Sorry if this is a bit jumbled and/or short. I've had a week of sickness. First sinus stuff now stomach stuff, if you get my drift. I've had a fever for most of the weekend, so if this kind of rambles on, apologies.
Also I had to move the story along a bit, and thanks to you all that left comments on my dilemma. You all are awesome sauce :)
As Sophie was about to open the door to her living room, the door burst open and with a flourish Rosie Webster stood before her, surprised at first like she was spooked, then upon looking at her very sad and tearful younger sister, shocked.
"Sophie what? What happened, are you okay?" asked Rosie quickly.
"Rosie…" cried Sophie reaching out for a hug.
Rosie promptly squeezed her sister back. "What Sophie? Are you hurt? Tell me!"
"I messed up Rosie. Erinn…"
"Let's get out of here yeah?" asked Rosie breaking their embrace and quickly zipping up her coat. She pulled Sophie back into the cold air of Weatherfield. Sophie let herself be led by her older sister down the cobbles outside of prying eyes and questionable looks.
They walked along the canal until they got to the Red Rec and took a seat on the first bench they found. Rosie let Sophie sort through her thoughts and waited for her to begin. When she looked at her younger sister she saw red eyes and pale complexion. It actually looked like Sophie was ill, but she brought up Erinn so Rosie waited until she spoke. She had been in this position before, seeing Sophie after a crying jag and just saying the name of that girl that had caused her so much stress and pain for so many years.
Sophie was staring straight ahead not blinking and enjoying the quiet. When she heard Rosie sigh it brought her out of her trance. She looked at her older sister. Rosie was fixing the hem of her skirt and fidgeting with the bottom of her coat.
"Rosie.." Sophie took a long pause. "It's all gone to shit. Like you all said it would."
Rosie reached out and put an arm around Sophie. "Tell me everything."
After about twenty minutes and after Sophie had given a blow by blow account, Rosie sat with her mouth open in shock.
"Well what… what should we do? I have a right mind to go there and take justice into my own hands…" Rosie went from shock to anger in less than two seconds.
"Rosie no," Sophie reached out to put a hand on her sister's leg. "I know she had it planned, or how it went down seemed like she planned it, but I did give in to her a bit. You know the power she has over me.
"Yeah but you were pissed! How dare she! When I see her again…"
"You won't see her again. She'll know that you and all my friends will be gunning for her. She was already wary of you all before last night, she won't show her face. I know her. She's a coward when it comes down to it. I just don't…"
"Don't what Sophie? Know what to do? You should involve the police is what you should do!"
"I thought of that Rosie but look I was never threatened, it was just sort of what I didn't want but went through with it anyway? I mean I don't know. What I really care about is that I trusted her to not take advantage of me anymore."
"Well you yourself said that she was totally bugging you about this whole dominatrix thing, I mean maybe she knew she couldn't get what she like, wanted out of you.. and well the Sian sitch," Rosie trailed off.
"Yeah Sian. Beautiful Sian." Sophie couldn't help but tear up a bit. Sian was being awesome but, this was supposed to be when they had their talk about their stuff and them, if there was going to be a them. Instead she was there after crying and puking after another crazy fateful night with Erinn. "She was there Rosie."
"Sian was there? At the bar?"
"No, when I stormed out of Erinn's house. Sian was there. I never got to ask her why she was there, but there she was. Like an angel. Walked me back home. She's amazing," said Sophie suddenly realizing that maybe this was all pointing to the good. Once the cancer is cut out, then it all starts again. Regeneration. It was almost as if the jigsaw fell into place for Sophie at that moment.
"Maybe it's meant to be then Soph. If I were you, I wouldn't tell the parentals just yet. Let the emotions die down. You know they will be out for blood. Don't like.. sweep it under the rug or whatever, but let the emotions simmer down. Like the hot pot in the Rover's."
Sophie burst out laughing in a fit of giggles. "Only Rosie," she thought as her stomach gurgled. She had puked in the early AM and hadn't eaten yet.
"Let's get some food yeah?" said Sophie reaching out for a hug. She loved her sister, despite intensely disliking her growing up. It seemed now that there was a rift between her parents, Rosie felt closer to Sophie as they both saw the insanity that was their parents' two marriages.
"Okay we are not done talking about this, but I am starving. I could eat a whole cow!"
"I'd like to see that," said Sophie with a chuckle.
The girls walked back at their own pace enjoying the crisp fall weather.
"You got a birthday coming up Miss. You can go to America now that you'll be 21," said Rosie trying to keep conversation positive and light.
"I'd settle for a nice vacation in Sheffield," Sophie chuckled. She was in brighter spirits but felt uneasy when she tried to take a deep breath. The labor of crying still hadn't left her yet, but she was feeling better.
The "relationship" with Erinn had always been about being isolated. At first she kept it a secret and would do solo missions to find her out on the town. Then after revealing all to her friends and Rosie, and after they had soured on Erinn, it was more solo missions to find Erinn and force her to acknowledge our Soph. Now after the night's events and Rosie had been there for her, and even Sian, sweet gentle Sian had come to her aid, she felt all the more better.
