You're an unbelievably amazing bunch of ladies, you know that? Well, if you don't, I'm telling you; you, my darlings, are great.
I took the time to reply to all of your reviews but I want to say thanks again, they're incredible!
You make me laugh, you make me smile, you make me go all Awww in front of my computer *grins like a mad lady*
Also, it sucks that I couldn't reply to anonymous reviewers but a big ol' thanks to Naomily Fan, soul sister (I totally dig the fact you were dressed like Emily!), vaskon, ferndog, Love NAOMILY and melodya, you're all oh so lovely!
This chapter goes out to girlno4282 because she's nice and Canadian and because she looks cute on her profile picture *blushes* ;)
Ok, chapter now, I get it.
"Ok Emily, you can go, we're closing."
I sigh with relief at Bradley's words; the night has been unbelievably boring. Apparently, people have enough of candies on Halloween and don't buy fast-food. I can't seriously blame them though.
"Thanks." I mutter, taking off my cowboy hat before heading towards the employee room to change my clothes.
When I come back behind the counter, Bradley's waiting for me to close the restaurant.
"You changed Ems? Why? You were already dressed as a cowboy, that would have been perfect for Halloween!" He laughs at his own joke, like the fucking tosser that he is.
I give Bradley a fake smile before slipping past him to head outside. There's no way I'm staying here one more minute than necessary.
"See you Bradley."
Nights are getting chillier, I think, stuffing my hands in the pocket of my leather jacket as I nuzzle further into my big grey scarf.
I check my phone to see I have two new messages, the first from Katie telling me the party starts at 10 and the second from Panda to remind me her, JJ, Thomas and I are meeting in front of Effy's house at a quarter before ten, meaning I have forty-five minutes to go get my costume, go back to my place to get ready and head to the other side of Bristol. I can do this.
I start to walk faster, passing by many groups of children sporting various costumes. Panda and I had the best idea about two weeks ago and decided that along with Thomas and JJ, we'd get costumes to be the Ninja Turtles. I know, brilliant.
After a few minutes, the neon sign of the rental costume shop appears ahead and I hurriedly head inside, eager to warm up.
A bored looking bloke with countless piercings is sitting behind the counter, flipping through a magazine.
He doesn't even look up when I make my way towards him and it takes a loud clearing of my throat to get his attention.
"Yes, what can I do for you?"
It's Halloween night and we're in a costume shop, what do you think I could possibly want? Moron.
"Hi, I reserved a Ninja Turtle costume a week ago. The name's Emily Fitch."
The guy sighs loudly before typing rapidly on his computer.
"You're not in here." He states a few seconds later, loudly chewing his gum.
"What? Can't you look another time? I called here last week and they told me it was okay!"
He types again. "Well, apparently it wasn't. You're definitely not registered for a Ninja Turtle costume."
"You have got to be fucking kidding me!" I reply angrily, running a hand through my hair.
I take a deep breath.
"Do you have any costumes left then?"
Types. "I have a maid costume or a Santa Claus one."
"It's seriously all you've got?"
"We're on Halloween night dear, what did you expect?"
I sigh, taking out my wallet. "I'll take the maid then." Fuck. My. Life.
When I arrive home fifteen minutes later, I instantly make my way to Katie and I bedroom, finding her already drinking from a bottle of vodka while getting dressed for the party. Katie decided for an early 80's Madonna costume and I must say it suits her really well.
"Hey lezzer, what's up?"
"I need your help Katie, it's a fucking emergency." I reply, dropping my bag on the floor.
"What's going on?" She asks, locking eyes with me in the mirror.
"I went to the fucking costume shop and, of fucking course, they didn't get my reservation for the Ninja Turtle costume-"
"That's God's way of telling you how much of a lame idea that was."
"- so I had to settle for a bloody maid costume." I finish, ignoring her.
Katie raises her eyebrows and chuckles, obviously finding the whole thing very amusing.
"And when you say maid you mean our old maid Theresa or Playboy maid?"
"Well, judging by the amount of clothing in this bag, I'd say it's a Playboy case."
"Then you came to the right person Ems. You'll look great, don't worry bitch."
Twenty minutes later, and I must say Katie did a good job, even though I look more like her than ever with a revoltingly short black dress that pushes my boobs up a bit too much for my liking, a white apron, fishnet stockings, killer black stilettos that are most likely going to be the death of me and that white thingy maids supposedly wear on their heads. To complete it all, Katie decided I should go for smoky eyes and a bright red lipstick.
