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Chapter Three

Rachel pushed her bedroom door open a split, wondering if Gar had already gone to work. His door opened at the same time, and she felt the panic rising in her chest. Taking a deep breath and reminding herself that this was her best friend, she walked towards the kitchenette and put the kettle on.

"Morning, Rachel."

"Morning, Gar. Sleep well?"

It was tense, uncomfortable. Rachel turned to look at him. He was evading her gaze, gathering his things together for work. She narrowed her eyes. He seemed upset, somehow. She wondered if she should broach last night; maybe she should mention it first. Be the bigger person. Clear the air. But fear overcame her, and she backed out. Waiting for his response felt like a lifetime.

"Not bad," he shrugged, as he pulled his waterproof coat on. He finally raised his eyes to meet hers. "You?"

"Same," she replied, playing with her jumper cuff and leaning on the side. "Off to work?"

"Yep," Gar nodded, zipping up his backpack and hoisting it onto his back. Rachel felt brave for a moment and moved towards him. She placed a hand on his chest, halting him as he went to leave.

"Gar, look. Are we okay?"

"Why wouldn't we be?" replied the young man, cagily. He was tense, she could feel it beneath her hand. She lowered her arm and hugged herself.

"Last night...I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"I feel like I've messed everything up," admitted Rachel, her blue eyes looking up at him imploringly. "I don't want to leave it like this."

Gar let out a long and laborious breath. He placed his hands on her shoulders. "It's fine, Rae. You're still my best friend. But I have a headache right now, and I need to get to work. Maybe we can talk about it more later, okay?"

Feeling no more reassured and wondering why that was the case, she hugged herself tighter before nodded her head affirmatively. Gar let go of her and headed towards the door without another word. As it closed, it was as though something snapped within her. Anxiety tore at her insides. Voices exploding inside her head.

'I should have done something last night. Maybe I should have kissed him!'

'Why the hell would you think that? We don't want to kiss Gar! He's our best friend and nothing more.'

'But now he hates me. I can't do anything right.'

'I don't want to lose him. I'm scared.'

'Why do I even care so much about him? Men aren't to be trusted.'

Rachel clutched her temples, willing her mind to be quiet. She abandoned her cup of tea, not feeling like it in the slightest. Her feeling was that she just needed to get out of the apartment and away from it all. Grabbing her own effects, she marched to the door and closed it behind herself. Perhaps she would be early for the first time in six months. But Rachel didn't care. This morning there didn't feel like much worth being late for.

"You're early," said Jen, handing a steaming mug of tea to her colleague. Rachel looked up, accepting the cup of tea silently. "You're never early."

"Sometimes I'm early."

"Not in the past six months," retorted the woman, flicking her pink hair and sitting down next to her friend. "What's wrong, sis?"

"I...I don't want to talk about it," hesitated Rachel, her eyes staring into the dark tea. Jen snorted and slapped a hand on her shoulder.

"Duly noted. Now what's wrong?"

Rachel fixed Jen with a dark look, her blue eyes narrowing. "You're pushing it, Jennifer."

"Always," smiled Jenny, her teeth flashing under the artificial light. "Now tell me what's the matter. I'm worried about you, Rach."

"Something happened with Gar. I don't want to talk about it," replied Rachel, caving under Jen's relentless interrogation. "Can we drop it now, please?"

"Uh oh, lover's tiff!" joked Jen, giving the brunette a poke. Rachel felt her eyes welling up with tears. Everything became hazy in the dusty room, and she scuffed her feet on the floor to try and distract herself. Jenny's tone shifted to concern. "Hey, hey, come on now. It can't be that bad. I was only kidding around."

Rachel sniffed, rubbing her nose on the back of her sleeve and taking a sip of her tea. It had no flavour, held no comfort. Sighing, she placed it gently down next to her chair and rested her head in her hands. Jen was silent for a few moments, waiting to see if Rachel was going to elaborate. She didn't.

"Look, I get it. It's none of my business. But I'm here for you if you need me," the young woman said, tapping her fingers on the side of her chair. "I'm not much good at this kind of stuff but I do care about you, Rach."

"I know you do," responded Rachel, managing a small smile and snuffling until the tears receded. "It's not your fault, Jen. I'm sorry if I'm being rude."

