A/N: Squee at Waterloo road on Wednesday. Kim and Chris! Adam and Rachel! Adam and Ruby! It was all just too much for my easily pleased mind. This has flashbacks in it, but that should be pretty clear because Rachel becomes Amanda. I'm so sorry this took so long to get to you, but it's been a busy few days. Thanks for all the reviews as well.
Civilised and Steph Haydock. Lord only knows that those two words have nothing in common. So how was it that on Steph's 'Wild Hen Party', we were sat sipping and tucking into shellfish in one of Manchester's classiest restaurants? Surely there should be a stripper, or at least tequila shots. I was really impressed with her organising the party because Kim- my maid of honour- was slightly preoccupied. We'd been getting on well now that I wasn't her boss, and I could laugh at the things that I would have had to punish her for a few months ago. It surprised me that even though I thought we were like chalk and cheese, we'd built up a mutual respect for each other.
There were only four of us- me, Steph, Kim and Jo- because I had yet to go out and meet more people. It was good enough for me. In all fairness I really liked all three of them, and there is no-one else I really would have wanted to spend that evening with. Well there WAS someone, but he couldn't exactly come to the Hen Party, could he?
We stayed there for a couple of hours, exchanging banter and sharing giggles. As the evening went on the girls began to make toasts. Jo went first with a big smile spread across her face.
"Well Rachel, I haven't really known you for that long..." she paused whilst she collected memories from over the last year. "I knew you were always a brilliant head, but there was one moment when you showed me who you really are. It was when Max fired Steph and I walked out. The way you just told him that we would be there in the morning, it made me realise how fearless and incredible you are. So I hope you have an amazing life with Adam, because you deserve it."
"Oh thank you Jo" it meant a lot. Like she said we didn't know each other that well and I had no idea what an impact I had made.
"I think I've told you what my opinion is of you before, haven't I?" Steph began.
"Yep" I remembered not too fondly "Something along the lines of prissy cold-hearted cow" I saw Kim and Jo exchange a glance.
"Who knew that all it took for that to change was a man? I've seen you two together and I've never seen you so happy, you are like a big gooey mess around him. It's very sweet. God knows you haven't had it easy with blokes. None of us have. I agree with Jo, you really deserve someone who loves you, and I think you may have just found that with Adam. Oh and I'm not jealous at all!" she announced with a wink and I grinned at her.
"There is one thing you never told us Rachel." Kim added
"What's that?" I asked
"You say Adam's a blast from the past, but what exactly happened back then?"
That was easy. The day was painted so clearly in my mind and I could remember every detail...
'Skiving PE teachers', or as its better known 'Cross-Country running in the park'. I wasn't particularly bothered, because I was quite healthy so it wasn't too difficult, but in all honesty I really couldn't care less about sport. Katie on the other hand had taken the whole thing very seriously, and if I knew her well enough, then I knew she'd be in first place. Sadly this meant I was running in the middle of the two extremes, on my own, again.
I was in my own little world. I used to come to this park all the time with my dad when he was little and the familiar trees and pathways bought the memories back of when times were good, and I was his special little girl. Me, his daughter Amanda, not that evil slapper bitch girlfriend that he only had time for these days.
The problem with my own little world was that I wasn't looking where I was going, and soon enough my face met the earthy ground. I'd tripped over something, and it certainly wasn't a tree root. I rolled onto my side and tried to brush off some of the dirt. That was when I noticed, lying on the floor next to me was the fat ginger kid that sat behind me in maths. His face resembled a ripe tomato and the sweat dripping down his face would have been enough to fill a swimming pool.
"Are you ok?" I asked concerned.
"Oh god Amanda I'm really sorry... look let me help" he apologised and tried to pull his large body up, only to collapse back onto the floor again.
"Oh no, it's fine really, umm..." I stammered, racking my brain for his name, but it didn't come to me.
"Adam" he murmured through heavy breaths.
"Ok... Adam." I stretched before pushing myself onto my feet and going to help him. I offered a hand and he took it with a grimace. I tried my best to pull him to his feet, but he wasn't really helping much and my tiny arm muscles were no match for his... his fat. It wasn't long before he had pulled me back over, on top of him. We paused for a minute before I rolled off. The last thing I needed was for anyone to see this. "Adam, you're going to have to help me out here I'm afraid."
"I can't"
"What you mean 'you can't'" I was puzzled.
"What's the point?" he grumbled. I sighed, this obviously wasn't going anywhere.
"Just stop being so whiny and get up off the goddamn floor before someone else joins us down here."
He raised an eyebrow. "Are you picking on me because I'm fat?"
"Shut up, pathetic." I muttered under my breath, before getting back onto my feet, brushing myself down, and starting to storm off.
"Amanda, wait" he called. I turned back to see him sitting. "Come back, I'll try this time I promise."
Part of me just wanted to leave him there, why should I have helped him? But the brown eyes staring at me, looking frightened, reminded me of a small child that I couldn't leave. I went over to him and after a few minutes of pulling, he was finally back on his feet again.
"Thank-you" he smiled.
"That's ok" I smiled in return. "Look, I know a shortcut if we go through the bushes here, it goes past a sweetshop and the teachers won't even know that we've cut a few corners."
With that were away, and he managed all the way to the finishing line, even though we cheated it was still an achievement. After that day we stayed friends. Sometimes people turned their noses up at us, but I didn't care, Adam was sweet and the bestest friend I could have wished for, and it was that way for a long time.
