Away from Home

It helped to have a group going on this summer holiday. Actually, Jules was thankful Ian was there on the air plane trip.

Jules so hated to fly. He gripped Willow's hand a good portion of the way. He wasn't exactly excited to see his father, but he knew it was important to his mother, and he guessed Archie, too. Although, the little bugger never had much to say to him. Jules was beginning to think he was a pompous bastard, as if nothing else.

Yet, all he could complain about was how this wasn't the way he wanted to spend his summer. Why did they always have to fly home?

"We do travel, you know." Willow kept reminding him about the trip to Paris. Still, he hated they were using her parents' money. He'd be in debt to them for an eternity. He did his best not to think about it.

At least, Josie was excited. Willow did have a female to talk too, on the long flight. They were like best friends these days. Yes, Jules needed to think positive.

Hayley still hadn't met his Dad. She was really bothered by this. Archie spent his weekends with the man these days. And Archie had a girlfriend. Hayley made it sound like a disaster in the making.

"Well, I guess you'll just have to be there to pick up the pieces, won't you?" He'd told her something she'd wanted to hear before they left. He wasn't so sure who she took after. Was she more like her Dad or Mum?

Of course, he didn't understand his mother at all. Actually, he'd given up on understanding her a long time ago. How could she be close to this man, he never knew? She didn't want him to know him, as far as he was concerned.

Just once, he wanted something to be normal. How he couldn't wait to get back home. It was his new home he was fond of, not the old one, where he still couldn't trust it. Not after all this time.