The Trip
Chapter One
"Right, Charlie Buckton, pack your bags. We're going away," Ruby declared a little too loudly.
Charlie peered up from the television with bleary eyes, looking and feeling confused. She blinked a few times.
"What do you mean, away?" she asked.
"Like, away – on a trip. Me, you, Leah, VJ, Xavier and Aden," Ruby explained, sitting on the opposite sofa.
Charlie didn't look like she was following any more comprehensively.
"So," Ruby urged. "Get up! Pack!"
"Where are we going?"
"Along the coast."
"You're taking me to the beach?" Charlie asked incredulously. "Has it escaped your notice that we already have a beach here?"
"I know but it'll be fun," Ruby insisted, getting a little frustrated by her sister's non-compliance.
Charlie had been miserable for four weeks. Since Joey had left her, it was like Charlie had left too and it was getting beyond annoying. All Charlie did these days was work, cry and stare blankly at four walls and Ruby was determined to do something about it.
"Do you remember fun?" she asked.
"Hey!" Charlie protested.
It was the most animated she had been in weeks.
"I know how to have fun," she said.
Ruby looked at her sceptically.
"I do," Charlie frowned.
"When was the last time you had fun?" Ruby asked.
"Well, a few weeks ago, Joey and I…"
Charlie trailed off.
"I love it when you prove my own point," Ruby grinned.
Charlie sighed heavily.
"So, pack. We're leaving tomorrow."
"Fine," Charlie said, hauling herself out of her seat.
Ruby watched her go and then headed into the kitchen where Leah was packing sandwiches for their trip.
"You realise this could be a disaster waiting to happen, don't you?" the Diner co-owner asked.
"Yeah," the younger girl said. "But I have to try something."
"Shouldn't you at least pre-warn her?" Leah asked.
"I can't take the risk."
Charlie sighed heavily as the little group got stuck in traffic yet again. Ruby was bouncing around beside her to the excessively loud pop music she had insisted on, Xavier was pretending to like it and Aden looked like he was wondering why he had agreed on the trip. Charlie was wondering the same thing. Leah and VJ were driving up in the car behind them.
"Tell me again why we're leaving a beach town to go to a beach town?" she asked.
"For a holiday!" Ruby enthused.
It was annoying.
"We could at least have gone to the City," Charlie said. "There's more to do there."
"Stop complaining, Charles. We're going to have a relaxing, fun time. You can't do that at home."
"I could do that at home."
"Yeah right. You've been moping over… You've been moping for a month."
Charlie frowned. She would love to be indignant and snap back that she hadn't been that bad but Ruby was right. She had been a nightmare to live with. All she had been doing was working, sleeping and crying. She hadn't been able to get Joey out of her mind since she had left. It was driving her crazy. It was making her ill. All she wanted to do was step back in time and rectify the stupid mistake she'd made which had cost her the love of her life or step forward in time and rush three months ahead and work out a way to make things up to Joey so they could start again.
"Okay, when does the fun begin?" Charlie said.
Ruby glared at her, getting the distinct impression that her sister was determined not to have a good time on their weekend away.
"Would you lighten up?" Leah teased.
"I've booked us a table at a beach side restaurant," Ruby said.
"Because we can't do that at home," Charlie pointed out sourly.
"Seriously, lighten up!" Leah said, taking Charlie's arm and leading her towards the door of the hotel room.
Ruby took VJ's hand as they made their exit.
"Don't we need to wait for Aden?" Charlie asked, aware that he had wandered off.
"He's going to meet us there."
Charlie stopped in her tracks the moment that she spotted Aden at the table of the restaurant. He wasn't alone. Sitting with him was the unmistakable figure of Joey Collins, the love of Charlie's life. She glanced at Ruby who looked torn between a proud smile and complete panic.
"What is this?" Charlie whispered.
Aden and Joey looked up. Joey blanched and was obviously not expecting her. She stood up and looked like she was ready to flee. She stopped and focussed on Charlie, who gazed right back at her for several heart-stopping moments. It felt like nobody else was in the room. Suddenly Charlie felt Ruby nudging her towards Joey.
"Go on, Charles," her little sister said.
"Ruby…" Charlie said, completely dumfounded.
"I had to get you two to speak to each other. Make the most of it, will you?"
The two women met in the middle of the restaurant, hearts pounding. Charlie couldn't look away from Joey's eyes, which still seemed to be filled with the same pain as they had the same day she left her on the dock the previous month.
"What… what are you doing here, Charlie?" Joey asked.
"Honestly, I have no idea," Charlie admitted. "Ruby…"
"Interfered," Joey realised.
Charlie tried to smile. She nodded.
"Can we talk?" she asked.
