She's A Hurricane

Chapter Forty Six

"Are you sure that's everything?" Mum asked for what seemed like the hundredth time as she slammed shut the car boot. All of my belongings had been bundled in there haphazardly and now it was finally time to leave.

"Yeah... I'm sure" I replied flatly, staring back at the Thompson's who were waiting at the front of the house to wave me goodbye. I had become so attached to them in a way I never thought I would. Granted, I wasn't as close to one particular person, but I'm sure we would settle our differences eventually. Anyway I could handle Charlotte easily if it meant staying here with Jamie.

As I slid into the passenger seat of my mum's beat-up old car, I soon realised that I could stay here. I was acting as though I was being cruelly ripped away from this place against my will, but that wasn't the case at all. I had a choice.

"Bye guys! We'll see you soon!" Mum called out the window as she turned on the engine. The car vibrated roughly due to its age and suddenly began to drift down the road.

"Bye Iris! Bye Kat!" I heard Greg shout, whilst the others simply waved silently. Another lump appeared in the back of my throat. Was this such a good idea? I wasn't so sure anymore.

As soon as I saw the postcard-perfect house disappearing into the distance, I quickly concluded that, in fact, I didn't want to leave. I just couldn't. I was only making this decision based on my mum and what I thought I should do, rather than what I really wanted.

But turning back now would be selfish wouldn't it? Ditching my mum when I hadn't seen her in so long seemed very harsh, especially now I wasn't the rude and spiteful person I once was. However she had also been the one to tell me it was okay and that I was able to make my own decisions in life. She understood and I understood her, we didn't need to go home to realise that.

And so I quickly made a bold choice, one I didn't know the consequences of but one I was strangely excited to find out.

"Mum, wait..." I blurted, whipping my head around to look at her, "Stop... stop the car..."

She glanced at me with a look of surprise,

"What?"

"Please mum..."

She gave me another confused glance before casually pulling up into the nearest curb. The road was fairly empty anyway, so it didn't exactly matter.

"Kat?" She frowned,

"I love you mum" I smiled softly, clipping off my seatbelt and twisting my body towards her. Her shiny brown eyes widened immediately and she tilted her head,

"I know that sweetheart... I love you too."

"And even if we're apart, I'll still love you and appreciate you and want you to be a part of my life..."

A small smile began to grow on her lips as I said this and I think she knew the point I was trying to make,

"You want to go back, don't you?"

"Do you... Do you think that would be okay?" I asked hesitantly. I didn't know whether I was being selfish, or just making an adult decision for once in my life. Either way I felt weird.

"Of course, I told you that before silly. I will miss you though... But if you promise to at least answer my calls once in a while then... I think I can live with it" She reached forward and tucked a stray piece of blue hair behind my ear affectionately.

"Besides you're practically an adult now, you've got your own life to lead and adventures to have..."

I could feel my eyes swelling with tears at this point so I quickly leaned over and hugged her tightly. I had been so wrong about her, but then I had been wrong about most things. She was never selfish or unfair, she simply wanted the best for me and if it wasn't for her, I wouldn't have even met the Thompson's. I realised now that I didn't even need a dad in my life because she was enough. She'd always been enough.

"Right, let's turn this car around then" she chuckled, restarting the engine and making a narrow U-turn. A sigh of relief escaped my lips. I had done it. I had stopped myself from making a huge mistake and was heading back to where I truly belonged, my second home in fact. And I simply couldn't wait to see the look on Jamie's face.

***

I didn't even wait for my Mum to unclip her seatbelt before I bolted out of the car and jogged to the front door of the house. I took one deep breath and opened it swiftly, before bursting into the living room where oddly they were all sat together.

"Didn't think you'd get rid of me that easily did ya?" I joked, taking in the priceless look on each of their faces.

"Kat!" Alice shrieked, running towards me and hugging my knees tightly. I bent down and lifted her up, swinging her round as she giggled. I then plonked her back down and grinned widely at the rest of them waiting for some kind of response.

"You owe me a tenner!" Lucas shouted at his dad. Greg rolled his eyes and got up off the sofa. He then rummaged for a second in his jeans pocket before pulling out a note and slapping it in his son's outstretched hand.

"I bet him that you would come back within ten minutes" Lucas explained triumphantly, holding up his newly earned tenner.

"And you didn't think I would?" I asked Greg curiously, a slight hint of humour in my voice.

"Well I said you would be back by tomorrow, I thought you might at least make it back to the mainland first..."

All of us burst into a mad fit of laughter at this, and I even saw Charlotte crack a smile from the corner of my eye.

"What are we all laughing at?" Mum said as she came up behind me. This only made us laugh harder. It was then that I realised these people in front of me, the ones I believed would be the nerdy family from hell, were in actual fact the only family I needed, bar mum of course.

"So you're really staying?" Jamie piped up, stepping towards me eagerly. I nodded, before looking quickly at Greg and Charlotte, "If that's okay..."

"Well I think that's a given" Greg chuckled in reply.

Jamie's familiar smirk reappeared on his face as he continued to step towards me. I was slightly nervous as to what he was going to do next. Surely he wasn't... oh but he was.

He pressed his lips against mine before my brain could catch up. It was sweet that he felt comfortable enough to do this in front of his entire family but also extremely awkward. Thankfully he made it quite brief.

I blushed furiously as he pulled away looking at me in satisfaction. Everyone else either looked disgusted or doey-eyed and adoring.

"Hm... I guess we'll have to get used to that..." Greg said clearing his throat to break the tension. I stared at the ground embarrassed whilst a small grin crept onto my mouth. I didn't know what to say.

"As long as I don't get any grandchildren yet" Mum mocked from the doorway. Both Jamie and I stood there gobsmacked. She couldn't be more embarrassing if she tried.

"Mum!" I squeaked, not daring to look up at Jamie.

"What? I'm just saying... You're too young for that"

"Okay, okay! You can go now..." I begged, desperate to stop my cheeks from blushing. The prospects of having kids at this age never even crossed my mind. I certainly was not the maternal type. But then I also didn't think I was the family type and look at me now. So who knows, eh?

"Fine, fine I'll go get your stuff back out of the car" she huffed, rolling her eyes playfully. I couldn't believe I was actually going to be living here for good. If someone would have told me that a few months ago, I would have either laughed or punched them in the face. I suppose a lot can change though.

I remembered then what Greg had said to me on the first day I met him. He said I hadn't experienced the right kind of change. I remember at the time thinking that was a load of crap, but he had been right. Because things had changed and they were certainly for the better.

I had everything I ever needed now. I no longer had poisonous friends who didn't care about me or the built up anger surrounding my dad. Instead I had a strong relationship with my mum, a new family who welcomed me with open arms and above all, I had a boyfriend. A real boyfriend who loved me for exactly who I was.

And because of that there was no need for me to go back home because, actually, I was already here.