A/N: Very sorry for the delay. Explained what happened, but hope to update much more frequently now. (Recommend a re-read if anyone can be bothered)
Here is my longest chapter to date by faaaaarrrrrrrr!!!
Another update very very very soon if anyone can tell me what the scariest sound Danielle has ever heard is (Hints on Chapter 4, 33 and 34). It is fairly obvious :-D
What you gonna do with your Life?
"Woo! Home sweet home eh?" Ronnie parked her bike along the high street, helping Danielle off as she once again tried to flatten her hair.
"He hey! Teaching her the ropes ey Ronnie?" The woman under question spun around on her heel in response to the booming voice from behind. Patrick Trueman was suggesting a high spirited attitude, beaming amusingly. His infectious grin - which not many could resist, surprisingly Ronnie being no exception - was set naturally upon his face.
She smiled politely back, wishing that Danielle would take the rightful position at her side rather than shrouding behind her. "Yeah something like that. Just went for a ride." She took a glance towards Danielle, the sight of the girl sending her heart racing.
When you gonna spend your time?
The way that you've always wanted
Ronnie hadn't exactly been teaching Danielle how to ride, but Patrick hadn't seemed to be listening as he unhinged a newspaper rack and prepared to close up for the day. "There's nothing like teaching someone the skills of driving, believe me." Pouting and looking up to the sky, he dinned the familiar 'teeth-sucking' sound associated with the African community. "Yeah man… You know back in the day I used to be a driving instructor?" He questioned. "Got my license from the DSA and everything man." A nostalgic grin hastily receded from Patrick's look, earlier days obviously evoking vivid images. "But then I moved to London and well…" Vocally fading away, he shuffled towards door with a colossal pile of newspapers and magazines.
Ronnie appeared abnormally intrigued - it being out of her shape to converse with local folk. Even Danielle had emerged into view.
"You know it's the best time to learn at your age…" He continued, waving a finger at the shorter blonde and smiling gently.
Danielle nodded shyly in agreement to Patrick's statement, voicing her fear in a strengthless tone. "I don't think its something I could do to be honest. My brother's instructor only yelled at him." She giggled shyly at her lunacy before returning a cute smile.
Patrick rolled an amused look. "Patience!" He exclaimed, extending each syllable and raising his pitch; a means to convey his heightened frame of mind. "Yea man, that's the key." He shook his head to the right as a welcoming simper fell upon his face, signalling that the two of them should enter the minit-mart so that he could place the rest of the papers in a more secure home for the night.
Danielle followed Ronnie into the shop. The minit-mart - although with quite a monopoly over the square – was very well priced. The internal walls were shaded in pleasant shades of green, the floor tiles alternating between a forest-green and custard-yellow tone. The distinct smell of frozen food lingered around the back end due to the open-freezing system custom to commercial supermarkets. The local shop's appearance varied significantly during its retirement for the day. The freezer lights were out, the floor freshly mopped and a stack of goods, which would conventionally live outside during the day was cluttered behind the counter. From the corner of her eye, Danielle could make out boxes-upon-boxes of unsold Easter eggs, presumably ready for the bin-men the following morning.
"It's the confidence I found amazing with people your age Danielle. You just need someone you're comfortable with to channel that mettle in the right direction man." The manager's break in silence caused Danielle to look to his direction. There was a little pause. Patrick took alternating glances at the ladies before him, expressing a well constructed quizzical glare.
"Maybe… Someone like Ronnie?" Shrugging his shoulders before biting his upper lip, Patrick turned around to collect his keys in an attempt to make the suggestion as casual as possible. Silence filled the room, the only movement coming from the shuffle of Patrick straightening his hat and moving over to the counter.
When you gonna make up your mind?
Danielle wasn't sure she'd heard right. Why would Patrick make such random comments anyway? He was a nice enough bloke, and from what she'd heard, he'd steered Stacey onto better prospects through her turbulent teenage years.
