I sat up one morning in bed knowing something was different, I'm still not sure even to this day how I knew that something weird was going to happen that day but I did. I tried to get up but I just couldn't something was compelling me to stay where I was. I could see a chink in the curtain of light so I knew it must be morning, and I was not thrilled by the thought of getting up for work. I turned and looked over the other side of the bed at the clock. 6am. Oh brilliant, however, the clock also said, Saturday. I don't have work after all!! Woo! I lay back down with a thud and the pillow swallowed my head…ahhh that was so much better. My sudden fall back into bed stirred Rick who turned over to face the wall with a moan. I smiled slyly, he would be the one making the tea this morning if it killed me. I have been making it for the past week and he doesn't even have a job! Pissing students. I rolled over and hugged him from behind. I realised why I had woken so early. Rick was staying the night at my flat, and we had only been seeing each other a week. Today I was meeting his friends from uni and I was a bit nervous about it. Even though we were the same age, I kind of felt inadequate because I had never been, and although Rick had told me that they do no work and nothing ever happens and he knows I will get on with them well, I was still a bit nervous.

Rick turned and looked into my eyes.

"morning," he said sleepily. I smiled at him and nudged him towards the edge of the bed.

"Can you make the tea this morning hun, I've been making it all week." Rick scoffed.

"ooooooh god I suppose if I MUST" He turned over, got out of bed and walked out of the room, grabbing his bathrobe on the way out. I smiled smugly. That was easier that I thought!! Suddenly, his mobile rang on the bedside table nearest me. It said, Vyvyan. I had heard about Vyvyan before but never spoken to him, so I thought I would take the plunge and answer it.

"Hello?"

"Hello?? 'ose this??"

"It's Jordan, Rick's in the kitchen at the mo, dyou want me to get him?"

"Well of course I do!! I didn't ring him to speak to you did I!" I was a little taken aback by this, so I simply called Rick to come in. He took the phone from me and a row promptly began. Obviously all I could hear was Rick defending me and not the other side of the conversation but the phone was slammed down and thrown on the bed.

"That bloody Vyvyan!!! " He shouted "He is just so bloody rude!! If he ever says anything horrid about or to you again I'll smash his face in!" I laughed

"Oh don't be ridiculous I can hold my own with him I can assure you!" I took my tea from him and sipped it gladly. "What time are we meeting up with them then?"

"About 10ish. Hopefully I will have calmed down by then!!"

We walked into the most run down house I had ever seen in my life at 10.00am precisely. Rick was a total freak when it came to being on time. Something about him which really irritated me seeing as I liked to take my time with things but hey I was sure I would get used to it. We had only been dating a week!!

The front door had a massive hole in it which Rick explained was 'just Vyvyan' and I was getting more and more concerned by the moment. I sat down on the couch and Rick made more tea. Three men walked into the room at that moment. Rick turned and grinned,

"Jordan, this is my friend Mike, my friend Neil, and a complete bastard I live with, Vyvyan." On the mention of Vyvyan, a tall guy with red hair and a ring through his nose sniffed and stuck two fingers up at Rick. I grinned too. I have no idea why that made me smile but something about him made me smile. I had a feeling I was going to get on with him after all. Mike approached me, a shorter guy with ray-ban shades on and dressed very smartly.

"Pleased to meet you Jordan, not sure what you're doing with Rick but hey, each to their own" I smiled at him politely, but I wasn't really sure what to say!!

"Hey Jordan, err, nice to meet you yeah…I'm Neil but don't bother remembering it, no-one else round here does." Neil was tall, about 6'2 I reckon, long straight dark hair and had a sad look about him. I immediately got the impression he was not the person who managed this household but he seemed nice enough and pretty genuine. At Neil's introduction, Vyvyan scoffed and slapped him round the back of his head.

"People don't remember your name Neil because you're so bloody BORING!! All you do is moan!!" Neil got up from the floor and with a sad expression, retreated through the lounge door and I heard footsteps going up some stairs. I looked at Vyvyan.

"That was a bit harsh wasn't it??"

"So?? He's just a useless bloody hippy" Vyvyan shoved his hands in his pockets and shuffled outside. I wasn't sure where he was going but something intrigued me about him and I really wanted to find out more. I turned to Rick.

