Where did your heart go? (The Heart Trilogy Book 1) (8 page)

Chapter 10

The following evening after tea, Charlotte excused herself and headed for her room to finish her homework and then to start the investigation of her finds from the attic, along with some more of the diary if she had time. The photo album was fun, the first few pictures were of her Mum and Sarah at Primary school and various birthday party pictures showing her Mum wearing some pretty rank clothes…brown flared cords….an orange jumpsuit….yuck! Then some photographs from secondary school, including some awful full school shots in a horrible grey uniform!

As Charlotte neared the end of the album she wondered if there were any photos of her mum and James, perhaps she had removed them or hidden them. But there on the very back page was a photograph of her Mum wearing a gorgeous black and white prom style dress, with hundreds of petticoats underneath it, her curly ginger hair was piled up on her head, with a few tendrils escaping, she looked breathtaking and next to her stood a tall, slim sexy, blond guy wearing a full suit and tie with his arm protectively round the waist of her Mum. They looked perfect together.

Charlotte looked into the mirror and pushed her hands through her lighter sandy blond hair, perhaps she should colour it red for a change, after all it suited her Mum back then and it would be good to have a fresh start since her break up with Craig. She wished that she had a photograph of herself with Craig but she had pressed delete on her phone and all those pictures had disappeared. Also she had decided that dating boys in her own year was not enough and she was going to set her sights on someone older, like her Mum had.

Closing the album she pushed it underneath her bed along with the letters, which she guessed would need to be read in conjunction with the diary. She reached for the diary and turning her iPod on low she started to read again.

Monday 8
th
February, 1988

School is getting tough; the teachers seem to be piling us up with so much course work to finish. We also have lots to get through during half term too, but at least it’s keeping me busy. James has also sent me another letter, much like the first.

             
“Dear Steph,

Thanks
for your quick reply to my letter. It is so lovely to hear what you are doing in Ross. I was quite excited about moving to a larger place when my Mum initially told me but I have to admit that I do miss Ross a lot more than I thought I would, especially my friends there, although the guys at work are great fun so it’s not as if I have no one to talk too! The boss at the pool is awful though so I have to stay on my toes every second when I am at work.

I hope they have not given you too much course work to do over the half term holiday as it might mean you don’t reply so quickly to my letters.

Anyway, I’m pleased that you enjoyed watching Top Gun. I try never to let a week go by in between watching it as the film is excellent and so is all the music. That’s why I put a couple of the tracks onto the mix tape that I gave you. I also grabbed the chance to watch Star Wars the original film again and it made me think of you and all your comments from our night out!! It’s funny how different things remind you of different moments in your life?

W
ell enough from me for now, I’m going to the gym before I start work so I’ll finish and wait for the postman to bring me another letter from you.

Fondest regards

              James x”

The real letter would be with his Valentine card. I had chosen it on the way home from school. It was a fantastic card where I got to choose the message on the outside by placing stickers on the relevant spaces that were shaped like love heart sweets. I hoped that he would like it.

Tuesday 9
th
February, 1988

I have found the perfect present for James for Valentines Day, one which I will be able to post to him; it’s a kit to make a fire engine! I just hope that he will love it as I wrapped it up carefully along with the card I had bought him and the letter.

             
“Dear James

I am writing this letter to
tell you how I really feel about you. I am hoping that you will read it and perhaps you might decide that what you have read is what you might want. If not then I am sorry if this will spoil our friendship and hope that perhaps it won’t.

Ever since I first saw you at the swimming pool I knew that I fancied you. When we started to become friends I started to feel
even more than just a crush for you. Then when you kissed me for the first time under the water I didn’t know what to feel. I could only hope that you perhaps felt more than just friendship for me.

Now that you have gone I just seem to miss you more and more. Your letters are great but I want more than friendship. I want love. I want to be your girlfriend in all senses of the wor
d. I know that I am only sixteen but don’t let that be the barrier between us trying to have a relationship that is more than just friendship. I also know that it will be harder due to the distance between us but I hope that we could work it out somehow.

Well, that’s all I can say and I am just wishing and praying that you might feel the same way too.

I hope you like the present?

             
Love Stephanie x”

Wednesday 10
th
February, 1988

After school I rushed into town and posted the parcel first class just to make sure. I was hoping that James might send me something, even if it was only a card. Another letter was waiting for me when I got home, telling me about work and about the area where he now lived. Apparently there was a great park nearby for roller skating, he asked if I could skate and I smiled and thought about what it would be like to skate along next to James, holding onto his hand tightly….knowing that it would probably never happen. He told me that he had bought a car and was just waiting until he could pick it up and then he would arrange to come down and see me. Inside the envelope was a photograph of his room, and I could see the elephant on the shelf above his bed.

Charlotte looked carefully at the photograph that was stuck into the diary and smiled, that must have made her Mum happy knowing that the cuddly toy had not been demoted to a cupboard.

Thursday 11
th
February, 1988

At school today Sarah and I grabbed a quiet spot away from the others to eat our lunch. I showed her the last letter that James had sent me.

“I’ve already posted the Valentine card and present and letter” I said, between crisps.

