Chapter Text
"Ow, what the hell dude?" Connor complained as the book she was reading the night before made contact with his left arm.
"Get.Out. NOW" Ramona replied, still seething with rage
Connor to his credit finally got the hint and quickly left, closing the door behind him, and Ramona finally had peace and quiet. For 2 seconds before Connor opened the door again and poked his head through
"We leave in 30 minutes by the way."
He closed the door before Ramona could throw her pillow at him.
Ramona had only packed a couple of her favourite clothes partly because she only had 30 minutes to do so, but mostly because she still had a lot of clothes she left at the cabin.
They reached the airport earlier than expected so naturally Connor went to get some food, once again leaving Ramona alone with her thoughts.
Although 6 months in New York wasn't that long, it felt like she'd been living there for a lifetime. The adjustments were hard at first of course but over time she got used to it. The clubs that Connor likes to go to, school, the flings, it all felt like the movies she used to watch with Maple (and Oona but she falls asleep at the starting credits so she couldn't in good conscience count her in). But Sterling point always had a certain pull to it, it somehow sucks people in and suddenly they can't get out. It happened to Annie, and even their mom.
"Hey, why the long face? Are you not excited to see wifey?" Connor suddenly appeared holding a paper bag and a cup of coffee.
"Is she the reason you booked this flight?" Ramona asked still a little pissed at him.
"No..." Connor scoffed trying (and failing) to pretend Ramona wasn't right.
"I don't think I'm ready to go back, Connor." She said looking down now
Connor sat down beside her on the metal chair with a serious expression "Sis, YOU might not think you're ready but I know for a fact that she misses you, and you for sure miss her too."
"I-" She took a breath to calm herself down before speaking again "I'm not talking about just Oona. If I'm going back I want it to be because I have nothing left in New York."
"Uhhh, am I supposed to know what that means?"
She sighed before explaining again "What I mean is, if I go back I- I wanna stay, Connor."
"Oh" Connor looked like he was at a lost for words before he started talking again.
"Why can't you stay now?"
For once Ramona had no answer, because Connor had a point. She has no life in New York, nothing and no one to leave behind.
"You know, school's over dude you could always just enroll at the local school there. And dad, pfft he could literally go back and forth from New York to Canada everyday and still make it home before lunch" Connor added, and for a second time he was right.
Ramona was silent as Connor kept eating his food and for a while it stayed that way before the intercom ringed and called their flight.
Ramona vomited once they landed on Sterling point, Connor kept teasing her by saying she got airsick but Ramona insisted it was because she was hungover. Surprisingly, Connor was right once again.
"Holy shit! Ramona!" Annie greeted them at the dock, she ran to Ramona with her arms wide open for a hug. "You have no idea, I missed you so much"
"Yeah missed you too, sis" Connor butted in sarcastically while Annie simply rolled her eyes at him.
"Hi, Annie. I really missed you too, how's everyone here?" She finally spoke
"I'll let them tell you that their selves, come on."
As they started walking Connor from behind them spoke.
"She vomited in the plane too by the way"
"I WAS HUNGOVER YOU ASSHOLE" She replied which got a pretty hearty laugh from Annie.
The first place they went to was the cabin, but they only dropped off their luggage before they got a boat at the marina.
"Ramona? Hey what's up, what are you doing here?" Ellis welcomed her by also giving her a hug (a habit clearly picked up from his girlfriend).
"Honestly? I don't know either man, it's his fault." She replied pointing at Connor who was too busy playing with the fishing lures.
"What? I heard my name." He walked over and spoke again. "Hey, Ellis my man" He took Ellis' hand and made him do a clearly forced made up handshake.
Annie broke the awkward moment by pulling Ellis and saying "Okayy, let's go to Sully for some food." Which had gotten approval from everyone.
"CONNOR, RAMONA OH MY GOD HI" Sully screamed, loud enough for a few random customers to look.
"SULLY" Connor screamed back even louder
"Jesus, Sully hello to you too." She said as she accepted a group hug with Sully and Connor
"Oh come on did you really expect me not to react like that when you just walked in here unannounced in.the.flesh?" He replied
"Yeah I should've known better." Ramona admitted.
"Now what would you guys like?"
"All I want is a plate filled to the brim with bacon." Connor again commented from beside her.
"Mine's still the usual, please."