Patrick's intentions were brushed aside as Danielle pondered the concept of learning to drive with Ronnie by her side. The image of being behind the wheel sent flutters through her stomach. It was something she'd always wanted to do, but never thought she'd have the nerve to climb into a car with a total stranger expecting her to take control, to potentially put their lives in her hands. That was the problem with Danielle and she knew it. She lacked belief in herself. Always a devil on her right shoulder, attorney to the knowledge that during her initial moments, someone had once doubted her …
You won't get anywhere until
You know what it is you really want to do
Ronnie's heart was threatening to burst out of her chest. This whole offhand conversation was surreal. Things were moving at incredible speeds within their relationship, but as Ronnie saw it, no number of hours with Danielle was too many, for who knew, one day she would wake up, be dragged away from her heavenly sanctuary and for it to have all been just another fervent dream. There was so much she wanted to do with Danielle. The mother in her seemed to have overpowered anything else in her life. When the woman wasn't with Danielle, she wasn't living. Teaching her daughter to drive; wasn't that every parent's dream? Ronnie had quickly learnt to contemplate the fact that her Amy had grown up. There was no point in exhausting moments thinking about all the years she'd missed, because in doing so, she'd only be losing more time. The most satisfying action in the world right now would be to tie herself within her daughter's arms. Physically feasible with little effort!
A mental picture of herself in a car, pointing and directing a beautiful Danielle made tears form in Ronnie's eyes. Recently it had become growingly laborious to prevent her emotions affecting her physical being, an honour her army had usually stood for. With one brisk movement, the striking blonde wiped them away and turned to face the only other female in the room. Ronnie could see Patrick's idea had sparked excitement within the girl, but the twinkle within Danielle's large blue eyes vanished in the instant they made contact with hers, a stubborn uneasiness to blame.
The glimpse of fear wrenched at Ronnie's heart. From what she had gathered, Danielle had a very abnormal fear of driving instructors, or more to the point, learning with a person she had little conviction in. Ronnie defiantly ticked all the boxes there. She had to do best by her girl.
And when you know where you're going to
There'll be no stopping you
Sniggering at the idea as an effort to slice the tension, "As much as I'd love to, I don't think I'd be the right person for the job. You need someone with experience in the field… Someone like you I guess Patrick…" She slyly suggested adding a complementary hand gesture towards the man.
If only you could remember your dream
You could be all the things you've always wanted to be
Ronnie knew Danielle better than she was given credit for. Patrick was the perfect person: someone who didn't know Danielle on a personal standing, but still a person whom she felt at ease with. Of course, there was then the fact that Patrick had expert knowledge in the field. Over the past few weeks Ronnie had been unable to gravitate herself from cloud nine. She was more than ready to approach various people on the street at the most random times, knowing that now she had her baby back, no one could ever take her away again. If no one could take her baby away, then she would never be broken as severely as she already had been. Simple. Just smiling at someone walking past made her feel alive, only now in the world of the living. It was no surprise then that the question of why Patrick seemed so interested in the girls' relationship hadn't even crossed Ronnie's mind.
Danielle stood staring at the cultured woman at her side for at least a minute. She wasn't sure whether to be amazed or scared at how well Ronnie sensed her fears. There was no doubt Ronnie had grudgingly declined the motion. The teen desperately wanted to show this potential motherly figure that she could achieve something worthwhile, something that would make her feel good about herself.
What's been stopping you all this time?
The worst thing that could happen ain't as bad
As you thought it would be
Patrick however was not so pleased at how the tables had turned on his formulation. He hurriedly restacked the pile of papers that had fallen from the lower shelf and twisted his neck to face Ronnie. "Me?" He was quite flattered at Ronnie's compliment, a practise not expected from her. "Eh na man, the girl needs a close friend…"
Danielle's disappointed expression and puppy dog eyes conveniently came into view, causing a surge of adrenalin within Patrick. He quickly realised she'd actually have appreciated the motion and wanted to correct his haste brushing of the idea. To do so, the smartly-dressed gentleman moved over to Danielle's side. "Then again…" He looked thoughtfully ahead, smiling. "I've always wanted to get into that passenger seat again eh." He chuffed. "I'd be happy to help you Danielle if you'd like."
