That's What Friends Are For

by Marcie Steele

  Oh, no!’ Charley was horrified. Everyone knew about Alex! Her mum must have contacted Sophie. She was the only one who Chaley had spoken to about him.

  ‘What’s up?’ asked Alex.

  Charley turned to see a light on in the room. Alex was sitting up now, his spiky hair in a definite bed head style. Somehow his good looks of yesterday had gone and she saw him for what he was. A sixteen-year-old boy who’d befriended a fifteen-year-old girl. And now both of them were in big trouble.

  ‘It’s all gone wrong!’ Charley burst into tears. ‘My mum’s rung the police and reported me missing. I can’t go home now. She’ll—’

  ‘Whoa!’ Alex interrupted. ‘Wait a minute! She’s contacted the police?’

  ‘Yes! She rang them last night.’

  ‘And are they looking for you?’ Alex was pulling on his shoes.

  ‘They must be! What am I going to do? I can’t go home now. She’ll kill me.’

  ‘They’ll kill us both if they find us here.’ Alex was up now and running a hand through his hair. ‘I’m in so much trouble.’

  No, you’re not.’ Charley was going to learn by her mum’s mistakes and admit the truth. ‘This is my fault.’

  ‘But, can’t you see? I’m sixteen and I – I suppose I’m responsible for you. If I get caught with you and they think we – we’ve – you know, then I could be in trouble.’

  ‘But we didn’t – you know.’

  ‘You have to ring her. Tell her you’re okay. It might not be too late.’

  ‘I can’t!’

  ‘But you might get away with it if you talk to her.’ He came to her then. ‘Think about it. She’ll be so pleased to hear from you, the police will stop looking for you and we – we can grab a coffee before you catch a train back.’

  Charley paused. Was it really that easy? Alex went outside the caravan to switch off the gas. She flew down the steps beside him, the chilly sea air catching her breath. ‘Alex!’

  ‘Ring her!’ he shouted above the noise of the wind. ‘We have to go. Get your things.’

  Charley didn’t understand. What was all the big rush?

  ‘What’s going on?’ she asked him once they were back inside. ‘Why are you so afraid of the police?’

  ‘I’m not.’

  ‘Yes, you are. It should be me who’s scared. I have to go back and face the music. You can just disappear into thin air, can’t you?’

  ‘Do you want me to do that?’

  ‘No!’

  Alex paused for a moment. ‘My old man’s a copper,’ he admitted. ‘He’ll go mad if he finds out what I’ve done.’

  ‘Ohmigod!’ Charley gasped. ‘You idiot!’

  Alex grinned nervously. ‘I know.’

  There was nothing for it but to admit defeat. Charley dialled a number on her phone.

  ‘Where can she be?’ Louise asked Sam for the umpteenth time that morning. They were in Louise’s kitchen and it was half past six. Although Reece had gone home at ten after the police had been alerted, Sam and Matt had stayed over. Sam wouldn’t have left Louise, the state she was in, but neither had she wanted to. Charley was such a huge part of her life; she needed to know that she was safe too. Louise had finally gone to sleep, with exhaustion, about two a.m. Sam had stayed downstairs with her, urging Matt to go on up to bed.

  They were both sitting in silence when they heard Matt coming down the stairs. Louise’s heart lurched when she saw him barefoot in hastily pulled on clothes. Because he was smiling.

  ‘Guess who I’ve just been woken up by?’ he asked, waggling his mobile phone in the air. ‘I got a call from Charley. She’s okay!’

  ‘Oh, thank God.’ Louise stood up and hugged him. ‘Where is she?’

  ‘She’s safe and she’s sorry and I’m going to pick her up.’

  ‘Yes, but where is she?’

  ‘She’s in Rhyl.’

  ‘Rhyl!’ Louise and Sam said in unison.

  ‘What the hell is she doing there?’ Louise added.

  ‘Apparently, she got a train,’ Matt explained, ‘went to the seaside, hung around a bit and then was scared to come home.’

  ‘And what about this Alex? Was he with her?’

  ‘I didn’t ask. I thought it best not to. She’s probably scared enough about what you’re going to say anyway.’

