Naomi sat on the
edge of her bed.
She double checked her bag tipping it out onto
her duvet.
She had her makeup case, her phone, her purse and,
perhaps most importantly, her passport.
She slipped on her
shoes and ran back to the bathroom.
This was now the fourth time
she had checked her outfit in the mirror.
She grunted and sighed
and pulled at her shirt before giving up.
She grabbed her
suitcase and her plane bag, and ran downstairs.
'Mum, I'm
ready. Can you drive me now?'
Her mother parted lips with
Kieran, Naomi's teacher, and picked up her car keys.
'Have fun
thar, lassy.' He said.
Naomi gave him a nervous smile and walked
away.
'Are you sure you've got everything?' Gina asked pulling away from the yellow house in their green fiat punto.
'Yeah…I think so…' Naomi muttered.
She
was staring out of the window.
She was nervous.
Terrified,
actually.
Although she'd never admit it publicly, she had never
been away from her mother for so long.
Gina was fully aware she was nervous, and knowing Naomi, decided not to push it any further.
They finally arrived at their destination, and in true Campbell style, they opted for a goodbye, and a smile.
Gina climbed out of the car and opened the boot for her.
'Have fun in Paris!' Gina called from the window knowing full well it would embarrass Naomi.
Naomi turned and glared a classic Naomi stare before walking away, struggling with her bags.
She walked down to the forecourts and into the main building.
'Ah!
Naomi! Good morning to you!' Doug piped up.
'Hi…' Naomi
said.
She really didn't want to be here, and she really didn't fancy spending a week in Paris with Doug.
'Am I the only one here….?' Naomi questioned looking around at the empty hallways.
'No… a few of them are putting their bags and cases into the van.' He gestured to the other side of the building through the automatic doors.
She walked through, rolling her suitcase on the little plastic wheels on the bottom.
'Naomi! You came, whizzer.' Pandora squawked.
Naomi smiled at the group.
Freddie and Thomas were lifting everyone's bags onto the van.
Naomi looked down at the commotion on the floor and laughed at JJ and Cook wrestling on the ground.
Effy was
leaning against the far wall having a smoke.
She was analysing the
growing number of people around the van.
Naomi bit the bullet
and went to talk to the brunette.
'Hey..there…I wanted to
say…'
'Don't Naomi. I didn't do anything. You
did…'
'Sorry?' Naomi asked dumbfounded.
She loved Effy
but she could be so confusing sometimes.
'Yesterday. I didn't help you. I didn't do anything to help. I gave you an ear. You're the one that took the first step and told someone. So…if you want to tell someone thank you…then tell it to yourself.'
'How did you know I was going to thank you? Maybe I was going to tell you about my gay admiration for you?' she mocked at herself.
'I know everything, Naomi. And I wouldn't blame you if you wanted to 'do me'. Everyone else does.'
Naomi couldn't help laughing at Effy's modesty.
Effy allowed herself to laugh before stubbing out her cigarette on the adjacent wall.
As
they were heading back, Naomi saw the glisten of red hair she had
been waiting for.
The Fitch twins had arrived.
Both of the
girls were wearing short skirts and sunglasses.
Naomi's heart
raced; pounding in her chest.
Effy looked across and
smiled.
'So, did you tell her?'
'She knows…I'm into
girls. That's enough for now.'
'You'd be good together you
know.'
'Ef, she's straight.' Naomi pleaded, refusing to
believe Emily's own admittance.
'I very much doubt that.' She
said walking off.
Naomi watched her walk away to Freddie, slipping
her hand into his back jeans pocket.
She slowly walked up to
the group when Doug held up a clipboard and his magic
megaphone.
Naomi just prayed he kept it away from his trousers
this time.
She remembered cringing.
'When I call your names,
get onto the van! We're about to start our magical Roundview
journey to Paris!' Doug sung comically.
Harriet, the head
teacher woman, was dressed up in her trackies and trainers.
'It's
a school trip, love, not a PE lesson.' Naomi mocked in her
head.
The class fell silent as Doug reeled off a list of names.
'McClair, Frederick'
'Tomone, Thomas.'
'Cook,
James.'
'Greene, Charlotte'
'Fitch, Katie.'
Naomi's
attention was taken as the elder Fitch walked onto the bus waggling
her arse around.
Naomi wasn't sure why she paraded around so
much.
It wasn't as if she even had an amazing bottom.
It was
average.
Naomi had seen better.
She knew Katie would hate for
her sister to beat her at something, but Naomi had to admit Emily's
bottom was far more entertaining.
Naomi couldn't help looking at
Emily. Emily's sunglasses aiming in the direction of the blonde,
and a faint smile passed her lips.
'Moon, Pandora.
'Stokes,
Sarah'
'Campbell, Naomi.'
Naomi's eyes blinked as
her name was called and she immediately broke eye contact with the
younger twin.
She made her way to the bus, and climbed the three
short steps.
JJ and Cook had already sat together.
Freddie
was obviously saving a space for Effy.
Katie was sitting on her
lonesome but there was no way in hell Naomi would sit next to
her.
Besides, that space was obviously reserved for Emily.
Naomi
would rather sit next to Doug with his quips about the welsh, and his
intolerance for rhubarb.
She makes her way past Thomas and Pandora
who are connected at the lips once more.
Naomi makes her way to
the front of the bus, and climbed into an empty seat.
She
pulled a book out of her bag, and begins to spend the morning the
same way as she intends to spend the holiday;
Ignoring the
fuckwit's she's with.