"None for us we already ate." Annie spoke for both Ellis and herself. "Guys we're actually gonna go just for a second to go plan...umm something. Bye!" The group watched in silence as the couple walked away hand in hand until Ramona spoke.
"They're gonna throw a party aren't they."
"Yep." "Yeah, definitely." Sully and Connor both agreed at the same time.
The day went smoothly, though she still hadn't seen Oona the entire the day which had made her temporarily forget all about Annie's 'secret' welcome home party for them at the cabin.
"SURPRISE!" Annie squealed in excitement as she popped a confetti which Ramona would've found too much if she wasn't too busy getting a heart attack.
"JESUS FUCKING CHRIST" Ramona was an inch away from punching Annie in the face.
"Oh my God I'm so sorry, I didn't think you'd be that surprised Jesus. Are you okay?"
"Yeah, no. Sorry I had..." Her mind immediately went to only one person, Oona. Who didn't seem to be present at the moment. "a lot in my mind."
Annie and Connor shared a look that Ramona missed as she scanned the room.
Connor immediately went to his friends from New York who already seemed drunk, while Annie pulled Ramona to the couch to sit her down.
"Sooo... tell me about New York?" Annie asked
Ramona chuckled lightly before replying "You lived there for a much longer time than I did and you're asking me?"
"It's different though, from your perspective what's New York like?"
"Loud, different... and definitely disgusting." Ramona's face contorted remembering the smell of some alleyways in the city.
Annie laughed at that before humoring Ramona's observation. "I see you've met the rats then?"
"Dude how the fuck do they get that big?" Ramona replied while Annie laughed even harder this time.
Annie was about to say something before Ellis interrupted.
"Hey, Ramona. Can I just borrow Annie for a moment?"
"Yeah absolutely"
"Hey, tell me more later okay?" Annie said as she walked away with Ellis.
She replied with a simple thumbs up. And once again she was sitting alone at the couch, she was about to get up to get a much needed drink when a voice spoke from beside the couch.
"You know they're just gonna make out at the patio right?"
She turned her head to look at the woman beside her properly. She had curly brown hair, brown eyes and a fair skin, but the feature she couldn't get her mind out of was the woman's accent. British.
"Yeah... umm, who are you again?"
"I work with Sully and his mums. At the restaurant if you remember that."
Ramona chuckled nervously. "And you know that I just came back because...?"
The woman smirked before turning her head and nodding towards a banner that Ramona had somehow missed. 'WELCOME HOME RAMONA AND CONNOR'
"Right... I did not see that at all. Wait how do you know I'm Ramona though?"
"They talk a lot. And most of the time it's about you... or Oona." Ramona froze at the mention of her name.
"Yeah well they're suckers for drama. So, what's your name? Or is there another banner around here with your name on it?" She said as she looked around the room for any giant banners she might've missed.
The stranger laughed before replying, "I'm afraid I'm not special for my very own banner just yet, I'm Camila."
"Where are you from? I mean, sorry if I'm prying but I do hear an accent."
"Nah, you're good. Birmingham, my cousin brought me here just 3 months ago and I just completely fell in love with the place."
"Yeah it has that effect on people."
"What about you? Where'd you run off to before ending up back here again?"
"New York, followed my dad there actually before my brother forcibly dragged me back." Camila laughed again this time touching her arm.
"Well, Ramona would you like a drink? You look like you could use one right about now." Camila extended her hand towards Ramona which she happily took. Choosing to ignore how her heart skipped a beat when Camila said her name in that godforsaken accent.
"What's your drink of choice then?"
"Coffee, maybe tomorrow at 9 am? That is if you're free."
"Mmm, that was smooth New York."
"You're not so bad yourself Birmingham." Ramona said inching towards Camila.
"Give me your number then." Camila extended her hands towards Ramona while Ramona moved even closer towards her to give her the phone. She typed her number in and texted herself before she gave it back to it's rightful owner.
"Now will you answer properly? What drink, from this table would you like?"
"Whiskey"
"Ah, a woman with a classical taste."
A few glasses of whiskey later Ramona had ended up making out with Camila at the corner of the room just beside the opening to the kitchen. Her eyes were closed when she heard Connor scream.
"Oona, missed you man!"
Ramona's eyes shot up as she pulled away from Camila in order to look around the room. She scanned most of the room before seeing her just staring at her and Camila from the doorway. Oona.