  ‘Too right she should be scared,’ Louise said. Then she laughed with relief. ‘I’ll kill her when I see her! How long will it take to get there?’

  ‘About three hours I reckon. I’ll have a quick cuppa and then I’ll go to fetch her.’

  ‘Are you sure? I know she can catch the train and I could meet her at the station here but I want her with me. I could get the train to Rhyl and then travel back with her?’

  ‘No,’ said Matt, shaking his head. ‘It’s fine. I’ve checked the trains and they don’t start for another couple of hours anyway. I’d rather have her in my car safe and sound.’

  Louise’s heart went out to him.

  ‘Well,’ Sam hurried them along, ‘don’t you think you should get on your way then?’

  ‘I’ll get my coat.’ Louise smiled again.

  ‘Wait!’ Matt touched her forearm. ‘Do you think that’s wise?’

  Louise looked at him as if he had three heads. ‘Of course I do.’

  ‘But what happens if she’s frightened and she—’

  ‘Frightened of me?’ Louise looked appalled at the thought. ‘That’s ridiculous.’

  ‘Matt’s right,’ said Sam. ‘Charley was upset enough to stay out overnight. Shall I go instead? She always speaks to me and—’

  ‘Oh, that’s right, get another dig in,’ snapped Louise. ‘You always think you’d be better at playing mother than me.’

  ‘No,’ Sam reassured her. ‘Maybe the reason she ran away could have been sparked by me as much as you, so she might want to chat it through first.’

  ‘What reason’s this?’ Matt wanted to know but Sam shook her head.

  ‘Just women’s talk,’ said Louise.

  ‘We can be home in a few hours,’ Sam said. ‘Why not go and do some shopping and treat her? Buy her something nice to eat for later, just the two of you. Get her that chocolate cake she likes and stay in with her. Talk to her. Try to find out what’s wrong rather than ...’ Sam stopped, realising she’d said too much.

  ‘Rather than storm in and have a full-blown row before she’s even got her feet through the front door,’ Louise finished off for her.

  Sam said nothing.

  Matt jangled his car keys up in the air. ‘I can’t wait around for you two all day. Which one of you is coming or am I going alone?’

  ‘Sam’s right,’ said Louise with a sigh. ‘The last person Charley will want to see is me. You two go and bring her home and I’ll have a chat to her afterwards.’

  ‘And you’d better ring the police. Let them know she’s safe.’

  Louise baulked. ‘How stupid am I going to look?’

  ‘You did what any responsible parent would do,’ said Matt. ‘They’re probably used to these kinds of things resolving themselves overnight anyway.’

  Once they were ready, Louise followed them to the front door. ‘Ring me when you have her, won’t you?’ she asked.

  Despite the unresolved argument hanging over them, Sam gave her friend a hug. ‘This will sort itself out, you’ll see,’ she smiled.

  Louise watched them drive off in Matt’s car before closing the door. It was only then that she sunk to the floor, collapsed in a heap and sobbed.

  Her little girl was safe.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  In ten minutes flat, Charley and Alex headed out into the cold and dark morning and off the camp site. Twenty minutes later, they were walking along the sea front when Alex pointed to a café that was just opening its doors.

  ‘Good morning,’ a loud voice boomed out. A man with a round face and stomach smiled at them from behind the counter. ‘You’re my first early birds today. What can I get you?’

&n
bsp; They ordered tea and toast and scrambled eggs and Charley went to sit down as Alex waited for their drinks. The café was a typical seaside establishment. Plastic gingham tablecloths on square tables, hard-backed chairs with seats made of raffia. Charley sat down at a table and ran a hand across the steam on the window so she could see outside. The day was just beginning but already she could sigh with relief.

  Lucky. That’s what she’d been, Charley realised. Lucky to find someone as kind as Alex to look after her when she’d been so stupid. He could have turned out to be anyone. And even if he wasn’t some weirdo in real life, he could have forced himself on her last night – but instead, he was as scared as she was. Neither of them were grown up enough to deal with the situation, despite both of them thinking they were.

  What a fool she’d been, over-reacting like that. Fortunately she’d be home soon, once Matt arrived. She was pleased he was coming to fetch her with Sam, although she’d yet to talk to her mum. But deep down, she knew she’d be able to sort things out. Her mum had only acted in everyone’s best interests, even though it had turned out wrong.

