Chapter One - The Arrival

"Movie?"

"Check."

"Popcorn?"

"Check."

"Bridget?"

"Bee, where are you? The movie's about to start!" Carmen shouted across the apartment. I carried my bowl of carrot sticks into the seating area and found a space between Lena and Tibby, where I sat down.

"What are those?" Tibby asked.

"Carrot sticks." I announced, biting the head off one of them.

"I can see that, but what are they doing here, on a movie night?" a note of disapproval in her voice.

"Three months of this and all that popcorn is going to make you tubby. It doesn't matter for your careers, but I need to be slim." I told them.

"Still, carrot sticks?" Tibby wrinkled her nose. I laughed and stuck a carrot in her open mouth, she coughed and the carrot went flying onto the floor. Tibby and I laughed, then glanced up at Carmen and Lena who were staring at us confused.

"Movie." I announced, taking the remote from Carmen and hitting the play button.

We sat in silence, apart from the sound of crunching on popcorn and carrot sticks. The movie pulled us into the world, before Carmen shrieked.

"What's wrong?" Lena asked, worried. Carmen jumped out of her seat and ran into the bathroom.

"Carma?" she shouted and ran after her. Tibby and I followed, standing in the doorway as Carmen spat out her mouthful of popcorn.

"You okay, Carma?" Tibby asked, she just shook her head.

"Something not popcornish in the popcorn." she announced a few minutes later. We all shrieked as I emptied the contents of the bowl into a plastic bag and threw it in the trash. The drama died down and we all sat back down, Tibby was about to hit the play button again when the door bell rang. Lena, who was closest to the door, jumped to her feet and went to open it. We all glanced up at the doorway as a tall brunette woman filled the frame. Tibby, Carmen and Lena glanced around unsure of who she was. I screamed and jumped to my feet, running to the door, but stopping as I noticed the tears on her cheeks.

"Jane?" I asked, worried. Lena, Carmen and Tibby passed puzzled glances around behind me, but I ignored them and invited her in.

"I needed to see you." she muttered, tearily. I nodded and walked across the room, signalling for her to follow.

"We're going to go into my room. You can carry on watching the film if you like." I told them, unsure of the time I'd take.

The girls watching as I disappeared into my room with Jane, as soon as the door was shut I pulled her into my arms to comfort her.

"What's going on?" I asked, finally. She sat on my bed, her body shaking slightly. I sat beside her and took her hand. "It's okay, you can tell me."

"My, my dad." she stuttered, the words enough for me to know what was going on. She started to cry, as though she was given an outlet for her tears. I comforted her until she fell asleep from crying so much. I stayed with her for a few minutes until I was sure she was definitely asleep, before I left her.

The movie was coming to a close when I entered the seating area, as if they'd been waiting for it, Lena, Tibby and Carmen glanced up in unison as soon as I'd opened the door. I sat opposite them, wondering how to word what I was about to say.

"Who is your friend?" Lena asked, before words filled my head.

"My friend? Oh." I nodded. "Jane, she's…she lost her dad." I informed them.

"Lost as in...died?" Tibby asked, slowly. I nodded.

"What happened?" Carmen whispered.

"He's been sick for a while with cancer." I told them. They all glanced to my bedroom door, with sad expressions on their faces. "She knew it was going to happen, just not when. It's still not as easy."

"No." Tibby muttered, holding my hand.

"I'm fine." I assured them. "But Jane needs me right now. Think you can share me?"

"Of course we can, Bee." Carmen smiled, their hands all reaching for mine. I sat there for a minute, comforted by their presence.

"Thanks Guys." I told them, before going back to Jane.

Jane had woken when I got back into my room, I sat beside her and stroked her wet hair from her face.

"You should go back to sleep." I told her, my hand resting on her cheek.

"I will." she replied, smiling slightly. "But I needed a kiss goodnight."

I nodded and leant to touch her lips with mine, I wrapped my arms around her shoulders and we kissed for a few minutes. Before she lay back down and fell into a slumber.