When you gonna go out and shine?
Cos sitting around just thinking about it
Ain't ever gonna do you any good
The shortest of the three looked up to Patrick, thinking for a few seconds before slowly nodding her head. Danielle seriously had to take control of her finances. She knew this would probably send her into her overdraft for the month, but with any luck, the stall would pick up during the spring. "Really? Umm… well if you're sure you'd be able to spare the time, I'd like that actually Patrick." Danielle's shoulders tensed, emphasising how her naivety shone through at the best of times. "Of course," she hurriedly added, "I'd pay you and everything…"
A raised hand and a perverse head shake suspended Danielle's sentence. "You'd be doing an ol' man a great favour." He moved closer with the widest grin possible and put his arm around Danielle. "yea man, you know its been too long since I used those dual controls in my car." He said, making Danielle giggle. The whole idea seemed so conspired, such a bizarre conversation at the most random time along with the most unlikely people. Amazingly, whatever went on in Albert Square, the community-feel was what resembled Telford the most. People led very different lives here, but at the end of the day, they were all one big family and when someone wasn't around, their absence was felt.
And when you know where you're going to
There'll be no stopping you
Ronnie, who even with her dominant presence, had managed to fade into the background for a few moments whilst Danielle and Patrick arranged times for a few lessons. She wasn't too sure how she was feeling. Well, actually she did. She just could not accept that the nineteen year old before her was the same being she'd begged for all those years ago, that this very young woman was her daughter making arrangements to start learning to drive a car. Ronnie had never felt such a sense of responsibility, yet she knew it was always meant to be. It came with a thrill, the firm knowledge that there was nothing she wouldn't do for that individual beside her. Nothing!
Danielle was quite pleased at the result of Patrick inviting them into the shop. Her 'new life' was really taking off. This was her becoming her own person, doing things for her benefit, building assurance within her individuality through those 'new friends' she'd described to her father. If that meant believing that she could drive a car, or more over, proving that she could drive a car, well then it didn't matter. Just as long as she believed she could do it, then according to Lizzie there was nothing stopping her: no stupid, miserable driving instructor and not even the lack of money.
Well, Patrick Trueman wasn't Danielle's best acquaintance exactly, but she wouldn't describe him as a 'stupid, miserable' instructor either. In her short period on the square, the teen was certain there hadn't been an instance where she hadn't seen that man smiling. It was like he couldn't help it. There was no one better to be running the local shop in her opinion. You could stroll in, whatever your mood and you were guaranteed to leave with a smile on your face. That was the type of person Danielle knew she'd be at ease with, someone who could make her feel good about herself, about the world! "Patience is the key…"
Danielle was glowing. Her whole body was telling her that she would overcome her stupid fear. "I'll see you on Friday then Patrick! Thanks again."
Just as Danielle was to lead Ronnie out of the shop, she turned away to hide the enormous yawn which had misshaped her face. It had been an exceptionally long day and Danielle was much aware that she'd left her bag at the pub. Galumphing into the private living space of the Mitchells during their Wednesday evening was not high on her list of ambitions, but she couldn't see any other way around it.
Stepping over the threshold and into the exceptionally cold, breezeless April night, Danielle drew in a sharp breath as she encased her torso within her yellow cardigan and tensed her shoulders. Exhaling heavily, she could see her breath form within the air, not even noticing how her companion's hand had so customarily slipped into her own. The shorter blonde caught a glance at the shop window as she went to wave goodbye to Patrick. Attached to the recently polished glass, just above the national lottery advertisement was a large poster with emerald-green lettering catching her eye.
"…Gale se laga legi tumko khushi
Badal jaayegi ek din zindagi
Yeh kadmon mein jhuk jaayega aasmaan
Tum jaisa koi bhi na hoga yahan…"
It was promoting a bollywood movie. The words meant little to Danielle until she read the adjacent translation, highlighted in gold lettering.