"Shouldn't someone go after Neil?? He seemed really upset"

"No, don't worry, he is always like that, Vyv is right, he is useless." I sighed. It seemed this house needed some serious help. I got up taking two cups of tea Rick had made, and headed out where Vyvyan had left. I found him outside smoking a cigarette staring at the passing cars at the end of the house pathway. He seemed to look thoughtful and cross. He seemed to be shaking slightly but I wasn't sure if that was anger or the cold. I approached him quietly and touched his arm with my elbow softly. He turned and looked at me with one eyebrow raised.

"What" He said shortly.

"I err…brought you some tea. Thought I would come introduce myself properly" He looked at me suspiciously. His eyes seemed to burn right through me…like he was trying to figure me out. He took the tea from me with ice cold fingers and sipped it.

"Thanks.." He muttered. He turned away to look over the road again and took another drag of his cigarette. "You don't need to introduce yourself again, you already have. I got it the first time, you're Jordan, Rick's bird and I have NO idea why." I sighed. This guy was gonna be a tough nut to crack. I had to make a decision whether I was going to pursue cracking him, or whether to give up like the other three clearly had. I tried again.

"You…err…got a spare smoke?" I held my breath waiting for an extreme reaction but he simply put his into his mouth and turned his body to retrieve them out of his pocket. I took one and he lit it. "Thanks" I smiled gingerly. We stood in silence for a few minutes when he flicked his fag into the road.

"Well I'm going in." And with that he turned and walked back into the house. I relaxed finally. Blimey what had happened to this kid to make him so volatile. I finished up and went inside too to find chaos. Neil had vanished and Mike and Rick were going mental trying to find him.

"Neil!!!!!!!! Neil!!!!!!!!" Rick was running up and down stairs and pulling his hair out. I tried to help but was ushered into the living room again to keep out of the way. I sat down on the couch and turned to see Vyvyan sitting beside me with his feet resting on a beaten up old coffee table.

"So, what's happened to Neil then?" I asked delicately. He shrugged.

"Dunno, probably off sulking" He sniffed and sat flicking through channels trying to find something to watch. "Bored, bored bored…I'm sick of the rubbish on this thing" He stood up and kicked the telly over. It exploded with sparks flying out.

"Err…" I started but he had left the room before I could even begin properly. Rick suddenly ran into the room.

"Jordan!! Neil's killed himself!!"

"WHAT? How???" I was really shocked I had only known the guy two minutes and he was dead?

"He's drunk some floor polish! It must have dissolved his insides! This is all Vyvyan's fault!!" He stormed out again. I wandered upstairs and found Mike crouched over Neil's body on the ground of what must have been his bedroom. On the walls were designs of gallows and astrological star charts. Jesus this guy had been planning his own death for weeks, and Vyvyan had just finally shoved him over the edge. Suddenly I saw something twitch out of the corner of my eye. It was Neil's hand! He wasn't dead after all!

"Mike!" I cried, "He's not dead his hand just twitched!"

"Nah its muscle spasms it always happens straight after you die."

"No no seriously he's moving!" I picked up a bottle lying beside Neil which he had evidently consumed something from. It had no label on it. "This isn't floor polish! Its something …err…else!" Mike took it from me and examined it. He suddenly got up and ran out the room screaming Vyvyan's name. I put my attention back to Neil who seemed to be coming round.

"Aw man my head!" He moaned. "What happened??"

"You drank something really lethal you're lucky to alive!" I said. Suddenly Mike came back in dragging Vyvyan.

"You have something to do with this, what has he drunk??" Vyv wrenched himself free and shrugged.

"Err…well…I knew he was going to try another suicide attempt so I replaced the floor polish he was gonna drink with my home brew lager. Still pretty nasty, but not gonna kill ya – sadly!" I looked up at him and my original opinion of him outside returned. He was a nice guy underneath I knew he was! I needed to find more out it was really puzzling me. He was more complicated than a 1000 piece jigsaw of baked beans.

"So that's what it was! No wonder he was out cold!" Mike exclaimed. He and Vyv hauled Neil to his feet who then staggered down stairs with Mike. I looked at Vyv almost shocked.

"So you are nice then" I smiled slyly.

"Oh shut up" He said storming out.