Soldierboy

Chapter Twelve

Even though it was difficult, Kelly went into work the next day doing her best to be cheerful and happy as if there wasn't anything wrong.

She had enough of the sympathetic looks when she had split up with Johnny, so the last thing she wanted was a repeat of that, now she and Danny were obviously finished

She decided she wasn't going to say anything to anyone. It was too humiliating that she had been duped twice by two different men inside a year. But it would be a little easier where Danny was concerned, because she had always claimed they were never serious as he would be going back to England soon.

So all she had to do with keep the pretence up for another few months, then hopefully no one would really be surprised if he disappeared out of her life, and she hardly mentioned him again after that.

She was just glad the hairdressers was really busy that day, so there was no time for idle chit chat, and it was enough to keep her mind occupied so she didn't dwell too much on what had happened the previous night.

When she got home that evening she was genuinely tired. She didn't really feel like eating any supper as her appetite was completely gone, but trying to make things seem as normal as possible, and her mother would start wondering if there was something wrong, she made food for herself.

It was too much effort trying to smile and pretending to be happy, and that everything was fine in front of her family, she could only keep it up for so long, so she pleaded exhaustion from her busy day at work and escaped to her bedroom, feeling sure it had to get easier as time went along.

She manage to make it to the end of the week, without anyone really suspecting anything was wrong. But then Chrissie who treated their house like a second home, came knocking on Kelly's bedroom door before coming in.

Kelly was sprawled on her bed glancing through a magazine, and now looked up as Chrissie entered.

"Hey I have hardly seen you all week, you are always in your bedroom" Chrissie remarked.

" Well I thought you came to see Billy, and be with him, not worry about me" Kelly pointed out with a small smile, closing her magazine over

"Yeah, that is usually the case," Chrissie agreed with a grin, "But you know we are friends too, almost family once me and Billy get married next year, which is why I was a bit worried about you," she then admitted frowning a little.

"Why do you need to worry about me for?" Kelly demanded feigning wide eyed bewilderment, but suddenly feeling uneasy.

"Well because I was talking to my cousin Tracey the other night, and she wanted to know if everything was ok between you and Danny," Chrissie explained, as she came over to sit on the edge of Kelly's bed, "then she mentioned some incident that happened the last time you were up at the army barracks"

"Oh, I see," Kelly replied, inwardly cursing. She had almost forgot Tracey and Chrissie were related, and the incident would eventually get back to Chrissie.

"Actually it wasn't that big of a deal," Kelly continued with a nonchalant shrug, "And I am fine"

"Well it seems Danny isn't doing so fine," Chrissie informed her shooting her speculative look, "It seems after you left that night, he got into a fight with some guy called Mike, and then he got a rollicking, from his superior officers as well as a nice swollen black eye and bruises, and Tommy told Tracy, that since then, Danny has been going around with a face as long as a wet weekend"

"Really?" Kelly enquired flatly She had forced herself to be determined she didn't really care about what happened to Danny anymore. Though she wasn't too surprised he had went after Mike that night because he was pissed at him revealing something he had been trying to hide from her.