…Happiness WILL embrace you with open arms
You see, Life will change for us
One day my love, these skies will gladly bow at your feet
And there'll be no one else like you around…
"Auntie Peg!" Ronnie waved her arm frantically in the air - unintentionally pulling on Danielle's left hand – in an attempt to catch the attention of Peggy who had just passed by. Her success was evident as Peggy dropped her pace to a halt as to let Ronnie and Danielle catch up with her.
"Hello darlings, I was wondering where you two had gotten off to." Peggy's short build resulted in her white, well defined winter coat keeping most of her body warm. In contrasting colour, a pair of dark leather gloves drew to her sense of class, an instant message to individuals that to disoblige with this woman was not in their best interests.
Danielle smiled politely, giving Ronnie's hand a tight squeeze as a consequence of her excitement. For the last five minutes, she couldn't stop thinking about how her life in Walford was actually heading in the direction she'd dreamt of for so long. Ronnie's constant support and presence meant that Danielle's apprehension in her shrunk subconsciously at an alarming rate. Whether it was for real or just a whole load of sweet-talk, actions such as waiting for hours at the tube station or embracing her in the middle of a field prepared to never let go demonstrated life-long dedication to Danielle. She'd never been able to stop herself from smiling whenever she passed a mother and child on the street. The eternal bond which existed between them was unbreakable; the wholehearted commitment on the parent's behalf more so magical. It was an eminence which she knew her own parents had forever exhibited, only for her to have taken it for granted. Only now, when faced with a huge transformation in Ronnie as those very virtues grew so genuinely did Danielle appreciate how the very bond between Ronnie and her child had never been broken. It was what pressurised Danielle into wanting to be someone great, a person who was now a worthy match for Ronnie's unwavered love for her baby girl. As the nineteen-year-old saw it, Ronnie's Amy and Danielle Jones were not the same person. How could they be?
And then it hit her. Danielle sighed. Who was she kidding? Barely longer than two weeks, how could she make such judgments on anyone's character so drastically? It was a continuous problem with Danielle, only amplified when faced with the life she'd craved for so long now; she wore her heart on her sleeve. For now, she would let herself swim within her elated state, mentally promising that she would tell herself every day of how successful and worthy she would once be. She would count her blessings and remind herself that she was loved, whoever may try to put her down, they would fail. As long as she believed…
Ronnie leant into Danielle as a means to return the affectionate change in grip. Her unmovable smile had not gone unnoticed by Peggy. "Yeah we've just got back actually." Ronnie took a quick glance back towards the shop. "Actually that reminds me, I promised Roxy I'd pick up some formulae for Amy." She gently pried her hand free of the girl beside her. "You two head back, I'll only be a minute." Before another word could be spoken between the three of them, Ronnie was already gaining distance as she jogged away in the opposite direction.
Danielle gulped and took a self-conscious glance to the majestic woman on her right. It was obvious Peggy hadn't gotten over her short marriage to Archie; her mask didn't fool Danielle. It was understandable how individuals craved an intimate companionship during their senior years and Danielle couldn't help but feel responsible for the constant dazed look in Peggy's eyes.
Peggy shrugged her shoulders at Ronnie's sudden departure and turned to smile warmly at the girl besides her. "Come on then love, you must be freezing out here." The stumpy lady began to lead the way back to the pub. She ignited some light banter between her and her klutzy counterpart, trying to crack the ice and calm Danielle's shy natured nervousness.
******
Ronnie slowed down to a walking pace as she approached the now closed double green doors. A gentle knock saw Patrick appear from behind the counter, a hand gesture signalling that the door was not locked. Taking a deep breathe, Ronnie (still dressed in her riding jacket and leather bottoms) concentrated all her weight to one side to get the door open before stepping inside and letting it return to its position. Patricks grin dropped to some degree as he bore witness to how Ronnie's sophistication brought with it a visibly intimidating feature. Even when she was dressed in an outfit on the opposite side of the scale to her professional suit, Ronnie's glare and tall stature could pressure the calmest of people, a quality she inherited from her aunt Patrick gathered.
Patrick Inevitably noticed how Ronnie's never-ending smile from moments ago had seemed to have vanished without the presence of her teenage accomplice.