  She wondered, was she ever going to tell her who her real dad was? It still hurt that she had been so secretive about it, but it wasn’t as if she had stopped her from seeing him. He hadn’t been alive. And she realised that Sam was actually her half-sister. Now, that definitely wasn’t a bad thing.

  She’d been surprised to get a couple of text messages from Sophie too, asking if she was okay. Quickly, she sent a reply while she waited for Alex to join her.

  ‘Hey. Just letting you know that I did stay out all night but I’m going home now. Matt’s coming to pick me up. Cx.’

  A message came back almost immediately.

  ‘So glad you’re safe. Do you fancy hooking up in the market café later? Can’t really stand Angela Wilson. You can tell me all about Alex. Sx.’

  Charley grinned.

  ‘Sure. Catch you later. Cx.’

  She gazed out at nothing in particular. When Alex sat down opposite her, she grinned at him. He grinned too, waiting for her to share the joke.

  ‘What?’ he asked when she didn’t come forward with an explanation.

  ‘Your dad is a copper?’ she giggled.

  Alex laughed then. ‘I know. I can’t get away with anything.’

  ‘No, you’re just too sweet to get into trouble. You’re a decent boy, Alex. There’s not many like you.’

  Alex leaned forward and kissed her lightly on the lips. ‘Will I get to see you again or is this it?’

  Shy again now, Charley shrugged. ‘I’m not sure. What do you think?’

  ‘I think we should stay in touch online and see what happens.’

  ‘Cool.’

  The man from behind the counter whistled a tune as he popped down their breakfast. ‘There you are, my love’s young dream,’ he beamed. ‘Enjoy.’

  ‘Anyone would think we’re having smoked salmon with these eggs,’ Alex said.

  Charley tucked into her breakfast.

  ‘There is something you need to do for me,’ she said after she’d eaten some of it.

  Alex looked up with a forkful of egg in mid-air.

  ‘Leave, before Matt gets here. I don’t want to scrape you off the floor.’

  ‘Don’t worry,’ said Alex, ‘I shall be eggstra careful and leave soon.’

  Charley groaned, grinning. Yes, she really was lucky.

  ‘So tell me what Charley really told you,’ Sam said to Matt, as soon as they were out of Louise’s driveway.

  ‘She spent the night in a caravan with Alex.’ Matt was deadpan. ‘Then she found out that Louise had called the police and decided to ring me. She and Alex should now be having breakfast somewhere on the seafront.’

  ‘Do you know if they – if he touched her?’

  ‘No, but I hope he kept it curled up in his pants or else I’ll search him down. He had no fucking right to do that.’

  ‘We don’t know he did do anything yet, so let’s keep calm.’ Sam spotted the tears in his eyes. ‘She means so much to all of us, doesn’t she?’

  Matt nodded, swiping away a rogue teardrop that fell.

  ‘And what about Louise? When are you two ever going to get together?’

  ‘What?’

  ‘Oh, come on, Matt.’ Sam glanced out of the window at the passing scenery. ‘We all know you love her.’

  Matt coughed.

  ‘Why don’t you tell her?’ She turned back to him.

  ‘Because she doesn’t love me.’

  ‘Yes, she does. She’s mad about you.’

  ‘No, she isn’t!’

  ‘I think you’ll find that she is.’

  Matt grinned. ‘You’re going to make me crash the car!’

  Sam smiled. At last the penny had dropped for one of them.

  ‘Has she said something to you?’ Matt enquired after a moment.

  ‘She doesn’t have to. I can see it when you’re together.’

  ‘When we’re together, she treats me like her best mate.’

  ‘Oi, I’m her best mate.’ But even though Sam made a joke about it, she didn’t feel like laughing. Best friends didn’t keep secrets from each other.

  ‘I know that,’ Matt sighed. ‘I just think she sees me as someone to look out for her and Charley.’

  ‘And you do it so well that she takes you for granted,’ Sam pointed out. ‘Have you ever tried telling her how you feel?’

  ‘No!’

  ‘Why not?’

  ‘Because I’m a man, and men don’t do things like that.’

  The sat-nav informed Matt that he needed to come off at the next junction.