“Here’s the card I’ve bought for Chris” Sarah said, checking first before she pulled it out of her bag. I smiled as it said “Guess Who” on the front of it.

“So what shall I write inside” she asked me, chewing on the top of her pen.

“I think you should put something about him making a splash in your life as it might make him think about the swimming pool”

“Do you think it will” she asked

“Well, you do want him to guess who has sent it, don’t you” I said. She nodded as she carefully wrote the message.

“So should I post it to the video shop or do you want to drop it off there” she asked.

“I think we should both drop it off on Saturday, either before of after we go swimming” I said.

We spotted June and Amanda heading over towards our spot with their lunch so Sarah quickly hid the card between her folders and we enjoyed the rest of lunch listening to June going on about what she was going to send John for Valentine’s Day.

Friday 12
th
February, 1988

It’s the last day of school before half term and I could hardly believe how quickly time seemed to be flying by. We would only have another term until Easter and then it would be study leave and our exams. I arranged to meet Sarah in town tomorrow and then I headed home with a certain amount of excitement and optimism just in case there was a card already waiting for me.

Unfortunately this was short lived as there was no sign of a card waiting for me but at least there was always
the post tomorrow.

Saturday 13
th
February, 1988

I woke up and was disappointed that I had not received a Valentine card from James, perhaps I was hoping for too much…or perhaps it was still in the post and I would just have to wait until Monday instead. Sarah tried her best to cheer me up, but not even a swim at the pool could lift my mood. Was I setting my sights too high, were we only destined to be friends until he met the right girl for him and abandoned me completely??

We just managed to get to the video store before it closed later and I found the copy of Top Gun. Taking it to the counter I couldn’t see Chris anywhere.

“I don’t think Chris is here” I said to Sarah

“What should I do with the card then” she asked.

“Leave it in their
post box for returned cassettes, no one will look in there until tomorrow morning now” I said. We slipped the red envelope in through the slot and then continued through the town towards home.

“I’m sure James will send you something, you might just have to wait until Monday” Sarah said, as she hugged me on the corner of the street.

“I hope so, but I’m trying not to hold my breath. After all we’re only friends” I replied.

“Well I have my fingers crossed for you” Sarah said

“And I’ll cross mine for you then” I finished.

I sat in the lounge and watched Top Gun later that night and tried not to cry when I watched the love scene. How I wanted that to be me and James, how I longed for him so much that my heart seemed to ache. In bed that night I put my stereo on low and played the mix tape and cried in the darkness until sleep claimed me.

Sunday 14
th
February, 1988 (Valentine’s Day)

I woke up and went down for breakfast and noticed that my Mum seemed to be acting slightly strange, perhaps Dad had forgotten to give her a card too?

I headed back upstairs to shower and then I decided to tidy my room and try to forget about not receiving a valentine card, so I put my favourite Wham album on full blast and danced around the room, until I heard a car pull up in the driveway outside. I peered out the window and saw a lovely red
mini sat there and then I heard the doorbell go. Who could it be? Probably someone to see my parents until I heard my Mum shout

“Stephanie, there’s someone here to see you” she called.

I rushed downstairs, which s
eemed to take me ages as I had two flights to negotiate from my attic room to ground floor but it was worth it when I saw James standing there, smiling shyly and holding a single red rose and card in his hand.

“Hi Steph, I thought I would surprise you” James said.

As the blood rushed to my head I almost fainted as I smiled too and wished that I had the nerve to run into his arms there and then.

“Hi James, it’s a lovely surprise” I said as
I took the gifts and he kissed me on the cheek before accepting my Mum’s offer of a coffee. We sat together in the kitchen and chatted with my parents for a bit. Then he asked

“Would you like to come into town with me as I have to see
Chris?”

“Yes that’s great as I have to take my video back to the shop” I replied. I ran and grabbed the video along with my coat and bag.

Sitting next to him in his car was fantastic, especially when he turned the stereo on and all the tunes were from the mix tape as we sang along, and chatted.

“So I’m going to be around until Tuesday so would you like to go swimming on Monday night” James asked.

“Yes, so long as Chris and Sarah can come” I replied. James nodded and smiled across at me, knowing that I was trying hard to play match maker.

We spent an hour in the video shop and Chris agreed to come swimming on Monday evening too if I was going to invite Sarah along, she would be so happy as he gave me a thumbs up as we left, making me believe that he had guessed who the valentine card was from and that he seemed quite happy to know who had sent it.

Then we headed back to my house, I made us both a cold drink

“Mum is it ok for James to come up to my room for a bit before dinner?”

“Yes that’s fine” my Mum said. James followed me up the two flights of stairs to my room. By the time we reached the door I was shaking with nerves as we entered, had he received my card and letter? What did he think of my proposal? It was now or never. He sat down on my bed and kicked off his trainers as I headed across the room and put my stereo on, only George Michael would do at this moment. I turned and stared at him, unsure what I should do next as George started to strum the guitar and sing “cos you gotta have faith” how true! But he beckoned me over to him and before I knew what was happening he pulled me into his arms and said “The answer is yes”