Disclaimer: I don't own Skins or Rear Window but if I did I'd probably still be writing this.

Author's note: Cheers to everyone who's reviewed and story alerted etc. I'm glad people are enjoying it. I might need a beta as I'm pretty sure I'm awful at proof reading and making sure everything flows and all that so if anyone would be kind enough to help me out drop me a message. I'd be very grateful. This is a short but important one. Hope you enjoy!

I awake to the chortling of a boiling kettle, the clinking of china and teaspoons grazing the insides of tea cups. I groan and begin to roll onto my side, away from the soft sunlight radiating through the window. I'd comment on its beauty and serenity if it wasn't so fucking early! Is it early? Effy's always up unnaturally early, bright eyed and bushy tailed, however wankered she may have been the night before. My legs feel heavy, like I've been weighted down and thrown in the Hudson. Like I'm hungover. When I drink the alcohol always goes to my legs in the morning, never to my head. My hips and knees usually ache as if I decided to run the London Marathon in the aid of CAMRA whilst hammered the night before . Was I drunk last night? I don't remember having anything to drink. I try to roll over again, waving my hand wearily at the window, shooing the light back from wence it came.

An electric shock shoots through my right leg from the inside out, setting little fires on a journey from synapse to synapse, pillaging as it goes. A yelp of pain escapes me and I bite down on my bottom lip, tears welling in my eyes. Fuck me! Shit, pissing, titty-fanny!

I must have groaned louder than I thought because an unexpectedly dishevelled Effy Stonem appears at my doorway. Tea in hand but half on the floor, most likely having sloshed it out in the hall on her mad dash to my room. I look up at her, my eyes puffy, lip quivering, a few tears having escaped onto my cheek. 'I broke my leg?' I ask in disbelief, voice shrill, trying to form words through the pain. Must remember not to move ever again.

Effy nods, sympathetically'. Yeah hun, you did.' She moves quickly to my bed and sets the tea down on my bedside table, next to the wine glass from a few nights before. Rounding up my tears with her thumb she asks, 'Did you forget for a sec?' I nod and she exhales with relief. She probably thought I'd fallen out of bed and broken the other one. She kisses my forehead tenderly and scootches up so she can remove some pills from her back pocket. 'I was just bringing you these,' she waves them at me and they make that foily crunching sound blister pack pills always make, a sound that soothes my senses.

With a lot of wincing, moaning and huffing Effy manages to help me into a sitting position. I realise once I'm out of my covers that I'm cold and clammy. I must have fallen into a cold sweat when my painkillers wore off over night. Disgusting. I bet I stink too. Showering with this hulking great torture device on my leg isn't going to be easy and I'm pretty sure Effy is up to the task of making it even harder. Devil woman. Though that said, the supposed Devil Woman hands me my painkillers and a cup of tea. She studies me with intrigue and pats me on the back as I choke on the pills with my haste to get the opiates into my system. The tea burns my throat but it's soothing. I nod my thanks.

Eff strokes some hair from my forehead and feigns disgust when she discovers its cemented in place with sweat. Did I mention disgusting? She shrugs and pops it behind my ear. 'I have to get to lectures,' she says apologetically.

My brow furrows in confusion. 'But it's Freshers Week...'

'I know but we have to register and meet our class. It's an induction thing,' she says, tilting her head to one side like she's already got this Uni thing down.

I scoff, surprised. 'When were you ever into induction things?'

'Don't rescue me only to put me straight back in the pound because you don't want to have to use those Naomi Campbell.' Effy points to the corner of my room where my crutches lie. I grumble, scolded. The thought of being left to fend for myself isn't a particularly pleasant one. I hate being a dependent, don't get me wrong. But the idea of being completely and utterly useless is something I hate even more than losing my independence.