  ‘Come on, you know her better than that now. Do you want me to ask her if she’ll have a date with you?’ Sam laughed. ‘Like we did when we were at school?’

  Matt grinned too. He checked in his mirror before indicating to change lanes.

  ‘Do you love her?’ Sam asked when she’d read the sign to see they were three miles from Rhyl and would soon be with Charley.

  ‘What’s love got to do with it? ’ Matt teased, channelling Tina Turner.

  Sam shook her head. ‘Seriously, just tell her, before it’s too late.’ She reached for her phone. ‘I’ll text Charley to let her know we’re nearly there.’

  After sitting in the café for as long as they could without overstaying their welcome, Charley and Alex had been sitting in a shelter on the sea front for the last hour while they waited for Matt to arrive. When the text message beeped, Charley opened it eagerly.

  ‘They’re here, aren’t they?’ said Alex.

  Charley nodded.

  ‘How long have I got?’

  ‘About ten minutes, I reckon.’

  ‘Do I have to go?’

  ‘If you value your life.’ Charley grinned to ensure Alex knew she was joking. Still, she wished it didn’t have to be like this. They’d already decided to arrange to meet up again, once they’d got to know each other a bit better first.

  ‘I wish you didn’t have to go.’

  ‘Me too.’

  Now that the problem of them sleeping together had been lifted, Charley found they’d both relaxed enough to enjoy each other’s company again. She’d been so grateful that Alex had waited with her. Sitting alone for three hours, she’d have worried herself silly about the trouble she was in and she knew she would have been crying by now. Being with Alex had made it bearable.

  ‘You will keep in touch online?’ she asked, almost timidly.

  He put his arm round her. ‘Of course.’ Then he kissed her.

  Charley didn’t want it to end. She knew it was the last kiss they’d be able to share.

  ‘Bye, Charl,’ Alex said. With a wave, he walked off. ‘See you online.’

  ‘Bye, Alex.’ Charley watched until he was out of sight. She was still thinking about him when her phone rang a few minutes later.

  Then she began to panic.

  While Matt and Sam went to fetch Charley, Louise did inde
ed go shopping. She came back with a bag full of Charley’s favourite things to eat, trying to convince herself that she hadn’t bought them because she felt guilty. She also treated her to some new clothes. They were all she could afford but she knew Charley would like them – a pair of skinny jeans, a short jumper and a longer cardigan to wear with leggings. She also bought her a nice set of underwear to show she knew she was growing up.

  She’d decided not to ring Charley, knowing it would put added pressure on her. She wanted to chat to her face to face. Instead, she asked Sam to send texts every now and then, updating her of their progress.

  By the time she got home from the shops, Louise was desperate to see her daughter.

  * * *

  ‘We’re driving along the promenade,’ Sam told Charley. ‘Whereabouts are you? Yes, come out near to the kerbside. What’s opposite you? Look out for the clock tower,’ she told Matt. ‘No, don’t cry, Charl. Everything’s fine. Look, she’s there! Pull in, Matt.’

  Sam got out of the car and Charley rushed into her arms.

  ‘I’m sorry.’ Charley started to cry. ‘I’m so sorry.’

  ‘It’s okay.’ Sam hugged her fiercely. ‘You’re safe, that’s the main thing.’

  Matt beeped his horn behind them. ‘Stay here. I’ll find somewhere to park and then come back to you.’

  Sam took Charley back to the shelter and they sat down together. There still weren’t many people about, the cold wind obviously keeping people away from the beach. The sea was quite calm, even though the gusts were swirling rubbish around. The seagulls looked on eagerly, waiting for scraps of anything to eat.

  Sam passed Charley a tissue. ‘Want to tell me about it?’

  ‘I was – I was just so mad with Mum when I found out about . . . ’ Charley didn’t know what to say then, so she stopped.

  Sam put an arm round the girl’s shoulder and drew her near again.

  ‘So was I,’ she acknowledged. ‘I can’t believe she kept it from both of us for so long.’

  ‘Were you really upset?’

  ‘Yes.’ Sam recalled how she’d cried the night she’d found out. ‘But I suppose I can’t blame your mum. She was only young. I think my dad should have known better though.’