CHIM - Life in the limelight SEQUEL

Chapter 31

When i drag myself out of bed and go downstairs i find that everyone is already up and sat in the kitchen. Sarah and Nadine stayed over and so did Nicola as we have many spare bedrooms that they are always welcome to stay in. I look around at the mess we left last night and i am already dreading the huge tidy up that i am going to have to do. "Fucking hell" I mutter, holding my hand to my forehead.

"Sarah doesn't look that bad, does she?" Cheryl jokes and Sarah just grunts in reply.

"You're talking too loud" She then mumbles and drops her head onto her folded arms. Nadine strokes her girlfriend's hair back affectionately and i smirk at how terrible they both look. I have seen Sarah in many states like this over the years but her hangovers just seem to be getting worse and worse as she gets older. Nadine's hangover seems to be just as bad as Sarah's, she has a packet of painkillers in front of her to help cure her self inflicted state.

Kissing Cheryl and smiling at Joan who is stood by the cooker with her dressing gown on and her hair sticking up in all directions i plonk myself on the stool beside my beautiful girlfriend who shuffles closer to me and rests her head on my shoulder. "Me mam's a star isn't she?"

"She is indeed. I wish you didn't have to go tomorrow, Joan. The girls are really going to miss you... where are they by the way?"

"I know, pet but i have to. The girls are in the living room playing with Laney's new tea set and Garry is still in bed. God knows what time he got in last night- or should i say this morning? He went out with your Adam when we were all tucked up in bed. I doubt we'll see him until at least noon, he'll be in a bad way"

"Well he's done it to himself" Nicola says with a smug little smile on her face. Clearly he is still in her bad books and i would defend Garry until the cows come home but unfortunately for him Nicola does not want to hear it. Nicola refused to talk about him last night and took herself to bed to avoid the conversation. She just kept telling us that she is not interested in Garry and getting into a relationship or tying herself to a man is the last thing on her mind as she has not long broke up with Charlie. Her ex boyfriend was the bane of her life and was always up for an argument. No matter what the issue was whether it was little or small he would always turn it into an explosive row that Nicola could never win. He wasn't physically abusive  but he was emotionally manipulative and i am surprised that he and Nicola lasted so long. Naively Nicola thought that she would be able to change his worst qualities. God know's she always tried to look passed them and pretend that what they had was love but it wasn't and all of us could see that. That is why all we want is for her to find someone that will make her happy. 

"I'm up actually and i feel alright. I thought i could smell bacon, i'm starvin'" We all turn around to see a topless Garry walk into the kitchen and he doesn't look half as bad as any of my best friend's do. Nicola averts her eyes away from him and self-consciously pulls the sleeves of her oversized hoodie over her hands. It is so unlike Garry to be up at this time in the morning, especially after a late night so we are all surprised to see him up and functioning so early.

"Aye, i should've known that the smell of me fry up would get you out of your pit"

Garry chuckles and kisses his mum's cheek as he passes her and sits himself down at the table as there is no stools left at the island me and the girls are sat around. "You couldn't do us a nice cuppa while you're up could you, mam?"

"You lazy bleedin' sod, what do i look like?"

"A turtle in that hideous dressing gown. Where'd you get that?" Forever the comedian Garry makes us all laugh including Nicola despite her efforts to stop herself. Joan throws a little mushroom at him and he ducks out the way of it just in time.