Chapter Five Hundred and Ninety Eight
"No!" Charlie complained.
"That's not a very nice response to your best mate calling," Joey remarked.
"It's my day off," Charlie sulked. "And it's a Monday. When do I ever get a Monday off, Joey?"
"Never," Joey agreed. "We never get a Monday off."
Charlie sighed. In bed beside her, Joey curled up against her warm body.
"But you're clearly going to answer the phone so why don't you just get on with it? Then we can get back to having Monday Morning Sex?"
Charlie laughed and answered the phone.
"I am not coming into work," she greeted firmly.
Watson chuckled.
"I'm sorry to disturb you from what I can only imagine is a sex fest," she accused.
"I can neither confirm nor deny," Charlie replied.
"I just wanted some advice," Watson requested apologetically. "If you had five minutes?"
Charlie sat up, mouthing an apology to Joey. She slipped out of bed and shrugged her dressing gown over her shoulders. Exiting the room, she left Joey in bed. Sighing, Joey sank back against the pillows. She picked up her phone and then put it down again. Then she picked up her book, thumbing through it, struggling to concentrate. She hoped that Charlie wouldn't be too long.
"Miranda's going to the Moving Mountains Festival," Xavier said glumly, leaning against the lockers while Casey and Ruby finished getting ready for the first lesson of the day.
"Well, that's good, isn't it?" Ruby asked. "You could spend time with her there and rekindle things?"
"No such luck," Xavier sighed. "I'm banned from going after the whole dishonesty debacle."
"Bad luck," Casey sympathised. "We can't go either."
"I'm banned after the party," Ruby explained.
"My Mum doesn't care but there's no point going without Ruby," Casey added with a shrug.
He closed his locker.
"Ugh, if only there was a way I could just talk to her," Xavier complained. "Make her give me another chance."
"To be fair, she did already give you another chance and you blew that as well," Ruby said unhelpfully.
He glared at her but both he and Ruby had promised Casey over the weekend that they would stop arguing.
"Hang on, I think my Mum has just sent me a friend request on Facebook!" Xavier announced, horrified.
Casey snorted.
"What?" Ruby said. "I'm Facebook friends with my parents."
"Yeah but your parents are…"
"What?" a voice cut in.
They all looked up to find Gina beside them.
"Cooler? Younger? More attractive? What adjective were you thinking of?"
"Um…" Xavier faltered.
"What's wrong with me sending you a friend request, Xavier? Your friend Miranda was happy to accept."
"What?" Xavier asked, his horror intensifying. "Mum, you are ruining my life!"
Ruby and Casey followed him to class, amused. Gina watched, also amused.
Joey smiled happily when Charlie reappeared. She put down the book that she had been struggling to read.
"Anything important?" she asked.
Charlie slipped back into bed.
"That guy, you know, the one she and Blake arrested off the trawler yesterday?"
They had heard all about it in a state of panic from Romeo when he'd got home after taking Roo and Morag of all people out on a fishing charter. Billy had been arrested on suspicion of assaulting Elijah and he was terrified that it was going to cost him his business idea with Alf. They had done their best to reassure him and even put in a good word for him with Morag.
"Yes," Joey said. "What happened?"
"He has a very upsetting past," Charlie said diplomatically. "He associated Elijah with things that happened to him, although he said that he didn't personally do anything. And he just… lost it. Watson just wanted some advice on what to do. I suggested she got permission to talk to Elijah about what happened and why. Take it from there."
"You think that Elijah isn't going to want to press charges," Joey concluded.
Charlie nodded.
"So I don't see the point of putting the guy through anything more now if it's going to be dropped later," she said.
April was feeling a little overwhelmed. But she was not feeling panicked. She had had her first counselling session and the counsellor had given her a lot to think about. She had also given her some things she knew she needed to discuss with Bianca. The problem was, she didn't know where to start.
Charlie and Joey were glad to be able to forget about everything for the day. Watson was dealing with everything at the police station. Claire, Romeo and Scott were on shift at the restaurant. And Ruby was at school all day. They had the whole place to themselves and they were determined to enjoy it.
"This robe needs to be off now," Joey instructed.
Charlie smiled into Joey's kiss, shrugging her dressing gown onto the floor. She straddled her hips, never breaking contact with her mouth. Then the doorbell rang.
"We're not home," Joey growled.
They waited in silence, hoping whoever it was might just go away but the doorbell sounded impatiently again. Charlie climbed off Joey and put her robe back off. Joey grumpily climbed out of bed and pulled on her pyjamas from the night before, attempting to look like she was just lounging casually at home.
"There had better a fire or something," she muttered to herself.
Charlie hovered in the doorway to the bedroom, unseen, hoping she wouldn't have to deal with their guest.
"You're starting to look a bit weird now, mate," Casey advised.