'I'm going to try with this Uni thing okay? Let me try.' And how can I not? I suddenly realise how selfish I'm being. I made her come here, forced her to go through clearing, convinced her Uni was the way to go to get her life back on track. And now, when she needs me most, I'm stuck at home and she's left to fend for herself. But maybe it's what she needs, maybe it's what we both need. She's come a long way since I first met her, gone through a lot of shit; her parents divorce, what happened with her brother. And there's more stuff, stuff that even I don't know about, probably never will. But I know it's there, she's told me that much. I nod and she smiles sadly. She shouldn't need my permission.

'You alright?' I venture.

She tenses her shoulders and stares for a moment at my crutches, vacillating. 'They want me to go see that counsellor today,' she mutters after a beat. Ah. 'Just to get aquatinted I guess. See how I'm dealing with living away from home and stuff. The first few days are very important apparently,' she laughs bitterly now. 'This is much better than home,' she says, and I practically see one of Effy and Anthea's famous battles playing back across her eyes.

She shakes her said, chasing the memories away and glances up to meet my gaze. Now I feel like an absolute prick for being such a dick a moment ago. I squeeze her hand and try to make up for it, 'This is home.' And I mean it. 'I think you should go. If you don't like it, don't go back. Remember, Universities are businesses. You can always sue and get your money back.'

She throws me a tight smile and hastily wipes her eyes with the back of her hand, going to leave; retreating from a moment of weakness.

I sniff and reach for her in Hollywood desperation. 'Stay with me?' Don't leave me here!' Her mood breaks and she allows herself to laugh, throwing her head back maniacally, pushing my groping hands away. Either the drugs have already started to take hold or the sound of Effy's laughter is some kind of endorphin releaser. 'I'm all alone, there's no one here besides me...' I begin to croon, decrepitly.

'You'll be fine Naomi. Now stop before you hurt something else...'

I begin to ham it up a little. 'I'm all alone, quite alone.'

Eff throws bean bag lizard in my direction which I intercept with ease. Skills. 'Shut up Noams, you're never going to be the next Sinatra. I'll bring you some toast and snacks through before I...'

'Frank or Nancy? ...No one to comfort or guide me...'

She's paused at my door now, most of her body in the hall, head just peaking back inside. I throw the lizard back and it thumps unceremoniously off target and into the wall. She smirks at my very apparent lack of skills now and plays her final hand. 'Emily will be here at lunch.' My mouth snaps shut. She delights in every word, cow.

Now I'm the one who's bright eyed and bushy tailed. She must have called Emily, they're in co-hoots! This should scare me, especially considering Effy is at the helm but it doesn't. And the singing stops as quickly as it started. Groans of relief audible from the surrounding buildings. 'Awesome. I'm all set. You can go.' I should be ashamed. Effy certainly is.

She shakes her head, 'Since when did you become such a sucker for a pretty face?'

'Since you stopped putting out bitch.' She flips me off, only after attempting to stifle a snort of laughter. With a wide, smug smile she turns on her heels and stalks back into the kitchen.

A few minutes later I hear the toaster ding and she's back through with two slices of toast smothered in humus, a packet of biscuits and my share size Maltesers. Result! I'd forgot about those. I'm pretty sure I'm going to get fat by the time this cast comes off. It'll be fit to burst, no removal necessary. 'Thanks babe.' She knows I mean it. I grab her hand, 'Good luck on your first day darling. Oh I'm so proud of you!' I gush and she rolls her eyes.

'How many of those pills did you take?'

'Where's your uniform? I had it pressed and ready to go!'

'You're mad.'

'You're madder.' I retort.

'Only because I've been officially diagnosed' she teases and then adds solemnly, hands on my knee, 'Good luck with Emily.' With that, she throws her tan satchel and camera over her shoulder and grins- I frown. 'You stink you know?'

'I what?' My mouth gapes.

'Good luck!' The words absent of sentiment. Her lip quirks and then she's gone. Shit shit shit.

AN: Cheers for reading. Reviews would be lovely ta!