As for Erinn herself, she would be glad to be rid of her once and for all. While she spoke of confidence of Erinn not showing her face around town, she wasn't 100% sure if that was true, it was more wishful thinking. A way to say it and put it in the universe so it will come true. And a good bit of karma she had hoped.
Rosie was planning a birthday party for her sister, unbeknownst to her and made a mental note to have Sian help with the planning. If the two of them couldn't get it together on their own, Rosie would make damn sure she would force them together. Sometimes people needed a good shove in the right direction. To be honest Rosie was enraged that Erinn had taken full advantage of Soph. She wanted to march over to the conniving little witch's house and really smack her one all the way into next week. She also knew that this was all Sophie's call and she knew her sister was upset but also wanted to take her cue and be calm about things. Not to forgive or forget but to just approach the subject at a later time.
They walked into Roy's for a cuppa and a bacon buttie and looked around at who else was there. Luckily it was no one too nosey. No Norris, no Mary, no Sally. Sophie didn't really want to face Ches at the moment. He would never do an I told you so, but she knew that if he got that mad at the news of them reconnecting, he would go apeshit at what had transpired. Sophie needed some food, some tea, a shower and a long nap for about a month when it would all have blown over.
"So what's your game plan then?" asked Rosie after stirring her tea.
"I honestly don't know Rosie. It's over now I can't change it."
"Well where are you in your thought process? Details or like.. bigger picture?" asked Rosie putting her tea cup down.
"What? Have you been watching Dr. Phil again?"
"I mean are you still reliving it or are you thinking about what it all means?"
"Yeah, I mean I know it never would've happened if I never would've gone back with her," said Sophie with a shrug.
"OH. MY. GOD. Sophie!"
"What? What? Is there a spider on me? Get it off!" cried Sophie flailing around which made some patrons in Roy's turn around to look.
"Sit down Sophie, no you cow! Don't you dare, DARE blame yourself for this!"
"Oh come on Rosie! You know it's true! If I hadn't gone to Erinn's after not being able to contain my feelings for…" Sophie looked around and lowered her voice, " you know who.. we wouldn't be here right now discussing this."
"No. You didn't make her take advantage of you. She did this, not you."
Sophie didn't want to argue about this anymore. It was still all fresh and she hadn't had time to fully wrap her mind around it. She wasn't sure where she was then in Rosie's Dr. Phil problem solving chart or whatever. Details or bigger picture. She really just wanted to move forward. Without Erinn and hopefully near Sian.
Sophie's phone had died overnight at Erinn's and she had the urge to escape this mindset for a bit and browse some social media. She finished her tea.
"Rosie I want to go home to my room and my bed. Thanks for listening and the advice but I'm exhausted. My phone is dead and I need a shower. I'll call you later yeah?" asked Sophie getting up.
"Yeah little sis, give us a hug. It'll all sort itself out, I promise."
The girls hugged and said their goodbyes. Rosie watched her weary young sister walk out and she felt sad for her. She knew she blamed herself. At least Rosie got her talking, Sophie was good at holding stuff in until it combusted. Rosie wanted to ask Sian about the birthday party she was throwing for her sister, and maybe could get some details as to what she saw and why she was there outside Erinn's house. Rosie asked for a refill on her tea and prepped herself for some detective work.
]Sophie walked through the door of her home and trudged slowly upstairs. She said brief hellos to her parents who watched her walk slowly up the stairs and then glanced at each other. Sally made a move to follow her up the stairs.
"Sal, leave it. She looked exhausted," said Kevin lightly grabbing his wife's arm.
"Exactly why I should talk to her now. Who knows when she'll be conscious again."
"Sal, I'm serious. She'll talk to us in her own time. She's an adult now. She doesn't really have to answer to us anymore. Not like she used to. It's not worth an argument," said Kevin glancing at his son in the conservatory. Jack was sat in his bouncy chair and laughing like a maniac.
"Alright Kevin, but you better be here to help me get the story out of her. You two seem to be able to talk, while I'm left out here not knowing anything."
"She'll talk.. to both of us," said Kevin with a reassuring smile.
Sally sighed.
Sophie turned on her computer and logged in before she got in the shower. She plugged her phone in and watched it slowly come back to life. Soph checked her email and saw that she had a private message on her Facebook. She clicked on it. It was from an Unknown user and a blank profile picture. It read "I really am sorry. Goodbye."
Sophie stared at the message. She instantly went to find Erinn in her list of friends and she wasn't there. "She must've deleted her profile," thought Sophie checking all of her social media to look for Erinn. Instagram: gone, Snapchat: gone. Turns out Soph didn't need to delete the redhead from her life. She would do it for her.
Sophie didn't know how to feel, and went off to shower away the night before and a certain redhead away for good. She felt a sense of freedom she hadn't felt for a while but it was still tainted a bit. She took a deep breath. Today Sophie would move forward and leave all that nonsense behind. She was ready.