AN: I know I'm spitting these chapters out...but I'm on a roll and I've missed writing stories soo much, plus I'm now currently unemployed after the summer and uni are over, so I have too much time on my hands. Thanks to everyone who reviewed, I do love to read everyone's comments. Enjoy the next chapter...
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The exit of the hospital was in front of them. The door to leave was something Katie loved to see. It symbolised her freedom, at least for a short while. Every time a treatment ended, she'd walk through those doors, as though it was a walk of celebration. Emily's arm linked hers and her sister was talking to her about a television show she'd missed because of her treatment. Katie laughed at Emily's retelling.
"Are you okay?" Emily asked as she helped Katie into the taxi.
Katie nodded, "I'm tired, but I feel okay."
They usually went through a similar process, the same old questions being asked. She wished her family would stop questioning how she was feeling and just let her tell them if she wasn't okay. She used to hide her thoughts and especially if she was feeling unwell from them, but she'd learnt that it was easy just to tell them.
"Feel free to sleep on the ride home," Emily assured her, sliding into the back seat beside her. She nodded her head and leant herself against Emily, closing her eyes to conserve as much energy as she could.
The moment they set foot in the house, Jenna and Rob fussed over her. They were parents being parents and for that she couldn't fault them, but she wished for some time alone. Eventually they let her go upstairs to her room, where she sat on her bed, staring at the carpet for longer than she wanted. Finding an ounce of energy she slipping the headscarf off her hairless head and slid under her covers.
"Do you have to take that thing off?" Emily asked from the doorway.
Katie sighed, sitting up taking too much energy out of her, "I don't like wearing it inside the house."
They exchanged a look. Katie had seen it multiple times since she'd lost her hair. Emily looked petrified, intimidated by the changes that were occurring to Katie's body. Sometimes she thought she should question her twin about them, but most of the time she was too tired to actually follow through. She felt her eyes closing and she slid back under the covers.
"You're warn out," Emily muttered, stating the obvious and sitting beside her with a hand against her forehead, "And you're a little warm, do you want me to call the doctor?"
"I'm fine," Katie smiled, "Just tired, that lot took it out of me."
"Okay," Emily replied, going silent.
Emily's eyes never lost the intense look that had lived in them for the past three weeks, she'd changed in subtle ways that Katie wished she could describe. She wanted to ask Emily why she wasn't the same person anymore, but she already knew the answer. She would talk to her about it, she would ask her to talk to her about how she felt. Eventually. When she finally had the energy.
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The phone felt cold against her ear. Emily waited impatiently for Naomi to answer, she tapped her foot against the soft carpet and sighed heavily with each passing, unanswered ring. She couldn't stay there any longer. She couldn't sit in her room and watch her sister go through the aftermath of her treatment. The first time she'd had it, Emily had stayed with her for hours. She'd watched her go from tired, to emotional, to physically drained and sick. It made her wonder how the chemotherapy was helping Katie when it only made her look and feel worse.
"Naomi, finally, I'll see you at the club at eight," she spoke, taking for granted that Naomi would be there.
"I can't," came her response, the words Emily wasn't expecting to hear.
"But you have to," Emily sighed, a lump growing in her throat.
Naomi was silent for a moment, before she finally answered, "I have to stay home, mum's not feeling very well."
"But you have to come out," Emily repeated, struggling to keep the lump down. Eventually she gave up and muttered a goodbye to Naomi, who seemed happy to get off the phone.
They'd been to the club multiple times, it was a regular haunt, which made it easier for Emily to arrive an hour before anyone else was due there. She watched a small group dancing and another sat in a corner talking amongst themselves. She felt alone, but she knew that wasn't because she knew few people there. On sight of Effy she almost pounced at the door, clinging onto the brunettes arm as she walked through the club.
"What do you have tonight?"
"What do you mean?" Effy asked.
"What do you think I mean?" Emily asked, "What stuff have you brought?"
"Oh, stuff," Effy smiled a classic Effy-smile.
Emily was growing impatient, "Well?"
The brunette laughed and walked off towards the bathroom, barely glancing at Emily as she walked past. Emily smiled and followed her out of the main room. When she reached the toilets, Effy was in a cubicle, which frustrated Emily to no end.
