A/N: In order to attempt to contain my sense of outrage at the ending of skins:fire, I'm posting the next chapter to this story. (And I won't see the episode until at least Friday, but couldn't help myself from reading people's reactions on fanforum)... Argh. My heart is aching. Just... *sigh*
Anyway. Thanks to everyone who has read/favourited/reviewed. It's nice to know it's being read and enjoyed.
Disclaimer: I don't own Skins, if I did, I would have written an ending to Fire that doesn't piss off millions.
(Apologies for any typos or grammatical errors, I've checked it on the fly.)
The blonde watched as the redheaded council inspector walked off, and shook her head. She turned back to her paint can and picked up the paintbrush once again.
"You've met her before, then?" The brunette smirked.
"Yeah." The blonde replied, rolling her eyes. "She woke me up this morning serving me a public nuisance warning for our little shindig last night. I told you not to turn the music up that loud, Effy."
"Oh, Naomi. You didn't put up that much of a fight over it, if I remember." Effy replied, putting a cigarette to her lips, and flicking her lighter.
"I was pissing gone, what do you expect?" Naomi laughed, as she painted part of a tentacle on the side of the bus.
"Whatever. Are you coming out tonight?" Effy asked.
"I'm s'posed to be having dinner with mum and Kieran."
"That's dinner, Naoms. Surely you don't have to hang around all night."
"True. I tell you what, ring me about 8 and rescue me before Kieran starts up with his Bristol council stories, reliving his old politics glory days is tedium sometimes." Naomi smirked.
"8, right." Effy replied. "So. What's her name?"
"Who?"
"You know who. Little miss council girl."
"Uh... I dunno. She didn't give me her first name, just her last. Miss Fitch, I think she said."
"Miss Fitch. No first name." Effy smirked.
"Well, she was here in an official capacity, Eff. I guess giving offenders your first name is against council policy."
"She likes you."
Naomi dropped her paintbrush into small bucket of solvent at her feet, and turned to Effy. "What?"
Effy smirked back. "She likes you. You like her, too."
"How would you know?"
Effy just raised her eyebrow in response. Naomi rolled her eyes. "Well, it doesn't matter, I probably won't see her again."
"Are you sure about that?" Effy said, taking a long drag on her cigarette. She exhales slowly before she says her next words. "She did say she comes down this street often."
"Yeah, and I've been here a month now, and today is the first day I've seen her."
"This is the first day you've been around during the day." Effy pointed out.
Naomi sighed. "True. Honestly, Eff, the sooner I can get the cash together to get the brakes for this thing repaired, the better." She said, nodding towards the bus.
"Aw, wanderlust getting to you again, Naoms?"
"Not really, just would rather be away from-"
"Morning, dear!" Came a cheery voice from a nearby door that had just opened. Naomi groaned inwardly and turned around, attaching a somewhat forced smile to her lips.
"Morning, mum." Naomi replied.
"Who was that young woman with the red hair who was here this morning, and then again just now?"
"Erm, someone from the council." Naomi said, rinsing off her paintbrush and shaking out the excess water. She decided that painting was done for the day, as she couldn't concentrate, now that the redhead had invaded her day for a second time.
"What did she want?" Her mother asked. "Oh, good morning Effy!"
"Morning, Gina." Effy replied. "Someone complained about the party last night. Got a bit loud, apparently."
"Oh well, didn't I warn you about that?" Gina laughed.
"Yes, mum." Naomi dead panned in reply.
"Right, well I'm off to the market, did you want anything?"
"I left my list on your fridge." Naomi sighed.
"Oh. Well I suppose I'll go back and get it, then. I'll be back later." Gina smiled, as she went back into the house.
"See you, then." Naomi climbed up onto the bus and walked inside. She climbed the stairs into the upper section and walked towards the double bed at the back of the bus. She grabbed the towel that she had laid out beforehand and also picked up the council warning notice that the redhead had served her that morning. It was your usual standard council form, but it was made beautiful by the swirly script that had been used to fill it out.
Her eyes were dawn to the signature at the bottom. She knew the inspector's last name, Fitch, but she didn't introduce herself with a first name. Her signature, though had her full name.
And her first name was Emily.
"Naoms?" Effy said, coming up the steps to the top section. "Gina said you can get your own bloody vodka. Her words, not mine."
Naomi didn't answer her at first, she simply sat there staring at the notice in her hand, the name Emily rolling around in her mind.
"Naomi!" Effy repeated.
"Huh?" Naomi replied.
"Gina said get your own vodka. Where did you go?"
"Sorry, lost in thought. My own vodka. Right." Naomi said, folding the notice in half. Effy came towards her and picked the notice out of her hand, unfolding the crisp paper. She scanned the paper, and her eyebrow raised when her eyes came to the signature at the bottom.
"Ah. So, now she has a first name, too."
"Yeah. Not that it matters." Naomi said, a little sadly. "I told you, I probably won't run into her again."
