Amber by Heather Burnside (fb2 epub reader .txt) 📕

clothes were trendy but had an edge to them, her skirt short and flowy and teamed with opaque tights, utilitarian boots, a smart denim jacket and an oversized scarf. She was slightly taller than Crystal although slim like her mother. The two of them painted a picture of familial bliss as they strolled along together.

When they had drawn almost even with Amber, she realised that she had been staring open-mouthed in awe at the two of them and she quickly checked herself. She stepped forward, grinning at her one-time friend.

‘Long time, no see,’ she announced. ‘How are you?’

Crystal’s eyes flitted across to where Amber stood, and a look of recognition flashed across her face. Straightaway her expression changed, the smile now replaced by a worried frown, and she turned her head away and kept walking.

Amber remained rooted to the same spot, staring in astonishment after her one-time friend and calling out to her, ‘Crystal, it’s me, Amber.’

Her words drowned out the comment that Candice made to her mum but Amber clearly heard Crystal’s response.

‘I don’t know, love. I think she must have mistaken me for somebody else.’

For a moment Amber was tempted to run after Crystal to make sure she knew who she was. But then she thought about the look on Crystal’s face and realised that Crystal had recognised her. She just hadn’t wanted to acknowledge her.

Of course, Amber realised, Candice would have known Crystal by her real name of Laura so she could have passed it off as a case of mistaken identity. But no matter what name she chose to use and how she presented herself, there was no doubt that it was her old friend. And Amber was devastated to think that she had just snubbed her.

*

September 2015

Crystal had been so busy chatting to Candice that she hadn’t noticed Amber till she’d stepped out and spoken to her. The sight of her one-time friend threw Crystal into turmoil. Candice had no idea about her old life, and she couldn’t risk her finding out!

She was finally living the life she had dreamt of for so long; a life where she could afford shopping expeditions like this one when she could treat her daughter without having to think about the cost. It was also a life where she wasn’t hooked on drugs and having to sleep with seedy men to feed her habit.

Just a wrong word from Amber and it could all come crashing down around her. Thank God Candice hadn’t made the connection with the name Crystal, which was also the name she had given to her high-end fashion shops. How on earth would she explain to her daughter what she used to do for a living? She couldn’t. Candice would probably disown her and then everything she’d been through would have been for nothing. She’d worked so hard to make a better life for herself and her daughter, and she couldn’t risk being exposed.

So, she’d decided not to acknowledge Amber. It was a spur-of-the-moment decision fuelled by panic. Crystal didn’t like having to lie to Candice by telling her it must have been mistaken identity but what else could she do?

As she continued walking past Amber, she could hear her calling after her. Crystal’s heart was beating frantically at the thought of her catching up with them and telling Candice who she really was.

Thankfully, Amber must have thought better of it and as they drew further away, Crystal felt relief wash over her. But it was quickly replaced by another feeling: guilt. How could she have abandoned her old friend? She might have needed her help. Crystal knew only too well how desperate that lifestyle could make you.

She thought about turning back and acknowledging Amber. But how could she do that while she had Candice with her? And she couldn’t think of any excuse to break away from her daughter. She wouldn’t have done that anyway, not when Candice was enjoying their day out so much.

So, she focused on her daughter instead and tried to put Amber and her past life out of her mind.

6

September 2015

When Amber arrived at the Rose and Crown two of the girls were already there. Seated around their usual table were Sapphire and Cora. With her jet-black straight hair, heavy eye makeup and abundance of piercings, Sapphire was almost gothic in appearance, but the overall image was contested by an affable nature and her overuse of fake tan.

Cora presented a different picture altogether. Unlike a lot of the girls who were skinny because of drug abuse, Cora was slightly overweight. She was an attractive girl, but she had a hard edge to her.

After she’d got the drinks in, Amber slid into a seat next to her two friends.

‘You alright?’ asked Cora, who had picked up on Amber’s sombre mood.

‘Not bad. I’ve just bumped into Crystal on Market Street.’

‘Oh yeah,’ said Sapphire who had also been a friend of Crystal’s. ‘How is she?’

‘I don’t know. I didn’t get the chance to ask.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘She blanked me.’

‘Really?’ asked Sapphire.

‘Yeah, I shouted after her, but she just ignored me and walked on. She was with her daughter and I heard her say to her that I must have mistaken her for somebody else.’

‘You’re fuckin’ joking!’ said Sapphire. ‘I didn’t think Crystal would be like that.’

‘Doesn’t surprise me,’ Cora chipped in. ‘She doesn’t want to fuckin’ know us lot now she’s made a better life for herself. And there’s no way she’d want her daughter to find out what she used to do for a living.’

‘Do you think Candice doesn’t know then?’ asked Amber.

‘Does she fuck! Would you tell your kid you used to be on the beat if you’d got this new cushy life?’

‘OK. But I wouldn’t have given the game away to Candice anyway.’

‘I fuckin’ would have done and it would have served Crystal right for trying to be something she’s not.’

‘She’s worked for what she’s got, and good luck to her,’ said Sapphire.

‘Hmm. Well, I’d love to know