"Whatever happened between the two of you, I'm sure you'll figure it out. You've been best friends for like forever, right? You guys are tight. Things like that don't just vanish because of a little argument, you know?"

"I hope you're right," replied Rachel, closing her eyes and taking some deep breaths. She opened them a split and turned back towards her friend. "Thanks for the tea, Jen."

"You looked like you needed it."

"I did," nodded the brunette, starting to feel some normality returning to her mind. "I really did."

There was another pause, as the two watched the comings and goings of the rest of their team. Laughter, chattering and some less than savoury language was in the air. Just a typical Tuesday morning at the centre. Rachel elbowed Jenny, causing the pink-haired woman to look at her.

"Guess what?" she began, conspiratorially. "There's a really cute guy whose moved into the sixth floor on my block."

"Ooh, tell me more," replied Jen, her light eyes flashing mischievously. "Is he tall, dark and handsome?"

"Actually, yes. Olive skin, dark hair and dark eyes. Velvety voice. Tall and in good shape. Plus, he's a marine biologist apparently."

"Total heartbreaker!" exclaimed Jenny, triumphantly. She shared Rachel's views on relationships, having had her fair share of drama in her youth. "I need to see this guy. Like yesterday."

"What about Wally?" asked Rachel, an evil glint in her eye and a smirk on her face. Jenny rolled her eyes and kicked her feet.

"He's old news."

"What? I thought you really liked him," replied the brunette, batting her eyelids teasingly. "Thought he might be 'the one'."

"Oh please," pouted Jenny, folding her arms like a child. "Don't give me that love at first sight crap."

"You did like him though. More than the rest."

"I do. I mean, I did."

"You do? You mean you're still seeing him?"

"It's not serious, Rach."

"Are you kidding me, Jenny? If you give someone a second date, it's serious. How many times have you seen him now?"

"Oh, you know. Six or seven. Maybe ten, I don't keep count."

"Wow," managed Rachel, her blue eyes wide with shock. "I don't believe it. It's definitely not a flash in the pan then."

"Don't be ridiculous. It's not like we're exclusive," protested Jen, the pout still on her face. "I still want to meet our biology friend."

"Maybe some time," shrugged Rachel, noncommittally. "I can't believe you have a boyfriend."

"Wally West is not my boyfriend!"

"Whatever you say, sis," mocked Rachel, giving her friend a playful shove and watching her face colour change to match her hair. "Come on, piglet. I'm just teasing."

"Enough with the piglet crap, you raven-headed idiot!" growled Jenny, her body language changing to aggression. Rachel laughed at her behaviour, not intimidated in the slightest.

"What happened to raven-haired beauty?"

"You've been downgraded."

"Ah," smiled Rachel, wrapping her arm around the woman gently. "Well, that sucks. I thought you were meant to be cheering me up, not the other way around."

Jenny seemed to calm and this and rested her head on Rachel's shoulder with a sigh. "You're right. Sorry for being a jerk."

"Me too. Let's go get some more tea, this one has gone cold."

Rachel left work on time but dragged her heels all the way home. She hesitated at the glass doors to their apartment block, fumbling half-heartedly in her bag for her keys. Letting out a deep sigh, she closed her eyes for a brief moment.

"Need a hand?"

The young woman turned; her blue eyes wide at the sudden sound behind her. She clutched her chest. "Oh, Garth. You startled me."

"Sorry about that," replied Garth, reaching across her to swipe his key on the pad. The door clicked and Rachel pushed it open, holding it behind her so that her downstairs neighbour could follow her inside. "Having a better day?"

"I'd like to say yes," remarked Rachel, quietly. "At least I didn't get drenched today. How about you?"

"It's been great. Really, the oceans here are fascinating. So different to where I'm from originally. I don't know where the days go," responded Garth, pushing the elevator call button. He paused. "What do you do for work anyway?"

"Oh, nothing special," mumbled the Rachel, feeling the blush creeping up her neck again. "It's not interesting. Not as interesting as what you do anyway."

"Ah, a mysterious woman," replied the man, flicking his dark hair and leaning on the wall. "Is your flatmate as mysterious as you?"

"No," replied Rachel, trying not to laugh at the idea of Gar being mysterious. "He's an open book."

"He?"

The man stiffened for a second, a look of surprise in his dark eyes as he processed something in his mind. Rachel raised an eyebrow and folded her arms.

