*Willows POV*
My legs are shaking. This can't be real. It can't be. I slap my face to get out of my daze and shake my head to try remember what he said to me.
'Willow it was me. I killed Noah. Willow it was me I killed Noah. Willow it was me I killed Noah.'
His words are on a replay in my mind. They are going over and over again. I just can't believe it.
I feel too drained even to cry. Just keep walking Willow. Keep walking.
I'm in the same situation I was in a month ago. A month ago? Seems like yesterday when Danny found me.
My stomach clenches when I think about him again. My mind is whirring with confusion, he must have been saying something wrong. He couldn't have killed Noah? He couldn't have. Tears fall freely down my face now and I'm in such a mess. I don't know what I'm doing or where I'm going. For fucks sake Willow. I kind of regret walking out like that... He said he could explain? Explain what? There was nothing else to it other than the face that he killed my brother.
My guitar on my back is pulling me down and the suitcase straps are digging into my arm. Maybe I should turn back. I slowly turn round and start walking back. No. I turn around again and carry on.
I pass the kerb from where I collapsed ages ago. Déjà vu overwhelms me for the second time and I grit my teeth and walk on. Keep walking. Just keep walking. I pull out my iPod and shove some earphones in to give me some motivation.
"First you think the worst is a broken heart, what's gonna kill you is the second part.." six degrees of separation comes blaring out on shuffle. For fucks sake. Just no. I press the next song button.
"Cos when a heart breaks no it don't break even.." I quickly press next again.
"Cos she's long gone and moved on.." Next.
"I know I may not seem like much but I'm yours.." For gods sake. What's wrong with my ipod. I shake it in frustration.
"shes all laid up in bed with a brokenn heartt.." Oh my god.
I don't want to hear Dannys voice in my ears right now. Especially not singing about a breakup. Hell no.
"But I will try to fix you..." Coldplay comes on and I grit my teeth in frustration. As much as I love Coldplay I don't want to listen to sad songs.
"It's a beautiful dayyyy!" U2 flicks on and memories in my head flick back to the day when Danny asked me to be his girlfriend. I decide to take my earphones out and walk on in silence.
A girl around my ages suddenly passes me and gives me a funny look. God I must look like a right state. My hair is plastered all over my face and when i look down at myself, I realise with horror that I'm still in my hello kitty pyjamas. I can't walk anymore for fear of breaking my back from my guitar so I just sit down on the side of the road, leaning against a dirty wall, looking like a homeless person in need of a park bench or something.
The girl who gave me a weird look doesn't go away. In fact she's actually walking up to me now. My heart rate quickens and I blush beetroot red with embarrassment.
"Um are you okay?" She says and kneels down beside me.
"What does it look like?" I snap back at her.
She looks taken aback.
"Sorry sorry stupid question. What I meant was do you want any help?" I look up at her and to my surprise she looks kind and welcoming. Her kind green eyes crinkle with a smile and it makes me feel a little bit better.
"No no I'm fine." I just say tonelessly and unzip my guitar and strum a few chords.
"No you're not." She says with concern.
"Look come with me. Lets go back to mine and sort you out."
I just look down at my hands and wring them nervously trying not to cry. I feel an arm go around my shoulders and that just sets me off. You know that feeling when someone's being too kind to you and you can't help but crying? Yeah that was how I felt.
"Don't cry hun," she says. "Come'on," she gently takes my guitar away from me and zips it up and she helps me to stand up. My legs feel shaky and are like jelly.
"Lets go, come'on. You look in dire need need of a good strong coffee and a hot shower. You need someone to talk to." I realise that's she right. I need someone to pour all my troubles too.
"What's your name?" She says, linking arms with me.
"Willow."
"Cool love your name! I'm Charlotte but call me Charlie!" Her optimistic attitude makes me smile and brightens up my feelings a bit. She seems so lovely. Just the person I needed.
We catch the bus and walk to her house.
"Come'on Willow, we're nearly there now," as if she can sense that my legs feel like they're about to drop off. My hands are rubbed raw with the holdall straps digging into my hands. I think my back would have actually broken if Charlie didn't take it off me to carry.
She chatters on to me gaily and I just listen without talking. It feels nice just to listen.
She's talking about music now and I nod my head as she tells me how she loves singing.
"I'm always singing so you're going to have to get used to it! Do you sing?"
"Yeah. I love singing, it's my getaway you'know!"
"And I thought I was the only one!" She exclaims and pulls out the house keys.
