Hi everyone! Sorry for the gap in updates. I was busy getting married and going on my honeymoon! So yes, I am now writing to you as a married lady. I had been updating all three stories before the wedding but you may not have seen because no emails seemed to be going out so hopefully that glitch on the website is fixed now. Anyway, I hope you are all well and that you enjoy the chapter. Love, IJKS xxx
Chapter Four Hundred and Sixty Seven
Charlie and Joey woke up for the last time in their apartment. A buzz of excitement pinged through Joey. She was almost tingling, hardly able to believe that they were actually moving into their own home. In all her life, she never ever thought she would be the owner of her own house and her own business. It was beyond her wildest dreams. Meeting Charlie truly was the best thing that had ever happened to her. It may have been in the worst circumstances but it had turned out to be the start of the rest of her life.
She rolled over to find her partner wide awake, her eyes also alive with excitement. She knew that she was feeling the same joy for the day ahead. It was going to be a long, hard day, of course, and the process of getting everything sorted in their new home would also be exhausting. But it was exciting too and both of them were feeling it.
Across the hall, Ruby turned off her alarm and lay back against the pillows. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and yawned. Today, she and her parents were moving house and she was determined to be as positive and happy about everything as she could possibly be. She wanted to leave the stupid prediction behind and forget all about it. She just hoped that her friends would let her forget her embarrassment over the whole thing as well.
Today was a whole new start and she was adamant that she was going to make the best of it. A new home, a new life, a new happiness. And who said that love wouldn't be around the corner despite Mitzy's prediction anyway? Anything could happen. A whole life can change in a moment.
Dex met up with April for breakfast. He suspected it was a pity breakfast but he was prepared to take anything he could get.
"I just don't think you should give up on this Adrian girl," April said, sipping her orange juice. "If you like her, isn't she worth pursuing?"
"I think I've pursued her to death," Dex frowned. "I mean, I've messed it up about a million times already."
"No," April said decisively. "I disagree. You need to go for it."
Charlie, Joey and Ruby all sat down to a hearty breakfast, ready for the long day ahead of them. Fortunately, Charlie had overruled everybody and organised movers to do everything for them so nobody had to lift a finger. All they had to do was be organised.
"Last breakfast in this apartment," Charlie said wistfully.
"Leave it out, Charlie," Ruby said, rolling her eyes. "You've been so melodramatic all morning."
Charlie looked offended. Joey snorted.
"She has a point, sweetheart," she said. "You practically performed an Ode the Shower earlier."
"Hey!"
Ruby cackled and then choked on her drink.
"Karma," Charlie smirked.
"Thanks for the sympathy," Ruby said through her coughs.
"Gina!"
The Head Teacher turned around to find John following her up the road. She sighed heavily. The couple hadn't been on good terms since he had proposed out of some life crisis after his heart attack and, seeing through it, she had turned him down.
"What do you want, John?" she asked tiredly.
"I just want to talk to you," he said, relieved that at least she was speaking to him.
"About what?"
"About us."
Gina folded her arms expectantly.
"Gina, I am so sorry I upset you," he said. "Please can we talk?"
"We are talking."
"Properly," John said. "Let me take you out for dinner tonight. Please?"
Gina sighed heavily.
"Fine," she said. "One dinner. One chance."
He looked like all his birthdays and Christmases had come at once.
Joey and Ruby stayed in the flat while Charlie drove over to the new house to meet the movers. It took a long time to get everything loaded onto the van and Ruby had to keep telling Joey off for trying to help, reminding her that that's what the lads were getting paid to do.
Once the van was loaded up with all their belongings, Ruby headed next door to knock for Watson and also to see Claire. The plan was for Watson to drive them over to the new house.
"Hey, Claire," Ruby said. "We're heading over to the new place."
"Oh," Claire said a little sadly.
"Yeah," Ruby said, also sadly.
They hugged.
"I love you," Ruby said.
"I love you too," Claire replied, squeezing her tighter.
"Oh, this is silly," Ruby said when they parted. "I'm moving five minutes down the road, not to the other side of the world!"
They laughed self consciously.
"I guess we've just been really close for a while now," Claire said. "Roommates, next door neighbours."
"Yeah," Ruby said.
They hugged again.
Next door, Joey looked around their now empty flat. She was a little horrified at the dust in the corners but then she supposed most homes were like that really, the bits people didn't see. She turned in a circle and thought about the happy memories they had made in this place and smiled both for them and for the ones they would make in their new place.
She was pulled out of her reverie when Watson appeared at the door, followed by Ruby and Claire.
"Ready to go?" Watson asked.
"Yep," Joey said, picking up her keys and phone. "Let's go."
She locked up behind her and she and the other girls headed outside. Claire waved Watson, Joey and Ruby off, feeling sad that her best friend wasn't going to be living next door anymore.
Dex returned to the pet shop again and found Adrian showing a baby rabbit to a small child who was trying to persuade his mother to buy it. Hoping he would keep his nerve, he waited patiently for her to finish her task and then he was absolutely going to do what April told him to.
Watson left Charlie, Joey and Ruby to it and headed back to Kerri's place to see her, Danny and Claire. They had planned to have a special dinner and DVD night for Claire as although she hadn't spoken about it, they knew she was going to miss Ruby being next door.
"So, which bedroom is going to be mine?" Ruby asked.
"The second biggest," Charlie and Joey said in unison.
Ruby pouted but agreed that it was acceptable. It was a four bedroom house, giving Charlie and Joey a bedroom, Ruby a bedroom, plus an office and a guest room. Then there was a large open plan living room plus a kitchen and dining area. They even had outside space both at the back and front. None of them had ever had so much space in their lives.
