Chapter 2: Whatever happened to Sarah Jane?
The group were hanging out at the local skate park – Sarah Jane, Clyde, Luke, Maria, Mr Jackson and Evangelina.
"What is the point of skateboarding?" Luke asked Clyde and Eva. Eva had turned up in jeans and a long sleeved jacket, rather than in any of her dresses. But what surprised Clyde more than Eva looking less like a girl was the fact she was pretty good on a skateboard.
"With you there's always got to be a point. It's skateboarding." Clyde said in a tone that suggested Luke said the most stupid thing ever.
"Yeah, it's fun!" Eva agreed. Clyde began skating but while trying to do a trick he fell off the board, causing Sarah Jane to worriedly yell 'Careful!' and a group of teenagers to laugh at him. Eva couldn't help giggle a bit at her friend, knowing he would be fine as it wasn't a terrible fall.
"Clyde fights Slitheen and Gorgons, that's okay. But a bit of skateboarding and whoa!" Maria joked with Sarah Jane.
"I know. But I've changed since I met you lot, I've become mumsy." Sarah Jane replied playfully.
"It's for the better if you ask me. Remember when Maria and I moved in, talk about frosty." Mr Jackson joined in with the banter.
"I was not!" Sarah Jane gasped.
"Yes you were." Maria backed up her dad, though she sounded a bit guilty that she was doing so.
Clyde got back up and back onto the skateboard, however he fell off again as soon as he tried doing a trick. Eva giggled again from where she stood next to Luke.
"You're really bad at this, Langer." Eva giggled.
"You need to bend your legs." Mr Jackson coached Clyde. "If you want to ollie, really bend your legs."
"How do you know, Mr Jackson?" Eva asked curiously.
"I was King of the Concrete, Romford, 1992." Mr Jackson replied. He grabbed Clyde's skateboard and ran towards the ramp.
"Oh no, here we go." Maria groaned. Eva giggled as she went to stand with her female friend.
"And he's still got it." Mr Jackson smirked to himself.
"But you're old!" Clyde complained.
"You just don't like the fact you're losing to him, Langer." Eva pointed out to the other teenager. Clyde gave her an annoyed look, and she laughed.
"Cheese, smile." Maria told the four stood next to a ramp. Sarah Jane had her arms around Clyde and Luke while Eva was stood to Luke's right grinning at the camera. On the next picture, Maria's dad joined the picture holding the skateboard behind his head while Sarah Jane turned her head away from the camera and smiled at Luke. Clyde pulled a grimace and Eva was looking at him and laughing. The third picture was of Sarah Jane with her arms around Clyde and Maria (whose dad had taken the camera so she could be in the picture). Luke stood smiling at the camera while Eva was giggling at the scrunched up expression on Clyde's face. Another picture was with Mr Jackson posing with his hat turned to the side, making Eva and Sarah Jane laugh. Clyde was grinning, and Luke just smiled at the camera. Maria took one of Eva on her own, then one of Luke and Clyde together and finally one of Sarah Jane on her own.
The group made their way home, happy to have spent time together. Luke and Sarah Jane mad their way back to their garden, while Clyde took his skateboard back from Mr Jackson and skated off home. Eva made her way back home to her mother and her brother.
"Hey, Eva your home." Kamdyn smiled at his younger sister.
"Hey Kam. We finished at the skate park so I came back."
"It's your turn to make tea, Evangelina." Her mother reminded the girl.
"Yeah, I know. How does Spaghetti Bolognese sound?"
"Sounds good." Kam grinned. Eva grinned and walked into the kitchen to begin making it for her small family.
Eva lay in her bed that night, looking out her window at the stars. She wondered what her father was doing, wherever he was, and whether he was looking at the stars too. She slowly closed her eyes, letting sleep wash over her.
Eva glanced at her phone that rang. She didn't recognise the number. She turned to look at Kam.
"Kam, answer the phone for me."
"Alright, but you owe me one." Kam picked up her mobile, putting it on speakerphone. "Hello?"
"Is Evangelina there?" Kam heard a girls voice on the other end, not one he recognised.
"That depends on who this is."
"Maria Jackson. I'm a friend of Eva's."
"Sorry, you must have the wrong number. My sister doesn't have any friends named Maria." Kam told the girl. He hung up the phone, and turned to Eva.
"Maria Jackson." Eva tried to think. She had a small sense that she knew someone with that name, but she shrugged it off. It certainly wasn't a friend of hers, probably a prank call.
Evangelina woke up the next morning, and got dressed. She happily ran to Sarah Jane's house to start their day, never having suspected that she'd forgotten Sarah Jane the day before.
