EMILY POV – Tug of War

Chapter 13

I had to pretty much run home and just got there when Danny pulled up! Before Katie got her claws into him I pretty much begged him to wait even if Katie said leave. He made some filthy comment which I just smiled at and ran in the house to get changed.

"Where the fuck have you been" Katie greeted me aggressively as I ran into the bedroom.

"Nowhere, I was just out" I said dismissively hoping that Katie would not persist with her questions

"How can you be out nowhere, where the fuck did you sleep, and your wearing the same clothes you had on at college yesterday, gross" Katie tutted looking me up and down with a disgusted look on her face.

I thought about lying to her, telling her I had been with a boy or a friend, but quickly realised Katie knew all the people I knew, if I said the boy thing it would probably make her happier but she would want to know everything and would find out I was lying easily. She would freak if I said I was with Effy or Pandora get all jealous or probably not believe me, so I figured a slightly bent version of the truth would do.

"Seriously Emily, who were you with, I had to totally cover for you with mum and dad they were going mental" Katie said in an exasperated tone

"Jesus Katie your not my fucking keeper, I was at Naomi's ok" Before Katie could flip out about Naomi being a lesbian or a freak I carried on explaining.

"She is running for student president and I was helping her with her campaign, it got late and I stayed, is that okay with you?... can I please get dressed now!" I was getting royally fed up of Katie's demand to control my life.

"no Emily its not okay, one you should have told me where you were and two what are you doing helping that freak with her campaign, she is a total dyke Emily you shouldn't be in her room by yourself, where the fuck did she sleep? That bitch better not have tried anything, I will kill her" Katie seemed to be thinking up scenarios in her head without giving me time to respond.

"KATIE, Stop!! we have been through this, she is not a dyke, and don't use that word its horrible, I am helping her with her campaign because I wanted to and no she did not try anything on, I slept on her freaking floor, now enough with the questions, we are going to be late if you don't let me get dressed!" I was very final with the way I spoke trying to let Katie know that this conversation was over. Managing to only tell her one small white lie about sleeping on the floor.

"Correction your going to be late, if your not in Danny's car in five minutes we are totally going without you" Katie said smugly in a bitchy tone.

"Thanks" I said pulling a shirt on.

After the horrific journey to school in Danny's pussy wagon, I decided to go and find Naomi. I was pretty upset with her for leaving me in her room, it could have been really awkward if her mum hadn't been so lovely.

I jumped out of Danny's car as quickly as possible and headed away from Katie as fast as I could, seeing a glimpse of Naomi pushing her bike in the distance. There was a lot of commotion coming from the entrance of the school. I could hear people chanting Cooks name! Fuck that prick couldn't seriously be running for president. That's the last thing this shit school needs.

"Naomi" I called after her, I knew she heard me but she continued walking and pushing her bike away from me, not even flinching.

I just wanted to scream at her, last night went so well and today she is acting like something terrible happened. She literally was the most frustrating person on the planet. But instead of shout or question her I decided to play it cool, pressure clearly is not something this girl enjoys or deals with well.

I told her I liked her mum, trying to keep the conversation light and she carried on walking still not even turning round, she just responded that her mum was a cliché, she did eventually stop and turn to me, but she struggled to keep eye contact, it was like she was going to say something serious, something that I didn't think I wanted to hear. So I distracted her by producing the posters I made for her campaign. Naomi seemed to embrace them, she looked apprehensive but guilty at the same time. I mean this morning she left me in the shit and I am still here eager to be her friend. Most people would have fucked her off by now. But I could see layers gradually peeling away from this girl and the more I saw the more I liked. Underneath it all there was the Naomi I had feelings for. I just don't think she knew it herself yet. She gave me a smile that told me she was gave in, she would run for president and let me help! She looked so beautiful when she smiled.

We had a wicked day, Naomi got properly involved with the election distributing hundreds of posters. I felt so proud seeing her use the posters I had made. I knew she would be good at this, and when it came round to the speeches I was proved right.