"Theres the house!" She says and my shoulders droop with relief. Finally.
It's a nice looking detached house. Red brick and a shiny black front door with huge potted flowers outside.
"I think Ma's in, but Eddies out." She says.
"Your boyfriend?" I ask timidly.
"No!" She laughs "He's my brother he's gone to his mates for a bit. We usually come and visit Ma together because it's easier that way,"
"So you don't live here?"
"Nope, Ed and I live in Bristol but we've cone down to visit Ma for a while!"
That explains why she had a strange accent! I knew she wasn't Irish.
She opens the door and I breathe in the lovely aroma of homemade cakes and toasty bread.
"Is that you Charlie?" A voice calls from upstairs.
"Yeah it's me Ma." She calls back. "I brought a friend with me," and she smiles at me.
"Do you want a shower?" She says to me and I nod eagerly. A hot shower sounds like the nicest thing in the world right now.
"Make yourself at home," she says and motions at me to dump my bags in the hall and I do. I stretch out my arms and wiggle my fingers to loosen them up.
***
I'm holed up in Charlie's bedroom feeling refreshed after a long hot shower. Im holding a mug of steaming hot chocolate and marshmallows with a fleecy blanket draped over my shoulders.
I told Charlie everything. And when I say everything, I mean everything! When I told her what Danny told me about him killing Noah, she gasped.
"So it was him?" She asks cautiously stirring her hot chocolate.
"Yes." I say with certainty. I haven't cried yet and I'm not going to. I'm past crying. I've realised how it doesn't resolve anything.
"You're being so strong Will," and I shrug my shoulders.
"Not really."
"You are," she says and she reaches over and gives me a hug. I'm so glad that I went with her. I've only known her for a few hours but it seems like I've known her for years.
"I don't know what to do," and my eyes tighten threateningly.
"Look Willow.. Why don't you give it some time and then phone him. It might make everything better, he might have something to say to you."
"I could phone Mark or Glen.." I say thoughtfully and I hear Charlie gasp.
"Willow... Is Danny friends with Mark and Glen... ?" She says quickly and I look up at her and her eyes are wide with wonder.
"Um yeah they are like best mates. They are in a band together, forgot to mention."
"Don't give me a heart attack and say they are a band called The Script..?" She says her question full of astonishment.
I just laugh and nod my head.
"Your boyfriends Danny? Like Danny O'Donoghue? Oh my God, he is so cute like wow!" She exclaims with excitement.
"That band is like one of my favourite bands out there!" She squeals and I can't help but laughing hysterically at her fangirling reaction.
"Sorry sorry it's probably not helping me telling you how much I love them when you're in a bit of a mess with Dan. Sorry."
"No no it's fine, I don't mind honestly!" And suprisingly I don't. She is such a nice person it's ridiculous. I can't be annoyed at her because she is too nice!
"Phew!" She says and I laugh at her relief. She's made me feel much happier and cheered me up considerably.
"Thanks for cheering me up," I says with a shy smile.
"You don't have to say thankyou for that! It's okay!" She gives me a grin and I grin back.
Someone knocks on the bedroom door.
"Come in Ma,"
"Just thought I'd say hello to your friend," I hear a voice say as the door opens.
The lady looks very alike to Charlie. Blond-brown hair with grey streaks running through it and a smiley face.
"This is Willow," Charlie says gesturing at me.
She comes over and gives me a hug.
"Nice to see you Willow, I'm Jane."
"Hello Jane," I say and smile back at her. I feel so welcomed here, it feels like home and Charlie already seems like a best friend.
"See you around then girls," and she waves at her before leaving the room.
"Bye Jane," I wave back.
"Your mum seems lovely," I compliment as the door closes.
"Yeah. I love my Ma, she always means well." And she grins fondly.
It makes me wish my Ma was here and giving me a hug. I really do miss her.
My eyes well up just thinking about her and Charlie slides her hand into mine and squeezes it.
"Don't worry Willow. We'll sort this out. You and me. We will get through this mess." And I smile gratefully at her through my tears.
"Thankyou."
=•=•=•=
Hey'all!
Oh my Christ! 1.5K reads?! That's insane! Thankyou so much for reading!
I quite like this chapter I don't know why I just do:) what do you think?
The girl Charlie is based on @TheScript9810 because I felt like she needed to come into my story at some point hahah! Everyone go and read her books, they are amazing:)
Anyways hope you guys liked it..
Please vote and comment!
Rose 🍀🍀