"Oh, I don't know. Anything is possible." Effy said, shrugging her shoulders. There was something about the tone in her voice that rubbed Naomi a little the wrong way. She stared at her friend.
"You know something." Naomi deadpanned. Effy simply raised her eyebrow and handed the notice back to her, before turning her back and walking back down the stairs. "Bitch!" Naomi called after her.
When she got no reply, she flopped backwards onto her bed, exhaling a deep breath. She thought about closing her eyes but every time all she could see was the face of a girl with red hair, brown eyes, and the cutest features Naomi thought she had ever seen. Something about the girl made her ache inside. She had felt it that morning when Emily had knocked on the bus door, though Naomi had felt too hungover to properly separate the feeling out at the time.
But now she had time to think about it. And there was something about Emily that triggered something inside her. And what had happened when Emily had come past the second time? There was a spark that had passed between them when they had talked the second time, even though Naomi had been brisk, and sarcastic in her responses. Naomi knew it, and it bothered her, somewhat. She wondered if Emily had sensed it as well.
And Effy, in her annoying vagueness, had put the idea in her mind that it might just not be impossible, that she might see Emily again. She sighed, and stood up, searching through the chest in the corner for a change of clothes. Grabbing what she needed, the hurried back down the stairs to the bottom level. Effy was sitting at the table at the back and of the bus, reading the paper and smoking yet another cigarette.
"I'm going upstairs to take a shower. You going to be here much longer?" Naomi asked her. Effy nodded. "Right, I'll be back then."
Naomi picked up the keys that hung from the rear view mirror as she got off the bus, squinting as the sunlight met her eyes again. She ran up the steps to her mother's place and tried the door. For once, it was locked, so she slipped the key into the lock, turning it and opening the door.
"Anyone in?" Naomi called, as she shut the door behind her. Gaining no response, she shrugged, and made her way to the bathroom. She had got used to this routine the past month, since she had parked the bus in front of her mum's place, only intending to stay for a few days. That would have been enough time to get the brakes fixed, but she didn't count on the pads needing to be ordered from overseas, and not only that, it was got to cost her five hundred quid, and that was just to get the pads in.
Naomi thankfully found the bathroom to be empty, and made use of the shower in short order. Once she dried her hair, she got dressed, and walked into the kitchen. She opened the window, and called out to Effy.
"Do you want a cuppa, Eff?"
The brunette shook her head in response. Naomi set about making one for herself, and then exited her mum's house, locking the door behind her. She got back on the bus, and hung the keys behind the rear view mirror. She walked down to the end of the bus, placed her cup of tea on the table, and sat down across from Effy.
"So, enlighten me. What's happening in the world today?" Naomi said, indicating the paper that Effy was still engrossed in, before taking a sip of her tea.
"Oh, same old. Doom, gloom, money, bullshit." Effy said, flatly. "I'm sure there's much more interesting things out there."
"Oh yeah? Like what?"
"Hot, cute redheads who try and make an effort, but get rebuffed regardless." She replied, looking Naomi in the eyes.
"What?" Naomi asked, almost choking on her tea. "What do you mea-"
"Oh, come on, Naoms. It's obvious she was making an extra effort to be nice. She didn't have to come back this way, and she did. She even complimented that crazy painting on the window." Effy said, pointing to the half completed window.
"It's not crazy. It's Japanese erotic art." Naomi says, a little forcefully.
"Two octopi and a woman? That's crazy."
"Whatever, it represents a dream, and the Japanese are quirky when it comes to sex." Naomi adds, drinking from her cup. "Besides, it goes along with every other statement on this bus."
"Yes, and we all know what they are. You never let us forget." Effy groans.
"Right."
Effy and Naomi are silent for a few minutes before Effy speaks up. "But it's not about the bloody painting. She was interested, Naoms. And not just in the painting." She raised her eyebrow at her final words.
"You think so? I mean... What do you see?" Naomi asked.
"I see my good friend who hasn't had a decent shag in six months." Effy replies with a smirk in her voice.
"Fuck off!" Naomi laughs.
"Truth?" Effy replies, her expression blank, except for a raised eyebrow.
The smile slowly disappeared off Naomi's face. She tried to think. There had been that girl in Manchester, Susie... Sophie... Sophia? But that wasn't that long before they had landed in Bristol, surely. The more Naomi thought, the more she realised that Effy was right, it had been more or less six months since she had last shagged anyone. The only reason Naomi had stopped shagging Sophia was because she was getting rather clingy, talking all about commitment. Stuff that scared the absolute shit out of Naomi.
"That clingy stalker closet case still the last one you shagged, then?" Effy asked.
Naomi sighed, her shoulders sinking a little in defeat. She finished her cup of tea, and placed it back on the table. "Fuck this, I'm going for a walk." She mumbled, angrily, getting out of her chair and grabbing her jacket on her way down the bus. "Lock up if you leave." She called back to Effy, grabbing her set of keys from the dashboard as she stepped off the bus.
