Chapter 2:

Back in Walford, Carol went outside stabbing the balloons she had put outside for her son, Billie's, birthday. She was furious he hadn't come home, and had to find out from Whitney, Bianca's step-daughter and Billie's ex girlfriend, that he was in Southend boozing it up with his army mates. Ricky, Bianca's husband, was watching Carol from inside the house when Whitney walked into the living room, joining him.

"Carol just had a right go at me for nothing!" she complained.

"Oh just leave her, if you say something you'll make things worse"

"Well can't Bianca have a word?"

"Well Bianca's gone"

"Where?"

"Straight to Southend"

"Well then why she getting narky? If Billie's coming home"

"She don't know"

"Why don't you tell her?"

"Because, if Bi don't manage to get him home then we don't wanna get her hopes up"

"Billie will be here"

"How can you be so sure?"

"Have you met Bianca?" she said as the door slammed shut and Carol walked in. Whitney walked in the kitchen sitting down at the dining table with a cup of tea. Carol walked through and picked up the post on the table, looking through and seeing birthday card after birthday card for Billie, she threw them down on the kitchen counter and stormed over to the kettle, turning the switch on. Whitney looked at her, they never really got along and she couldn't be dealing with a moodier than usual, Carol. Whitney put her mug in the sink and grabbed her hoodie that was hanging on the banister.

"I'm going out for a bit"she shouted.

"Alright" Ricky shouted from upstairs.

She walked out of number 31 and slammed the door shut behind her, the cold eastend air rushed to her face. She didn't exactly know where she was gonna go but anywhere was better than that house with Carol stomping about. She walked through the square stopping at Arthur's bench, she decided to sit down there because she forgot her money to go to the vic and really didn't wanna go back to the house till Bianca was back. She took a seat and got lost in her own thoughts for a moment. When Billie came to the square what would they say to each other? The last time Billie was here he dumped her for some girl in the army, or as Whitney liked to call her 'action barbie' a nickname Bianca had come up with to make Whit laugh when she was trying to get over the break up. When Billie dumped her, she was heartbroken, she had waited 2 months for him to come home from training, the longest time they'd spent apart since they met, only to have him come home and end their relationship. She got all pictures of them together and threw them into a barbecue which was providing burgers for the square. Her brother, Ryan, had to fish the pictures out with tongs to stop them all setting alight. When Ryan found out why Whitney was doing this he went round and punched Billie right in the face, leading to Billie leaving the square immediately. Whitney so desperately wanted to hate Billie for hurting her but she couldn't, she still loved him. But she agreed with herself she'd play it cool with Billie when he came, act not bothered. Suddenly Whitney heard Bianca's all to familiar voice.

"10 minutes and you knock on that door with a smile and a sorry. You, me, Southend, it never happened" Whitney looked up to see her stepmother talking to Billie. Billie didn't look too happy to be given a lecture. Whitney tried not to smile, she didn't realise how much she'd missed him. She quickly looked away from them pretending not to notice them. Bianca stopped, looking at Whitney, who was staring into space, sitting on the bench. This drew Billie to look to where his sister was looking, he looked at his ex, he still really cared about her, and couldn't help but think he'd missed her. Bianca looked back round to Billie.

"Talk to her and be nice" she said walking off towards number 31.