Summary-Katie Brown moved from Horace Green to England where she met new people and forgot about those who still loved her, That is until she moved back.

I haven't really forgotten them- more like didn't want to remember them. How could I forget what Freddy did to me- not turning up. I hate him and now I have to return. God damn it. I hate my dad! It was him who ruined my life once- and now my mum plans on doing it again. Oh, wait she just has. We pull up into the drive of a house that I am to live in now.

The only home I've ever had was my first house, even though we lived with my dad. Then I moved when I was 13 to England. It was then that my hate for Freddy began. But well, I don't want to think about it. After 2 months I had a new best friend, one who cared for me, one who came to the airport to wave me off. He was called Oliver- Ollie for short. Only I could call him that though. I remember one time, when we were 14, Helen (a popular kid), really fancied Ollie. She sauntered up to us and said "Ollie- come sit with me at lunch and leave your freak-friend on her own!" Well Ollie wouldn't stand for that, he told her that only I could call him 'Ollie' and to go eat lunch in the toilets!! We laughed for hours at the look on her face.

Mum calls me from the top of the steps in front of the new house. I get out and slam the car door. I walk up the garden path, up the steps and through the recently unlocked front door. Mum said I could have first pick of the bedrooms, as Hannah, my little sister, wasn't all that interested in her room as long as it was pink!! I check out the rooms- not one floats my boat (as they say) but when I slide down the banister, I spot a door. I open it and find some steps going down. I open the door at the bottom of the stairs and to my surprise I find a large room, with a door at the end. I go through and I spot another large room but not as big as the other. I can see my room in the first room and my basses living in this one. I quickly run out the 2 rooms, up the stairs and into the soon-to-be living area. I gasp for breath as I pant to my mum,

"I want ....the bas.... basement.... for my room!!"

My mum looks shocked and says, "But honey," I shudder, "What about the other rooms?"

I shake my head in annoyance.

My mum gives a sigh and says, "Fine. Whatever." And goes out to the car to ring the removal van.

-Next day-

I get into the car and sit in silence as my mum drives me to the hardware shop half an hour away. As we drive down a familiar street I see two boys about my age walking into an apartment block. I look away and focus on the paint I am going to buy.

When we arrive I walk into the shop and straight to the paint isle as my mum trails behind me. I find pure white and midnight black paint in less than two minutes and we get enough for my two rooms. After we pay I silently climb into the car again. We drive home in silence apart from the radio on quietly in the background.

When we arrive home I bring all the paint into the house in a total of four trips to the car. (Hey as I said, they are big rooms!) I open the white paint and began to paint a wall in my 'bass' room. It takes me about half an hour and I still have half the pot of paint. I cross over the room and lay down another old sheet. I once again start to paint. When half the wall is done I hear my mum faintly, saying,

"She's down in the basement."

I hear a pair of feet descending the stairs, and then crossing my main bedroom. Soon a figure appears in the doorway. I drop the brush and it falls with a 'thunk' on the sheet. I run over and hug him in a vice like grip. Silent tears stream down my face. I whisper,

"Zack...how'd...how'd you know I was...here?"

"I saw you come back in the car and turn into this street, from Dew...a window. I came as soon as I could"

Luckily I didn't catch the fault. I was too amazed he was here to realize. I pull back from my hug and take a good look at him. He must have got a brace after I'd gone. He had grown a good two-inch taller than me. His boyish-cuteness had grown into manly looks. I could tell he would be popular with the ladies. He looks down and I realize I have got white paint on his hoodie. I apologize but he stops me with a wave of his hand. He walks over to the half-painted wall and picks up a clean brush. He dunks it in the paint tub and spreads it evenly over a patch of wall. I join him and soon the wall is complete. He offers to help with the rest of the room and soon we have both painted a black wall each. While we paint I tell him about England and Ollie. He teases me about 'Oliver' (I told him about the 'Helen' incident and he calls him Oliver) and I told him to shut it. I give him a playful push and he falls dramatically to the floor and I bend down quickly pretending to resuscitate him (minus the 'kiss of life' bit). Mum then calls down that she has 'made some tea and would Zack like to stay?'