I probably look rather slutty but I figured, if I'm stuck with this costume, might as well make the most of it.
Katie looks me up and down, hands on her hips.
"You look, like, fucking good Ems. You'll totally be able to pull any girls you want with that outfit."
"Thanks Kay" I smile, thinking of one girl in particular. One with beautiful blue eyes and peroxide blonde hair.
"Ok lezzer, we have a party waiting for us."
I nod, grabbing the half empty bottle of vodka.
"Don't get fit." Katie adds, a playful smile playing on her lips.
"Get Fitch." I reply, winking.
When Katie and I arrive at Effy's house, the party seems to already be in full swing even though it was only supposed to start at ten.
My skirt is unbelievably short, making me feel incredibly self-conscious as I try to get out of the cab without flashing anyone. Apparently failing when a guy behind me whistles and shouts "Nice arse Katie!" Great, now people take me for Katie.
"So I'll probably see you around during the night yeah?" Katie asks me while putting on some more bright lipstick.
"Yeah, probably. Don't do anything stupid." I add, but Katie's already heading towards the house and turns around to give me a small wave and a wink, shaking her arse in a revolting manner.
I laugh and give her a thumbs up before turning around, looking for Panda and the boys.
It's not long until I see them approaching and I must admit they look totally hilarious with their Ninja Turtles costumes.
I lock eyes with Panda and she gives me a hesitant smile.
"Hi Katie. Have you seen Emzy? She was supposed to meet us here."
I chuckle. "Panda, I'm not Katie."
Her eyes widen and I can see Thomas and JJ behind her eyeing me up and down.
"Blimey Ems! You look super hot! Like super dooper hot!"
"Emily, I must say tu es très jolie ce soir!" Thomas adds, giving me one of his famous bright smiles.
JJ looks confused. "Where's your Ninja Turtle costume Em? I thought we agreed on that and correct me if I'm wrong but there are usually four of them right?"
"I know Jay but they obviously didn't write my name correctly at the costumes shop so I had to settle with this..." I finish, gesturing towards my outfit. "I know it sucks though, your costumes are awesome, I would have loved to match with you."
"Don't worry Ems. As much as I would have loved for you to get the right costume, you look unbelievably great in this one."
JJ winks as he gallantly offers me his arm. Smiling, I grab it and we start to make our way towards the noisy house, closely followed by Panda and Thomas.
I put my hand on the handle and before I push the door open, I hear Thomas behind me.
"Let's get fucked up mes amis."
"Oh yeah!" Panda replies excitedly.
The moment I open the front door, the faint smell of alcohol, spliff and sweat reaches us along with the loud beat of some random rap songs. The house already looks messy; only in the hallway, some pictures that I assume were initially hanging on the walls are now scattered on the floor, their glasses broken.
I motion for Panda, Thomas and JJ to follow me as I make my way through the mass of people, looking for the kitchen where I suppose we'll find some alcohol.
Finding the kitchen appears to be not as easy as I thought it would be; Effy's house is actually fucking huge and there seem to be endless corridors and an even bigger number of rooms. But as big as it is, there's apparently not a place in this house that has not been invaded by some drunken people.
"Emilio man!"
Cook's loud voice booms in my ears as he slips an arm around my shoulders, clearly completely trashed already. He went for a policeman costume which is actually rather ironic.
"Hey Cook..."
"You look fuckin' fit tonight mate! Top fuckin' ace! You sure you're not interested in getting a taste of the Cookie Monster?" He waggles his eyebrows in a suggestive manner making me smile despite myself.
"I think you got the wrong twin Cook."
Cooks laughs loudly, squeezing me against him.
"You're fun Emilio man, I like that. Fuckin' hell, why the fucks haven't you all got a drink already?" He adds, turning around to look at Panda and the boys behind us, currently as empty-handed as I am.
"We were looking for the kitchen but this house is unbelievably huge." Thomas replies, vaguely motioning around him with his hand to emphasize the point.
"Follow me then!" Cook shouts over the music as he turns to the right, bouncing everywhere.
When we finally arrive in the kitchen, it's so full of people and smoke it feels suffocating. I hear JJ coughing behind me and I turn to see if he's fine only to meet his reassuring smile.
Cook comes back a minute later with a tray full of what I assume are tequila shots along with a couple of beers.
"There you go mates! Now it's time for you to get fuckin' mental!" Cooks yells, punching his chest with his closed fists. The kitchen erupts in a roar of laughter and whistles and I can't help to join along; the guy surely knows how to party.
