In Omnia Paratus (AU) - Book 2

Scholarships

I found that this whole thing was very fast. Every time I'd been in hospital all the procedures and tests took forever. I always felt like it was a slow process.

But today, no today was fast. It was weird one minute it's midnight and we're in an overturned car and the next I'm walking around fine as my friend preps for surgery on her back.

I had all hopes that Lily was going to be fine and not a single person doubted it. I spoke to the doctors and they were all pretty sure she'd come out the other side okay.

Her mum was convinced she'd be fine and I was too. Even so when I went over to Lily's mum we had calm conversations compared to the frantic panicking we were doing before hand.

"So her dad just turned up," Lily's mum said to me as I stood outside lilys hospital room with her.

"Good for him." I mumbled.

"I can't help but feel it has something to do with you." She said slowly.

"He needed to see her. I know you guys and Lily don't get along. I don't know why? She just wants to be at boarding school and you can't accept that but when things like this happen you should put that aside." I groaned at her.

"You know why we don't get along?" Her mum said suddenly.

"Why?"

"Because everything was fine. Our family was perfect when she loved being at home. But then Lily applied for a scholarship at Ashford because she was doing so well in dance and at the age of 13 she wanted to move away." Her mum said.

"Why did she want to move away?" I asked.

"The twins were born that year and because for five minutes she had no attention she took off and demanded to go to Ashford. Then of course her dad went crazy, just as the family was starting up she was taking off." She shrugged.

"But Lily just wanted to get better at dance, she was offered a scholarship." I laughed a little.

"She was also offered one closer to home."

"And she didn't take that one?" I asked.

"No, she wanted to go. She got every teenagers dream...to run away from home and we didn't even get to see her grow up." She told me.

"She was 13, you can't blame her. Plus you saw her on every holiday." I frowned getting a little confused as I never knew the full story.

"Her dad never liked that school from then on. Would never treat Lily when she came home, he never even sent her a birthday card if her birthday was in term time. He wouldn't make an effort to take a day off work to see her when she came home." She explained.

"That's just--"

"Horrible? Yeah I told him and he had come around to the idea when Lily started getting such good grades, but then came the wave of the bad roommates and the boyfriend." Her mum smirked.

"Matt's lovely." I said slowly.

"Not when we think she could get pregnant because we're not keeping an eye on her and the school has to do that."

"I never thought of that." I scoffed.

"We love Lily, it's just she wanted to leave and that kind of broke out hearts." Her mum said and I felt quite bad all of a sudden for being so mean to them.

"She's stubborn." I joked.

- - - - -

"No. I don't want any brothers or sisters!" The young teenager shouted at her parents.

"Look, Lily. Your mums having twins. Doesn't that sound exciting?" Her dad made an effort by getting down and sitting next to Lily as she flopped down onto her bed.

"I always wanted a sister." She finally muttered.

"Well you never know, we might get two!" Her mum said holding out her hand for Lily to come back downstairs.

"We promise you Lily, this is going to be such a good thing for us. You'll be able to take your sisters out and boss them around like a big sister." Her dad tried to entice her as they hopped down the steps but the 12 year old girl was already sold.

A sister? Maybe even two? She'd have so much fun with them.

"I'm sorry for shouting mum." Lily suddenly said as they reached the living room.

"That's okay darling." Her mum said letting her through the door before they all settled to watch tv as a family like they did every Friday night.

- - - - -

"They're prepping me for surgery." Lily said as I saw her for the last time before she was going for her operation. She looked genuinely frightened and I was too but I had to keep a brave face on for her.

"I promise you Lily. You're going to be fine. Victoria said that--"

"Victoria said its a one in a hundred chance that I walk again if the operation fails." Lily grumbled.

"Then the operation will have to work then." I smiled at her holding her hand.

"Stop being so damn positive." She chuckled.

"I have to lil." I mumbled squeezing her hand. "I called Matt and he's just text me that's he's here do you want him to come in?" I asked.

"Yes. Please." Lily panted.

- - - - -

"The mail is here, the mail is here." Lily squeaked jumping on her mum and dads bed early that morning with a bundle of letters in her hand and she threw them at her hardly awake parents.

"Okay Lily, let's see..." Her mum sat up heavily pregnant with the twins and her dad soon too turned over and looked see what the fuss was about.

"This ones for you I think." Her dad said proudly handing her an envelope. "Oh and this one too." He quickly held out another one.

"Remember Lily if you don't get in, the school you're at now has an okay dance course anyway. There is no pressure for you to go to any of these schools." Her mum said supportively staring at the excited 13 year old who was waiting for the time to open the letters.

"Go on, open them then." Her dad said laughing.

"This is the drama and dance academy." She said proudly before opening the letter. "Uh... Dear Miss James we are pleased to inform you..." Lily started to say before she leaped up and jumped on her dad excited.

"You got in?" Her mum asked.

"She got in." Her dad said proudly.

"I probably won't go to this one but I'll open it anyway. It was just my back up." Lily laughed taking the other letter and opening it. "Dear Miss James we are pleased to inform you--" she did the same again and hugged her dad.

"She got in to this one too." Her mum said laughing and hugging them both.

"Which one do you want to go to?" Her dad asked her knowing the answer already and feeling pretty relieved that she wasn't going far away.

"The dance academy! Oh my god dad I'm so excited. Does this mean I can buy new dance clothes and Oo can I finally get new ballet shoes?" Lily asked excitedly.

"Of course." Her dad said hugging her.