During tea, Hannah flirted constantly with Zack, it seemed I was right about the ladies and his manish looks.

After tea we went back down to my 'room-to-be' as we had named it, and re-painted the white walls. It was 8 o' clock and Zack got ready to leave. I watched him walk to the end of the street where he turned around and gave one final wave before turned the corner. I shut the door and went upstairs to brush my teeth and got ready for bed. I went into Hannah's room (she had her bed and a camping bed set up for us to sleep in), climbed into bed and fell asleep after a tiring day.

-Next day-

I was woke up by Hannah bouncing on my bed, trying to wake me so I would make her some breakfast. I rudely stuck up my finger and put my head under the pillow. If Hannah had learnt one thing in England- it was to never wake me up before noon. I heard her sigh loudly and stomp out the room. I smiled contently to myself, dropped my arm and went back to the land of nod. Not even an hour had passed when I was awakened by an old fashioned English alarm clock, and two people laughing merrily at my shock. I lifted my head rather abruptly to see who was laughing. It was Zack and Hannah. I said loudly, 'Fuck you!' but as I was about to pull my duvet over my head, it was whipped off me. I rolled off the bed and onto the floor in my protest, but all that caused was a mighty great yelp (I wonder who that was) and hysterical laughter from Hannah and Zack. I sat up shooed them out the room and slammed the door. I pulled on my clothes from yesterday and stomped out the room, past my so-called friends, and slid down the banister. I went to the kitchen, grabbed a bowl from the stack on the counter and poured some cornflakes into them. I added milk and ate it standing when two slightly giggling people walked in the room. I dumped my bowl in the sink and made 4 teas and an orange juice. I left them in the kitchen while I took two teas upstairs to my parent's room. I walked in and woke my mum, the movement waking my dad. I placed the teas on the bedside table and walked out.

When I reached the kitchen I said to Hannah,

"I'm going to spend some time with Zack, alone, so will you please not come into my room. Thanks!" I added before she could say anything.

I grabbed Zack's hand and pulled him into the hall, I pushed him through the door and followed him as he retreated down the steps. I shut the door and ran down the stairs, jumping the last three. We went through to the 'bass' room and collected the cans of paint. I pulled the sheet through the door and spread it against the slightly larger wall. We both painted the same wall white while Zack told me about everything that had gone on since I left.

He told me that Summer had passed away. I cried for an hour on his shoulder. Summer was my girl best friend and I hadn't even known. But strangely I realized why I was sad for a few weeks when I was 15. I had felt the loss of Summer but didn't know at the time why I was depressed. I told Zack and he listened to my newly discovered information with the greatest interest. We carried on painting until lunch when only one wall, the doors and steps needed painting.

After lunch we took a walk to the cemetery to visit Summer's grave. Zack got a bit emotional because he and Summer were going out. I stayed strong for him this time. We sat at the grave for half an hour, until I went home alone. Zack needed to go somewhere. He wouldn't tell me where though. I walked home in my own thought of which had no accordance.

When I got home I asked for Hannah and my parents to come into the kitchen. I stood in silence as I made three cups of tea. I turned sharply and handed my parents a cup each. I took mine to the newly delivered table (must have come that day), and sat on a chair. I kept my eyes glued to the cup in front of me.

"Summer...she..."I gulped. She was one of my best friends, me, Freddy, Zack and Summer. Only one remained my friend. "She...passed away last year,"

I looked down, not wanting Hannah to see my silent tears give me away. I hated crying and had only ever done it once in front of her, but recently I had been doing it a lot,

"She...she...."

I try to explain, but break down in tears. Hannah was crying now for she knew Summer very well before we moved away. My tears flowed more freely now. I would be in for a long night.