Heart Strings <3 ~Complete

Heart Strings Chapter Fourteen

I swiped it out of my pocket hoping no one had heard. Luckily there wasn’t really anyone around.

'Hello?' I said into the phone.

'Heya, Nate!' Jewel's voice boomed through. Strangely enough, I could only hear the slight buzzing of the t.v. in the background, which was amazing for Jewel. I couldn't help smiling. She was normally surrounded by so much background noise.

'Hey Jewel.'

'You rang?'

'Hours ago.'

'Excuse me, only, like, twenty minutes ago or even less. I was in the shower!' she protested.

'For twenty minutes?'

'Would you like me to drop?'

I laughed, 'okay, okay, sorry, sorry! How have you been?'

'Good.'

'Really? Not too much booze?'

'Nathan, you are really testing my dropping skills... I am barely a year younger than you, stop acting like your dad! He was checking up on me yesterday you know...'

'Whatever.'

'Yeah. Whatever,' even through the phone I could tell she was grinning as much as I was. 'Did you call me for a reason, Nate, or were you just checking I wasn't dead from alcohol poisoning?'

'Well, two things really,' I began.

'Yup...'

'One, alcohol poisoning-'

'Dropping...'

'And the other was... Well...'

'Come on Nate, spit it out already...'

'There's this girl...' Jewel gasped, which was only slightly insulting.

'Oh. You haven't... Come to me for a girl for ages! Wow! How exciting! Have you kissed her yet? You've had sex haven't you? Are you a father?!'

'Shit Jewel, shut up! Are your parents home?'

'Nope, mums shopping and dad's at the bank or something.'

I sighed, 'no, no and definitely no. I think I like her-'

'Like? What kind of word is like? What happened to lurve-'

'Dropping...'

'Carry on.'

'I think I like her, but I really don't think she likes me in the same way-'

'Hmm...'

'She has a boyfriend-'

'Ooh.'

'But apparently they aren't really working-'

'Ooh!'

'Jewel!'

'Huh?' I sighed. Sometimes I wondered if she wasn't constantly drunk. 'Well, I don't think you have much of a problem then,' she said simply.

'What? Two out of three things I said were bad, how is that not a problem?'

'We-ell, one, you can never judge when a girl likes you. You are about as blind as a bat in that area Nate, seriously.’ I couldn’t help think how much she sounded like Sephy for a minute. ‘And two, the second thing you said was knocked out by the third. So, no problem. Besides, why wouldn't she like you? You're good-lookin', play in a band, though she might not know about that-'

'She does actually. She has one of her own-'

'Oh my GOD!'Jewel screeched.

'What?' I asked alarmed.

'That is so romantic!' I smacked my head in frustration though my heart was pounding excitedly.

Was it?

'What's her name Nate? What's her name?'

'Persephone. Or Sephy...'

'Ooh! Persephone! You'll have to start getting called Nathaniel again if you're going to match that. How posh!' I laughed then, because Sephy was everything but. 'Oh, sorry Nate, mum's home now and I believe she just stepped on Dewy's tail so...'

I grinned hearing a cat howling, 'bye Jewel!'

'Bye Nathaniel! I'll call you tomorrow, you'd better have more news on your little Persephone girl!'

'Okay Jewel, bye now!'

I heard her laugh and then the line clicked. I couldn't help feeling slightly hopeless. Jewel was so optimistic, but I highly doubted Sephy liked me like that or ever would. Sure, things with Nick weren't too good at that time, and she thought I was cute...but she also thought I was a huge 'sweet talker' and a heart-breaker... Why would she act on her feelings knowing that?

I arrived in front of a block of old grey flats. I didn't bother ringing the buzzer; instead I let myself in with my key, made my way to the lift and was taken to my floor. Grabbing the door handle of number 57, I hauled our jammed door upwards and leaned heavily against it until it gave way.

Straight away I was hit with the familiar whiff of cigarette smoke.

I shut the door behind me, dropped my shoulder bag on the floor and headed into the living room without waiting for my eyes to adjust to the darkness. This was what I was used to.

Through the darkness I could see my mother on her little armchair in the corner of the dark room, a faint orange light glowing from the butt of her cigarette illuminating her face.

'You couldn't take a few steps to the balcony could you?' I asked her, already knowing the answer.

My mother's eyes flickered up as she puffed grey smoke out of her lips expertly. 'I could have, but I didn't want to. Got a problem?'

I felt for the switch and turned the lights on, narrowing my eyes as she winced and closed hers.

'Do you mind?' she asked before she was interrupted by a cough that shook her frail frame.

My mother was thinning every day, and she wasn't particularly big to begin with. She was beautiful once. I had seen her. But smoking and drinking had aged and paled her once healthy and naturally tanned skin. She now had irreversible bags under her eyes no matter how much make-up she plastered on. Her hair, which had once been wavy and brunette, was now lank and a dirty, dyed, blonde.

She didn't bother to cook, and when I did she barely ever ate it. All day she was working in M&S, sitting in her armchair or drinking at the local pub. She didn't care about anyone other than herself it seemed. She didn't care enough for herself to go out and live her life, nor did she care enough to die. She'd given up on herself, on my father and on me, so I had given up on her.

And this was only ever since dad left. Yet she refused to confess that she missed him.

'Switch off the damn light-' she choked out sharply.

I clenched my jaw and walked out and towards my room.

Switch the damn light off yourself.