I'm really sorry I haven't updated for a while but I'm going through major writer's block (As you can probably tell from the crappiness of this chapter) but I'll try to get back on track after this anyway. Thanks again for the reviews. Not much Joey in this chapter and it's rather rubbish but like I said...Writer's block. Hopefully it's only temporary....
Chapter 70
"We have a problem" Cameron announced as she walked unsteadily through the front door of the house, pushing it closed behind her a bit too hard.
"Cameron?" Charlie questioned as she walked out of the kitchen "Where have you..." she stopped short, her eyes widening in shock when she noticed the state of her friend "What the hell happened to you?!"
"Grant" Cameron answered shortly as she moved forward "He cornered me outside the station last night...Hit me a couple of times"
"A couple of times?" Charlie asked sceptically as she reached out and caught Cameron's arm "You look really banged up Cam"
Cameron shrugged as Charlie led her into the kitchen and sat her down on a chair "I'm fine"
"You're not" Charlie countered "Why didn't you call me when this happened last night anyway?"
"It was late...Or early. I didn't want to bother you" Cameron answered distractedly "I just went straight to the hospital. Don't worry. But the important thing here is that Grant is in Summer Bay Charlie!"
"Yeah...I got that" Charlie nodded her gaze still concerned "Are you sure you're okay?"
"I'm fine" Cameron nodded quickly and glanced around the room "But have you seen Summer today? I really need to talk to her..."
"Um...No I haven't" Charlie shook her head in response "She must be around here so..." she trailed off as Cameron stood up and walked out of the room.
"SUMMER!" Cameron yelled loudly up the stairs. A matter of minutes later Summer came bounding down them. She gasped in shock when she reached the bottom and her eyes fell on her sister.
"Cam!" she exclaimed in concern as she grabbed Cameron's arm "What happened to you?"
"Grant...It doesn't matter" Cameron sighed heavily and tugged on Summer's hand "I need to talk to you about something Sum"
"What is it?" Summer asked, her features darkening even further with worry "Did something else happen?"
"Not to me" Cameron responded bluntly.
"What?" Summer frowned in confusion at the answer "What do you mean by that?"
"Nothing...Look, Summer...I need to ask you something and it's important that you tell me the truth, okay?"
"Um...Okay" Summer nodded hesitantly.
"When you were with Grant...Did he do anything to you?" Cameron asked carefully "Anything at all? Like..."
"No" Summer shook her head "He...He tried to and he nearly...but he didn't actually..."
"Are you sure?" Cameron asked in concern "Because he said..."
"I'm sure" Summer said firmly.
Cameron gazed at her closely for a moment before releasing a breath of relief and sinking down onto the bottom step of the stairs "Thank God. I thought..."
"Nothing happened" Summer reassured her, looking worried once again "Are you okay Cam? You look really banged up..."
"I'm fine" Cameron sighed before she realised something and looked up sharply "Wait...Did you say he tried to? So...You lied to me before?"
"Um...yeah" Summer looked away guiltily "I did"
"Um..." Cameron appeared at a loss for words as hurt clouded her eyes "Why...Why would you do that?"
"I'm Sorry" Summer said sincerely as she forced herself to look up "I just didn't want to upset you or make you feel guilty"
"its okay" Cameron sighed and leaned her head tiredly on her hand "I understand..."
"Are you sure you're okay?" Summer asked in concern "You don't look so good..."
"I'm just...Tired" Cameron shrugged weakly "I can't wait until all of this is over and we can get out of here..."
"What do you mean?" Summer questioned in confusion "Get out of where?"
"Summer Bay" Cameron answered simply.
"We're...We're leaving again?!" Summer exclaimed in shock "Are you serious?"
"Um...Yeah" Cameron finally looked up at her sister and frowned "This was never going to be permanent Summer"
"But I thought..." Summer started to protest but trailed off helplessly "What about Ruby?"
"What about her?" Cameron asked obliviously "You can keep in touch with her through E-mail can't you?"
"But you work here" Summer attempted feebly "You can't just quit your job"
"My transfer here is only temporary" Cameron reminded her "I only have a couple more weeks to transfer back to England"
"We can't just leave!" Summer argued, appearing near tears "What about everything that's happened? What about..."
"Ruby?" Cameron finished knowingly "I'm sorry Sum. I know you're close to her but we have to go back"
"Why?!" Summer exclaimed desperately "Why do we have to?!"
"Because we do" Cameron snapped harsher than she had intended "I have things I need to do back home Summer...I don't like it either..."
"This is home" Summer corrected angrily "Summer Bay is home"
"We've only been here for a few months"
"I don't care!" Summer said loudly "We can't leave!"
"We have to!" Cameron informed her with a tone of finality "We have to leave in a couple of weeks Summer. I'm sorry but...There's nothing you can say to stop it. It's not up for negotiation"
"Whatever..." Summer muttered tearfully before she turned and walked away.
