Nola and Sam were sat in the kitchen when I came down. Nola was playing with George on her knee as Mum was handing Sam a cup of tea.
"Oh, erm hi," I said awkwardly I couldn't see Aden, thankfully. My dream still had me a little flustered. They smiled at me warmly.
"Hello sweetie, we came by to give you some cookies. Our way of saying thank you for helping," Nola said as she pointed to the plate of homemade cookies, one that was currently being devoured by George. I smiled politely as I took one. I wasn't sure what Aden said to them, so I didn't know quite what to say. Sam looked out into our back garden.
"Wow, this is an impressive garden Katherine, are you the green thump or your husband?" He asked as he moved to the patio doors Mum had put in a year ago. Mum followed gushing at the compliment.
"Oh, I am. Peter wouldn't know what to do even if he tried," she gushed as she opened the doors and gave him a tour of her flowers. Nola smiled at me.
"Now that we are alone Georgia, I wanted to talk to you," I gulped. "I wanted to apologize for Aden. He didn't mean to be rude, he's just not really happy with the move and leaving his friends. He took it out on you, he does feel bad," she explained as George reached for another biscuit.
"Thanks, Mrs Fen.... Nola but it shouldn't be you that should be apologizing," I said. Nola smiled and nodded.
"I agree but he wouldn't come over probably too embarrassed, perhaps you could go to him." I was about to object but then I could see Mum coming back with Sam, and I thought why not. I nodded to Nola and got up and left.
"He's in the back garden!" she called after me.
I made my way around the side of their house, like my house their front and back garden was connected by a small path. The garden wasn't that overgrown considering it had been vacant for years. I had expected it to look like a jungle.
"Dad's been out here fixing it," I turned in surprise. Aden was sat on a small deck chair.
My garden was half grass and flowers and half stone pavings. Mum had spent years getting it perfect, George wasn't allowed out to play in the back until he was older. Aden's garden had a small decking area as well as a patio and then a small grass area.
He watched me as I made my way over to him. I sat in the chair next to him.
"What are you doing here?" he asked rudely. I shrugged.
"Your mum said you wanted to say something to me," I said calmly, I wasn't as angry as before. He got up in a huff and walked back inside. I followed after him. "I think I deserve something after the way you spoke to me," I demanded. "Especially, since I came over to help you," I added. He turned and glared at me.
"You were the one that left without finishing the job you were given!" he was practically shouting at me.
"Yeah! I did leave because you were being a jerk, just like you are now. I get it, you hate that you have had to move, leave your friends and stuff but that wasn't my fault!" I shouted back.
I turned and left back through the door to the garden. I was about the leave the garden when I stopped. I closed my eyes and took several deep breaths, another thing that helps me calm down, though it doesn't always work. I heard him walk up behind me. Once I thought I was relatively calm I turned around to face him.
"See you around Aden," I said before walking back home. Nola and Sam were looking at me expectantly as they passed me. I shook my head and continued on inside. Mum was back in the living room.
"Is that you Georgia?" she asked.
"Yeah!" I called back.
"Dad's getting Chinese from that place you like, so tea won't be long ok?"
"Ok," I shouted back before going upstairs.
Dad came in an hour later, we all sat in the kitchen eating in silence. I could see Mum and Dad exchanging glances as I play with my food. Dad cleared his throat.
"So Chief, how was your day? Your Mum says you went over to meet the new family," he asked. I shrugged.
"It was fine, they are fine," I said as little as possible.
I shouldn't be bothered by Aden's behaviour towards me, I mean I don't even know him, and he doesn't know me. Mum started talking about Sam's opinion of the garden, I used that as an excuse to leave the table. I wasn't in the mood for company.
I started my holiday homework because I had nothing better to do. I couldn't text or call my friends, because Mum took my phone off me a few weeks ago, for a month. I only wanted to see my friends, but I hadn't asked her permission when I took some money out of her purse and went to get the bus to Haynsworth.
The only flaw in that plan. I hadn't checked where Mum was that morning. She had left her purse at home and gone to the shops with George. So, she saw me at the bus stop and shouted at me all the way home. Took my phone off me and grounded me. She grounded me for the full week I had off, but dad convinced her that was overkill.
"Knock, Knock," Dad said as he stepped into my room. I was sat at my small table, Dad sat on my bed as I turned to face him. He noticed what I was doing. "Getting some homework done, eh," he said. I nodded.
"Yeah, gives me something to do."
"Good idea, anything I can help with?" he asked. I shook my head.
"No, it's ok, it's pretty easy," I said. He nodded.
"Well at least if you get it done now, you have more time to do other stuff," he smiled weakly at me.
"Other stuff? Like what?" I asked him. "I can't see my friends because we live here, and they don't, I can't even talk to them on the phone. There's nowhere for me to hang out or do anything except the den, so what other stuff could I do Dad? Besides look after George and go to the shops for Mum," I was ranting at him I know, but I couldn't stop myself. Dad sighed.
"Georgia, we've talked about this. I'm sorry that you can't be with your friends, but they could come here and see you." I wanted to cry.
"They won't, because there isn't anything to do here. If we hang out near the shops the old biddies start telling us to get lost. There's nothing to do in the fields and the den isn't big enough for more than two people. I'm fifteen Dad, I should be allowed to go one town over to see my friends, it's only thirty minutes away by bus." Dad stood up.
"I'm sorry Georgia, but I've seen what can happen to young girls who just went one town over," and he left.
I got up and slammed my door. The tears came flooding out, I couldn't stop them. I looked out the window and saw Aden, he was stood at the end of his front garden looking at my window. I closed my curtains quickly and flopped down on my bed.
This had to be the worst day of my life. First, the new boy is a jerk to me and doesn't even have the decency to say sorry and then I have a row with Dad. If they were so worried about going one town over, then why couldn't we move to Haynsworth?
I even looked through the papers and found a pretty good house. It would work better for Dad with work, he could stay in bed twenty minutes longer. It wouldn't bother me getting up earlier for school. It would mean I could ride to school with my friends. Mum and Dad had immediately shut that idea down, they wouldn't even entertain the idea.
I decided to get changed into my PJ's and go to bed. Hopefully, tomorrow would be a better day.