...Salene sighed and looked up at the blue sky. It couldn't get better than this, she thought, I live in a wonderful little suburb in a great house with my caring parents, the weather's great and it's the holidays. What else could anyone ask for? She sighed contentedly.
"Sal? Salene! We're going!" Her mother shouted from the back door. Salene sat up and looked at her. Her mum smiled at her.
Salene's dad then came to the door as well. He shouted to his daughter "We should be back at about eleven tonight, OK? Everest's here, she's in the living room, we'll see you later. Grace? Are you ready?" Her mum nodded and they left.
Salene got up and walked towards the living room, when she got there, she saw her best friend in the whole world, Everest, was sat in one of the armchairs. When she saw Salene she stood up and hugged her."Hi, how are you?" she said sweetly, as if she hadn't seen Salene for years, even though they had spent yesterday together.
"I'm fine, how are you?" Salene replied.
"I'm great, but I have a bit of bad news," Everest sighed.
"What? Are you OK?" Salene asked worriedly, Everest had recently been ill, and had nearly died.
"I'm fine! Sorry that I worried you, the news is that we've got to go back to my house, mum and dad want to go out, I've promised I'd baby-sit," she laughed.
"Don't do that! You scared me! When are your parents going out?" Salene said with a sigh of relief.
"They should have been out five minutes ago, we'd better get moving," Everest exclaimed as she looked at her watch. They ran out of the house, giggling and Everest jumped on her bike as Salene locked up, she then jumped on her bike and they pedalled madly to Everest's house.
"About time too, Ev," her mother said jokingly as they reached the house.
"I'm so sorry mum," Everest panted exhaustedly.
"It's OK, sweetie," her dad came out of the house and walked towards the car. "Hi Sal, how are you? We shouldn't be long, you can take Cloe to the park, being as the weather's so hot. That's if she wants to, see you soon." Ev's parents got into the car and drove off. The two friends walked into the house and Salene was immediately pounced on by Cloe, Everest's little sister.
"Oh so that's how you knew Cloe," Trudy interrupted.
"Yes, and Patsy and Paul lived next door," Salene continued...
..."Salene! I'm glad you're here! Can we play in the treehouse?" Cloe jumped around. She was shy around people she didn't know, but because her sister was so close to Salene she knew she could trust her.
"Well that's nice! I don't even get a hello from my own sister!" Everest said teasingly. Cloe hugged her. "That's better," she laughed.
"Can we go in the treehouse, please?" Cloe begged.
"Mum and Dad said we could go to the park. I thought we could have a picnic and invite Patsy and Paul," Everest suggested.
"And Bob?" Cloe asked hopefully.
"Yes, and Bob," Everest agreed. She looked at Sal, who smiled. "That's a brill idea Ev," she said.
"Thanks. Hey Cloe, you go and invite the others while Salene and I make the sandwiches," she ordered. Cloe sped out of the house
"Well, this could be a long day" Salene laughed.
Hours later, Cloe, Patsy and Paul were sat up in the treehouse.
"Come on down and watch this Sal." Salene did as she was told, on the television was the news. The newsreader announced "The accident happened an hour ago," and there was a picture of a smashed up car on the screen. Salene and Everest gasped with horror as they recognized the car as that of Salene's parents.
"Oh no, please no" Salene gasped. Everest put her arm around Salene's back as the newsreader continued "The couple, who have not yet been identified, were killed immediately..."
"How awful for you Sal," Trudy sighed. "I can't imagine how you must have felt."
"It felt like my whole world had been torn down," she said sorrowfully...
The funeral had been so awful. Everyone had kept coming up to Salene and saying "I'm so sorry, if there's anything I can do...", even people who she hardly knew. Everest had been a real help, she had stood by her all the way through and told the people that the only thing they could do was to leave her alone. Salene was thankful to have such an understanding friend.
