"Yer kidding!" Sian shouted exasperated as she set the two whiskey glasses down on the table. Sophie took the glass and drank a hearty gulp. Then she went back to quickly shoving clothes into her travel bag. Sian flopped down on the bed and watched her girlfriend pack.
Sophie shook her head and went to grab her stuff from the bathroom. She was just as frustrated with everything as her girlfriend but she didn't see any way out of it.
"So when are you leaving?" she asked despondently.
Sophie hated this. Leave it to her parents to put her between a rock and a hard place. She had headed over as soon as they got home from Manchester. The infuriating vagueness of her mum's text had wound her up into a state. It really could have been anything. Just the possibilities had nearly sent Sophie into a panic attack.
What if her mum's cancer had come back?
What if her Granddad Bill had died?
What if, What if, What if.
Thank god Sian had been there to calm her down. Sophie still remembered the panic attacks that she suffered frequently in the fall, but her and Sian had found ways to deal with it. Thru slow breathing and meditative techniques Sophie had been able to move on without pills. They had found it all on the internet. She was quite proud of that fact.
Sian dropped her off outside the Webster's on the street and had gone to lie down at the flat. Her girlfriend still hadn't quite jelled back in with her family, specifically Rosie. This wasn't going to help that. Sophie took another sip from her drink.
"First thing tomorrow morning. We all take the train to London, meet Rosie at Heathrow, and fly away," Sophie explained. Her girlfriend folded her arms angrily across her chest and looked away.
"You know I don't want this! But I've got no choice. My mum asked me to be her bridesmaid. I can't say no" Sophie exclaimed exhaustively.
Apparently her parents had cooked up this entire thing over the last few weeks. The Webster's never leave a holiday behind without something dramatic. Her father had asked her mum on Christmas morning and Sally had been planning an epic event ever since. While the rest of the street had been nattering on about Sophie getting married they had actually gotten it all wrong.
The Webster's had been battling it out over the oncoming nuptials. After attending too many grand weddings over the years, Sally was intent on breaking the bank this time. Little did she know that she was messing with the bank of Kevin Webster, and he wasn't budging. Sophie was surprised that they hadn't come to blows really. In the end they just decided to spring a destination wedding on their family in Paris. Of course there had been a cancellation, so it had to be right away meaning that no one could say no.
It should have made Sophie pleased as punch that her parents were getting married again. It was something that she had wanted so desperately that she had nearly fallen apart. But now she was just annoyed. It was so typical that her parents felt that she could just drop her life and go along with their crazy insane plan. Sophie had SCITT training to apply for, so she really didn't have time for this. Dev didn't appreciate it either.
Regardless of the circumstance of it all, she was ecstatic to see her parents together again. If it hadn't been for her dad they wouldn't have gone thru so many years of hell. Sophie had always known that her parents were meant to be together. And all the men that her mum had dated in-between now and then had been such losers. My God. None of them held a candle to her dad. It just took time for him to win her mum's trust again. Sophie knew that it was hard on her mum having her half-brother Jack around. But she had never blamed him for his parentage and she was proud of her dad for stepping up to the plate. He had been a dad to his son when Tyrone had abandoned him. Under some of the worst circumstances he had taken responsibility for Jack. Sophie respected that now. Her mum had taken a bit longer to come around but Sally seemed to be enjoying second motherhood. Getting re-hitched would cement that for her mum in many ways. That was only to the positive Sophie felt inside.
Still she wished that her parents had actually talked to her about all this. She knew that Sian was well annoyed by the look on her face.
"Babe, I don't really want to fly away like this" Sophie threw up her hands. "But you know what she's like when she gets her mind set on something…" Sophie flopped down beside her girlfriend dramatically.
"Well I guess I can't blame you for going to Paris without me. It's not like I haven't gone on holiday without you" Sian said despondently.
"It won't mean anything without you being there with me babe" Sophie tried to smooth over the situation. She was not lying. Sophie really wished that her girl could come with her too, but there was just no way between work and school. "I'll be dead bored the whole time I swear" Sophie pouted to the girl beside her.
"You better be" Sian smiled.
Sophie's heart lightened immensely at the sight of it. It would make the second blow easier to land.
"It gets worse" Sophie said gravely.
"What else Soph?" Sian said worriedly.
"They want me to take care of Jack while they are gone" Sophie said. She was audibly exhausted because of how wound up she was.
"Whut?" the blonde said indignantly.
