Leap of friendship

 

Davina, Tess and Luke meet in their once-special place, at the changing rooms of High Rock beach. They first met when they were on the school diving team and are so close that they know one another’s memories and they know how they got those memories. This is comforting in the wobbly moments of life, when they need reminding of who they are. But their in-depth knowledge of one another is a curse in the moments when they are trying to break the mould, to become someone else with strangers and new friends. Because no matter who they meet and become, or pretend to become, they always come back to one another. They have to… they never realised that their intensive diving training of leaping from a height and gracefully falling into the unknown was the most important life lesson of all. Now, they all join again, to take a leap together.

 

’Luke, what are we doing here?’ Tess demanded, as the three 18-year-olds stood by the red wooden hut, in the dark, the sea’s almost deafening roars behind them.

‘Yeah Luke, the sea freaks me out in the dark, why did you make us meet here?’ Davina whined, looking out to the water which was a blanket of darkness at this time.

‘I thought it was a good place to hatch a plan. Quiet and out the way. It used to be our little hideout.’ ‘God forbid we have this conversation in the warmth and light of the pub…’ Davina rolled her eyes.

‘Nope, too risky, can’t have people overhearing in case someone tells my Dad.’ Luke glanced over his shoulder to double check that they were alone.

‘Couldn’t have text us?’

‘Again, too risky in case any of our parents happen to see our texts and figure out what we’re doing.’

‘Okay, we get it. So, what’s the plan?’ Tess just wanted to get on with it so she could get back home. She didn’t want to miss her curfew and her Mum thought she was at Mary’s, for a film night.

‘Tomorrow, 5 a.m., I’ll meet you both in the car park by the flower shop. Pack light.’ Luke looked at them both and noticed Tess biting her fingernail. ‘Tess? That okay?’

‘I’m not sure I can do this. Especially with me not telling Mum, what would she think of me?’ Tess looked down at her shoes.

Davina scoffed ‘Tess, get a grip. You said so yourself that you need to find out the truth. We’re taking this leap together. You need us as much as we need you.’ Davina and Luke looked at each other and then back at Tess. 

‘Fine. You’re right. She’ll understand it was something I needed to do.’ Her eyes left her shoes and travelled up to meet Davina’s, and then Luke’s, and she gave a small nod.

‘Right, any questions ladies?’

‘Can I bring my straighteners?’

‘I said pack LIGHT, Davina.’

‘Yeah, they’re mini.’ Luke rolled his eyes.

The three took one final look at each other and then made their way back up to the promenade to go their separate ways home. The plan was made and tomorrow it would be set in motion. Each of them needed to do this for their own reasons, but they were doing it together, as a team, as they would have done back in their diving days at school.

 

LUKE

 

Luke hardly slept that night, too nervous about what the next day would bring so when it was time for him to get up, he was already wide awake. He’d already packed his bag and hidden it at the bottom of his wardrobe in case his Dad had come in to check on him in the night… not that he would have, he didn’t care enough, but Luke couldn’t take that chance. He got changed, grabbed his bag, sneaked out his room and then crept downstairs. He was grateful that his Dad had never given in to his pleading about getting a puppy when his Mum left them, meaning that now he was sneaking out the house, he could do so without being noticed by man or man’s best friend. Luke unlocked the front door and then carefully closed it behind him. The houses on the street didn’t have driveways so there was a little car park around the corner for them, where Luke had parked up his little silver Corsa. He got into the car and drove to the flower shop to park up and wait for the girls.

 

DAVINA

 

Davina had told her parents that she was going for a weekend getaway with her friend Beth and Beth’s older sister, Rachel. Beth and Rachel were going for a weekend getaway, camping, and they were both anti-social media so there was no chance of any photos being questioned on Facebook as to why Davina wasn’t in them. She’d planned it all out and pre-warned Beth about what the lie was for, in case any questions were asked when Beth arrived back home on Sunday, but Davina didn’t. So, come 4 a.m., Davina had had a pretty good night’s sleep, not having to worry about sneaking out the house unnoticed, and feeling hopeful and determined about the day ahead. She got out of bed, went into the bathroom to do her morning routine; hair and make-up were essential. Her family weren’t up yet but they knew she would be leaving early so her Mum had left a note on the kitchen surface to ‘Have a lovely time and eat these before you leave’, referring to a cereal bar and banana that had been placed by the note. Davina decided to eat them on the walk to the flower shop and off she went to meet Luke and Tess.

 

TESS

 

Tess had been back and forth to the toilet all night, sick to her stomach with nerves. She knew she needed to go on this trip, she needed to know the truth, but knowing the truth was going to turn her world upside-down. Her Mum had met her on the landing about 2.30am, asking if she was okay.

‘Acid reflux. Too many snacks at Mary’s before coming home and going to bed.’ She hated lying. 