"Ronnie!" Patrick grinned over, trying to sound surprised, welcoming and unmoved at the same time.
Ronnie smiled over, wishing she'd thought about what she wanted to say before actually re-entering. It wasn't going to be easy. She wasn't used to people openly interfering in her life. As much as she saw the benefit of Patrick's earlier suggestions, it wasn't something she would traditionally appreciate. "Sorry, Um…I…" She cleared her throat and removed her hands from her pockets. "Well I just wanted to thank you really Patrick." She bowed her head, not too sure what else to say.
Patrick relaxed a little and let his smile widen. "You? What for Ronnie?"
That was one she hadn't seen coming. What had Patrick done for Ronnie as for her to thank him? Who was Danielle to Ronnie in everyone else's eyes anyway?
There was an awkward shuffle during Ronnie's silence as Patrick made his way around the counter. She was truly stuck for words, but Patrick willingly broke the silence. "You know Ronnie; I was once in a similar situation to you." The smaller man leaned casually against the counter, hands in his trouser pockets, smiling and looking off to Ronnie's right at the far wall, again thinking of earlier days.
"Sorry?" Ronnie looked puzzled, doubting the declaration and not even totally sure of what Patrick was getting at. Normally, waffle was top on the list of things which aggravated Ronnie, but today this man couldn't help but arouse curiosity within her.
Patrick looked to Ronnie for a few seconds before shaking his head and smirking to himself.
The vertically dominant woman bit her lip, cleared her throat once again to show she was in no mood for games and accepted that he knew more then she originally thought.
"I can relate to that girl Ronnie. I went through the very same thing with Paul."
The blonde relaxed her face and shifted her feet.
"You know, I see a lot of people walk through those doors every day." Once again pouting his lips as he shook his finger to the very doors Ronnie had just used, "People go about their daily lives; you'd be surprised at how much you can learn about a person within those five minutes spent serving them." There was a short pause as Patrick shifted his weight onto his other foot. "But whenever I saw young Danielle, she always left the same impression on me." He smiled in Ronnie's direction, who by the looks of it was grudgingly tolerating his prods in to her family life. And yet the man continued… "You could never get that girl's full attention man. There was always something else at the front of her mind."
Ronnie had had enough. How dare anyone interfere in her and Danielle's relationship? It was interference form others which had caused so much heartache in the first place. As much as she wanted to interrupt Patrick's following sentence, as greatly as she tried to voice some words, they never came…
Patrick sighed, "And yet today, with you by her side she seemed like a different person you know!"
Ronnie tried to hide all expression on her face. They were talking about Danielle. They were talking about her daughter. Ronnie was vulnerable. Only now did she begin to understand how Patrick's former discretionary propositions had come about. Most of her anger drastically melted away in a manner she found quite strange. "Yeah well, we've talked a lot today. I mean, things got sorted out, that's all." Her voice - muffled to Patrick as Ronnie bowed her head - lacked every degree of resolution it had inhabited a minute ago. She sounded defeated at Patrick's advanced knowledge of the situation.
Patrick crossed his legs, instinctively leaning up on the counter as to make full use of his challenged height. "Sure man I can tell." He spoke softly; eyeing Ronnie's now elevated face for any sign of emotion, but none came. It would have been easy to conclude that this was one woman who seemed unable to feel, or at least wasn't comfortable with the fact she could. In all fairness, it was a derivative many arrived at subsequent to meeting Veronica Mitchell, although Patrick's recent interactions with Ronnie - be that in her buying groceries, to meeting her in the pub – meant he, like many others were forced to reconsider. She couldn't seem to hide the consequence of some sort of life-changing awakening. It didn't take people long to figure out exactly why Ronnie and Danielle were seen together so much more often. "This 'talking' seems to have made you two very happy."
Ronnie clenched her fist behind her back. "Look Patrick…" She started in a blunt tone.
