A/N I wrote this a while ago and decided to upload it, I wrote a few chapters and would be happy with any feedback as to whether to continue it or not. Thank you.
Cook kicked a can along the pavement happily, he almost couldn't contain his Cheshire cat grin any longer. He had scored two girls in one night, only at the party for an hour it was a good night even for him. He knew Freds wouldn't be able to beat that, not in an hour anyway; but then again he knew that he probably shouldn't tell him anyway. He didn't understand what made him so irate regarding the matter of girls, Freddie had been the same when he was with Effy but ever since he had met Katie Fitch it was "ooh Cook you should respect women, they aren't just objects" I mean he knew he shouldn't treat them like shit but they treated old Cookie badly all the time so he didn't see what the problem was.
It was only a week into college and Freddie was already in there with his soppy love notes and speeches, it hadn't taken him long to secure his latest girl. But to be fair he had been seeing Katie over the holidays and the fun sponge had become completely besotted. He hadn't seen much of all of the friends that Freddie had been talking to him about, he was too busy with JJ making sure he was alright.
Cook turned a corner and stumbled upon something, slightly drunk he couldn't quite make it out. It just looked like some rubbish so he booted it with his foot still relishing in that feeling of power from earlier. But when his foot connected with the pile it was a lot tougher than he expected and he grabbed his foot to try in the hope that the sharp pain would subside. Being Cook his curious nature got the better of him and no matter how hard he tried to walk away he couldn't help but turn around just to get a peak. James Cook couldn't have regretted a decision more once he peeled back the bin liner and mouldy tarpaulin.
Back at the party Freddie was searching around the house for Katie, he climbed the stairs in hope of finding her in her natural habitat. He made his way down the hallway bypassing the many drunk kissing sessions taking part against the walls, and finally reached the bathroom.
"Katie!" called Freddie whilst knocking on the door in hope of penetrating the walls over the sound of the music blaring around the house.
The door clicked and creaked open to reveal a red head frantically applying the latest layer of lipstick. Freddie tutted and took her by the hand pressing himself up against her as her back collided with the wall and leaning in for a kiss.
"Noooo," pleaded Katie, avoiding Freddie's lips "I just applied the latest coat you can't ruin it now."
Freddie ignored her desperate pleas and proceeded to kiss Katie on the neck knowing she wouldn't deny him after that. Freddie was right and almost as soon as he touched her neck with his warm lips she lifted his face to connect with hers. Freddie felt chuffed knowing he had this effect, it was a power to be had if you could persuade Katie to voluntarily mess up her lipstick.
"Get a room you guys!" exclaimed Emily and Naomi as they walked past.
Freddie smiled against Katie's mouth but she broke away, unable to lose a battle of wit against her sister "I could have said that earlier when I was minding my own business trying to eat without seeing my dinner again."
Naomi and Emily just laughed as they walked along towards the stairs. It was true they hadn't been able to keep their hands off of each other since Emily's coming out and Naomi's proclamation of love all in the same quite exciting week. The summer had been a good one, a heady mix of sex, drugs and alcohol had brought their friendship group closer than it had ever been at school. Without the pressure of exams, Katie, Emily, Naomi, Pandora and Effy had spent the summer relishing in their freedom. Towards the end it became even more interesting as a party lead to the formation of two relationships between Katie and Freddie then Pandora and Thomas, a local athlete cum French tutor from the Congo. It was just Effy, Emily and Naomi remaining and Effy was left to spiral into a world of her own, wrapped up in the important decision of who to sleep with on each day; as Emily and Naomi spent every day going out on their own bike rides and day trips. Effy had never quite gotten over how Freddie had treated her as a caring Pandora found out when she questioned her behaviour:
"Well, that's the thing Panda," she paused taking a drag of her cigarette and tilting her head back to remove the appearance of any emotion that could be welling in the ice cold blue eyes, "men are dicks, they mess you around and treat you like shit, but then again men are dicks."
"What Eff?" Pandora looked puzzled, but then again it didn't take much and Effy taking her position as the wise scholar did not aid her at all.
"Men are dicks, its their personality but that's all they're useful for. Once you use them for that they've got nothing else to give, so they take and me… well I'm not ready for giving. All the give was taken away from me last time and I'm still regaining it, I haven't met someone worthy of my give so I take until I can't take anymore."
It was a sentiment that had been sewn in Pandora's head ever since, growing as a thought that embedded a mild insecurity, especially as she had just gone into a relationship with Thomas, but surely he was different, always the gentleman.
It had been the last week of the summer holidays and with everyone else off with their respective partners Emily and Naomi had gone closer much due to the growing exposure to each other and absence of everyone else. It was then that Emily felt able to confide in Naomi about how she felt, to give Naomi credit where credit was due, she took it very well seen as Emily had been closest to her and it was arguably what made her realise. But that was all made suitably clear a few days afterwards when on one overnight stay at their favourite lakeside spot Naomi begrudgingly confessed her own feelings for Emily, which were rapidly reciprocated. Neither of them had looked back from then on and no one questioned it, probably because they all assumed it anyway. They were the couple that were built solid and although it seemed mildly crude Effy had bet with herself that it would be that particular relationship self-destructing last.