Half the World Away

54

"Charlotte please!" Everyone took their turns at shouting for me, but I ignored it. My jeans were still in here, I reached forward, pulling out my locket from my jean pocket, I clicked it open to reveal a beautiful picture of my mother. We had matching ones, hers had a picture of me.

My deepest regret? I hadn't spoken to her since I came back from Australia and she probably thought I hated her.

"Mummy, I love you always," I cried, "I always have done and I know you can't hear me right now, but I'm sorry."

"Charlotte, it's James." I heard a male voice say from outside the door. "Can you open the door please."

"Leave me alone!" I shouted, between tears.

"I can't do that Charlotte," he spoke gently, "if you hurt yourself we would never forgive ourselves."

"I'm not hurting myself," I lied, looking down at my bleeding knuckles.

"Lottie, if you come out Connor will do his best ever Davy Jones impression," I heard Tris comment.

"Yeah, listen I'm doing it now!" Connor said in a Scottish accent, making everyone weakly laugh.

"I don't care!" I shouted back.

"Lottie, would you let me come in, by myself?" I heard a female voice, "it's Anne-Marie." I knew she'd arrived later than normal and that's why she didn't go to the concert.

"Okay." I bit my lip and opened the door, closing it behind Anne-Marie and locking it.

"Lottie," she turned and looked at my hands, turned white from grasping desperately and covered in blood. "Come here," she held my bloody knuckles.

"Anne-Marie," my voice said, cracking as I spoke.

"Charlotte," she breathed, observing the blood.

"The person who ran me over," I chewed on a bit of my lip, "it was..." She breathed in a closed her eyes, her face worn with care and shock as I told her who it was.

"Why do I get the feeling that's not all your upset about?" She asked, wrapping my knuckles in the white toilet paper after dabbing it with some wet wipes she'd found on the side of the sink.

"It's my mum," we sat down and she pulled me into her chest.

"What about her?"

"She's"- I couldn't say it.

"She's..." a massive lump formed in my throat.

"She's..." I tried again

"Anne-Marie I can't say it." I sobbed desperately, they were loud and I know the others could hear it but I couldn't help it. I wish I could but it's so hard, I love my mum with every part of me.

"Do you want me to say it for you?" She asked, wiping away my tears with her little finger.

I nodded.

"Has she passed away?" I nodded, my face crumpled up and the tears freely flowed.

"Listen to me, beautiful." She sighed pulling me away and instead held my hands. "Your mum loves you so much, and if she was here what would she say?"

"Wipe those tears away," I whispered, "you know my love for you is unbreakable and I would never want you to cry over me."

"So, we're going to walk out there and wipe those beautiful eyes dry and smile," she looked at me and I nodded in response "I know it's hard but you've got to try your bestest to stay strong for your mum."

"All I ever wanted to do is make her proud," I replied.

"Charlotte, your mum is so proud of you." She smiled. "Are you ready?" She asked.

I nodded in response. "But can you-"

"Yeah I'll tell them." She passed me a tissue and I wiped my eyes dry. "Ready?"

I nodded and she flipped the lock and walked out, everyone stood up from their circle that had been formed, I mean everyone; James, Tristan, Connor, Blake, George, Reece and Harvey, but right across from the door was Brad, the only person I wanted. I ran into his arms and hugged him. I needed his arms.

"It's okay," he kissed the tip of my forehead, "it's okay little one I've got you."

*

Brad's POV
I kissed Charlotte's forehead and tucked her hair behind her ear, one last time as I got up to leave her, the time was 2 o'clock. I had sat there for an hour, gently rocking her back and forth in my arms, repeatedly telling her everything would be okay. But I didn't even know what was wrong, my mum had told the others, who were camping out in the living room of the hotel room, in case she had a blip again. I checked on her one last time as I quietly closed the door. I walked into the living room where all the girls and boys were, they were all either sat with their heads against the wall, heads in their laps or hugging eachother, the latter was mostly the couples.

"How is she?" James asked, being the fast one to speak.

"Not good, she's not speaking but I managed to get her to sleep." I told him, sitting next to my mum, as I played with my hands. My mum pulled me into her chest for comfort. "Mum what happened, her hands..."

"She found who ran her over but Brad it was more than that." She closed her eyes and breathed in.

"Mum what?" I begged.

"Shall I?" Connor muttered next to me. She nodded.

"Brad, Ellie ran her over..." I stood up.

"THATS ALL MY FAULT!" I yelled, Ellie wanted me and the only person who stood in the way of that was Lottie, she was the love of my life. "I should of never of got with her because it caused so much bullshit and now she's even more..."

"Brad, she's not upset about just that." Blake said, getting up from a sleeping bag.

"What else is there?" I asked.

"Her mum." Connor mummered again. What? She hadn't spoken to her mum in months?

"What about her?" I asked.

"She's dead." James said, "Brad she's fucking dead, she's the only family member Charlotte had left, her dad doesn't care about her and apart from us she's alone!" He started shouting.

"No, she's not..."

"She is."