Toast

Chapter Forty Eight // The Game Shop

- Elizabeth's POV -

"I'm going back home" Connie said with a broken smile, I stared at her in shock before nodding and glancing at the ground. She seemed upset to be leaving, maybe because her plan failed and I didn't go home with her.

"You just got here a few days ago, I don't understand" I told her, Connie shrugged her shoulders before looking in the direction of where Priya was hiding behind the tree.

"I came here to see if you still loved me and you do, you always will but your heart is set on somebody else.." Connie admitted while nervously playing with the tassels on her jacket, I was confused at first but then I realised she was glancing at Priya in the background every now and then meaning it was her I loved more than Connie.

"You have Jay, you always have him. Why disrupt my life for this? It wasn't worth it" I told her calmly, she nodded like she knew I was right. Connie and Jays relationship was a train wreck but somehow they always made their way back to each other, Connie being a stupid bitch and forgiving him every time he cheats. We were both silent until I thought I should tell her the good news.

"I'm pansexual, I figured out my sexuality" I said confidently, Connie smiled and congratulated me but her mind was clearly elsewhere. She began to tell me that Jay had called her and apologised for his actions, Connie was going to return home and talk to him about the situation later on.

"You deserve better, I truly believe that" I said while sighing and shaking my head, Connie laughed.

"Maybe I do but he's all I have now, I can't let him go"

Suddenly a car pulled into the boarding house and stopped beside me and Connie, it was her step-dad coming to pick her up. He got out of the car and his face lit up once he had seen me.

"Elizabeth! I didn't know you were at this school?" He shouted before hugging me, I glanced at Connie over his shoulder in confusion. What did she tell her parents that made them agree to coming here then? Connie's step-dad had to go inside to fill out paper work for Connie's departure which meant we were left alone once again.

"We were good, right? We had a great friendship and most of the time it felt like nobody could separate us" Connie said with a smile on her face, she had a tear in her eye as she spoke to me. I agreed with her and smiled back.

"We had planned to travel the world and watch Disney movies on the weekends and make journals about our adventures, it would've been a good life" I told her happily, she nodded and sighed. We were both reminiscing but I was thinking positively and Connie was on the brink of breaking down.

"Thank you for not ruining my chance with Priya, she's very special to me.." I whispered in case Priya could hear, I tried my best to hide the grin on my face but it wasn't happening.

"More special than I was?" Connie questioned with a frown on her face, I stared at her in slight anger before brushing it off and forgetting the question. Instead of experiencing more awkward silences I decided to take Connie's belongings and put them into her step-dads car, she thanked me when I did so. I held the passenger seat door open for her and she got into the car to wait for her step-dad, we smiled at each other once again but before I went to close the door Connie asked me a final question.

"Do you think we will ever see each other again?" She asked quietly, I sighed and shrugged my shoulders.

"I hope so but if not, maybe in another life" I told her with a slight grin on my face, she nodded and laughed at my reply.

"Good luck Effie"

"With what?" I asked her in confusion, Connie's step-dad appeared at the exit of the boarding house with the lady who owns the building. I ducked my head down as I was on the other side of the car, Connie laughed loudly at me and I told her to be quiet.

"With everything!" Connie whispered excitedly before closing the car door and leaving me to escape on my own, Connie's step-dad was still keeping the lady busy so I decided to make a run for it towards the tree where Priya was hidden. I glanced back at them as I ran for my life and all I could see was Connie's huge grin as she watched me run to safety. Priya held her arms out to me as I finally arrived at the tree and I jumped on her before dancing and celebrating that I made it without getting in trouble.

"Where is she going?" Priya asked me as we both watched her step-dad drive away, I waved as they left.

"Home. She's leaving.."

~~~~~

~~ The 10th Of November 2014 ((One year and eleven months ago)) ~~

The cue outside the game shop was insane, there were almost three hundred people patiently waiting for the grand opening to begin. The special thing about this game shop was that every game was under twenty pounds, even the games that were new and only coming out. I stood in a line squished between a group of boys who smelt like they hadn't showered in weeks. I had four layers of clothing on as well as a fluffy scarf and a hat, I knew I'd be waiting outside for hours and I was determined to get at least one game before the crazy gamer nerds ripped them all off the shelves.

A boy around the age of ten was behind me, he had huge headphones on his ears and music was blasting through them. I occasionally glanced back at him in shock at how his ears could handle the noise, he seemed to be alone but the crazy crowds didn't phase him one bit. Until suddenly some of the people behind me in the line were shouting and complaining at somebody..

"You're bunking the line!"

"Who are you young lady?!"

"We have been waiting here for hours!"

I looked back in confusion before I saw a girl pushing through the line making her way to the top, she was not going to pass me. I stared at her angrily as she began to approach me, I held my arms out at each side so there was no way she could get passed. The boy with the headphones stared up at me weirdly before glancing down at his phone again.

"I made it! I'm here!" The girl who was pushing through the line shouted, she stopped bunking once she had made it to the little boy behind me. I awkwardly turned around and stopped guarding my spot in the line once I realised she was only looking for him.

"Took you long enough Connie, I've been standing here alone all day. I could've been raped or something" The boy said, the girl shoved him angrily and he laughed at her before shoving her too. The girl bumped into me and made me fall forwards, the boy laughed more than he already was once he realised that a complete stranger was on the ground.

"I am so sorry!" The girl shouted while helping me up, my new jeans were completely drenched from falling into a puddle. I sighed loudly and tried my best to dry them but it was no use.

"My brother is an asshole" She whispered to me as he put his headphones back on and nodded his head to the music, I nodded in agreement with her. The girl noticed that my jeans had been ruined and she groaned in frustration before slapping her brother across the head, he glanced up at her in shock before focusing on his phone again.

"I'll buy you new ones" She said to me, I stared at her weirdly before shaking my head and refusing.

"You don't need to, it's fine they are old anyway.." I said, clearly lying but I wasn't going to let a random stranger buy me some clothes.

"Please? After this game shop rubbish is over you can choose a pair and I'll buy you them, I have some pocket money saved up" She told me while rummaging through her handbag and pulling out her purse, I frowned at her as she struggled to count up the coins.

"Okay, fine!" I shouted while crossing my arms, the girl smiled widely. After putting her purse back in her bag she held her hand out in front of me, I glanced down at it before looking up at her again.

"I'm Connie, this is probably the worst way to meet another person but.." She began to laugh nervously and I nodded before shaking her hand.

"I'm Elizabeth" I said quietly as we shook hands with smiles on our faces, Connie's brother began to chuckle evilly.

"I just told mum that you slapped me, she said you're in big trouble!" He shouted, Connie rolled her eyes and snatched the phone from his hands.

"Siblings.."

"Tell me about it"