"Naomikins, you're here!" I hear Cook's voice shout behind me.
My heart skips a beat when I see him bouncing towards something on my left. Naomi's here. Of course she was going to be here you twat, it's Effy's party.
The row we had yesterday has been everything I could think about it since it happened. I spent all of last night wondering what it is exactly I feel for Naomi. She seems to have invaded my mind so effortlessly and naturally it scares the shit out of me and I can't even begin to comprehend how I could let myself fall for her that easily. It probably has something to do with the blue of her eyes or the peroxide blond of her hair or the way her skirts reveal just the right amount of-
"Hi Emily." Her voice. Her fucking, wonderful, enthralling voice, right behind me.
I turn around, my heart beating so loudly I'm afraid they'll have to turn up the music even more.
"Hey Na-" My voice catches in my throat, a small gasp escaping my lips when I take in Naomi's appearance. She went for a Tinkerbell costume; bright green strapless silky dress, wings on her back and killer green stilettos. She has a light make-up that really makes her eyes pop and her hair is put up in a messy ponytail with a green ribbon tying it.
She looks so unbelievably stunning I can't help but let my eyes trail hungrily over the whole length of her body and when I finally look up, I can see her gaze fixed on my cleavage, her bottom lip tucked under her front teeth. Our gazes meet and Naomi blushes furiously, instantly averting my eyes.
"N-Naomi..." I try again, my voice coming out way huskier than usual. "You look... gorgeous." I breathe out, gesturing towards her outfit.
She smiles brightly, and for a moment I think I can see something resembling pride flickering in her blue pools.
"Not as much as you though." Naomi replies back, practically whispering but somehow I can hear her over the music.
I feel a bit self-conscious under her gaze; I'm not used to have so much skin on display but I like the way she is looking at me.
"Thanks, it kinda makes me look like a slut though..." I joke, tugging at my skirt.
"You could never look like a slut." Naomi replies, surprising me. "And Emily?" She adds, lightlt putting a hand on my forearm. A hand so warm and soft it makes my breath hitch immediately.
"Yeah?"
"I'm sorry about yesterday... I was a twat and-"
"No, look I'm sorry, it was ridiculous really..."
We chuckle awkwardly and Naomi brings her hand back to her side, leaving my arm tingling.
"Emzy!" Panda yells behind me. Fuck, I completely forgot about them. "You ready for shots?"
I raise an eyebrow at Naomi, pointing towards the tray of shots.
"Care to join us?"
She fidgets with her hands for a second. "Well...I-I told Derek I'd be back in a few minutes when I came to talk to you so..."
Disappointment washes over me with such force it takes out the air of my lungs for a brief instant. Fucking hell, get a grip. I just give her a small smile though, forcing my voice to come out as cheerful as it can.
"Oh sure! Have fun then!" I reply, turning around to face Panda without giving her time to reply. I fucking hate the power she has over me; when it comes to Naomi, it seems the intensity of my feelings is always magnified.
Grabbing a shot, I clink my glass with Thomas's.
"Let's drink bitches!"
...
An hour and a half and a shameful amount of tequila later, we're all on the living room's improvised dance floor, dancing the night away. People are pushing me in every direction but I couldn't care less; I've always enjoyed the superficial and yet overwhelming energy that you get from dancing on the same beat as a bunch of strangers.
A brief flash of blonde catches my eyes as I take another sip of my beer.
I haven't seen Naomi since she came to talk to me earlier and I've been unconsciously looking for her, hoping to catch a glimpse of her beautiful cerulean eyes or of her knee-weakening smile.
I'm pathetic, really; she's probably having a great time with Derek at this very moment. The mere thought of his hands over her brings back the now familiar pang in my chest.
I sigh, downing the rest of my beer in a go.
The song changes and people start to jump up and down, shaking their heads to the rapid beat.
Panda's gone wild and Thomas happily tries to keep up with her, a huge grin on his face. They look happy together.
I suddenly feel the need for a spliff; something, anything really, to take my mind off Naomi.
Just as I'm about to push past the growing mass of people to make my way outside, a warm hand settles on my lower back. Without even looking, I know it's not who I want to be. From the few times Naomi touched me, I could recognise the feeling anywhere; a delicious tingling and goose bumps. Loads of them.
Glancing over my shoulder, I meet the sparkling eyes of Olivia, cuter than ever in a rather tight Catwoman outfit.
"Emily, how are you doing?"
I shake my head, twirling the empty beer bottle in my hands. "Good, good. You?"
