Chapter 35
“I feel better,” reasoned Cheryl, sitting up on the sofa to prove her point as Sarah shot Nicola an amused look.
“I don’t care, you’re not having wine, Cheryl. You’re still taking antibiotics”, and Kimberley walked into the kitchen to get the bottle of wine they’d been discussing.
Cheryl rolled her eyes at Sarah as the other girl began to giggle. Sarah held up her thumb and rubbed it on the palm of her other hand. “Under the thumb, totally, it’s so sweet”, she mocked, whilst Nicola stifled a giggle.
Cheryl scowled at both of them. “I am not under the thumb. It’s just easier to let her have her own way sometimes”, she protested, prompting them to laugh even more.
“What?!” Cheryl continued. “She’s right really. And she’ll probably let me have a glass of wine at least”.
Sarah wiped a tear from her cheek as she tried to stop laughing. “You crack me up. ‘She’ll let me have wine’. Under the thumb!!!” and she held her thumb up again for effect.
Cheryl pouted. “She’s looking after me…”
“Yes I am,” interrupted Kimberley, walking back into the living room with a bottle of wine, 3 glasses, and a glass of orange juice. “There you go, baby”, and she handed the orange juice to Cheryl, prompting both Sarah and Nicola to laugh out loud.
“What?” asked Kimberley, pouring the wine into each of the 3 glasses in turn. “What did I say?”
“Is there wine in that orange juice?” asked Sarah, pointing at Cheryl’s glass.
“No – she’s on antibiotics”, replied Kimberley, passing a glass to Sarah and Nicola then picking up her own. “She can’t have any”.
“But she wanted some. We were just saying how she does what you tell her”, explained Sarah, putting her wine glass down on the table in front of her and again rubbing the thumb of one hand into the palm of the other and raising her eyebrows at Kimberley.
“Oh shush,” replied Kimberley, smiling. “She knows it’s for her own good”, and she sat down next to Cheryl, leaning in and kissing her forehead. “Don’t listen to them, babe. They’re just teasing to wind you up”.
Cheryl pouted at Sarah, and raised her middle finger when the other girl looked at her.
Sarah laughed. “No babe, it’s the thumb – not the middle finger – it’s the thumb you’re under”, and she laughed as Cheryl rolled her eyes.
“At least you’re feeling better”, reasoned Nicola, stepping in to change the subject. “I couldn’t believe it when Kimberley called to cancel the other night and told us you had no voice”.
“I had a voice, I was just banned from using it,” complained Cheryl, sipping her orange juice.
“Bet it was the best few days of the year for you Kimbas”, joked Sarah.
Kimberley laughed. “It was peaceful, let’s put it like that”.
Cheryl scowled. “It was painful, and I had a fever”.
“Awwww,” sympathised Nicola. “I know, but even so, a few days without your moaning, it must have been bliss”.
“Right, do you know what, I’m not having this,” protested Cheryl. “I can’t even have a glass of wine to get me through all the p*ss taking. Stop it now”.
Kimberley smiled and put her arm round Cheryl’s shoulder, pulling her in close and kissing her on the top of the head. “Ignore them, I missed hearing your voice”.
Sarah pretended to be sick. “Nauseating!” then she ducked quickly to avoid the cushion Cheryl had thrown at her. “Missed”, and she winked at Cheryl.
“Chick flick or something more epic?” asked Nicola, looking through the pile of dvd’s in front of the table.
“Nothing that’s gonna make me laugh,” replied Cheryl, resting her head on Kimberley’s shoulder. “That makes me cough, and none of us want that”.
“Definitely not,” agreed Sarah, settling next to Nicola to look through the dvd’s. “We wouldn’t be able to hear the film”.
“Your concern is overwhelming, Sarah” replied Cheryl sarcastically.
Sarah looked up at her with a smile and showed a DVD to both her and Kimberley. “This one?”
They both nodded back as Nicola turned and nodded her approval before getting back up on the sofa. “So when do you fly out?” she asked Kimberley, whilst leaning forward and taking a handful of popcorn.
“Thursday” replied Kimberley, taking a sip of her wine. “Thankfully I get to see Cheryl’s performance tomorrow before I go”.
“First proper performance of the new single, eh Chezza. Nervous?” asked Sarah.
“Bricking it” replied Cheryl. “We had the first rehearsal today, thankfully we’d already done choreography and stuff before I got ill, but it was still manic trying to remember everything. I get one run-through tomorrow then it’s show time”.
“I don’t think I’d be able to do it without you guys around me,” admitted Nicola, fiddling with the remote.
“That’s why she’s gone solo and you’re selling make-up” reasoned Sarah, pointing at Nicola’s face.
Nicola scowled. “You make it sound like I got a job in a department store while missy over there conquers the pop world”.
“Oi!” interrupted Cheryl. “R&B if you don’t mind”.
“Oh god, I wish I hadn’t spoke” said Sarah, holding up her hands. “I just meant that you’re playing to your strengths. You don’t want to perform on your own, so you are doing something you do want to do, and are good at. Happy?”
“So long as you know the difference between pop and R&B,” joked Cheryl.
Sarah laughed. “I've heard your album – I’m not sure you do”, and she winked at Cheryl with a smile.
“Are we watching?” asked Nicola, pressing pause on the remote.
“Yes!” replied Kimberley. “Will you just press play?”
“Just checking this one doesn’t want to start discussing her film career before we start watching”, replied Nicola, gesturing towards Sarah with her hand.
“Might I remind you I chose the film?” replied Sarah. “If it wasn’t for me you’d still be sat there looking through them”.
“That’s true,” agreed Kimberley, laughing.
Nicola put the remote on the table after starting the film, and sat back on the sofa with Sarah. After a few minutes she nudged Sarah with her knee and looked over at Cheryl and Kimberley. Sarah silently followed her gaze and saw that Cheryl had already fallen asleep on Kimberley, her head resting on the older girl’s shoulder. Kimberley felt their stares and looked back at them with a smile, then she bent her head and kissed Cheryl’s head, moving her arm more tightly round the younger girl’s shoulder to keep her warm.
“See,” she whispered to Sarah and Nicola. “She didn’t need wine after all”, and she winked.
YOU ARE READING
