She's A Hurricane

Chapter Fourteen

Tensions between Charlotte and I only went from bad to worst over the next following days. We would rarely speak and if we did it was only to please Greg. He was keeping a watchful eye on the pair of us because I think he sensed the rift. I think everyone did.

One particularly day, I managed to roll myself out of bed and trudge downstairs to find everyone except Greg outside in the garden. Charlotte and her children were all bent down on the ground in the mud, gardening. If that wasn't the sappiness thing in the world, I don't know what was. Barney, meanwhile, was bounding around, his tongue flapping in the breeze. He was quite alright, for a dog.

There were an array of spades and rakes scattered across the vibrant grass, ready to be used. I paced over to them all and turned my nose up. Jamie's eyes darted up from the mud patch he was digging from and found mine. He shot me a familiar smirk. I couldn't believe he was involved in the gardening. Why would he let his mum tell him what to do? There was no way you'd catch me doing that.

"Ah Kat, you're up" Charlotte said in the most patronising way possible, "You can help tend the flowerbeds..." I knew she was absolutely loving this. She thought she had one over on me, but how wrong she was.

"There's no way I'm rolling around in the dirt" I sneered, folding my arms over my chest. From the corner of my eye I could see Alice picking daisies from the ground and pulling them into a bunch. How could Charlotte make a five year old help with the gardening? That was basically child labour.

"It's okay... we can wash your clothes if they get dirty" She replied innocently. The look in her eye told me she knew exactly what she was doing. I bet she couldn't wait to see me get all muddy. I bet she was waiting to push my face in it. Well I wouldn't give her the satisfaction.

"I don't care, I still ain't doing it."

Charlotte shot me a sharp look before strutting off towards Jamie and whispering something to him. Oh no, she wasn't going to use Jamie to persuade me. She knew I would listen to him more. I wasn't having any of it. But before I knew it, he had dropped his spade and was walking over to me.

"Alright?"

"I'm not doing any bloody gardening, so don't even try and make me" I said firmly, gazing up into his murky blue eyes. He let out a low laugh and scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.

"I don't like it either... but you kinda have to do it"

"I don't have to do anything..." I couldn't believe he was taking her side. He was supposed to be sticking up for me. Although she was his mum and I was just a girl he met a few days ago. I guess I couldn't exactly blame him.

"Tell ya what... do this and I'll show you a proper way to have fun"

"Yeah, you said that before" I huffed, rolling my eyes. I thought back to a few nights ago when we had gone on our walk in the park.

"And you had fun... I know you did, don't even try to deny it" His smirk grew wider when I didn't correct him. The truth was I had had fun. However I'd sooner jump off a bridge than admit this to him.

"No more bandstands then?"

"Nope" He chuckled, giving me an amused look. I was seriously conflicted. I didn't want Charlotte to win but I also was very intrigued by Jamie was offering. I rolled my eyes again and let out a defeated groan.

"Uh fine!"

He smiled triumphantly, winked at me and then strolled back over to where he had been digging. Charlotte was watching me from a distance also looking pleased as I lifted up a small shovel from the collection.