"It's the least I could do Sal," Everest said to her when she thanked her that night - she had invited Ev to stay with her. "You've stuck by me through thick and thin, and so why shouldn't I return the favour?" Salene smiled, if it wasn't for her, she wouldn't know what to do.
Aunt Violet stuck her head around the door and said "It's time you two got some sleep, we've got a busy day ahead of us tomorrow." Violet, who was Salene's mother's sister, was moving into the house, to look after Salene now.
She left, and Everest said, "She's right, we should try to sleep. Good night Sal."
"Good night Ev".
However hard Sal tried, she couldn't sleep. She was so miserable, all she could see were her parents faces on that fatal day, they were so happy, why did it have to happen to them? She got out of bed and tiptoed out of the room, so she wouldn't disturb her sleeping friend. She wandered downstairs and switched on the living room light. Above the fireplace was the family portrait, she looked at how happy they looked on the photo. She burst into tears and shouted "Why? WHY?!? Why you two? It's not fair!!!" She sobbed sorrowfully and went into the kitchen. There was food left over from the funeral wake on the side, she started to stuff her face with, sobbing desperately as she did so. She then stuck her fingers down her throat and threw up wretchedly. She felt empty, not only her stomach, but her heart. She had a huge gap that had once been filled with happy memories of her parents, but she had lost them when she had seen the news report. The police had said that it had been a 'tragic accident' and that no one was to blame, well why did Salene feel like it was her fault? It was confusing, it was like everyone knew that it was her parents that had been in the crash, when she was shopping the other day it had felt like everyone was staring at her. If this was how she felt about complete strangers, then how was she ever going to be able to face her school again? It would be the worst thing ever, especially maths, as Everest was in a different group to her. The thought of this made her start to eat again, only to throw it back up. Exhausted, she finally fell asleep in the living room.
"Salene! What are you doing down here?" Aunt Violet walked into the room to find Salene curled up on the sofa.
"I couldn't sleep, so I came down here. I must have nodded off," Salene said, feeling low.
Everest came running down the stairs shouting "Violet! I can't find Sal!" She entered the room, and on seeing Salene sat on the sofa, threw her arms around her "Oh Sal! I was worried about you!"
"It's OK, Ev, I'm here," Salene said, feeling a little guilty about worrying her friend.
Violet announced "I'm making breakfast, who wants some?"
"Yes please, I'm starving," Everest said.
"Me too, please," Salene said also.
Violet left and Everest said to Salene "How are you today?"
"Feeling worse then ever, how am I going to face the school Ev?" Salene said nervously.
"You'll be fine. It'll take time, but you'll be fine. I mean, remember how everyone acted when I went back to school after being ill for so long? They all acted as if I had something catching or that if I even ran a little I'd collapse, but they realised soon that I was the same person, didn't they?" Everest said.
"I guess you're right, you always are," Salene sighed.
Violet walked in, carrying two bowls of cornflakes, she handed them to the girls and said "I'm going to start getting some of my things out of the car, OK? You come and help when you're ready." The girls ate their breakfasts in silence.
"Where's Salene?" Violet asked.
Everest was taking a box out of the car as she replied "I dunno, she was just going to the bathroom before she came to help. Do you want me to go and see if she's OK?"
"You'd better, she's been a long time," Violet looked quite worried about her niece. Everest put the box down and went inside, she ran up the stairs, and knocked on the bathroom door.
"Salene, can I come in?" she asked.
"No, I'm fine!" Salene sobbed.
"You don't sound it, l'm coming in." She opened the door and her eyes widened at the sight before her. Salene was knelt in front of the toilet. Two large plates were next to her, covered in crumbs. Salene looked ashamedly at her, "I'm sorry, Ev."
Everest was confused. "Salene! What are you doing?"
"So what happened after Everest found out?" Trudy asked.
"She was supportive, and helped me through," Salene replied, smiling as she remembered her best friend.
"But something tells me, it wasn't the end of your problems?" Trudy asked.
"It was alright, for a while," Salene carried on telling her story...
