Jess sat next to Carmen on one side of the booth and Jess and Caroline on the other.
“Who’s texting you?” Carmen asked
“Mark, apparently Kyle is trying to worm his way back in” Jess explained
“Well he needs to tell him to fuck right off” Carmen stated
“Is this the one that took the piss out him?” Jess asked
“Yeah he’s a complete arse of a guy, but Mark was smitten with him” Jess answered “I never liked him”
“No he’s a creep there is something not right there, he’s just after Mark’s money” Carmen stated
“Kelly is making us right a Christmas song too” Jess sighed
“Us too, it’s a fucking joke” Jess laughed
“It’s the season to be jolly” Caroline smiled
“Not feeling rather Jolly at the minute” Jess sighed
“I love Christmas but this Christmas song bullshit annoys me” The other Jess stated “Brian just does my head in with it all”
“I can see it far enough this year” Carmen stated
Jess rubbed her hand
A week later…
“Mason will you move it, Jess is performing at 8pm and you’re not even near ready” Bette shouted
“Least he’s going” Lisa snapped “I can’t believe Carmen I know she’s got a lot going on but to miss this is ridiculous”
“Lisa we cannot force her to go” Bette sighed
“Mama, Jess has been so patient and understanding, the least she can do is support Jess tonight” Lisa stated
Andrew chapped on the door with Declan and Kenzie, Lisa answered “She coming?”
“Nope she’s refusing” Lisa snapped
“No no” Andrew said, “Where is she?”
“In the bedroom” Lisa stated
“Is it okay if I go through?”
“Be our guest” Bette said “But she’s not listening to anyone”
Andrew walked through to Jess’s side of the house with Declan and Kenzie
“Can you get dressed please”
“I’m not going” Carmen stated
“Why because people will see you in a chair? We’ll all be in fucking chairs only difference is yours has wheels, you’re not doing this to Jess, Carmen she has been there through all this with you, this is her first performance in months”
“Jess performs all the fucking time, its one show”
“It’s the Christmas time ball, she’s never been asked to play that this is huge for her, and Shay is performing too, don’t you think it’s unfair of you to hide from that” Andrew snapped
“If you miss this you will regret it” Kenzie stated “And you know you will”
“Jess needs you there, you’re her inspiration, and you haven’t seen her in 7 days”
“That’s her fault”
“So you’re angry she went to record her album, it was a week and you told her too go” Andrew stated
“Yeah she didn’t want to go, you made her go” Lisa said from the door “I can recall her pretty upset at the fact she had to leave, They were going to fly home every day just so she wasn’t away from you”
“I don’t want to be filmed, or photographed in this fucking chair”
“Fine ill carry you” Andrew stated
“Don’t be ridiculous”
“Your being ridiculous” Lisa stated “It’s a chair no-one is going to say anything you were in a car accident for god sake, your still you”
“What if you try the crutches” Bette suggested “You’ve been doing great at physio”
“Yeah with 8 people to catch me when I fall” Carmen stated
“Well you have 5 of us and a mason if you fall tonight” Bette smiled
“Yeah stuff the chair where’s your crutches?” Andrew asked
“In my car, I’ll go get them” Bette said
“Everyone disappear to I help her get dressed” Lisa said
“I haven’t decided if I’m going”
“Oh you’re going wither you like it or not” Andrew stated “We’ve been looking forward to this all week”
Everyone left the room leaving Lisa and Carmen alone.
“What do you want to wear?” Lisa asked
“You choose” Carmen sighed
“What about jeans and your red superdry hoodie?” Lisa asked
“Yeah okay” Carmen said
Bette came back into the room and helped Lisa help Carmen.
“Sad day when you can’t dress yourself” Carmen stated
“Shut up you done well” Lisa said
“Can we just try with us without an audience of me falling?” Carmen asked
“If you want to” Bette said
Lisa and Bette helped Carmen onto her feet
“Yeah we didn’t think this through” Lisa said looking at the crutches at the other side of the room “Why did you put them all the way over there Mama”
“I didn’t mean to Lisa” Bette snapped
“Do you need help?” Andrew asked
“Yes can you just pass the crutches over” Lisa asked
Andrew did as they asked; Bette helped Carmen get her weight onto the crutches.
“You okay?” Bette asked
“I think so” Carmen said
“Ok Lisa let her go” Bette said
Lisa looked at Bette concerned “As in take my hands of her?”
“Yes she’ll be okay” Bette said standing behind Carmen
“One step at a time” Andrew smiled at his best friend “It’s good to see you standing”
“This is the best present Jess could have asked for” Lisa smiled
“Standing isn’t the problem it’s the walking” Carmen snapped
“You can do it, everyone knows you can, you just need to tell you”
“Were all here to catch you when you fall” Andrew stated
“If you fall” Bette corrected touching Carmen’s shoulder “You can do this, I’ve watched you for 2 weeks, come on”
Carmen took a few little steps
“That’s it take your time” Andrew smiled