"This party's crazy, I love it!" She replies, and I can tell by the way she's slurring her words that she's probably as drunk as I am. "May I ask you to dance with me?" Olivia adds, cheeky smile revealing two perfect dimples.
"You certainly may." I reply, grabbing two shots from a table near-by and handing one to Olivia. "Cheers."
We both take our shots before heading to the middle of the dance floor.
A heavy, low beat is now playing and I can feel it resonating loudly throughout my body.
I start to dance, slowly, locking eyes with Olivia. Her pupils are dilated letting me know she probably took more than just alcohol.
The crowd on the dance floor seems to grow every minute, inevitably bringing me closer to Olivia before I can finally feel her hands sneaking around my waist, pulling me even closer than before. Without thinking, I put my hands around her neck, throwing my head back.
Everything around me is blurry.
It feels good, albeit wrong; I just know deep down she's not the one I'd wish to be dancing with. I just wish I had the guts to tell Naomi that she's the one I'm dying to dance with.
Before I can register what's happening, moist lips are sucking on my pulse point, hands wandering lower, hovering over my arse.
I lower my head to tell Olivia I'm not really interested but at the same time, she brings her head up, resulting in our lips meeting rather roughly. She starts to kiss me tentatively but I softly push on her shoulders, needing her to stop.
This is wrong.
But then, everything else disappears and I'm drowning in a pool of blue.
Naomi's standing at the other side of the room, next to Effy and Freddie, and she's looking directly at me. She's pale and I could swear she's on the verge of tears, her knuckles turning white over a bottle of beer she's firmly holding.
And for once, probably for the first time, I can't be mistaken on the feelings currently flashing in her eyes; hurt, jealousy, slight hint of anger, all directed towards me in such a way it makes me want to run. Or spontaneously combust.
Fuck.
Naomi lowers her gaze before storming out of the room.
Fuck, fuck, fuck.
Olivia seems too out of it to have noticed anything.
"I have to go to the bathroom." I shout over the music, motioning in a general direction behind me.
She seems disappointed for a second but finally nods, leaning in to give me a light kiss on the cheek.
As soon as I'm out of the living room, I look frantically around me, searching for any signs of Naomi but, of fucking course, she's nowhere to be seen.
Taking a chance, I make my way upstairs, the sticky floor making it even harder to walk with heels.
The second floor of the house appears to be as crowded as the rest of it.
I sigh loudly.
Not really knowing where to look, I start to open some random doors, surprising more than one couple in rather compromising positions.
Fucking hell Naomi, where are you?
After a good ten minutes of being pushed around and searching aimlessly for Naomi through seemingly endless corridors, I come into a dimly lit bedroom, apparently empty.
I've quite sobered up by now and as I sit on the edge of the bed, I put my head in my hands, the look on Naomi's face constantly flashing in my mind. She looked so broken, so vulnerable.
So jealous.
My heart starts to beat faster as a furtive thought infiltrates my mind, growing bigger and bigger as I recall small, insignificant things that didn't really mean anything until now.
The way Naomi blushes every time I compliment her or whenever I catch her looking at me, the way she's always so edgy around Olivia, the way she's being so defensive about Derek and now, tonight, how she looked at me with those big blue eyes, so full of hurt.
Could she... feel the same?
The mere thought of Naomi reciprocating my feelings brings a new round of energy in me and I briskly get up, ready to search whole fucking Bristol to find her.
Just as I'm about to get out of the room, I hear a faint sound coming from behind a door communicating with the bedroom. I can see light under it and I try to be as silent as possible as I make my way towards it.
The door is slightly ajar and I peak in, barely holding a gasp when I see Naomi standing in front of a mirror, her back turned on me, her hands on either side of the sink.
I hear her sniffle and that's when I notice her shoulders are shaking lightly. She's crying, and it breaks my heart a little. I'd love to spend my life making sure she never cries.
"Jesus Naomi, get a grip." She's talking to herself, a sad edge to her voice. "You're being bloody ridiculous. Of course she doesn't like you that way. You're so fucking stupid. Fuck." Her voice breaks on the last word and almost instinctively, I step into the bathroom, shutting the door behind me.
Naomi turns around rapidly. "What the-"
When she sees me, her eyes widen and she looks terrified, all the color draining from her face.
"Emily... What are you doing here?" She quickly wipes her tear-stained cheeks with the back of her hand.
"I heard you crying. What's wrong?" I ask, taking a tentative step towards her, my voice full of concern.
