Longshot - catfish and the bottlemen

2- Van

Engulfed in my parents arms for the first time in months. Over the past three years I've not really stopped to come home for more than two weeks so the fact we were stopping for a few months meant I'd finally be able to spend time with them properly like old times and not have it feel like a holiday.

"Want a beer son?" My dads deep voice asked.

"Nah you're alright, we're all going for a bacon roll at the cafe. Not been in years" I respond.

The cafe is a place we'd always go for breakfast back in the day. Stop in here before school whenever we went, or on the way home from a gig at the pub cause we weren't allowed booze, although we'd always manage to sneak a pint or two. Touring is amazing, it really is but there's nothing like the place you've grown up, being hit with memories of your childhood instead of new sights and cultures.

We sat down at a table in the corner, all five of us were having some sort of toastie and a cuppa so I offered to go up and order it for us. Since the last time we were here it's been done up, made more modern although it's kept the same old sea side town feel. There's no way the community would let this place become a posh cafe, it wouldn't fit the town very well. I stood in the queue listening to the lady behind me chatting away to an elder lady while I stood on my phone, texting my mam.  "Yeah I followed your advice and used salted butter, they turned out much better. Went down a treat with brother and his family" the lady spoke, I was still minding my own business on my phone though. "That's great, I'll see you soon love"
"You take care of yourself Margaret, see you later"

That prompted me to tuck my phone away into my pocket for some reason, i turned round to see the elder lady disappear off out the shop. When I looked down I met eyes with someone all to familiar, someone that brought back even more memories than I was already being hit with as I made my way through the town to get here. Her once short and somewhat curly ginger hair is now long and the curls are much more defined. Her bright green eyes were still as bright as ever and the freckles scattered across her face still had her looking so youthful.

"Isabella?" I asked, already knowing who it was.

"Hi" She spoke ever so quietly as her cheeks flushed a light shade of pink, I couldn't tell whether she was glad to see me or not but she most likely wasn't and I didn't blame her.

The lady behind the counter broke the silence by asking what I was having so I told her our order and she said she'd bring it over. Instead of walking back to the lids I sat down in the chair opposite her, the boys were so engrossed in the conversation they were having so they wouldn't even notice, not that I cared but I'd rather speak to her myself before they jump in.

"How've you been?" I ask enthusiastically, hoping that if I showed some excitement she'd flash me a smile, a smile I've missed. She did.

"Good thanks, I'm actually just going. Only came out for a coffee with my neighbour" she chucked her purse back into her bag and pulled her leather jacket over her shoulder as if she was desperate trying to escape from me.

"You can join us" I offer, wishing she'll shyly nod her head like old times and then come join us, sitting next to me holding my hand under the table while the lids would talk a heap of crap.

"I'll see you soon" she smiled and then made her way out the shop, leaving me sitting at a table that wasn't with the boys

I wandered back over the the boys, they definitely noticed her as she walked a way but there was no conversation between them as I think they only noticed her by the time she was outside and walking in the opposite direction. They all had smirks on their faces when the looked up at me, when I sat down they didn't stop either.

"We haven't seen her in three years, she definitely hates us, well me anyway so stop looking at me like that" I say, trying to hide the fact I'm still kind of hurt by the fact she didn't want to stay and chat but I couldn't blame her.

"No. You haven't seen her in three years." Bondy says in all seriousness. They've seen her? When? We've only been back here like three times in the past three years and only ever for like two weeks. Larry read the confused expression on my face and began to explain.

"The first time we came back the four of us were on a walk while you were doing stuff with your parents and we seen her. Then the year after that me and Bondy seen her briefly in the shop and then last year Larry seen her. We didn't tell you cause you made it clear you didn't want to see her." He's right, I did make it clear I didn't want to see her but now I feel so guilty that I'm the only one who's went three years without speaking to her.