"Damn it..." Cameron groaned and thumped her fist on the banister next to her.
---
Ruby frowned as she cast a worried glance at Summer who was lying on her bed in silence. The younger girl was about to voice her concern when Summer spoke up.
"I'm leaving in two weeks"
"What?!" Ruby's eyes widened in shock "What do you mean you're leaving? Where are you going?"
"Back to England" Summer answered miserably. She leaned up on her elbows to look at Ruby "We have two weeks before we leave..."
"You're...You're coming back though, right?" Ruby asked nervously "I mean...You're not going for good?"
"I don't think so" Summer said quietly, her gaze dropping to the bed "I think we're staying there. At least that's what Cameron says"
"Oh..." Ruby muttered as she sat down on the bed next to the other girl "And you just accepted it? That you were leaving? Unless you...want to leave?"
"Of course I don't!" Summer sat up fully on the bed and gazed at Ruby seriously "And...I did argue but...Cameron's made her mind up. We're leaving"
"But...You can't leave!" Ruby protested "What about us?"
"Us?" Summer whispered.
"Well...Yeah" Ruby nodded as a light pink tinged her cheeks "You know what I mean"
"Do I?" Summer asked curiously. When Ruby stayed silent she continued quietly "It doesn't matter anyway. There's nothing I can do to change her mind"
"We don't matter?" Ruby questioned in a hurt voice as she moved to get up "Great Summer...It's nice to know how you really feel"
"Wait...I'm sorry Ruby" Summer grabbed Ruby's arm before she could stand up "I didn't mean it like that. You know how much you mean to me..." she wrapped her arms loosely around the younger girl from behind and sighed dolefully.
"I don't want you to go..." Ruby murmured sadly as she leaned back into the embrace.
"I'm sorry" Summer said in a hushed voice "I really don't want to either but...It's a waste of time trying to fight it..."
"So you're not even going to try?" Ruby asked as she pulled away from Summer's hold and stood up from the bed "You're just going to accept that we're never going to see each other again?!"
Summer shrugged sadly "It's easier this way"
"Easier?!" Ruby exclaimed disbelievingly "You're going to leave me because it's easier? That really shows you care!"
"Rubz..." Summer too stood up and reached for Ruby who stepped back just in time to avoid her touch. Her hand hovered lamely in mid air for a moment before dropping back to her side "I don't know what to say to you..."
"You don't have to say anything" Ruby shook her head and looked to the floor in an attempt to hide the tears which had appeared in her eyes "It doesn't matter, remember?"
"You know I didn't mean it like that!" Summer insisted as she took another step forward. She stopped however when Ruby moved back again in response "Ruby..."
"It doesn't matter" Ruby shrugged trying desperately to blink back her tears "Leave if you want...I don't care"
"Rubz, Wait a minute..." Summer protested as she watched the other teenager turn and walk toward the door "Ruby!"
Ruby hesitated at the door and looked back at Summer before she opened it and walked out without another word.
"Stupid!" Summer growled to herself as she dropped back onto the bed "This is stupid"
---
"Hey" Ruby said miserably as she dropped onto the couch next to Charlie.
"Hey" Charlie sighed as she glanced sidelong at her daughter.
"What's wrong?" Ruby asked
quietly "You look as bad as I feel"
"Relationship problems" Charlie explained quietly "I had an argument with Joey. She thinks I'm obsessing over finding Grant"
"Same here" Ruby nodded "I mean the problems...Not the Joey thing"
"Oh" Charlie said as she wrapped an arm around Ruby's shoulders "Summer?"
"Yeah" Ruby nodded slowly in response "She's leaving me"
"Leaving you?" Charlie turned her head slightly to look at her daughter "What do you mean?"
"She's going back to England in a couple of weeks" Ruby explained sadly "Which means we're not going to see each other again..."
"You don't know that" Charlie attempted to comfort the younger girl "You can phone her and she'll probably come back sometime"
"It's not the same" Ruby shrugged pitifully "She won't be here"
"So why are you down here moping with me?" Charlie asked curiously, with the hint of a smile.
"I don't know" Ruby sighed "I'm not talking to her right now..."
"Why?"
"She's just giving up!" Ruby frowned "It's like she doesn't even care that she's leaving me! She even said that it 'doesn't matter'"
"I'm sure she didn't mean it like that Rubz" Charlie murmured softly "This is probably just as difficult for her..."
"It doesn't matter" Ruby said tearfully "She's still leaving me"
"Come here" Charlie whispered sympathetically as she pulled her daughter closer. Ruby released a small choked sob in response.
"It'll be okay..." Charlie said in a hushed voice. After a couple of moments she looked up and met the concerned gaze of Joey who stood in the doorway.
"I'm Sorry" she mouthed silently.
Joey smiled slightly at the silent apology and nodded her head "me too"
TBC
