FORMULA LOVE

Warm and un-warm welcomes

"Alright mum? Dad?" I ask them as I stand on the bottom step of our house. It wasn't as cold as the last time I was here as it's now nearing spring. I hold my 2 suitcases in either hands, my cab had just dropped me off after missing the turning to our roads 500 times. The both appear from the door with angry and concerned faces. Not happy to see me huh?

I then hear loud footsteps coming from inside, they get louder as they move forward. And out bursts Jamie in his Jordan tracksuit I bought him at Christmas. He must wear it at least twice every week. He's asked mum and dad to buy it for ages, but considering it's nearly 250 quid, they decided not to. So that's where I came in. "Hey Sayd how are ya!" His 6ft self runs over, arms spread out as he engulfs me in a big hug. The impact makes me drop my bags as he squeezes the life out of me. I start slightly gasping for air as I tap him.

"Jay let go she's fucking dying." I hear Mattie shout from behind. Jamie quickly let's go, still holding my shoulders. "It's good to see you." He says with a big grin on his face whilst picking up my heavy bags and bringing them inside. My view then moves from Jamie to his twin brother. Mattie is different. He had a dressing gown on and a beanie on his head. He was smiling but I could sense the pain behind that smile from here. My heart instantly broke as he started walking towards me. He limped past mum and dad and down the steps, slowly stepping down each step seeming to be out of breath already. I save him the trauma of walking even farther and walk towards him pulling him in for a hug. "Missed you Matt." My eyes welled up slightly, so I quickly tried to blink the tears back. We stood there for few seconds, until I then let go so I could look at him better. His skin was a lot more paler and his eye bags were quite large. Had he not been sleeping?

"Missed you too Sadie." He replies with a smile not quite meeting his eyes. He really has changed since the few days I've been away. His chemo must be taking the life out of him already. "Right then, let's head inside." I say, if I stood here any longer I'd end up bawling my eyes out in front of him. He nods and turns to look at the stairs, Jamie is already there ready to help him up.

It takes Jamie and Matt a good few minutes to get up the stairs. Matt had to stop every step to regain energy and his breath back. My heart truly broke for him. "So young lady you know we've had tons of reporters outside the house for a good few days?" Mum says with an annoyed tone. She's relating to the time I had assaulted Leclerc live on air last Sunday. I had decided to lay low for a couple days, staying in the hotel next to the airport I landed at. The media had stopped talking about it as much over in Saudi Arabia so hopefully that was the same for England. "Your still making headlines Mercedes!"

Oh.

I see a reporter van coming down the road so without hesitation I run up the steps and bundle everyone into the house quickly shutting the heavy door with a slam. "They better be gone by tomorrow Sayd I'm telling you that now." Dad says in a frustrated tone. They always supported me to be a driver but I suppose they weren't ready for what was comes with it. The press outside the house all the time, paparazzi following your every move, the media picking holes in you and twisting stories. It's a never ending cycle really.

And you may be asking why not just get my own place so they won't have to deal with it all... Which is very true and I'll have to soon. I think my parents are getting fed up. I do still pay for the apartment with Ellie however, with her baby due in a few months there won't be the best space. My birthday is on the 20th of November and I'll be 24 so I am making it an aim to have my own house then.

"Come on Sadie, we're all starving. We've been waiting for you for the past hour." I hear Jamie yell from the kitchen. Yep. You can blame the cab driver for that.