How To Begin Again

Chapter 23 - This Is My Idea Of Fun

Chapter 23 - This Is My Idea Of Fun

Adriana woke up to her phone buzzing on the bedside table. She had tried her hardest to get all thoughts about Jamie out of her head, to forget the calls which she had constantly declined. Turning slowly onto her side she looked at the screen: 10:32am; 1 group message. Shocked that it wasn't Jamie calling she sat upright and quickly unlocked her phone, drowsy and half-asleep. Forcing her eyes awake she stared vacantly at the message but more so as to who the message had been sent to.

Hey guys, hope all is well, thought it would be nice to invite you all round to my house for a drink tonight, we haven't properly been together in quite some time, will hopefully see you soon :) - Evan

Adriana scrolled through the list of people that were sent the message, Jemima, Emily, Naomi, Adriana, Jamie. She felt a very familiar fire seep through her insides, and leave her mind in ashes. Adriana didn't want to face him after the pain that he had put her through. Although she knew that the day would come she would try to postpone it for as long as possible. She had Matt now and didn't want Jamie ruining that for her too.

Before she even had time to collect her emotions together the phone began vibrating again however this time it was Emily. Her words poured out the second that Adriana had clicked accept.

"Hey Adriana, are you coming to Evan's tonight, everyone else is coming," a clear feeling of excitement glazed her sweet tone, "It's going to be great, all of us being together again, you are coming right?" The feeling of joy in her had voice had suddenly been replaced with a sense of doubt. 

"Erm... I don't really know what I'm doing yet plus I was thinking about going to see Matt tonight." Adriana had no plans to meet Matt but she couldn't bring herself to tell her anything about Jamie; she hadn't told anyone anything about what she saw at Evan's that night.

"Bring Matt with you, Evan doesn't mind, he just wants us all to be together and catch up with one another. The times really have changed and we haven't been all together in a long time." Emily had a subdued awareness that Adriana was hiding something, her words were full with discontent.

"Oh... okay then, I'll ask him what he wants to do, I suppose it would be nice for us all to see each other again." Adriana smiled, it was true that they hadn't all been together for years now, the childhood memories were fading away.

"Great! Well it's settled then, I'll see you at Evan's around 6? Anyway I've got to go Ade I'll see you later," and with those final words she left Adriana in silence. She steadily brought herself to stand, surprised at what had just happened, she had just agreed to spend time in the presence of someone who's name made her stomach turn, but she couldn't let them down. She did miss being around her closest childhood friends and although it would make her feel uncomfortable, she did it for them. Adriana quickly sent a text to Matt asking him if he wanted to go with her and by then she fully out of bed, opening the curtains and letting the sun glare deep into her eyes.

*

Jemima sat settled alongside Naomi on the park swings as the morning breeze padded through her hair. Naomi's fine silver locks sat gracefully on top of her blue winter coat whilst her eyes reflected the leaves which rushed around, trapped inside the park gate. Simultaneously their phones buzzed interrupting their conversation about the bridge and how much it had changed over time. They both read the group message from Evan and Jemima spoke, "Aww we're all going to be back together again like old times," her words were filled with content.

"It's about time that we all had a get together, I miss the good old days." Naomi smiled, remembering a time when they were all together, running through the field beside the bridge.

"I wonder if Adriana will be bringing her new mystery guy." Jemima said with a subtle sense of curiosity.

"I hope so, I want to see what he's like." Naomi replied, still happy at the thought they would all soon be back together.

"Well It would be great to see him, It's so nice to see Adriana happy after everything she's been through," her eyes gleamed green in the light. "I just hope he fits in with us all." 

Jemima let herself swing back and forwards in a gradual motion, absorbing the untroubled atmosphere and thinking about the night ahead. Happy that the flame of their childhood friendship group was being rekindled back to life, they sat on the swings in a temporary silence whilst the wind drifted their emotions away.

*

Emily stared deep into Evan's eyes as they smiled at one another, sitting on the thin, wooden bench just like the night that they had met. The sun had begun to settle on the horizon as they sat and embraced the still air that surrounded them. "It's going to be nice to have us all together again," Emily spoke in a soft tone. "I just hope there is no awkwardness between the others and Matt, I want Adriana to be happy."

"I am pretty sure it will be fine, we all want Adriana to be happy and from what you've mentioned she definitely seems that way." Evan's words were kind as always, sinking into their familiar place in her heart.

"I'm so happy that she's found someone, she's always had to live with the pressure of her mum and now everything seems to be going well for her, Ashley is definitely on the road to recovery and Adriana is the happiest I have ever seen her." 

The sound of the doorbell sent a shiver down the back of Emily's spine and as Evan rushed to open the front gate and welcome Jemima and Naomi she felt a slight chill enter the air.

*

The river slowly squirmed as it stared up at the abandoned bridge. The cold, choppy waters were bitter as Jamie stared into their depths. He looked down into the eyes of the murky monster, leaving his thoughts behind. He felt as if he was falling through the air as he stood atop the bridge, losing control. 'How could I be so stupid?' he thought to himself, 'How could I throw away something so precious?' Thoughts of Adriana constantly crossed his mind, but he had thrown any chances he had into the waters below. It pained him to think of that night, the night where he had ruined his relationship with Adriana. Since then he had slowly begun to lose his mentality, allowing his thoughts to flood his head, drowning any happiness he had. Jamie wanted her so badly and would do anything to have her back in his arms. He felt like he had lost her forever and the monsters inside his head had won. As he walked away towards Evan's house he felt the true pain of heartbreak, the true pain of loving someone who had moved on.

*

Adriana felt the air in her face as they drove down the winding roads towards Evan's house. Matt had picked her up from the front porch where she had been stood waiting, masked in a deep blue dress which floated in smooth movements. As he wound down the window she looked in to see his face, shining in the sun's beauty, whilst his grey eyes lay hidden behind a pair of sunglasses.

"I don't want you to feel like you have to come with me," she spoke quietly in a voice shrouded with guilt. "You don't have to do anything that you don't want to."

"I do want to come with you," he said with his endearing tone. "It will be nice to meet your friends and get to know everyone, I don't have to be the mystery guy anymore." He let out a slight laugh under his breath, but Adriana could sense his feeling of awkwardness, she knew he didn't want to be the one to ruin any friendships she had.

"You mean so much to me." Adriana said as she let the wind carry her hair. whilst Matt drove steadily. The jet black car reflected the sun setting along the horizon as they parked up outside of Evan's house. "This is the one." She said pointing as she felt a slight burn in her stomach. Was she ready for this to happen, for all the memories to come flooding back? Of course she wasn't but she knew she had to move on and let go, for it was too hard for her to keep holding on.