‘Okay, darling, well there’s some Gaviscon in the bathroom cabinet, have some of that and it should settle it. Night sweetheart, I hope you feel better.’

‘Night Mum.’ Tess had gone back into the bathroom and opened the cabinet, taking some of the Gaviscon. Even though it wasn’t acid reflux, it might help settle her stomach anyway. It did slightly, and she’d managed to get an hour’s sleep before her phone started buzzing under her pillow to signal it was time for her to get up. She’d packed her bag and hidden it under her bed, so she got down on her belly, reached underneath and pulled out her baby pink holdall. Without realising, she’d covered herself by going to the bathroom all night and now her Mum wouldn’t suspect anything if she heard her up and about again. She made her way downstairs, unlocked the back door and then with the key in her hand, reached through the cat flap and placed the key on the other side of the door. Out through the back gate, she made her way down the street, towards the flower shop where she could see Luke’s car, waiting, and Davina coming down the street in the opposite direction.

 

Tess got into the front, Davina in the back, and the three teens set off on their journey, not knowing what the day had in store for them.

 

LUKE

Luke got back in the car after leaving the girls sat in it for the past hour.

‘So, how did it go?’ Davina asked and leaned forward between Luke and Tess. Luke’s Dad wanted him to go into the family business now that he’d left college, but Luke had other plans. He’d told his Dad he’d been doing a college course in Construction but actually, he’d been doing Hotel Management and had an interview at one of the biggest hotels in Yorkshire. Just for the front desk position but he planned on working his way up to the top. To achieve this, he needed to actually get the job, but he’d also spoken to his Auntie Ness about moving in with her to be closer to the hotel.

‘They said they’d let me know by the end of the day but it looks promising. The manager was impressed that I’d done the management course at college and said I had the confidence and skills needed for the front desk so…’ Luke lifted his hand with his fingers crossed.

‘Okay, Davina, you’re next. What’s the address?’

 

DAVINA

 

Davina and Tess got out of the car and went into the building. Davina seemed very excited, but Tess was nervous, being the more responsible and realistic of the two girls, but that was why she was there in the first place; Davina needed her wise friend there for protection and to judge the situation, making sure she was doing the right thing. The meeting went well and Tess was happy for her friend, knowing this was going to be the start of something big for her. The girls got back into the car and found an anxious Luke, waiting to hear how they got on.

‘He likes me! He said to stay for the week, and we’ll get a portfolio together. Luke, I’m going to be a model!’ Davina did a happy jiggle in her seat. ‘Now let’s go to the hotel and have a drink and get a good night’s sleep before we tick our last task off our list.’

 

TESS

 

Tess knocked on the door of number 65 and was greeted by a young-looking woman, smiling nervously back at her.

‘Come in, we’ve got lots to talk about.’

 

‘Tess? Are you okay? Was she not very nice?’ Davina was concerned as Tess walked into the coffee shop and joined her and Luke at the table. Tess looked between her two friends. They’d become like siblings to her, but as it turned out, one of them was her biological sibling.

‘No, she was lovely. She explained that she’d had me too young and couldn’t support me and my brother, so she had no choice but to put us up for adoption and hope for a better life for us.

‘You don’t have a brother? I thought you were an only child?’ Davina was confused, as was Luke; he sat with his eyebrows knitted together.

‘I thought so too. Apparently, she’d written the same letter to him to be given on his 18^th birthday, but she’s not heard anything, so she assumes he either doesn’t know, or doesn’t want to know her.’ ‘Does she know anything about him? You’ve got a brother out there somewhere; you could try and find him?’ Luke could see that his friend was still looking very uneasy about the situation and reached out his hand to touch hers.

‘Well, I already have. She knew the names of the couple that adopted the boy. Debbie and Jack Harrison.’ The colour drained from Luke’s face and Davina’s mouth fell to the floor.

‘But… that’s your Mum and Dad, Luke.’ Davina looked from Tess to Luke and back again, trying to see the family resemblance. ‘You always did argue like brother and sister. And now you mention it, you’ve got the same eyes!’

Tess couldn’t look at Luke. She started to feel sick and grabbed Luke’s glass of water and took a sip.

‘Hey, I know we share DNA but come on, don’t be spreading your germs too.’ Luke and Tess locked eyes in shock, but then a smile started to spread on both faces and they stood and embraced.

‘I’ve always wanted a sister. I can’t wait to start this new job and move in with my Auntie. My Dad has got a lot of explaining to do and it’s going to take a while for me to forgive him for not telling me! But first, I think I better go and meet our Mum…’

The three 18-year-olds that had stood by their old beach hut two nights previously could never have imagined their little rebellious trip for an interview, new career and to meet a biological parent, would have turned into something that would change their lives forever but they were grateful they’d jumped off their separate diving boards, plunged into the water and emerged together, buoyant and enthusiastic about their futures.