"Oh, it-it's nothing really..." She stutters, her eyes pleading for me to drop the subject.
But I'm not having any of it.
"It surely isn't nothing if you're crying-"
"Emily, please..."
"I need to know." I pause, taking a deep breath. Here we go. "Why did you look at me like that earlier?"
Naomi looks to the floor, once again fidgeting with her gold ring.
"How was I looking at you?" She asks, her voice so small I'm struggling to hear it.
"Like you were going to rip Olivia's head off." I reply, taking another step towards Naomi. I just need to know if she feels it too.
"Like you were about to burst into tears."
With one final step, I trap her between the sink and me but she doesn't make a move, she simply stares at me, a gaze so intense I'm rendered speechless for a second.
"Like you wanted me."
Naomi exhales a shaky breath and we're standing so close now I can feel it on my face. Her vanilla smell is making me slightly dizzy but I keep my gaze steady.
"I didn't want her to touch you."
My heart misses a beat before starting to thump loudly again.
Slowly, I raise my hand up to tuck a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. Naomi leans into my touch, her eyes fluttering close for a brief moment.
"Why?" I ask, and it's my turn to whisper. I need to hear her say it out loud.
"Because I-" She's struggling with words, her gaze back on the floor. I slide my fingers lightly down her jaw, feeling how soft her skin is, before I bring my forefinger under her chin, lifting it so I can look her in the eyes and encouraging her to continue with my own.
"Because I want to be the only one touching you." She murmurs softly, in such a childlike manner it makes my heart swell.
She feels it too.
"I couldn't stand the way she was looking at you. I-I just wished it was me, dancing with you. I just wished I was the one with my hands on your hips, the only one you were looking at..."
"You're the only one I was looking at Naomi." I swallow, her sparkling blue eyes boring into my own. "You're the only one I've been looking at for the past weeks."
A look of utter joy washes over Naomi's face as she shyly grabs my hand, intertwining our fingers together, and she smiles softly at me.
"You're so beautiful Ems."
My eyes flicker to her lips, wanting nothing else than to feel them on my own and when I look up, Naomi's biting at her bottom lip, intently looking at me. Her eyes are a shade darker. Lust.
I slowly lean in, and my eyes flutter close when I see Naomi doing the same, my heart beating wildly in my chest.
Naomi's lips lightly, tentatively brush against my own and my knees buckle under me.
We stay still for a moment, holding our breaths. I can't believe this is really happening. I open my eyes, only to meet two dark pools of blue.
"Kiss me Emily." Naomi's voice is raspy, dripping with want.
I sneak my shaky hands around her neck, pulling her towards me, finally bringing our lips together. Her taste, alcohol, honey and something I assume is only her, instantly fills me, taking control over my mind.
The kiss is slow, passionate.
We're exploring each other; I crane my neck to the side, allowing our lips to fit even more perfectly together. Naomi puts her hands on my hips to bring our bodies flush together and I tangle my hands further in her soft blonde hair.
I bite on her bottom lip, toying with it as Naomi moans deeply into my mouth, allowing me the access to it instantly.
Our tongues meet, and it's my turn to moan as I feel Naomi's hands wandering further down my lower back.
We stop for a moment, panting, but I immediately bring her back towards me.
This time, the kiss is more urgent; lustful.
Naomi's sucking on my tongue, sending a delicious shiver down my spine as I drag my nails down her back, lightly grazing the soft skin I'm finding there.
Fuck, she has no idea how much I want her.
I leave her lips, and I feel she's about to protest but she takes a sharp intake of breath as I start to plant mouth-opened kisses down her neck. Immediately, she brings her head back, putting even more of the creamy skin of her neck on display.
"Fuck, Emily." She gasps as I start to nibble on her ear lobe, slowly sucking on it. "I've wanted this for so long."
Naomi grabs the back of my neck and crashes our lips together once more, slipping her tongue into my mouth.
When we finally pull apart, Naomi's hands are still around my neck and mine are now resting in the small of her back, lightly stroking the curve I find there.
I bring our foreheads together, needing to feel Naomi as close as possible.
"You have me now." I whisper, shivering when Naomi starts to play with the hair at the base of my neck.
"You always had me." She replies, kissing me softly.
This is the perfect moment
*fidgets nervously*
I really hope you guys enjoyed it and that it somehow lived up to your expectations... (if expectations you had)...! Don't worry though, this story is far from over; it's actually just the beginning. Mouhaha.
Anyway, leave a review if you feel like it, I'd love to hear your thoughts!
Big hug!