Sorry this is so short. I'm having one of the best weekends ever! I saw Haim, the band that inspired the name of this fic as well as inspires me daily TWICE in Los Angeles, and later today I'm seeing Sir Paul McCartney at Dodger Stadium! I promise to write my heart out this week. So much so that you all will be sick of me. :)

Sian woke up in a slight panic. Two nights ago she had dinner with her violent drug addled ex-boyfriend and it had summoned some raw intense feelings of chaos. Yes Darren was cleaned up and yes he seemed like he wanted to make things right and put the best foot forward but she had known this other mean malicious person for so long now. Hard to remember what he was like before he became that. Also, he was being forced in a way. He got caught and was getting sent up to prison.

Sunday night they had gone out of town to dinner. She didn't need any prying eyes on her especially word getting back to her parents or any people she knew from Coronation Street. She hadn't seen Soph in two days and saw on Instagram she was sick, and she wanted to …. she didn't know what she wanted to do. Reach out to her? Explain to her? Yes both of those things, but she felt she couldn't with Darren and basically her past lurking around.

It was now Tuesday, and it was still confusing. She got up and trudged to the bathroom to start a shower. As the water ran over her tanned skin, she couldn't help but remember the conversation she had with Darren two nights before. He was polite yes, friendly, even witty, but something was amiss. He was hiding something, she could always tell with him. This was all happening so fast she was wondering if this was a sign. Just when she felt that she could honestly feel something for someone else, Darren pops back into her life. All scrubbed up and looking well. Sure he was going to prison for 5 years but the timing was awful.

It was still early yet and Sian felt like having a wander. Maybe just to be close to Sophie, she didn't know. She felt like she needed something to keep her grounded. If Darren was indeed hiding something, she had to brace herself. It couldn't be good news.

Sian walked over to out front of the Rover's after grabbing a coffee at Roy's. She sat and watched as the street came to life. She had this incredible urge to walk to the Webster's and check on Sophie who she knew was probably asleep. She slowly edged her way near their front entrance as the door opened suddenly. Sally had come out to grab the morning paper. Sally in her usual manner had a quick scan around and locked eyes with Sian. Sian froze for a brief moment, then smiled at the elder Webster.

"Hello Mrs. Webster," said Sian.

"Hello dear, Sian is it? You can call me Sally."

"Thanks, how is she?" asked Sian nervously taking a sip of her hot beverage almost burning her tongue in the process.

"Sleeping it off. Her fever was through the roof when she got home On Sunday. It's even keel now but I'm about to call the doctor honestly."

"Oh no! If there's anything I can do, just let me know. My number is in Sophie's phone. Anyway have a good day Mrs. Web…. er Sally." Sian wanted to check on Sophie herself but she knew that would look crazy and/or strange. And it seemed like Sophie was upset that night. It could have been the fever, but the way she announced she was done and blankly walked out seemed angry instead of ill. "Of course she's going to be upset, I was pushing her away wasn't I?" Sian stared out straight ahead. She liked Sophie. She wanted Sophie or at least wanted to see where this could go with her. That's what these feelings were right? First things first however. Darren was up to something. The way he hemmed and hawed when she asked what he was going to do until he had to turn himself in, seemed all too familiar. She wanted to get to the bottom of it all and really close that chapter once and for all. Getting it out of him would be the tricky part.

Sophie woke up feeling well rested but still a little weak. She hoped she didn't have to do much talking today, because she felt a bit out of it to form thoughts into sentences. She hopped in the shower since she hadn't in a day and stood there staring at the tiles. What of all this Sian business then? She was still too weak to deal with it, but she figured she would see her, it's a small street after all. What a difference a week makes. A week ago Sian was locked out of her house, and now… all this. Sophie couldn't come up with a good analogy so instead she got dressed and walked downstairs to see the mood of the house. She made a point to leave her phone upstairs as she didn't want the "bad news" of no news.

Kevin and Sally were in the kitchen, Kevin at the table and Sally at the stove.. Both looked happy to see Sophie, and Sophie LOOKED glad to see them but didn't want to talk about anything too deep with them. Not today. Well, not ever, but certainly not today. She smiled at them.

"Morning Sophie, you look better. Your color has returned to your face. Had me worried there," said Sally reaching toward Soph to touch her forehead. "Head feels a little warm still, but nothing too crazy. Want some food?" One of the advantages of being sick is having a doting mum cooking and washing up for you.

