Sanctuary (A Dan Smith/ Bastille fanfic)

1. Chloe

“Chloe!!” My mum yells from downstairs, her voice booming through our now empty house. Just hearing her squealing voice makes me want to roll over and bury my face into my pillow, which I do so, refusing to get up at this ridiculous time even though I know I have to.

“Chloe Hart if you do not come outside with your stuff in the next 5 minutes, we’re leaving you here!” I can hear that my mum is stood in my room and right above me by the volume of her voice. Instead of getting out of bed like I probably should, I simply pull the duvet up higher to cover my head. I wish it was that simple that if she couldn’t see me I wouldn’t need to go.

“Thank the fucking lord.” I hit back sarcastically. I know they wouldn’t leave without me anyway. I would happily let the fuckers go and live their new life without me so that I could stay here, but I’ve suggested that to her many times and each time I’ve had the same response. No.

“LANGUAGE!” She yells and thumps me gently around the head with the back of her hand. “Get up now! Alan’s waiting in the car.” With that she yanks the warm comforting duvet off of my body and slams the door as she leaves.

“Well he can wait a bit fucking longer then, can’t he?” I mumble before letting out a frustrated sigh and finally sitting up in my bed. I look around the empty room and can’t help but feel upset that this is the last time I will ever see it. I stand up and lazily grab the jumper that lays on the floor next to my bed and throw it on over my t-shirt and shorts which I usually sleep in. I grab the few remaining items in the room, my phone, phone charger and pillow and bung them into the bag which has already been prepared for me by the OCD queen, also known as my mother. I glance at the outfit that the witch has left out for me to wear but I know that there is no chance that I’m getting out of my pyjamas right now; it’s still before 10am. Instead I screw the clothes in a ball and shove them in the bag with the rest of my belongings in, knowing that the creases that will be on the clothes will piss my mum off some more. I know that I do things to piss her off, I’m well aware of that, but it’s a talent of mine that enjoy thoroughly.

I ponder around the house, glancing in each room to say my goodbyes. I don’t often feel emotional but this house means something to me. It’s where I’ve grown up, where I’ve lived my entire life, where I’ve spent time with my friends. My friends that I will no longer be able to see.

 I stop in the bathroom to use the toilet, knowing fully well that as soon as I get outside I will be asked if I have gone to the bathroom because we’ll be in the car for a long time. It’s like she still thinks I’m 4 years old and in need of being told exactly what to do at every moment in time.

“Chloe!” I hear her angered yell again.

“I’m fucking coming! I’m taking a piss, Jesus woman is that alright?” I scream back at her. How can I be this angry when I’ve only been awake 2 minutes? It’s just what she does to me. I have a talent in winding her up, and she has a talent at winding me up. The only difference is, most of the time she doesn’t even realise how much of a dick she’s being. She thinks she’s being nice but it drives me mental.

“Okay.” I hear her quietly respond. “Well hurry up please.” I then hear her tapping around downstairs, waiting for me to come down.

I finish up in the bathroom, taking my time of course, and then grab my bag from my room and plod down the stairs.

“There you are.” My mother sighs as she waves her arms, hurrying me out the door. “You’re still in your bed gear but I’m just going to overlook that. We need to get going. Alan needs to-“

“I don’t care.” I hold my hand up whilst I walk away from her. Does she actually think I give a shit about anything to do with that man?

“Oh for Christ’s sake Chloe, you could at least pretend to be slightly happy for me.”

I turn around and flash a sarcastic cheesy smile her way, showing her all of my teeth. “I’m ecstatic, can’t you see.” I tease.

“Enough of the lip.” She bats me around the head as we reach the car where perfect little sodding Alan is waiting for us in the driver’s seat and my perfect little sodding brother is waiting in the back.

“The removal van left a while ago.. He umm.. They had to leave.” He nervously mumbles to us. I find it highly amusing how scared he is of me.

“Don’t worry darling, I’m sure we’ll make up time on the drive.” I watch as she moves her hand over and squeezes his hand gently. I want to be sick. Old people and cringey PDA just aint right.

“Well goodbye Cornwall, bring on London!” Alan jokes, causing my mother to laugh along. She knows it wasn’t funny, she just laughs to humour him, I’m sure of it.

I bring my feet up on the seat, only to get moaned at by the irritant who is my little brother. “Muuuuum Chloe’s putting her feet all over me.” He whines like a child. He’s 14 and he still acts like a little bitch. He’s actually ecstatic about the move, probably because he has no fucking friends.

“Chloe put your feet down and stop annoying Sam.” She replies before even turning to look at me to see if I was doing anything wrong. This is set to be a fun fuelled few hours with the Brady bunch, isn’t it?

I pull my phone out of my bag and find my headphones tangled up in my hairbrush and plug myself in to the world of music. I watch out the window as the beach passes by us and I look at the people out there enjoying the morning sun and waves that look perfect for surfing in. I sigh again as I wave goodbye to my former life in Cornwall and I close my eyes and try to sleep so that I don’t have to endure the long journey with my brother, mother and her new perfect wimp of a husband.