The World According to Jessie

Chapter Twenty One

"...Three days – the final touches, or so I thought..."

Trying to mask the glow on my face as well as the stupid grin, I walked back into the Hotel later that day with my mind made up. There was no point in denying it to Bernice, Tristan or anyone in London that I wanted to stay here and that Simon Farmer, the cute boy in Sixth Form whom I happened to snog behind the bike shed one night, was actually the love of my life. As soon as I got upstairs, I would email Bernice and tell her where to stick it. And then I would finalise the plans for the now "Non-Leaving Party". Life was extremely sweet and the fact that Simon had ... ok, may be that was too much information but you get the picture, I was happy as can be.

I tried creeping up the stairs, but a voice stopped me in my tracks. And it wasn't the one I expected.

'Hi Mum.' I said, turning around and leaning over the bannister. She stood, looking up at me with her hands on her hips.

'Young lady, what the Hell are you grinning about?' Oh Christ, I was still grinning! I straightened up and tried to stop my facial muscles forming what Lillian called "a happy".

'Umm... nothing. I really need to go and... do something.' Trying to get away from a deep and meaningful with my mother was harder than escaping the Tower of London. She looked up at me with a raised eyebrow.

'Oh yeah?' she said, beckoning her finger at me. 'Get down here now, I want a word.' I rolled my eyes and ascended the stairs like a moody teenager. I really did have stuff to do, but I suppose it was a good time to tell Mum that I wouldn't be going anywhere. She led me into the kitchen and ordered me to sit down on the counter top. I had no idea what this was going to be about, but suddenly I felt ten years old again having just been caught trying to dive off the end of South Pier. Never would forgive Dad for that one.

'Ok, what have I done?' I asked, hoping that Mum would let me go without incident.

'You have a boyfriend in London do you not?' Whoa, unexpected!

'Are you talking about Tristan?' I asked, even more confused now.

'Yes I am.' Mum said, hands remaining firmly on her hips. 'Look, I don't approve of that layabout and I never will. But he wants to get back with you doesn't he?' Oh Granddad Mel! He could never keep a secret!

'Yes he does, but I don't.' I answered. 'In fact, I want nothing more to do with him. And I'm not going back to London so, there's no chance of us getting back together ever.' I could hear my mother sigh deeply.

'You have to go back to London.' She said. Umm ok, again unexpected. 'You have to sort your life out there before you can think of ever having a life here.'

'Mum...' I said, wondering what the Hell she was getting at and why it suddenly felt like the conversation I had had with Grandma Nicki.

'Jessie, you can't just up and leave a city on a whim decision.' Mum continued. 'I love the fact that you want to stay here, more than anyone. But you need to go back to London and tie up any loose ends there before you can even think of moving back up here. And that is going to take a while.'

'You sound like you want me out.' I said, getting slightly upset that my own mother was barely on my side, or at least sounded as if she wasn't.

'I don't want you out Jessie.' She replied, taking a seat next to me. 'All I am saying is, you have to say goodbye to one life before you can start another. Go back to London for a few weeks, sort out what you have to and then come back. Come back to two parents who love you.'

'So you and Dad are?' I asked, hoping to change the subject.

'Yes we are.' She nodded. 'But he had to dump someone first.'