Summer Apart
"What do you mean you're going away?" Anne whimpered and Cathy sighed wringing her hands as she avoided Anne's bright green eyes.
"My grandparents want My mama, Anna, and I to spend the rest of the school year and summer with them." She explained sadly and Anne's lip trembled, she'd had Cathy as her friend for nearly five years now.
"But that's not fair when will I see you again?" Anne questioned dreadfully as she tried to keep her tears from showing.
"I'll be back by September Anne." Cathy reasoned and Anne scowled crossing her arms and looking away.
"So you're gonna miss my tenth birthday, and your tenth birthday…" she muttered, putting her back to her best friend. Cathy sighed putting her head against the fence.
"Anne, I don't have a choice, they're forcing me to go." She whispered dejectedly.
"Well see you in September Catherine Parr Aragon. " Anne grumped before she stood leaving an upset Cathy behind. "I'll miss you," she whispered.
"I'll miss you more." Cathy sniffed tearfully.
That was a whole month ago, now there was some nerd and his family renting out Cathy's house for the summer. Anne didn't like it one bit. She just lay flat against the floor, underneath her bed, she'd been spending most of her time here ever since Cathy had left.
"Hey lambchop, Kitty and I are gonna go watch those taekwondo frogs …" Jane tried to coax Anne from her hiding spot.
"They're ninja turtles mum!" Kitty hissed from the doorway as she shook her head in disappointment.
"Right we're going to watch ninja turtles, your favorite." Her mum reasoned softly and Anne scowled, she didn't want to watch anything. Cathy was off at her grandparent's house probably forgetting all about Anne.
Cathy scowled at her grandmother, Isabella, as she held up a very pink and unnaturally poofy dress.
"Look how precious this will look on you Catherine dear." She cooed and Cathy scowled what she wouldn't give to be sitting under her lilac bushes curled up against the fence listening to Anne ramble on.
"No thank you." She mumbled and her grandmother tisked grabbing her arm and tugging her close.
"Nonsense you need to look suitable, I can't have my granddaughter rolling around in overalls." She exclaimed already starting to remove Cathy's beloved overalls and striped blue shirt. She really missed Anne, but what if Anne didn't miss her? Cathy tearfully shuddered as the dress was pulled over her head. "Don't you look just darling!" Isabella exclaimed, clasping her hands together. "Now if only I could get Anna out of those wrestling shirts and shorts." She whispered thoughtfully.
"You'll never take me alive old woman!" Anna called out before taking off down the hallway. Their grandmother bristled standing to follow after her. Cathy sighed, Anne was probably having the time of her life, she probably became best friends with the kid who moved into her house for the summer, she probably didn't even want her to come back
"Syringa or the lilac is a genus of 12 currently recognized species of flowering woody plants in the olive family or should I say the Oleaceae, they are commonly native to woodland and scrub from southeastern Europe to eastern Asia, and widely and commonly cultivated in temperate areas elsewhere…"
"Gah Oliver for the last time! I don't give a bloody lot about what a lilac is or comes from, I just want to sit under it in peace, so kindly leave me be!" Anne exclaimed in exasperation as she took her 3DS and scurried under her bush, starting up her pokemon sun game as she tried to distract herself from missing Cathy.
"Whatever is it that you are doing?" Oliver inquired making Anne jump when she saw his face pressed against the fence, on Cathy's side no less. When was Cathy coming back?
"It's called Pokemon." She snapped clicking start as she tried to ignore him.
"Did you know that pokemon is Japanese, it means pocket monster...also.." Anne sighed she really wished Cathy was here.
"Look how much you've grown young Catherine!" Cathy's grandfather Ferdinand exclaimed, for the millionth time of her visit. Cathy had been forced into another dress, this one seemed even more pink than the last ones. Anna was in a tank top and booty shorts, mostly to spite their grandparents. Cathy gave her mama a dark look as she took her seat next to her grandfather.
"Wow, Cathy you look like cotton candy on a stick!" Anna chortled and Cathy scowled at her sister, but she couldn't really be mad, because Anna was definitely right about the dress.
"Nonsense Anna, your sister looks positively radiant." Her grandfather exclaimed and Cathy sighed looking down at her lap bitterly.
"Precisely, now Anna you are a young lady as well, perhaps you should start dressing the part." Their grandmother piped up and Anna snickered.
"The part for what? Cotton swab?" She joked and their mama shook her head fondly at her oldest.
"Cathy if your uncomfortable go on and change darling," she whispered, her grandmother started to protest, but Cathy had never run from a room as fast as she did. She quickly rushed to her and Anna's room picked up a pair of her pants and smiled. Then her eyes landed on Butch, Anne, and her had swapped animals before she left so they could have a little bit of each other with them. Deciding to forgo dinner all together Cathy dressed in her pajamas throwing the god awful dress out the window as she curled up with the stuffed dog and cried into his fur.
