The Socially Awkward Subscriber

Chapter 19

Mrs Baker and I decided that Thursday would be my last shift at The Manuscript since I would be busy getting ready for University for the next week or so. It was so strange that the summer was nearly over and soon Ethan, Daisy and I would be moving on up to Lincoln, and it was strange that it didn’t feel overly strange at all. The sun was shining brightly as I headed home from work smiling softly as I did; Ethan was taking Daisy school shopping for school supplies and some new shoes. I wondered if he had told her we would be moving soon, would she be relieved to get away? She was only young she probably didn’t understand her father’s actions. Before I knew it I was home and upstairs in my room beginning to pack for the next day, I put on the radio singing to myself as I did.

“You look happy Darling,” I jumped not realising dad had sat himself on the edge of my bed

“Dad don’t sneak up on me like that,”

“I knocked,” he promised, I just smiled and carried on finding everything I needed

“You know Darling; I am immensely proud of how far you’ve come these past few weeks,” I glanced over my shoulder to see him smiling softly “A few weeks ago I have to admit I was worried about you going away and not being ready to deal with well life,”

“Really?” I raised an eyebrow

“Yes, mum and I thought we were going to have to move to Lincoln with you,” I laughed at this as I found my camera charger “and I am even more proud about the fact that you’re taking on Ethan’s little sister too,”

“I’m happy to help, she’s a sweet little girl and they’ve been through a lot over the past couple of years they need a break,”

Dad smiled softly “Well happy you’re happy Darling, I really am, and I hope you have a nice weekend,”

“I will dad,” I smiled as he left my room. When I was all packed up I collapsed on my bed with a book, something I hadn’t done in a while. I sat with my new version of Peter Pan still listening to the radio as I read

“Is there something wrong with Betsy?” I jumped and fell flat off my bed as Jake burst into the room, he sat on my bed and looked over my book I had dropped “What are you doing on the floor?”

“You made me jump,” I sat up with a roll of my eyes

“Oh shit sorry,” Jake laughed “But seriously what’s up with Betsy,”

“Betsy?” I frowned “Why? I didn’t know you knew her,”

Jake glanced at me still on the floor awkwardly “Ok we may have been texting since your birthday,” I blinked at him

“So you’re the guy?” I gasped getting up and pushing him over so I could sit on my bed

“What guy?” it was Jake’s turn to blink at me now

“Nothing,” I smiled

“Come on you have to tell me,”

“No, Betsy is a friend,”

“So am I,” he pointed out “Has she been talking about me?”

“It doesn’t matter,” I smiled at how worked up he was about it “So what did you do to annoy her?”

“Nothing,” he promised

“Come on you had to do something,” I thought over the previous day, Betsy had left early ‘to do something’ so maybe that was because of Jake “You know I wouldn’t have guessed you even knew each other yesterday, you hardly talked,” Then I realised “That will be it you turnip!” Jake gave me a blank look “You totally ignored her yesterday,”