At 7 o'clock as arranged the doorbell rang. She heard her mum's joyful hostess voice from her room and the reply of the guests. When she heard them move into the living room, she popped down the stairs and right into the kitchen. Serena had decided to wear a white silk top with dark jeans. A choice that had taken hours for her to make considering how simple the outfit was.
"Ok Serena, you can do this, they're just people, what's the worst that could happen" After a prep-talk and a few false starts Serena made her way to the living room.
To her slight relief only Christy's parents were there.
"Michael, Kirsty, Hi" Serena took a deep breath out relieved the people she was worried about were not around. Unfortunately, she shouldn't have relaxed so quickly.
Christy's father, a large friendly man with salt and pepper hair and a moustache to match and had always treated her like another daughter, looked up at her and only nodded at her to acknowledge her presence.
"Serena, hi" Kirsty, Christy's mum said without looking up at all. The usually thin ginger woman looked even thinner than Serena remembered her and lot tireder looked awkwardly at her mother who looked as irked as she did at the strange way their friends were acting. She sat awkwardly next her mum happy that the tv was on to distract from the strange situation at hand.
"Sarah these fairy cakes are delightful," Michael said breaking the silence that had fell.
"Oh i'm glad you like them but Jane gets all the credit for them I honestly didn't lift a finger this Christmas" Serena's mum said jovially in her best attempt to lighten the situation "It's a shame you didn't get to come round" Serena's mother looked round at their guests" It was terribly lonely for me and Serena and where is Christy and David?"
Serena noticed Kirsty shift uncomfortably in her seat.
"Daniel's having a session with James, you know he's helping him with the whole getting used to being back home situation and Christy doesn't leave James' side so-
"Michael!" Kirsty blushed as she smacked her husband's shoulder
"There's no point in sugar coating it" Michael carried on languidly in between bites of cake "It's been an uphill struggle with David back after, well, you know."
"James has been superb with him" Kirsty piped as if to make up for her husband's negativity "He's even given us some advice on how to best support him, who he needs to reconnect with back home and who he shouldn't reconnect with". Serena was sure it wasn't her imagination that Kirsty said this last part with her lip curled looking straight at her.
"Well, you know that Serena and I are here to help any way we can." Sarah said non the wiser
Kirsty looked up to reply when the doorbell rang.
"Let me get that" Serena's mother left the living room and came back in with the three people Serena had been nervous to meet all evening.
"Sere! Its so great to see you again" David gave her the biggest hug she could ever remember receiving, lifting her off the ground. "Sarah the house is exactly how I remember it!
David was exactly how she remembered. Happy and loud. He was bigger than when she had last seen him but healthier and nothing like the way he was when things hadn't gotten so bad.
"David it's so good to see you" She replied. At least someone was greeting her like they should.
She wished she hadn't looked around to see the sheepish looks everyone was giving the exchange. Christy and James were already seated and as far as humanly possible from her, their hands intertwined.
"So, Serena. Sarah I bet you want to know what I've been up to?"
The whole night was dedicated to David telling some great, but sometimes ridiculous stories about his stint in rehab and the places he had travelled to afterwards.
"Sere, you would have loved Marrakesh, the food was to die for" David continued hands flying all over the place.
Altogether the whole evening was weird but it would have been awful if it weren't for David and his wild stories. Although Serena knew is was deliberately missing out a lot of, what must have been, painful things, she was happy to see her friend again the way she loved him.
"Okay, Okay David everyone, let's call it a day I'm sure Sarah's tired of us now," Michael said before David could finish a particularly lewd story about a woman he met in Lisbon.
"Oh no no" Serena's mother laughed "i'm really enjoying myself!"
Christy's mother had already stood up ready to leave.
"No, we must be going" For someone so frail looking she was moving very quickly
"Well if you must let me get you some more of those cupcakes you like to take away" Serena's mother jumped up ignoring Kirsty's desperation to 's father perked up immediately when she returned with a container filled with cupcakes.
"Thanks, Sarah we better be off then, Serena" The man who was usually very warm nodded his head at her again and led the way out.
"Seeya Sere we'll have to really catch up soon! David gave her a quick squeeze and then her mother before leaving; his mother hurried behind him speaking quickly in hushed tones behind him much to his amusement.
"Oh Kirsty" Serena's mum quickly shouted "I have a recipe for those cupcakes if you want them. Christy's mum smiled the first genuine smile she had that whole evening.
"That's lovely" She came back in as quickly as she left and followed Sarah to the kitchen .
James and Christy slowly made their way to the who had not said much apart from what was normal and was his usual gentlemanly self and bid his goodbye next. Maybe there was nothing to worry about after all. Maybe James was over her and everything she had seen on Christmas Eve was just misplaced emotion but it still didn't explain Christy giving her the cold shoulder.
"-Christy can I speak to you quickly, please?" Serena caught her friends hand before she could make a hasty retreat.
"Serena I don't think" Christy looked back at James as if for permission " I don't have anything to say to you," Christy said slowly as if she had rehearsed a speech already.
"Christy, please can I speak to you in private" Serena tried not to look at James but looked instead imploringly at her friend "Please?"
"There's nothing that you can tell Christy that you can't tell me too," James said harshly.
"Christy why are you avoiding me? What is going on?" Serena implored
"I can't be around you anymore" Her best friends voice was shaking. She looked back at James, he smiled at her "You poison people around you and make, make them believe that they are more important to you than they really are only to hurt them." She was speaking again in the same rehearsed way as if someone was feeding her lines.
"Christy what on earth? are you smoking again because-
"No I am not high" Her friend spat "there you go again belittling me and-
"Christy go to the car, control yourself " James interrupted taking her by the shoulders and ushering her out of the house "It's okay."
" Hey," Serena shouted "Christy wait what are you saying-
"She's saying that you are not worth having as a friend" James said, she didn't notice he was inching closer and closer to her "She is saying that if it wasn't for you her brother wouldn't have jumped off the roof, you knew he was vulnerable but you played him like the slut that you are and broke his heart even his parents now see through your innocent act" He spat in her face. She could feel his breath on her face. What was he saying? Is that what people believed?
"That's not true, I loved him, I would never-
"Don't you wonder why Darien suddenly decided to stay in London for an entire year? You've been leading him on making him believe that he is something to you, just like David just like me but unlike them I'll get you, I'll have you!
Before Serena could take a step back to confront him fully, he grabbed her in a vice grip and kissed her with such force her whole body swung backwards . She tried with all her might to force him off, angry hot tears slid down her face but the more she tried to resist the tighter he held on.
Suddenly she was free. He stared at her longingly before making a quick retreat leaving her so angry she could feel her nails digging into her palms. She was angry mostly at herself for letting herself get in this situation again and for feeling so scared and for just standing there staring at his back as he walked away into the night.
"Thanks again Sarah" Kirsty walked briskly out the house waving a slip of paper.
Sarah closed the front door and leaned on it sighing."Well, that was a weird one right? Sarah closed her eyes a hand rested on her forehead "Seemed like David was the only sane one in that bunch, right? She opened her eyes to glance at her daughter "What's up with you?"