A few weeks later, Violet had finally got all of her things moved in and Salene had been invited to stay at Everest's overnight to baby-sit Cloe while Everest's parents took her to the hospital for a check up.
"Salene? Are you alright?" Cloe asked as she sat down on the floor next to her.
She seemed to be in her own world and when Cloe asked her this she seemed to snap out of it. "Oh, sorry Cloe, I'm fine. Just thinking" she replied, still a little lost.
"Salene? I miss Patsy," she sighed. Patsy and her family had gone away for a week on holiday.
"Hey she'll be back before you know it," Salene put her arm around Cloe and gave her a squeeze.
"Yeah, but I'm bored," she moaned.
"Well, we can play a game, can't we?" Salene asked.
"I guess, but it wouldn't be the same," Cloe said.
"What do you want to play?" Sal asked. Just as Cloe was going to suggest something Everest and her parents walked in.
"We're back!" Ev announced unnecessarily. Cloe got up and hugged her, Salene then got up "How's everything?" she asked.
"Great, I'm fine," Everest said. "How's the terror been?" She started to tickle her little sister, who screamed hysterically.
"Thanks for looking after her Sal," Everest's mum said.
"No problem," Salene replied. She then followed Everest to the treehouse to talk. She looked at Everest when they were sat up in the house. That house had been their favourite thing for a long time, since they had been at least seven. She remembered Ev's dad building it, it brought back both good and bad memories for them both. Like the moment when Everest had told Salene that she was seriously ill- and may die.
Everest looked at Salene and asked "How are you?"
"What do you mean, how am I?" Salene asked back. "It's you who could have been ill again."
"Yeah but like I told you, I'm fine," she replied. "I'm talking about your bulimia, Sal, how are you coping?"
"I'm coping pretty well, I haven't made myself sick for about three weeks now."
"Hey that's great, I'm proud of you." Everest beamed at Salene. She smiled back, but there was something at the back of her mind that was telling her she was lying. She knew that she'd made herself sick yesterday, she felt so guilty about it but couldn't tell Everest the truth - she'd never forgive her.
"So are you ready for Monday?" Everest interrupted her thoughts.
"Huh? What about Monday?" Salene shook her head.
"Well, you are coming back to school then, aren't you?" she replied.
"Oh... Oh! Yes of course I am!" Salene realised what she was saying, even though she was dreading it, school had begun two weeks before, but she couldn't face it. Her Aunt had finally persuaded her to return. She didn't know what would happen, she'd just have to wait and see.
It was dinner time, so far the day had been OK, until now. Salene and Everest were sat on a wall, just chatting about things, when two girls from their year came walking past. They had never got on with Salene and Everest and as they walked by one said to the other "Hey I've just noticed, Salene's back."
"Yeah," said the other. "Wonder why she's been off? Apparently her parents died in a car crash, I don't believe it myself. I think she's trying to get attention."
Everest noticed that Salene's eyes had started to narrow. "Just ignore them Sal, they're just being bitchy as usual."
But it was too late, Salene had jumped up. "How DARE you say that?!? My parents are dead! How would you like it if it happened to you?" She burst into tears and fled, how could anyone say that? That was the worst thing EVER to say, however much you hate someone. She went into a classroom and wept for what seemed like forever.
"Salene? Sal wake up!" Everest shook her, she had fallen asleep in the room.
"What? Oh Ev, was it all a dream?" Salene begged her.
"No, I'm sorry. They really said that stuff," Everest sighed. "I looked everywhere for you, I was worried that you'd gone home."
"No, I've been here all of the time," Salene said wearily. "I think I want to go home though."
"No, the best thing to do is stay, and show those girls that it didn't bother you, that you're stronger than them," Everest told her.
"Do you really think so?" she asked.
"Yes, I do." Everest said firmly. "Now come on, we're going to be late for lessons if we don't get moving." With that, they walked to their next lesson together.
Episodes 5-9
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