So here's chapter 2 - another short one which doesn't tell you that much (it does all become clear soon-ish, I promise) but I hope you enjoy for all that. Hope to have another update up by the end of the week. Do please leave a review if you have a few seconds to spare - I really do like to know what people think of my scribblings. Enjoy...
2. Unanswerable Questions
January 5th 2015, 1.12pm
Darren pushed open the door of The Dog to see a crush of people waiting by the bar and dirty glasses and plates on all the unoccupied tables.
"Oh Darren, thank god" his dad said as he came out of the kitchen carrying two meals. "I know you've just got back but would you be able to help out here, just till the lunch time rush subsides." He placed the meals down in front of two customers before continuing, "Mercedes has phoned in sick so there's only me and Esther, and I'm really desperate."
"I suppose," Darren said, looking round, "but where's Frankie?"
"She had to go away." Jack replied.
"What? Where?" Darren asked.
"Not here!" Jack answered definitely with a small shake of his head before heading back towards the bar, leaving a mystified Darren in his wake.
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January 5th 2015, 3.26pm
"But I don't understand." Darren said, as he handed Jack the cup of tea he'd made him. "Why doesn't he want anyone to know?"
"I don't know," Jack answered, "but that's what Frankie said. And I couldn't really interrogate him about it in the circumstances."
"No, no I don't suppose so," Darren replied. "How's he doing?"
"Well, according to Frankie he's in a bad way. As you'd expect, I suppose."
"Yeah, yeah I suppose," Darren replied. "I mean if anything happened to Nancy I don't know what I'd do."
"Talking of Nancy," Jack said, "you're going to need to persuade her to keep quiet about this too, you know."
"Well," Darren said doubtfully, "I'll do my best, but you know I can't promise anything, right? You know what Nancy's like!" he concluded.
"Yes, yes I do. But you've got to try your best to make her see that she needs to do this…"
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January 5th 2015, 4.04pm
"Well I'm not very happy about having to lie to one of my best friends." Nancy stated.
"It's not lying," Darren corrected, "you just don't tell him."
"And what if he asks?" Nancy persisted. "What then?"
"Oh Nancy, why would he?" Darren countered.
"I know it's not very likely, but what if he does? What do I do then?"
"Well," Darren concluded, after a short pause, "then you lie!"