"I miss you so much, Anne."
Anne sat pouting at the kitchen table, her mum was trying to cheer her up, but it was less than successful.
"Come on baby, you're ten years old today, don't you want to celebrate?" Jane enthused trying to get some of Anne's pep back. It was incredibly unsettling to see Anne so still and quiet. July 8th had been a day full of pain for Jane but it had been worth it when she'd gotten her little Anne out of it.
"I'd rather walk through glass like I did on your birthday," she grumbled putting her head down on her arms. Kitty gave her mum a worried look, then smiled as she took a handful of sugar from the bag on the counter and held it behind her back.
"Annie, what time is it?" She questioned sweetly. Anne lifted her head in confusion when she was assaulted by a puff of sugar in her face.
"What was that?" She demanded licking her lips and Kitty giggled.
"Sugar fight!" She exclaimed grabbing another handful, Anne smiled slightly as she dived to grab her own handful to defend herself. Soon they were both giggling and running around laughing. Jane even joined in at one point, just relieved that Anne was smiling again. Then they had cake and Anne opened her presents.
"A green kitten sweater?!" She squealed in delight as she hugged her mum happily. "Thank you!" She exclaimed brightly as she grabbed the next present from Kitty
"It's a green keychain!" Kitty explained the minute Anne began opening it. Anne giggled at her sister's antics and they watched ninja turtles until bedtime. Anne put on her nightgown and curled up with Lizzie in her arms.
"I still miss you, Cathy," she whispered into her quiet room. "I wish I could see you on your birthday. "
"Happiest of cheers you are officially a decade wiser my dear." Her grandma proclaimed merrily and Cathy frowned glaring at the chocolate pudding or pate or whatever her grandparents called it. She wanted cake, this tasted like a bland pudding.
"Cathy, this is from Anna and I. " her mama whispered handing her a brightly wrapped gift. Honestly, the only good Cathy could think about her birthday was that since it was August 12th that meant she wouldn't have much more time with her grandparents. "Cathy." Her mama gently maneuvered a curl behind Cathy's ear, giving her a look of concern. Cathy slowly began tearing the gift open, honestly, she just wanted to hide in her room until it was time to go home. Though her day brightened considerably when she saw that her mama and Anna had gotten her a writing set. There was a twenty-four pack of pens, the good kind, a leather-bound journal, and a book on wildlife.
"Thank you, mama! I love it!" She exclaimed brightly and Catherine Aragon smiled relieved to finally see a genuine smile on her baby's face.
"This is from your grandmother and me," Ferdinand exclaimed brightly as he handed over a small box. Cathy's smile dimmed to polite again as she accepted the gift.
"Oh, it's a… makeup?" Cathy whispered and her mama snatched it from her hands.
"Are you both serious? She's barely ten years old! I don't even let Anna wear this!" Catherine exclaimed and her mother shook her head.
"We're just trying to give her something she can use. Maybe it will teach her how to keep a husband, something you didn't learn evidently. " Her grandmother reasoned, Cathy watched her mama leave the table, throwing down her napkin. Cathy rushed after her, Anna did too, they all stayed in their mama's bed that night snuggled together.
"We're never coming back girls I promise."
"Mum are they here yet? What time is it?" Anne questioned as she impatiently bounced from foot to foot on her front porch. Jane smiled at her energy, having returned.
"Within the hour Anne, now come sit by me." She patted the seat next to her and Anne looked at the street again before she bounded into the seat next to her mum. They played a few games to pass the time before Anne saw their silver SUV coming down the street.
"THEY'RE HERE! THEY'RE HERE! MUM THEY'RE HERE!" She screamed going to run towards them when Jane caught her arm and pulled her close.
"I can see that darling, but let them park first." She whispered against Anne's shoulder, and couldn't help but smile when she could feel Anne buzzing with anticipation. The minute their car parked and little Cathy appeared, Jane released Anne and they both made eye contact and ran for each other.
"ANNE!" Cathy exclaimed rushing around the lilac bush as she tackled the brunette girl into a tight hug.
"I've missed you so much, Cathy!" Anne sniffed and Cathy tightened her hold on her friend.
"I missed you more!" She whispered against Anne's shoulder.
"You won't believe what I've been through Cathy, this awful boy was living in your house! He just kept talking and talking about dumb things!" Anne huffed out into Cathy's hair because the shorter girl had yet to release her.
"My grandparents are the worst," Cathy grumbled and Anne scowled already feeling awful on Cathy's behalf.
"Well, we have one day of summer left! Let's go do something!" Anne proclaimed and reluctantly Cathy released her friend and took her hand instead.
"Can we go to the park?" She pleaded and Anne beamed.
"Heck yes!!!"