Patrick shuffled from the counter and shrugged his shoulders as he interrupted Ronnie to jump to his defence. "Eh man, I'm just saying you know. Like I said, me and Paul went through a similar phase." Suddenly his tone transposed, the beady eyes upon his face falling to the floor. "When he confronted me, claiming his whole life had been a lie, I didn't know how I was going to let him know how much I cared for him. How could I? I hadn't ever been a father to me boys when they needed me most eh…" There was a hint of tears in the expounder's eyes. His volume had fallen in addition to his infamous grin being nowhere to be seen.
Ronnie fell subject to the man's captivating tone once again. She wanted to comfort him, but the lack of such skill within her manner prevented her in doing so. Instead, she obliquely voiced the real reason for her invasion. "And I guess you think driving a car's gonna help us." Smiling meekly, Ronnie edged closer towards the counter.
Patrick smiled, only now fully realising how strange the suggestion must have sounded. "What I see between you two is nothing short of magical Ronnie. You both compliment each other so well. Both richer individuals when the others around." He grinned mischievously at the sight of the blonde's unrestrainable joy, clearly evident on her face at the sound of such kudos. "Ye man, us shop-keepers have a third eye you know!"
Despite the light laughs, the atmosphere rapidly returned to its former self, both members of the conversation with receding smiles on their faces. Patrick eyed Ronnie for over half a minute. She was noticeably in a world of her own until Patrick broke the silence. "Eh I'm sorry Ronnie. I guess I can't bear to see anyone make the same mistakes I nearly did." A heavy sigh followed Patrick's forward reasoning.
Ronnie's head snapped up. This man knew nothing about her past, but still here he was prodding his nose into two people's lives. How dare he…
On the other hand, Ronnie only now pondered on how she'd never seen someone go so out of their way for (what they thought to be) the benefit of mere acquaintances. Or maybe she had. Nevertheless, this was the first time she'd actually noticed such an action, and it took quite some might for her to at least try and appreciate the intentions of Patrick's conspiring. "What were they then?" Ronnie was almost touched at Patrick's story, the idea of his good intentions slyly replacing her defensive anger.
Patrick shook his head from side to side, repeating a point he'd made less than ten minutes ago. "I just wanted to let him know that I loved him." He looked to the only other person in the shop, pleading for her, for anybody to understand him. "I tried to be someone I wasn't." Again, he sucked on his teeth, a very distinct and audible action. "All I wanted was for us to get to know each other and me…" he stabbed at his chest, "…acting like some sort of saint was somehow going to help eh?" A rage-fuelled glow seemed to have flared up within the man's eyes, only aiding his voice to increment in loudness.
Ronnie opened her mouth, only to close in seconds later. She thought about how a few days ago Jack had mentioned a difference in her attitude when in the office, how she'd quickly denied it only for him to return a snide grin; had she really 'changed' that much? If anything, she'd describe it as an addition to her former self, the missing part…
If only you could remember your dream
You could be all the things you've always wanted to be
"I was this close to loosing them all over again Ronnie," exclaimed Patrick, bringing his thumb and forefinger inches apart and extending his arm for Ronnie to see.
The blonde was not expecting this miniature outburst but her alarmed body relaxed hastily. She hadn't been caught off-guard…or at least no one should know of it.
"I just wanted to prove that I wasn't going to lie to them anymore. I wasn't going to leave them ever again." Patrick wiped away an estranged tear. As his breathing steadied his voice quietened down to a normal level. "But then I saw I was lying to them with the very process."
Ronnie's best offer at that moment was a little smile. "Sometimes people think a lie is for another's benefit." She swallowed hard, her throat much drier than anticipated, "but it affects them, they can lose their identity." Ronnie knew exactly who she was referring to. Patrick's presence had slipped her mind as she fixed her eyes on a cold, hard tile a footstep away.
The elder man before her adjusted his hat once again. "Trying to be someone that was not me eh? How stupid!"
"What happened?" Ronnie looked up from the green square, placing her hands into her bulky jacket as to hide her fidgeting hands.
Patrick clapped his hands together, only this time for the woman before him not to jump at the explicit break in silence. "I got lucky man! I learnt the hard way! "You take it from me Ronnie. If you're true to yourself, the girl will respect you for it. It'll be the way forward! By god it is the only why you'll grow to trust each other man!"