I was literally mesmerised watching Naomi talk passionately about the changes she would try and make, she was so eloquent and so utterly gorgeous. I couldn't stop myself from smiling as she spoke. But I felt more, I felt proud and protective of her. As I sat and watched her my heart ached. I wanted to be with this girl so fucking much. These feelings were getting deeper and deeper. I must have looked like a right dope as after Naomis speech Effy turned to me and grinned a knowing grin. Then turned to Naomi and back to me and gave me a knowing wink. I must have gone quite red as Effys grin turned into a light chuckle. How did this girl know so much, it totally freaked me out. But in some ways I liked it, I liked that Effy knew something was going on with us. It made it feel more real, and I trusted Effy not to gossip and I knew she didn't care. Effy didn't seem to care about anything.

I was enjoying being Naomi's wing woman, and despite that fact I was head over heels for this girl, just being with her was nice. It was nice to have a friend.

But then just as it was going so well it all went tits up, my happiness didn't even last for one sodding day. I don't know why I am even surprised. Naomi got up on a table in the class room to try and round up a few more votes. I took her bag obediently and beamed up at her. Then Cook the twat started showing off interrupting Naomi. It just made me so mad. She was trying so hard and he was just doing this to be a cock. Then Naomi flipped, telling Cook he was a joke and a bit of a verbal battle developed. I felt so protective of her, I could see she was getting upset and it killed me, I don't know where it came from but I shouted at him something along the lines of "any chance you could go and be a cunt over there do you think"

All I heard was the disappointment in Naomi's voice in the way she said my name, it rang through my ears and hurt my heart! I looked up at her and looked away, I was disappointed with myself. I knew Naomi could stand up for herself, but even more I knew she would think this made her look weak and she hated to look weak!

To make things worse Cook then said the worst thing he could possibly say "getting your girlfriend to hold your hand" everyone giggled. Great, just as Naomi was starting to become comfortable around me. I knew this would make her push me further away, having Cook call me her girlfriend in front of the whole form. He then went on showing off, to every other fuckers delight.

I didn't remove my eyes from Naomi and I could see the disappointment in her face as the realisation hit her that despite how much she tried Cook was going to win this election on popularity. No matter how skilled or intelligent Naomi was, people liked Cook because he was a clown and pushed the teachers to the edge. It was like watching a child's balloon deflate seeing Naomi's face. I just wanted to comfort her, tell her it didn't matter. These people were idiots and it was not a reflection on her.

But she grabbed her stuff and walked away from me, ignoring me completely! I went after to her trying to apologise for embarrassing her in front of the whole class. But she turned around suddenly and screamed at me to leave her alone. I could see she meant it, she was nearly crying. It was so unlike her. I felt awful, all I wanted to do was be with her and all she wanted to do was leave her alone. I couldn't take it anymore, so I just let her go. I went straight to the toilets and sat on a basin, I couldn't cry I was hurting too much. I just stared. I can't believe how everything was going so right and how quickly it had changed to going wrong. What had I done to deserve this?

A warm sensation fell on my cheek and I could feel the tears had started to fall. But I still just starred into space. I have never felt this numb before.

Someone came into the toilets and I jumped off and left quickly making sure they didn't see me cry. I walked home slowly, feeling like I had nothing to go home for, nothing to stay at school for. Just nothing. How have I got to this? I got in and went straight up to my bed, curled up under the duvet and started to cry properly. It was a silent cry, I just shook and let the tears flow freely. I don't know how long I cried for but I must have eventually exhausted myself out as I fell asleep for hours.

I was woken up by my phone vibrating next to my head. I knew it would be Katie, it always was. She would either be asking me to cover for her or directing some abuse at me about something. I didn't even look at the phone I just said "hello" trying my best not to sound like I had been asleep or crying

"Can we go somewhere" A familiar but unexpected voice said quietly

I looked at the handset, just to check I wasn't imagining things, but sure enough Naomi's name was on my screen. I couldn't quite believe it and before I knew what I was saying I just replied

"Where?" there was no point me even pretending to myself I was going to pass this up, any time spent with Naomi was precious to me.

"Anywhere!" An emotionless sounding Naomi responded

I told her I would meet her at hers on my bike in 30 minutes and she hung up without responding. I couldn't work out how this was going to go, she sounded so emotionless so empty. Did she need me to be there for her, or was she just so sick of me she was going to give me the leave me alone chat.

Well there was only one way to find out. I packed up a blanket, a spliff, a bottle of vodka that was under katie's bed into my back pack and cycled to Naomi's, my heart beating and my hands shaking slightly.

If she would come, I knew the perfect place to get away from it all.