Normal People (Season 2)

December 2016

There is only a couple of lights in Connell's apartment. He is sitting down on his sofa, on his laptop, working on one of his assignments for the creative writing program. He then decides to stop for the night and to continue tomorrow. He then puts his laptop away, takes out his phone, and decides to call his mum, Lorraine. He dials her phone number and waits for a few seconds until he hears...

"Hello, sweetheart!" Lorraine said over the phone

"Hi Mum, how are you?" Connell asked his mum

"Ah good, ya know yourself, just same old crac, back here in Carricklea," Lorraine said. This forced Connell to let a chuckle escape his mouth

"Never mind me how about you? How is the "city that never sleeps"?" Lorraine asks

"Yeah, everything is going fine over here, I am enjoying the course so far and am doing quite well," Connell answered

"When you get back here, which is...?" Lorraine asks Connell

"Let me see, uh, a few weeks actually and I'll be back, why?" Connell answers

"Well, when you get back in a few weeks I want you to tell me all about your time in New York!" Lorraine said. This forces Connell to let out another laugh

"Will do, mum" Connell said

There is then a few seconds of silence before Connell remembered something

"Oh and uh, mum?" Connell said

"Yes, sweetheart?" Lorraine asked

"Could you do me a favor please?" Connell asked

"Sure, what is it?" Lorraine said

"For Christmas, I need you to invite Marianne round to yours, if you don't mind," Connell said

"No, of course, I don't mind, I would love to have her around, have you asked her yet if she will come round?" Lorraine asked

Connell paused for a few seconds before...

"Connell...." Lorraine started

"Yes?" Connell replied

"Have you been talking to her?" Lorraine asked her son

"Ah, no, not really" Connell admitted

"And why is that? Do you not think she deserves to hear from you?" Lorraine said with a bit of anger in her voice

"No I do, obviously but I just don't know what I will say, and I have been busy enough as it is," Connell replied to his mum's question

"Well you have time to talk to me, I would imagine you would have time to talk to her." Lorraine shot back at Connell

"Yeah," Connell said

"Honestly, Connell, talk to her" Lorraine said to Connell

"Alright, I'll try," Connell said

"Thank you, sweetheart," Lorraine said 

"Alright mum, I will talk to you soon, I love you" Connell saying goodbye to his mum

"I love you too sweetheart and just try and talk to her" Lorraine said

"Ok, I will see ya," Connell said

"Alright bye love," Lorraine said

Connell then hangs up and goes straight to Marianne's number, but just before he dials her number, he hesitates. He stays like that for a few minutes before putting his phone down, and puts his hands on his head, sighing a-lot as he does. 

Connell then picks up his phone and puts on some music to clear the many thoughts running through his head

A/N: PLAY SONG

Connell then moves over to one of his desks and turns on his laptop. He opens up the book he is currently working on and begins to write again

The next morning, Connell wakes up in his bed, alone. Opens his curtains, looks out his apartment window. Connell then decides to have a shower, get dressed, and makes himself a simple toast and eggs breakfast. He finishes making his breakfast, puts his eggs and toast on a plate, takes over with him to his table. 

About halfway into his breakfast, he turns on his phone, opens his Instagram. He then stops dead in his tracks when he sees a picture of Marianne and Daniel in a new apartment. He then reads the caption as "Enjoying my free time, with my new man"

Connell is visibly crushed by seeing that Marianne "Supposedly" moved on from him. He then sits in his chair completely silent for a few minutes. A few minutes later, Connell decides that he has enough of being scared to talk to Marianne. Connell picks up his phone once again, opens his contacts, goes to Marianne's name, and taps call

Connell waits in nervousness as he hears the phone dial.

The second he hears...

"Hello?" Marianne says over the phone

Connell all of a sudden freezes, not knowing what to say.

"Hello? Is someone there?" Marianne asks

Connell then realizes it will be rude to ignore Marianne over the phone

"Uh..hello. Marianne" Connell says, hesitantly

"Connell?" Marianne asks

"Yeah it's me" Connell confirms for Marianne

"Wow, it's has been nearly 11 months since we last spoke," Marianne says

"Yeah, I'm sorry, I've just been very busy ever since I came here with work and college, you know?" Connell says

"Yes of course. Anyway, how are you?" Marianne asks

"I'm doing quite well actually. I'm enjoying New York. The city is a great place, there is so much to visit." Connell answers Marianne

"It does really sound like you are enjoying it," Marianne says

"Yeah, well, how are you? I see you have a new boyfriend" Connell says

"Oh yeah, Daniel. We met a few months back. He's not like Jamie or Lukas. He's nice to me." Marianne says with confidence

"Or like me?" Connell asks

"Sorry?" Marianne says

"I meant he's not like me" Connell tries to explain

"What do you mean by that?" Marianne asks with curiosity

"What I mean by that is, I have also been guilty of treating you badly in the past" Connell says

"Not as bad as Jamie or Lukas" Marianne tries to explain to Connell

"Yeah but, I still feel guilty about it," Connell says

"You shouldn't Connell. It happened years ago and I forgave you, remember?" Marianne says, trying to reassure Connell

"Yeah you did, but I didn't forgive myself," Connell says

"You should, you really weren't that bad," Marianne tells Connell

"But I was wrong in what I did" Connell tries explaining to Marianne

"It doesn't matter anymore. I'm looking forward to you coming back here, which is when...?" Marianne asks Connell

"In a few weeks," Connell tells her

"I can't wait to see you again. I miss you a-lot" Marianne tells him

"Yeah, me too," Connell says

There is a slight pause from both Connell and Marianne

"Well, I'm gonna let you go there and I will talk to you, hopefully, soon," Connell says

"Alright Connell, see ya," Marianne says

"Alright talk to you soon, Marianne," Connell says

"Bye," Marianne says

"Bye," Connell says

Connell then hangs up, he then puts his phone on the table and rubs his hands over his eyes and his head.