He, Xavier, Ruby and Dex were all sat in class but Xavier's nose was firmly in his phone, examining his mother's Facebook account.
"Yeah, stalking your own Mum on Facebook is beyond even me," Dex agreed.
"I'm not being weird," Xavier insisted. "I'm finding something, anything I can to use as leverage to get me to the festival."
"Ah, using social media against your own mother," Dex mused. "That's dark. I like it."
"John!" Joey said, awkwardly aware of her attire.
She folded her arms across herself.
"What's up?" she asked, noting that he was practically hopping from foot to foot.
"Hi, Joey," he said. "Is Charlie here? She's not at the police station."
"Um…"
"It's just, I need to talk to her about those River Boys," he said urgently.
"It's her day off, John," Joey tried.
"Well, that's lovely for her but they're currently crowding around the Surf Club making a complete and utter nuisance of themselves, putting off my customers, I'm pretty sure they're dealing drugs…" John ranted.
"John!" Charlie said brightly, appearing, almost fully dressed. "How can I help?"
He didn't look any happier.
"I need you to pull your finger out and do something about the River Boys," he said. "They're destroying my business."
"John, I have tried to explain that unless they're actually committing a crime…"
"I've just said that I think they're dealing drugs," he repeated. "Right across the pool table!"
Charlie sighed. She promised to call Watson and send her down to send them on their way.
"I asked you to sort it, not her," John said. "As nice and as good as she is, you're the Sergeant."
"And she doesn't work twenty four seven," Joey reminded him firmly.
Charlie was touched by the level of grit in her fiancée's voice. She loved the way she always wanted to protect her.
"Watson is on duty and she's more than capable of moving some River Boys on," Joey continued.
John frowned, not satisfied but accepted that he wasn't going to get any further. Gruffly thanking them, he said goodbye and headed back towards his car. Joey watched him go and then closed the door. Charlie thanked her, pulling her phone out of her pocket.
"I'm sick of people in this town thinking they own you!" Joey complained.
"Nature of the job, I guess," Charlie said, reaching out her free arm to hug her.
"Watson!" she greeted warmly.
"I speak to you less when we're actually on shift together," Watson replied.
"I've just had John Palmer round," Charlie explained.
"River Boys at the Surf Club?" Watson asked. "He's already been round here, ranting. I did say I'd send someone over there."
"Well, first he demanded that I go over there on my day off," Charlie told her. "Joey put him in his place. But I was only able to resolve it but telling him that you'd deal with it personally."
"Oh great," Watson said sarcastically. "Thanks, Charlie!"
Charlie apologised. Watson forgave her, promising to get to it immediately.
"How did things work out with Billy?"
"I've arranged to see Elijah this morning. I'll let you know."
Liam hurried past the students out of the school at lunch time. He ignored Bianca completely, leaving her worried. He didn't care. He had to get out of the building and into the fresh air. He felt like the world was collapsing in on him. He couldn't breathe.
"What's with him?" Casey wondered.
Ruby shrugged, trying not to show concern. She knew if she did, it would leave her open to comments and condemnation from Xavier about her past feelings for Liam and she just didn't need it.
"I don't know," Xavier said. "Anyway, I've got a lunch date to crash. See you guys later."
He left them confused. He was definitely plotting something.
Watson took Blake with her to the Surf Club in a bid to appease John and prove they were on the case, to stop him from keep hassling Charlie if nothing else. He was almost grateful to see her, albeit in his usual grumpy manner.
"So, what seems to be the problem?" she asked.
"Well, you can see the problem," he said. "They're draped all over the place like lazy, unemployed vermin."
Heath Braxton stood up quickly.
"Who are you calling vermin?" he snapped.
"Well, if the rat fits!" John snapped back.
Heath immediately squared up to him. Blake stepped in the way. Heath looked down on him, wondering if he was the cop he'd punch the other day.
"I am," Blake said. "When's your court date again?'
Heath stepped back.
"I'm certain he's dealing drugs," John said.
"Are you dealing drugs?"
"As if!" Heath said.
"Turn out your pockets please," Watson requested.
"I don't have to," Heath said.
"You will do if I arrest you for intimidating behaviour," Watson warned.
"Fine," Heath said. "We're going."
He called his gang, gesturing for everyone to leave. Watson turned back to John who thanked her and Blake both.
"Call me if they come back and start causing you hassle," Watson told him.
Then she and Blake headed out to visit Elijah.
Liam sat on the beach with his guitar but music was not giving him any comfort. If anything, it was causing him pain. He wanted a drink. He closed his eyes, aware of the familiar feelings rumbling inside him that he had felt sure were a part of his past. Setting his guitar down, he pulled out his phone.
"Bianca?" he said.
"Hi, Liam," his girlfriend said. "Listen, can I call you back? I'm with April at the moment and she's finally talking to me."
He hung up.