"Yup, I'm Sophie Webster-Family Babysitter" Sophie said bitterly.
"What about Rosie?" Sian asked desperately.
Sophie turned toward her with a smirk.
"Okay, Fine, I guess" Sian gave in "But why do you have to stay at the house on the street. Just bring Jack over here" Sian tried to convince her.
"Really. So uproot him and have him stay in a place that's completely unfamiliar," Sophie said a bit too harshly. "Why don't you just come and stay with me while they're gone at #4? " Sophie asked. She was already tired of this argument. Sian could just stay with her and help her take care of Jack. It wasn't like she hadn't lived there when they were younger. It did Sophie's head in.
"You know that I don't like being back on the street Soph! It's like everyone's watching me" Sian said mardily.
"Well he can't take care of himself Sian! So it is what it is" Sophie exasperated.
Sian got up with vigor and stormed straight to the bathroom. "Marriages!" she shouted to no one in particular as she slammed the bathroom door.
Sophie heard the bathroom door lock, signaling that she did not want to be disturbed.
No bathroom make-up sex then I guess, Sophie thought as she audibly sighed and laid back.
Sophie was not pleased at all to be waiting at the gate in Heathrow.
In the past whenever they had been at an airport it had been a moment of great excitement. The Webster's took very few holidays over the years, as a family so whenever they did it was a miracle. Sophie could see the excitement in her parent's eyes and she really wanted to mirror it. But she found it hard to muster the same enthusiasm as everyone else.
"What's put such a sour look on your face?" Rosie asked as she filed her nails.
"Nothing Rosie" Sophie said lowly.
Kevin had picked her up early this morning. He had also asked about his daughter's sad expression but Sophie had brushed him off as well.
"Let me guess-girlfriend? You two are such drama queens" Rosie said tartly.
"Don't start" Sophie warned.
"Yeah I bet she ice queen'd you this morning eh? Been there" Rosie finished up filing her left hand then moved to the right. She used such deft precision Sophie couldn't help but stare. She also wished that her parents would hurry up with the coffee. Usually Sophie stuck to tea but she was shattered having spent most of the night trying to break thru Sian's cold shoulder. It could take a pickaxe.
"Oh just call her already so that you'll stop being all moody!" Rosie huffed.
Sophie opted for a text instead. She got no reply. Sophie sighed heavily and ran hand thru her hair pushing it forward then back.
"Aren't you excited?! Paris Mum and Dad finally get back together! It's what we've wanted" Rosie waved her hands frantically.
"I know. It's just I wish they hadn't done all this without us" Sophie sighed. "And it'd be nice if I was in a dress that I actually picked" she added.
"Ugh! I know right! It's all about the dress," Rosie moaned.
"No it's not Rosie. It's about making a commitment before God" Sophie said in a serious tone.
"Oh you can stop with the god-botherer nonsense" Rosie held her hands up in dramatic disgust. "At least promise me that when you get married I'll get to pick the dresses thank you. I did a pretty good job last time" Rosie added.
"I wouldn't hold your breath Rosie. I don't think Sian ever wants to get married" Sophie sighed. It was true. She doubted that they would ever walk down the aisle again.
"But you do right?" Rosie asked her eyes getting big.
"It doesn't matter what I want. What Sian wants is all that matters" Sophie said tiredly.
"That's not healthy Soph" Rosie said concernedly.
"Just leave it Rosie" Sophie said crossly. She was tired of this discussion. Desperately she started searching for their parents so that Rosie would put an end to it. She tried really hard just to make them appear out of thin air. Magically her dad and Jack came along with coffees in hand. Sophie silently thanked god.
"Look there they are finally" Sophie pointed them out hoping it would distract her gobby sister.
"You two look like you're in an intense discussion" her mum Sally said. Sophie quickly responded that it was nothing and the talk moved on to their flight schedule and seats.
"This isn't over Sophie" Rosie said determinedly as she took her green tea from their dad.
Things just keep getting better and better, Sophie thought sarcastically. She flipped out her phone and saw that she had gotten a text.
Sian: Miss you already xxxxx
Sian: I'm SORRY. Please Forgive Me For Being A Nasty Cow :)
Sophie grinned from ear to ear instantly. She knew that Rosie was full of it. Her idiot sister always was.
A/N: Happy New Years! Some such as Bethany (thanks for the review by the way, I love reviews!) have asked about Maddie. At the moment I don't think there's much to say. She is feisty tho. We'll just have to wait and see, eh? Cheers.