The Darkest Summer by Ella Drummond

Author:Ella Drummond
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Hera
Published: 2022-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eighteen

2003 – Oakwold, New Forest

Young Sera

‘You take this note to Hazel, you hear me?’ my mum said on yet another stinking hot day.

I was glad of the excuse to get out of the house. I was sick of being there with no one to talk to while Mum lay in the shade and learnt her lines. I didn’t mind getting clammy and sweaty on my walk to the farm, even if the heat did make my hair go frizzy.

‘Sera, are you listening to me?’ She gave me a disapproving look and tapped the envelope in my hand.

‘What does it say?’ I asked, before she had the chance to give me a deadline for my return home. I held it up to the living-room window to try and see through the thick cream envelope she’d sealed shut.

‘Never you mind,’ she snapped. ‘Just make sure you don’t forget to hand it to her personally. I want to be certain she’s read it.’

Intrigued by this out-of-character approach to Dee’s mum, I stared at her open-mouthed. ‘But Mum, you hate Hazel,’ I said, confused. ‘Why are you writing to her?’

‘I don’t hate her.’ She frowned, something she didn’t often do as the thought of wrinkles horrified her. ‘And stop looking gormless, the wind will change if you’re not careful and you’ll end up looking like that for the rest of your life.’

I stared at her suspiciously. ‘Why won’t you tell me what it says?’

She narrowed her eyes. ‘Stop being nosy. Do as I ask, or you can stay here and I’ll take it to her. You can do chores while I’m gone.’ She knew her threat would work. I pushed a strand of hair away from my face and hurried to the door. ‘I’ll be expecting a reply too,’ she shouted before I managed to escape unscathed. ‘So don’t think you can go and read it with that daughter of hers.’

I stopped and turned to her, my hackles rising at her nastiness towards my best friend. ‘Why don’t you like her?’

She rubbed her temples with her fingertips. ‘I do. It’s this heat, it’s getting me down. Now stop answering me back and get a move on. Make sure you give it to her.’

I crammed the envelope into my denim shorts pocket and ran out of the house, through the garden and out of the heavy wooden gate. Sometimes she really got on my nerves. I didn’t understand why she was so horrible about that family. What had they ever done to her?

Hazel and Mum were so different, I mused as I walked into the field. I never would have found a collection of Angelique books in Mum’s bookshelves. Hazel never seemed to work. I was sure Mum would be more relaxed if she didn’t have to travel away on location so often. She was never carefree enough to dance through the wildflowers, like I’d spotted Hazel doing many times in the small field closest to her farmhouse.

Everything about Hazel was light and fun; she even smelt amazing.

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