What was that I said about Steph and civilised? Oh yes, NOTHING in common. Me and Kim sat at the bar watching her throwing herself at a guy she'd met all of ten minutes ago. It was amusing and didn't really surprise me because a) it was Steph and b) she'd drunk more in one night than I'd drunk all year. I hoped that poor man knew what he was letting himself in for! I hadn't seen Jo for a while, she'd been talking to a pretty blonde and they'd gone to dance.
"Two Gentlemen have sent these for you" the barman announced to me and Kim as he produced two cocktails "Sex on the Beach". Our mouths simultaneously dropped open. Kim started to sip on the drink, but curiosity got the better of me.
"Who sent them?" I asked. The barman pointed to two boys that looked like they had only just been given legal consent to come into a nightclub. I laughed out loud. Adolescent admirers, go us!
"Let's send something back" Kim suggested, laughing as well.
"Yeah, how about a bare arse?" we were in fits by this point. It was funny how tipsy we were from one drink.
"Oh my God, they're coming over" she squealed. We tried to straighten ourselves out before they reached us.
"The one with the acne is yours!" I shouted before grabbing the dumb-struck boy who couldn't have been much older than Phillip, and dragging him onto the dance floor without protest.
I felt wild and free. I finally understood what Adam meant when he said I needed to let my hair down more. The beat of the music overwhelmed my whole body, my hair being tossed wildly around. It reminded me of a long time ago, when I last saw strobe lights and spent all night dancing...
"Just piss off Ryan, alright?" I growled at him. A good night out? For him maybe, but I didn't exactly want to watch my boyfriend shove his tongue down Ashleigh's throat. I knew I shouldn't have trusted either of them. Adam was right about them both.
"What's the matter with you babe?" his words were slurred and his sweaty hands felt their way down to my breasts. I slapped him.
"Why don't you go and ask your slag of a girlfriend?" I grunted.
"Why don't you go bum Mr Blobby?" Katie snarled in return.
"I'd rather spend the rest of my life bumming Adam then ever see you again. Some best mate you are." I ran off so she wouldn't see me cry.
I hid in-between two cars outside the club and sat on the curb with a bottle in hand. I don't know how long I was sat there until I saw a familiar silhouette heading my way.
"Hey Mandy, how's your night been?" Adam called with a cheery face until he saw I was crying "What's the matter?" he lowered himself down onto the curb next to me.
"Ryan's a bastard, that's all" I wiped away the running mascara from around my eyes.
"I know, and someone as special as you deserves so much better." He said kindly. I knew that wasn't true, I didn't even deserve Ryan in my opinion.
"Adam, will you come and dance with me?" I begged.
"Of course" he grinned, and I swear for a second I saw a sparkle in his eye, but I soon forgot about it because we were in the club, young, free, and having the time of our lives.
My eyes began to focus onto a ceiling I'd never seen before in my life. I sat up and searched for a clue as to where I was and one came pretty quickly. Jo was curled up on the red arm chair snoozing softly, and Steph was strewn all over the other sofa snoring so loudly I wondered how I'd managed to sleep through it. Fond memories of the night before came flooding back and so did the throbbing head ache to go along with it. I stumbled onto my feet and went in search of something get rid of it.
I'd been in Kim's house before, so I knew my way about, but I had no idea where she kept her medicine. From outside the living room I could hear the shower running, and Chris was inside singing his little heart out along with the radio. It was sweet, but I didn't think Simon Cowell would be that impressed.
With the bathroom preoccupied, I decided that my second best bet would be the kitchen. I walked in, greeted with the sight of Kim feeding baby Dylan who was sat in his high chair. She was using the spoon as an aeroplane and making woosh noises that really entertained the little one. He was giggling away.
"You alright Rachel?" Kim looked up. I must having been watching them for a while, but I had a little pang of longing in my chest and the more I watched the stronger it got.
"Oh yeah I was just looking for..."
"These?" she quizzed holding out a box of anadin.
"Yeah thanks." I took the box off her and popped out a pill before swallowing it with a glass of water that sat on the side. I noticed Kim trying to stifle a yawn and it dawned on me that she must have been up very early to sort out Dylan. From what I'd heard I babies didn't sleep in too long. "If you want I'll do that and you can go and have a lie down" I suggested.
"Oh Rachel thank you"
Kim went back to her room and I picked up the spoon that she had left in the bowl. I scooped up some of the mushy food and replicated his mother's movements. It took him a minute to understand what was going on, but in no time at all he was laughing again. As hard as tried, I couldn't help but think of Max. Dylan was never going to know him and he was never going to know Dylan. It made me ponder how close you could be to someone, but never really know them at all...
The last time I saw him he had no idea, but I knew I had to hold on to every second I had left with Adam. One person in the world who genuinely cared, and I was about to walk away and I couldn't even tell him why. If he knew then I'd never leave, and I had to leave. I couldn't stay here letting my stepdad hit me and do things to me that I never wanted to think about. My mum didn't care. By the point that things turned nasty the drugs had taken over, and she was a quivering wreck on the floor.
He'd waved and shut the front door to house after making promises about meeting up in the holidays. Little did either of us know what was around the corner. I held that image of him in my mind before saying goodbye and heading off to whatever the world decided to throw at me, and that image of the fat ginger school boy lay dormant in my mind for almost twenty years.
A/N: I know this was a little bit different to the other chapters so I hope you enjoyed it. Next chapter is the big one. Oh yes, it's the wedding!
