"We need to talk, Charlotte." Why was it that everyone, all of
a sudden, "needed to talk" to Charlotte - just when she least wanted to talk to any of them?
"Everyone" didn't include Emma or Bry, of course,
but that was hardly surprising, under the circumstances.
"John, listen, I'm expecting-" She hesitated. "I'm
expecting a friend. In the next five minutes or so."
"Emma?"
"Hardly! I think that I'm the last person who Emma
would want to see right now, don't you?"
"Actually, I reckon the "last person" she'd have anything
to do with is me." What did he expect Charlotte to do, contradict him - when all he'd done was to state the glaringly
bloody obvious? "Charlotte, I..."
"John, look," said Charlotte, "I do feel for
you, but there's nothing I could do or say that would help the situation between you and Emma, believe me. I'm really
sorry for what happened last night, as I'm sure you are, too. But this is the last place you should be right
now."
"Are you still coming to the 'SOS' demo next week?"
"I don't know. I haven't even thought about that.
Listen I really don't mean to be rude, John, but..."
"Hey, John! What are you doing here, mate?"
Shit - Richard! Charlotte hadn't even noticed him approaching. Could this situation actually get any
crazier?
"John was just leaving - weren't you, John?"
"Yeah, of course. I'll leave you two lovebirds to
it," snapped John.
"What is it with him? Problems with Emma or something?"
Charlotte sighed. "You could say that. You'd
better come in, Rich. I'll bring you up to speed with one or two things that have been going on around here."
Richard couldn't quite put his finger on the emotion.
Jealousy? No. What he felt when he saw Julie with his brother - now, that was jealousy.
"But why, Charlotte? I don't understand. I didn't
think you fancied John. I though you liked..." Rich felt the sweat, as it trickled down the back of his
neck. "And I thought John and Emma were inseperable - sickeningly so at times," he continued, a tad hurriedly.
"I don't know why. I think that both of us just had
too much to drink. As simple as that."
"I'm sorry about your mum. Why didn't you say anything?"
Charlotte shrugged. "I thought I could cope okay by
myself."
"Me, too. I went to see Dad this afternoon.
That's where I've just been."
"And that's where you found out about Mum?"
Rich nodded. "Dad told me," he confirmed. "You
look shattered."
"So do you. Is that the compliments out of the way
now?"
Richard laughed.
"What happened with you and Julie, then?"
Richard stopped laughing, and stared fixedly at his Reeboks,
and the dark brown carpet, in the Fishers' living room.
"Is that why you...? Why you and John...?"
"I do get lonely sometimes."
Rich nodded. "Don't we all?"
"Doesn't make it okay though, does it?" observed Charlotte.
"No, I don't suppose it does, but I do sort of understand.
You must really miss your mum. Charlotte, earlier you said that you'd gone to do some shopping for your mum. I
just wondered..."
"It was easier to say that. I was actually doing some
shopping for Lisa, my aunt - who's staying with me, at the moment, allegedly in order to 'take care' of me. Well, she
can't do a much worse job of that than my mother, can she? Would you like a Coke or something, Rich?"
"I'd love one - thanks."
