Drop Dead | Sam Fender

Chapter Fifty Seven

TRIGGER WARNING: EATING DISORDERS

Sam

It was hard watching Rory struggle with her mental health. Hearing her justify what she was doing to herself made me feel sick but my worries were mitigated by the fact she was getting help. I knew she was still in denial, our conversation a couple of weeks back only proved that. The first week or two after she had been discharged from the hospital had been hard. She wasn't herself at all and I knew it was down to her struggling to accept she had a problem but she had been seeing a therapist since. Her confidence was still negligible but she had made so much progress and I was so proud of her.

I had stuck to her wishes of not telling our friends the real reason behind her hospital visit but lying to them was hard. Rory had been off school since and hadn't seen any of them, so of course, they had all been asking questions. Ones I didn't have answers for.

Glandular fever was the cover story we went with. Something that was infectious enough to keep everyone away justifiably and would last long enough to explain the significant absence from school. It was nearing Christmas now and they were all getting antsy to see her again. Understandably. Luckily, Rory was starting to feel that she was in a better place mentally and had suggested inviting everyone over just before Christmas, so long as Jamie agreed. Which he did, happy that she was finally getting back to some form of normality, whatever that meant for someone recovering from bulimia.

I had gotten to Rory's an hour before everyone was due to arrive, wanting to talk to her and ensure she was comfortable with the plans. The last thing she needed was the stress of seeing all our friends at once tipping her past her breaking point and setting her back to the start.

"How are ya feeling?" I asked her softly, playing with her hair as she lay on my chest.

"Nervous," she muttered as her hand rested on my chest where my heart was. It was something she had been doing a lot more of lately. I assumed it was a comfort thing but I hadn't inquired about it so I wasn't entirely sure. "I've not seen them in so long."

"It'll be fine," I assured her. "Ya'll see. They'll get here and it'll be like you saw them yesterday or sommat and then ya'll feel like a dick for thinking it wouldn't be."

"Cheers," she snorted lightly.

"I'm serious though, Scarl, you're worrying over nothing," I told her.

"It's just the waiting 'til they get here now," she muttered. "How long now?"

"Still another half an hour," I laughed gently, earning a groan from her lips. "It'll be alreet, stop worrying. Harlow will probably be here in the next ten minutes, knowing her and she'll drag Dean with her."

"I hope so, I've missed them all so much," she sighed.

"They've missed ya an' all, haven't heard the end of it from the lot of 'em," I chuckled. It was at that moment a loud knocking on the front door sounded through the house. I tapped Rory lightly and shifted her to go and answer the door. "I'll get it."

"Oh, it's just you," Harlow scowled as I swung the door open, the wide smile soon dropping off her face.

"Charming," I muttered as I rolled my eyes before turning to Dean. "Alreet, mate?"

"Aye, y'alreet?" he grinned.

"Be careful with her," I told them gravely, nodding towards the living room. "She's a bit fragile."

"Aye," Harlow mumbled, pushing past me to find her best friend, leaving me and Dean trailing behind her. "Urgh, I've missed you!"

"Hey, Harls," Rory smiled, allowing Harlow to pull her into a tight hug. "I've missed ya, too."

"How're ya feeling?" she asked with concern, pulling away from her to stare at her with worried eyes.

"Uhh, I'm good. Better," she replied, her eyes flitting toward me for a split second before plastering a grin on her face.

"Good, 'cause you're not allowed to do that ever again!" she muttered.

"She can't help if she's not well, Harls," Dean snorted as he pulled Rory in for a tight hug, which she gladly accepted, revelling in for a few moments before she parted from him.

"Shut up," she grumbled before turning her attention to Rory. "I texted Jess to tell her me and Dean are here, so her and Tom will probably be 'round in the next-"

Harlow was cut off by a loud tapping on the door, which could only have been the two in question.

"I'll get it," I muttered.

Aurora

"Alreet, Pip?" Tom grinned as he and Jess entered the living room, followed by Drew and Joe who were in deep conversation with Sam.

"Hi," I whispered, allowing the older boy to pull me into a tight embrace.

"Fuck, I've missed ya like," he mumbled in my ear. "Never thought I was ever gan say that."

"Shut up," I laughed softly, pinching his side.

"No 'I've missed ya too, Tom'?" he asked in mock offence.

"Can't say I have," I teased, letting out a loud squeal when he lifted me by my waist and spun me around. "Tommy!"

"Take it back!" he huffed.

"Fine, fine! I missed ya, now put me down or I'm gan be sick like," I groaned, Tom immediately dropping me. I wobbled slightly due to the suddenness, grasping onto the taller boy to steady myself. Sam's eye caught mine in my periphery and I noticed how tense his body had become, his lips drawn into a tight line. Perhaps it wasn't the best choice of words.

"Stop hogging her!" Jess grumbled, taking Tom's place in front of me to bundle me up in her arms, Drew and Joe following soon after.

"Yous are never this excited to see me," Sam joked.

"That's cause we actually like Rora," Joe teased.

"Alreet, alreet! I expected it from Harlow but you? I thought we were mates!" my boyfriend gaped.

"Suck it up," he laughed. I felt a smile tugging at the corners of my lips, the atmosphere of the room lifting my spirits greatly. It was the lightest I had felt in months with no heavy weight to carry on my shoulders.

We all easily found our dynamic, squeezing onto the two sofas that barely fit us all, myself curling up in Sam's lap. I found myself to be fairly quiet although it wasn't exactly a negative. I knew Sam was concerned that I wasn't completely engaged in the conversation but I was taking the time to appreciate my group of friends. It was the happiest I had been in a long time.

And I truly was happy in that moment.