"Oh, it's you," Adrian said, deadpan.
She'd successfully sold the bunny and then turned round to find Dex standing there, holding a rose out to her.
"This is for you," Dex said, offering it out to her.
"I'm allergic," she said, walking away from him and back to the bunnies.
"I got it for you because it's beautiful," he said. "Like you."
She heard the tremble in his voice and cursed herself for still finding him endearing.
"I know I keep making a mess of things but I think you're beautiful and funny and kind and intelligent and if you could just put up with me a little longer, I would so love to get to know you," her persisted.
She turned back at him, trying to decide what to do.
"I think you're amazing," he said earnestly.
She took the rose.
The movers left with their fee and a decent tip and Charlie, Joey and Ruby stood amid all their boxes in their new home.
"This is it, guys," Joey said. "Our new home."
They went in for a group hug.
"You're not going to cry are you, Charlie?" Ruby teased.
"We can move house all we like but you're still mean to me," Charlie sulked.
"Seriously," Ruby joked. "You're not going to cry, are you?"
Charlie shoved her playfully and she landed on the sofa.
"Hey!" she protested.
Charlie chuckled as she looked around the room.
"Now, where are we supposed to start with these?" she wondered.
"I suggest the kitchen," Joey said.
"You would!" Ruby and Charlie cracked.
Joey poked her tongue out and headed into her new domain.
"I'll tackle the lounge then," Charlie said.
"And I'll make a start on my room!"
"Selfish!" Charlie and Joey called after her, although they didn't really mean it.
All they actually wanted was for their daughter to be happy. She kept a smile on her face these days and she stayed positive but it hadn't been that long ago that she had been suffering with depression and addiction in a clinic and they never wanted her to suffer like that again.
"Oh, wow! I am so relieved that worked!" Dex said. "I didn't think I'd remember everything April told me to say and…"
"Wait!" Adrian said, putting her hand up, palm out. "What?"
"April," he said. "My friend. She helped me with what to say."
"So, none of what you just said was actually true? None of it came from you?" she demanded.
"Of course it was true!"
"She told you want to say though?"
"Well, yeah but I still…"
"Get out."
"I still…"
"Get out!"
The whole shop turned to look at them as she shouted him out of the shop. She threw the rose at him out of the door.
"Meant it," he said sadly.
"How about this for a challenge?" Joey suggested, when she, Charlie and Ruby regrouped for a drinks break. "Let's set a date for a housewarming party so we have to be unpacked by that date."
"Are you serious?" Charlie asked.
"I'm up for that!" Ruby said at the same time.
"You would! You're only unpacking your room!" Charlie pointed out.
"Hey!" Ruby protested. "I'll totally help with the rest of the house. When I'm done with my room."
"Hmm…" Charlie said.
"I think a time limit will be…"
"Stressful," Charlie interrupted.
"Challenging," Joey corrected her.
"So, when do you suggest we have this party?" Charlie asked.
"How about Saturday?" Joey suggested.
"Saturday?" Charlie screeched.
"Geez, Charlie! High pitched, much?"
"Before Leah goes away," Joey said calmly. "So we can invite her."
"Fine," Charlie said. "We'd better stop talking and get cracking then, hadn't we?"
She grumped off back into the kitchen.
That evening, Gina and John sat awkwardly at a table with Miles and Shandi at Bucktons', having bumped into them there. It wasn't quite what John had intended for this evening but he also wanted to get to know his daughter who had come all this way to see him. And he'd also thought, perhaps two more people at the table might make things a little more relaxed. However, it didn't seem to be working. Gina remained brittle, while Miles and Shandi were chatty. He just didn't know how to make her soften and not take his proposal as some kind of offence.
Deciding that they had done enough for one day, Charlie, Joey and Ruby settled down for the night with a takeaway in their new living room.
"Not bad for a day's work," Joey said.
Even Charlie had to concede that things looked to be taking shape, although she still wasn't sure that they would be ready in a week.
"I think living here is going to be fun," Ruby said. "I am going to miss living next door to Claire though."
"You'll still see her all the time though," Charlie said.
"Yeah," Ruby said. "It's not like we've moved a million miles away."
Charlie and Joey were relieved to see she was still happy.
At the end of the night, John felt deflated. The evening had gone far from planned. He'd thought sharing the night with Miles and Shandi would have made things easier but it had just meant they hadn't had a chance to talk properly. And now they had said goodnight and things had not been resolved. He felt sad that a woman he had once been so close to, a woman he had genuinely wanted to marry, now felt a world away.
Dex lay in bed feeling utterly miserable. He was angry with himself for messing up yet again when things had been going so well. April had coached him so well. But he'd got so excited and so carried away and just blurted everything out. And now he was pretty certain that Adrian would never speak to him again. He was also pretty certain that no girl would ever be interested in him ever. He was going to be alone for the rest of his life.
Ruby lay in bed in her new room, which was sort of taking shape. She missed the feeling of knowing that she and Claire shared a wall. But she was happy with the idea of herself and her parents starting afresh in a new home. A lot had happened over the last year and it felt good to have a new beginning. It gave her hope that she could start again.
In their room, which was not taking shape at all, as they had been too busy in the lounge and the kitchen, Charlie and Joey lay in each other's arms.
"This is going to be a very happy home," Joey decided.
"It is," Charlie agreed. "A very, very happy home."
They kissed.
Next time… Charlie and Joey christen their new home, the threat of Penn continues to loom large and Irene gets a visitor…