Ronnie could no longer deny this man had a deep understanding of the difficulties Danielle was most likely facing. Maybe Patrick could gather it from exposure to Ronnie's disposition over the years, or possibly his experience with his sons didn't differ greatly to her own. Ronnie's hand instinctively rose to her neck. "And do you think I'm being true to myself?" Her sound barely above a whisper, her fingers anxiously began to twist the heart-shaped locket as an attempt to satisfy her agitation. No one knew her, no came even close and yet she found his approval vital. She didn't care why for now, just as long as someone could confirm she was doing right by Danielle…
Patrick gave a whimpered laugh. "Unfortunately that third eye of mines isn't a physical attribute." He chuffed before rising off the counter to stand before Ronnie. "Who am I to judge eh? Only you can answer that my dear! But I tell you Ronnie, I asked myself the very question years ago." They held eye contact for at least a quarter of a minute. "I didn't like my answer, but luckily it wasn't too late."
Ronnie smiled at his diplomatic answer. There was only one person in the world Ronnie would trust with her life, and that was herself. Here was this man, telling her to base such an important answer on her own judgement, and to top it all, it meant scrutinising herself! "I'm not trying to be someone else! I'm happy, that all!"
Patrick defensively shrugged his shoulders and once again pouted his lips. "Eh, like I said, only you can answer the question Ronnie and only young Danielle will be able build trust in you based on the integrity of your character. I just wish someone had been there to push me in the right direction earlier on, that's all."
The next few minutes went on in silence. Patrick busied himself with the cash register whilst Ronnie tried to justify this so called change in her everyone seemed to notice. Was it that shocking to see her smile every now-and-again? So what if her jealousy had gotten the better of her. That's right, she was jealous, envying every individual who could smile, who could cry and not care who saw them, to not worry about how other's would view them, to judge them, to take advantage. So what if she no longer wanted to keep her happiness to herself? Was she not allowed to bathe within the bliss every other mother in the world was granted? Ronnie hadn't changed. She knew herself as who she was today, only now she wanted to express herself to the world. No one could hurt her anymore! Finally the great walls were permitted to fall. Ronnie smiled. That was where the prying locals saw a change and the better have been getting used to it!
If only you could remember your dream
You could be all the things you've always wanted to be
Ronnie wiped a tear away and approached the counter. "Thank you Patrick," she whispered, before embracing the elder man in a tight hug.
He patted his left hand on her back, speaking softly into her ear. "You stay happy Ronnie. It suits you." He plastered his notorious grin firmly onto his face, and with that, Ronnie gently separated her towering self from him and walked away. Just as she was about to wrench the door open, she turned to ask the shopkeeper one last question. Admittedly quite blunt, although she'd revealed so much already it probably didn't matter. "Patrick, what gave you the impression that Danielle didn't trust me?" A solicitude doubt that had undesirably raised Ronnie's pulse a few minutes ago, it didn't seem to matter how carelessly she was voicing her fears; that was a clear change and she'd noticed it. The shopkeeper's view of the square carried an extra dimension, a third eye set high above Albert Square and this free speech from Ronnie – although completely out of her gelid approach – took full advantage of it.
Patrick looked up to face the blonde woman, still beaming as he did so. "Whenever did I say that Ronnie?"
The woman at the door fell into a quizzical gaze, one which Patrick found gruelling for his soul to witnesses, the type only a parent would feel pain at. Seconds later the teary woman politely smiled, tugged at the door and swiftly exited the shop.
Another update very very very soon if anyone can tell me what the scariest sound Danielle has ever heard is (Hints on Chapter 4, 33 and 34). It is fairly obvious :-D
Please review. I really like to know what people liked and disliked about every chapter and how I could improve. Also, a little game: I want everyone to give me a word to try to incorporate into my next chapter. I will pick the best one from the list and try to put it in. The person to first correctly guess Danielle's scariest sound will have their selection incorporated in the next chapter!
Thanks!
Btw ikle254, AM I GUY! lol
Caroline Inspired Me To Drum