Changing Lives by Mabel Marsters

1 :: 2 :: 3 :: 4 :: 5 :: 6 :: 7 :: 8 :: 9 :: 10 :: 11 :: 12 :: 13 :: 14 :: 15 :: 16 :: 17 :: 18 :: 19 :: 20 :: 21 :: 22 :: 23 :: 24 :: 25 :: 26 :: 27 :: 28 :: 29 :: 30 :: 31 :: 32 :: 33 :: 34 :: 35 :: 36 :: 37 :: 38 :: 39 :: 40 :: 41 :: 42 :: 43 :: 44 :: 45 :: 46 :: 47 :: 48 :: 49 :: 50 :: 51 :: 52 :: 53 :: 54 :: 55 :: 56 :: 57 :: 58 :: 59 :: 60 ::

Chapter 5

His hand was on the door handle just about to open it when his mom called him.

“William, where are you going?”

“Um. I just…er…wanted to see Buffy before I left.” said William.

“I’m sorry, honey,” she replied. “You won’t have time - the cab will be here soon to take us to the airport.”

“But we don’t fly for hours!” complained William. “How come we’re going so early? Can’t we get a different cab later on?”

His mom looked at him and smiled. Her William looked like he was smitten with this girl - she’d be good for him.

“I know it’s hard, love, going away when you’ve just made some new friends but I can’t change the cab. It’s the cheapest I could find and it’s the only time they could come. I’m trying to save as much money for when we’re in England as I can.”

His hand fell from the handle and he turned around. He leant his back on the door for a moment, then smiled back at his mom - it wasn’t her fault.

“Okay, Mom.”

Half an hour later and they were on their way to the airport. William didn’t notice a small blonde figure walking round the corner behind them as the cab pulled away.

Oooooooo

Buffy saw the cab drive away from in front of William’s house.

“No! Wait!”

She sprinted after it but it was too late. The cab picked up speed and disappeared out of sight. Disconsolate, she walked home. She’d barely slept - just tossed and turned, worrying how William was. He must hate her. God, what a mess! All because of Angel.

When she got home she went into the kitchen and picked up the telephone.

“Who are you calling?” asked her mom.

“Oz. I need to see if he’ll drive me to the airport.” replied Buffy, starting to dial.

Her Mom put her hand on the phone, severing the connection.

“No, you’re not, Buffy.” she said firmly. “You’ve got to help me at the gallery today, you know that.”

“But Mom, I’ve got to see William before he goes to England.”

“You didn’t say your goodbyes last night?” asked her Mom with a smile.

“No, Angel sort of messed things up and William left. I went to his house but they’d already gone to the airport. Mom, I can’t let him go away thinking I’d been dancing with Angel.” said Buffy, opting for the shortest version of the story she could.

“The life of a teenager is so intense. Thank goodness it doesn’t last too long.” thought her mom.

“Sorry honey, but I can’t manage without you today. You know Paula’s on vacation. I’m sure he’ll call you.”

Buffy opened her mouth to say something but one look at her mom’s face told her it would be pointless. It was going to be a long summer.

Ooooooooo

William and his mom sat in the airport. They’d wandered around the shops and his mom had bought him a paperback novel to read on the plane and a couple of magazines for herself. She started to look a bit edgy. William took a bottle of orange juice out of his bag.

“Here, Mom, I brought you some juice.” He held it out to her.

“It’s not juice I need” thought his mom, “I was stupid to think I could do this.”

But she took the bottle from her son and took a sip. She opened her eyes wide when she tasted it, and looked at her son. He held her gaze for a moment before looking down and fiddling with the straps of his bag.

“Thank you, William.” she said softly, taking another sip of the vodka laced juice.

“’S okay.” said William, knowing she’d need some alcohol to get her through the day and deciding it was best to have some ready for her rather than risk her starting to buy it in the airport or on the plane.

Eventually it was time to board. William, despite wishing he’d been able to see Buffy, couldn’t help but feel excited. His first time on a plane and he was going all the way to England!

Being at the airport early had had its advantages as he’d been allocated a window seat. He turned to his mom and grinned. She smiled back at him and gave him a little hug. He didn’t tense up, just hugged her back.

“Yes, this trip could mark a real change in our lives. Things are going to get better for both of us.”

Ooooooooo

The plane began its descent into London. William’s stomach started to have butterflies. What if his cousin didn’t like him? What if he was like Angel? He glanced at his mother. She was nervously straightening her hair and smoothing down her clothes and he knew she was as nervous as he was, probably more so. He tentatively took her hand, watching her carefully to make she didn’t mind him doing it.

“You’ll be fine, Mom.” he said. “I love you.”

She squeezed his hand tightly and fought back tears. After all she’d put him through, he could still say that to her.

“I love you too, honey.”

Oooooooo

After waiting seemingly for hours for their baggage to come through, they made their way through the door and into the Arrivals Hall, both scanning the crowds to see if they could spot their relations.

William spotted his Aunt Julia before his mom did. He hadn’t seen her for years but she looked so like his mom he couldn’t mistake her. Both women, even having spent years apart and barely communicating at times, wore their hair in similar styles. When William got closer he saw she looked a little younger than his mom, with fewer wrinkles on her face - and slimmer too. He realised that this is how his mother would have looked if life hadn’t beat her down, the alcohol taking its toll on her looks.

“Jayne! William!” Julia called, waving at them.

They made their way over and William caught his first sight of his cousin James. He stopped dead.

“Bloody ‘ell!” said James.

“Language.” said Julia.

“Um.” said William.

“I never realised they were so alike.” exclaimed Jayne, William’s mom.

They all stared until William flushed and started to look uncomfortable.

“Come on, let’s get to the car and get home. You both must be shattered after the flight.” said Julia.

James grinned at William.

“Ere mate, gimme yer bag, an’ yours too, Aunt Jayne.” said James, and the four of them made their way to the car.

A few people looked at them as they walked along. The women were obviously twins but the boys were also remarkably similar. Same vivid blue eyes, sandy brown hair, though James’ was quite short and William’s was a bit longer and more tousled. James was perhaps an inch taller than William but that may have been the way he held himself. He walked tall, almost with a swagger, oozing confidence. William tended to hold himself a little stooped since he was so used to trying not to call attention to himself. Their build differed only in that James looked like he worked out - he had a hard, leaner edge to him.

“We could ‘ave some right fun wi’ this.” said James, eyes dancing as the boys sat in the rear seat of the car.

“What do you mean?” asked William.

“Well you’d ‘ave to get yer ‘air cut, but I reckon we could pass for each other.” He reached out and pulled William’s spectacles off his nose.

“Hey!” said William, trying to grab them back.

“’S okay, you can ‘ave ‘em back. Just wanted to see yer without ‘em.” He grinned, passing them back to William. “Course I’m better lookin’.”

James’ grin was infectious and William grinned back an almost identical one.

“Don’t be so sure.”

The two women exchanged a ‘look’ when they heard the boys chatting away in the back. Seems their worries about them getting on together were unfounded.

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