was doing the same. As the hours went on his tolerance began to decrease.
"Alrite mate, my head hurts imma cop a nap" cook said to Freddie and JJ. "That bottle of vodka last night is startin to catch up wiv me," he chuckled as he left.
"Alrite," Freddie said in response.
Effy closed her eyes and pretends to feel the breeze across her face as he leaves, knowing that he was lying. Cook was never one to let a little headache affect him.
Freddie watched Cook leave. When he was gone he looked at Effy and put his arm around her shoulder. "You alrite?" he asked
"Yeah," she forces a smile and grabs another beer.
---
Cook sits on the edge of the bed, finishing the last bottle of rum in the cupboard. "Fuck, fuck, fuck!" he says, not caring if anyone hears him.
"Fuck me, fuck, fuck…fuck it all" he let out a crazed laughed.
"Yea, cuz what Cookie wants he doesn't FUCKIN' get!" he knew he was still drunk from last night on top of the new bottle of rum he was drinking now. But he felt good… well as good as Cook without Effy could feel.
---
Nobody talked about the past couple of days, not even JJ. But they were one day away from Bristol, and the erased past is likely to make an appearance, both Effy and Cook knew that.
It wasn't so hard for them to look at each other anymore, but still hard. Freddie never noticed the effort it took for them to have a conversation. That was always a good thing. JJ may have noticed but he never said anything, he wouldn't want to do anything to destroy the tree musketeers again.
---
"Mornin, JJ!" cook said as he opened a can of beer
"Hey, cooks up!" Cook laughs at JJ's enthusiasm "how was your sleep cook, I bet it was great studies show that the rocking of a boat is soothing."
Cook looks at JJ and continues to laugh "Mornin Fredster..." Freddie smiles, happy to see cook acting like Cook again.
Cook waited a couple seconds before turning to Effy "Mornin…Eff." He soon realizes his abbreviation and corrects himself before anyone notices. "Effy, mornin Effy"
"Morning Slugger!" she replies. They both freeze in place. Before Freddie notices anything Effy turns around and watches the water ripple, wishing she could go back in time. Cook takes a sip of his beer and walkes back over to JJ.
"What was that about cook?" JJ asks
"What was what about?" cook tries to look confused
"Between you and Effy," cook continues to look at him like he's crazy.
"Ah, JJ you're your seeing things aren't you, is that a side affect of one of them pills you got?" cook smiles at JJ hoping he can't see through his act.
"Maybe," JJ says trying to remember the side affects of all his pills "I think I'll check when we get back in Bristol." Cook smiles and takes another sip of his beer.
Freddie interrupts JJ and Cook's conversation to tell them Bristol is 5 minutes away. Cook automatically looks at Effy and sees fear in her eyes, despite the fact she is trying to hide it. He always thought Effy was bad at hiding her feelings, her eyes always gave it away. But nobody seemed to notice them…well not in the same that cook noticed them.
Effy looks at Cook and saw what she least wanted to see. She saw the pain in his eyes. She looks away quickly, she knew nobody else noticed the tortured look on cook's face. Effy always could read Cook, no one knew that, not even Cook.
---
They both notice Freddie and JJ are looking out into the distance, so they follow their gazes, only to see the Bristol dock in the near distance.
Effy "gasps," Cook automatically reaches out to comfort her but Freddie moves faster and grabs her hand, not noticing Cooks actions.
Cook looks at JJ and drops his hand when he realizes JJ is watching him.
"It's not polite to stare JJ!" Cook says with a little too much edge to be a joke.
JJ looks at cook apologetically "Cook I—! "
Cook cuts him off and says "JJ, I was kidding" Cook laughs as he plays with JJ's hair.
"What are you two on about?" Freddie says as he turns around to look at them.
Effy pulls away from him and stares in the distance watching as they get closer and closer to Bristol "home sweet fuckin' home" she whispers as they pull up to the dock.