"Hurry up Eff," Emily gasped, tapping her foot against the hardwood floor.
"Hold your horses," Effy replied, exiting the cubicle and washing her hands, "I didn't realise you were such a naughty little madam."
Emily rolled her eyes, "Guess you never really knew me."
"Guess I didn't," Effy smiled, handing her a small packet of wraps, "Whizz."
"What will it do?"
"It's like Red Bull, but better."
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"You want to make up your mind?" Naomi asked, staring incredulously at the petite woman stood on the other side of the till.
"I'm, I'm not sure," the black haired woman stuttered, "I think I want a large, but I can never drink that much cola, so maybe just a medium."
"Medium Big Mac meal with a Coke," Naomi sighed, inputting the information on her till, "Five twenty four."
"Oh," the woman frowned, "I thought it was Four ninety?"
Naomi rolled her eyes, "Prices went up last week."
When the woman had finally paid and took her food to a table near the entrance, Naomi turned off her till and walked into the back.
"Stupid, fucking, lazy, fat customers," she screamed.
"Now, now Naomi," a tall, balding man stopped her, "We are here to serve the customer."
"How can I serve the customer when the customer is a complete moron?"
"Your attitude is anything but suitable for this company," he sighed.
"Jesus, Colin, we're in a McDonalds, not a bloody corner shop competing with a supermarket, people will eat this stuff until it kills them."
"Do you remember what I said the day you got hired?" Colin asked.
"No," she admitted, pulling the apron from around her waist.
"You get a two week trial and then we decide whether to keep you on as a full member of staff."
"So?"
"So, you're not really suited to this job," he admitted, hoping she'd fill in the blanks.
Naomi's eyes grew wide as she realised what he was suggesting. She let out a loud laugh, that quickly grew quieter as she noticed the serious expression on her boss's face.
"You're not serious? This is a fast food restaurant, anyone can do this job."
"Anyone with good people skills," he informed her.
"You're firing me?"
"You were never a full employee, I'm simply not taking you on past your trial."
Anger was building up inside of her. She couldn't believe how much anger she had. The more things that happened, the worse she became. Things had begun to settle down, what with them living with her mother's friend and Naomi finding a part time job. But now she could feel herself losing control.
"You can screw you fucking job," she screamed, walking out before someone could throw her out.
The house was dark when Naomi arrived home; it was almost ten fifteen. She jumped when she saw her mum sat on a chair, in the pitch black room. Frowning, Naomi turned the light on and sat on the arm of the chair.
"Why are you sat in the dark?"
"What?" Gina asked, looking up and smiling when she realised it was Naomi, "Good morning love."
"It's the night mum," Naomi sighed, "How long have you been sat like that?"
"A while."
Something wasn't right and Naomi knew it instantly. Her mother had been a bit down since they'd lost the house, but she rarely spent the whole day staring into space. Naomi took a deep breath and took her mum's hand.
"What is wrong?"
"Oh nothing, nothing love," Gina smiled.
"I don't believe you, have you even left the house this week?"
"It's nothing to worry about," she muttered, "I went to the jobcentre on Tuesday."
Her rage had not had chance to settle. Naomi was angry at her mother. She worked hard at her job, even if she did get angry at the customers from time to time. So they weren't keeping her on, she knew she could find something else. But her mum's reluctance to find a job was driving her mad.
"How do you expect us to afford our own place again if you can't get off your backside and find a bloody job?"
"It's okay love, it'll all work out," Gina smiled, "When we find somewhere else to stay when Tony's girlfriend moves in, we'll be fine."
"Somewhere else to stay?" Naomi asked, her mother's words stopping her in her tracks, "What do you mean?"
"Marie is moving in, we have to move out, but it's okay I'll sort something out."
It was a shock. It was more than a shock. They'd finally found somewhere stable, where they could work on getting themselves back on their feet instead of paying out all their money on hotel rooms. Naomi felt a wave of sickness come over her. She felt like screaming, she wanted to punch something. But she took a deep breath and managed to remain calm.
"Typical, that's just bloody typical, isn't it."
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AN: Thanks for reading...still enjoying it? Hate it even more than the start? Let me know, I'm all for constructive criticism, so go for it, tell me what you think.