Charlie and Joey were happy to have finally got the rest of the day to themselves with no more interruptions. They got dressed just in time for Ruby arriving home, although it didn't take a genius to work out that they hadn't left the house all day – or a genius to work out why.
"Most people think I'm so lucky to have young, cool parents," the teenager said. "I know better."
Charlie and Joey exchanged pleased smiles.
"They think we're cool," Joey said happily.
She followed Ruby into the kitchen.
"So, how was your day?" she asked.
"Probably not as good as yours," Ruby replied, cringing. "Xavier was being weird. Did my classes. Had lunch with Casey. Same old. Oh, Liam stormed out at lunch time and nobody saw him again."
"Was he okay?" Charlie asked.
"Well, he stormed out so probably not," her daughter replied flatly, helping herself to an apple.
She rolled her eyes when her phone rang; it was Xavier calling. For a moment, she recalled a time when his name on her phone screen would have filled her with joy. It was funny how time changed so much.
"Please tell me you have something thrilling to say," she answered.
Charlie and Joey exchanged curious glances as they unashamedly listened into a few teenage mumbles. Eventually, she told him that she was doubtful her parents would agree. They were immediately concerned about whatever her ex-boyfriend's latest plan was.
"Well, I'll ask but I'm really not sure," Ruby said. "Text you later."
She hung up and looked directly at her parents.
"So, Xavier had lunch with his Mum today," she began.
Half an hour later, Ruby had gone out to meet up with Casey and Xavier, to let them know the good news – that by some miracle, her parents had agreed to let her attend the Moving Mountains Festival, with Gina as their chaperone. Charlie and Joey were sat in their back garden, enjoying the warmth of the evening, the sun still in the sky. Ruby had promised to be back before dark.
"Hello?" called a voice.
They turned to see Bianca peering round their back door.
"Sorry," she apologised. "I didn't mean to barge in but nobody answered so I, well, barged in!"
"Pull up a chair," Joey welcomed her. "Are you okay? You look… pale."
Bianca sat in the nearest available said.
"April had her first counselling session today and I think… I think she said… I think she just told me that her OCD and all of this… I think she blames me," Bianca explained, her voice wobbly.
Joey frowned, reaching out to squeeze her friend's hand.
"Talk us through it," she said gently. "It seems unlikely that she would be straight out blaming you, Bianca."
"She said she has a fear of being abandoned," Bianca said. "That it surrounds me. She's scared of me abandoning her."
"Well, that's not the same as blaming you," Charlie said, keeping her own voice gentle as well.
Bianca sighed.
"Isn't it?" she asked.
"We don't know the full details of your lives, of course," Charlie said. "But from what you've said your Mum flew in and out of your lives from when you were both young."
Bianca nodded.
"I would imagine her fear of abandonment in relation to you comes from the fact that you always have been there, not because you haven't," Charlie continued. "You've been her constant."
"So, when she's anxious," Joey said. "Her central fear would be a fear of losing you – or being abandoned by you."
"And identifying that can only be a good thing," Charlie added. "You can reassure her. She can work through her anxiety with her therapist and learn that she can be independent from you without falling apart but also trust that you're going to be there when it counts."
Bianca managed a smile.
"I knew you two were the perfect people to speak to!"
They both beamed back at her.
"Did you speak to Liam, by the way?" Joey asked.
"Oh, crap, he phoned me and I was too busy with April to speak to him and then I forgot to call him back," Bianca remembered. "Hang on, why are you asking? Is something wrong?"
"I don't know…" Joey said nervously. "Just that Ruby mentioned he was stressed and walked out of school."
Bianca grabbed her phoned out of her pocket and dialled. Nobody answered.
Liam sat alone on the beach, staring at the sun over the waves on the horizon. He felt deflated, entirely disgusted with himself that he had failed yet again. How had it come to this? One moment, he was in a relationship with the love of his life, he had a good job and good friends and he was even making music again. And now, Bianca was pulling away from him, he didn't care about his job or his friends anymore and he had been dropped by his record label.
So, here he was, having bought amphetamines from Heath Braxton. They were not his drug of choice but he was desperate and it was all he'd had on him. He'd felt sick, the way Heath had been so pleased to sell to him, like he had known all along that he would fail one day. He already knew he was hurtling down the slipperiest of slopes. He had known for a while, ever since he took that first sip of beer. He'd been denying it but all the while, he had known that Bianca and Nicole were telling the truth when they told him off.
Now, with the pills in his hand, he knew he could make the right decision or the wrong one. In his mind, he desperately tried to cling onto Bianca and his son, Ash. He tried to do the right thing and make them proud of him. But then he remembered what a failure he was, that the one last chance he had to make a success of his music career had completely and utterly failed. He took the pills.
Next time… Joey is surprised to run into Sandy, Charlie encourages Watson to apply for promotion and Liam gets into trouble with Gina…