"Yeah ta. Nothing too greasy though," Sophie said looking around for Jack. "Where's the boy?" she asked Kevin who was sorting through the newspaper.

"He's been sleeping in weird intervals, so I left him up in the room. Hard to get just some me time these days," said Kevin. Sophie couldn't figure it out, but it seemed like her parents were getting on. No arguing or eyerolls or exasperated looks. Maybe Sophie being sick had calmed them down a bit. So far her being sick or whatever was wrong with her was doing some good. She got to stay out of the public eye for a day, her parents weren't at each other's throats and she also left her mates to their own devices. Sophie smiled. Until..

"I saw that Sian out on the street. Asked about you. She's a lovely girl, very polite," said Sally absently. Sophie closed her eyes and sighed. When she opened them, she noticed Kevin giving her a sympathetic look. All Soph could manage a small smile back.

"What'd you tell her?" Sophie regretted asking immediately because to be honest she just wanted to forget all about Sian and whatever had happened. She didn't want her mum of all people talking about Sian, who had asked about her in the first place. "This place really is a goldfish bowl isn't it?"

"I told her that you were feverish and knocked out. What should I have told her?" asked Sally turning around from the stove.

"No that's okay, I was just curious," Sophie lied. This was getting to be way too close to Erinn territory for comfort. The feelings, the helplessness, the sadness, the overall body ache was all too familiar for Soph. She needed to be done with this. Yes Sian was different than Erinn, after all she was actually likable and pleasant to be around, but the sense she was getting was the same. Maybe it was too soon after Erinn to think to even get into anything else. But Sian started it kind of? Sophie hadn't meant to get back into something so quick.. it was just, it had quite literally fallen in her lap. Sophie was staring at the wall and couldn't help but smile. Her brain is coming back to her, and the thought of Sian in her lap…

"Sophie are you listening? I called Dev today to tell him you can't work today, don't want to push it. That man is hard to read sometimes, maybe you should give him a call…"

"Yeah well maybe because his 20 year old employee's mom is calling in for her. I wasn't planning on working today anyway. I'll just call him. Thanks for the food," Sophie took her plate up to her bedroom. Suddenly she wasn't very hungry. She felt .. hollow. Like nothing was there inside. She couldn't get why she was always caught up in weird scenarios. She didn't go out looking for them, she just sort of landed in them. "Well at least with this, there's still time to get out." And that's just what she was going to do.

Sian's phone started buzzing while she was sitting in the middle of her quiet house. Vinnie for as much as he wanted her there and wanted to help, sure was mirroring her absent mom in the way he was never at home. Of course she knew he was either working overtime and/or with his new girlfriend, but still, she was always left alone to her own thoughts. She saw a blocked number but knew it was Darren and so she answered it. She hadn't seen him since their dinner two nights previous, but she had this nagging doubt about it all that made her want to see him. She wanted to see what he was up to, but wanted to protect herself and her new life as well.

"Hiya."

"Hey Darren, what's up?" While she was going to entertain him for his remaining time he was free, she made it clear that they were done. She would not run away with him or wait for him during his sentence. She had to be firm and clear, reasoning with him about their past, their current situations and their futures. Darren understood but that didn't mean he didn't hold some sort of glimmer of hope for something with Sian. If it was just one night with her before he left or one night with her after he got out.. he had to hold on to something with her. He screwed this up and he felt sorry but he loved her more than anything. He loved her so much he had to go with her feelings and agree that it was over.

"Let's do lunch yeah? Meet me outside of Weatherfield since you are so ashamed of me…" he joked. Well, partially.

"I'm not ashamed. I just don't want it getting back to Vinnie or Janet. You can understand that can't you?" While it was partially a lie it was only partially the truth. She didn't want unwanted questions or gossip following her on the street, since she's the newcomer and she knew how the news spread around there.

"I was kidding Sian. I'll see you at around 1ish yeah?"

"Text me where to go. See ya," Sian replied. She hung up her phone and looked at it. Should she text Soph? How would it be received? Is Sophie really "done". She really didn't have time to think of that at the moment. She wanted to know what Darren's plan was. If there was one. Sian knew him too well to know that this all wasn't innocent. "Ugh."