"Last time I checked, yes."

"Oh."

Rachel eyed him warily, unsure about this sudden change in posture. Was he hitting on her? It was probable she would have missed it. Her school friends had always teased her for being oblivious to such things; whether by choice or otherwise. Wrapping her arms around herself protectively, she felt her walls rising up to protect her.

"I made the stupid assumption your flatmate would be a woman," continued Garth, unaware of her inner turmoil. "Really dumb of me, I guess."

"Not really. I didn't say yesterday."

"No, I suppose you didn't."

There was an awkward silence as the lift pinged its arrival. Rachel stepped in, hitting floor seven on her way past the numbers. Garth filed in behind her, looking sheepish all of a sudden as he hit the button for the sixth floor. As the first two floors dinged by, neither of the pair spoke.

Eventually, the dark-haired man rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "Look, Rachel, I'm kind of sensing that I've upset you. I'm an idiot – I put my foot in my mouth all the time. I'm better suited to fish than people, in truth."

"It's fine," shrugged Rachel, feeling slightly less defensive. She could tell he was trying to be genuine. "I'm sorry if I'm prickly. He and I kind of had a...falling out yesterday."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that," replied Garth, as the elevator hit his floor and the doors opened. He paused again, hand blocking the sensor to the door. "Look, I know we only met yesterday but if you wanted a listening ear you're welcome to come in for a coffee."

"I..." hesitated Rachel, her blue eyes faltering. She didn't know this guy. He could be a serial killer or anything. But there was something about him that seemed genuine and kind. She fiddled with her sleeves, opting for the politest option. "I wouldn't want to put you to any trouble."

"It's no trouble. In truth it would be nice to have some company. I haven't got any friends in this city yet, and it's a long trek back to Steel."

Rachel wrestled with her inhibitions. Perhaps he was genuinely looking for companionship and it was all very innocent. Besides, one coffee couldn't hurt, right? She sighed, fixing him with a stern look.

"Okay. But if you try anything funny, you should know I have a mean left hook."

Garth smiled. "Understood."

"Here we go."

The door to Garth's apartment opened and Rachel drew a sharp intake of breath. It was beautiful by comparison to their homely space upstairs. It was clearly a business rental, that much was obvious by the clinical appearance. But it was modern and slick. The minimalist colours made it look fashionable and stylish. To an extent, just like Garth. He turned, noticing she was still standing in the doorway gawping.

"Ah, a bit different from your place?"

"Just a bit," replied Rachel, closing her mouth and taking a few steps through into the lounge. "I never knew a place like this existed in our block. For the record, I'm never inviting you over."

"I won't take that as an insult," Garth laughed, his eyes crinkling at the edges. Rachel wrinkled her nose and took a few more ginger paces into the apartment. Garth flicked his coffee pot on and pulled out two mugs from the cupboard. He tilted his head, velvety voice drifting across the room. "Milk or sugar?"

"Black, no sugar," replied Rachel, wandering into the kitchen and looking at all of the appliances wistfully. "Wow, your company really look after you, huh?"

Garth nodded, seemingly amused by her rubbernecking. "I've definitely landed on my feet here, that's for sure."

As he poured the steaming liquid into the mugs the smell hit Rachel's nose. It was quality ground coffee. Not like the cheap, nasty instant stuff they supplied at the youth centre and tried to pass off as 'real coffee'. He pushed a mug across the countertop towards her.

"Thank you," said Rachel, gratefully wrapping her hands around the offering. "And thanks for inviting me over."

"Thank you for agreeing to stop by," said Garth, taking a sip from his own mug. "It can get a bit lonely. I have to confess solitude never crossed my mind when I agreed to move here."

"Well, we're only upstairs if you ever want some company."

Garth nodded, gesturing towards the lounge. As Rachel sat herself on the ample couch and admired the design, Garth spoke again. "So, you were saying in the elevator that you'd fallen out with your friend."

Her eyes shifted towards his, and she felt that peculiar feeling creeping over her again. "Oh. Yeah, I did."

"You seem upset about it."

"I am," admitted Rachel, taking a sip of the coffee. It tasted even more delicious than it smelled. "Gar and I go way back."

"You're close?"

"Best friends for twelve years."

"I see," replied Garth, sipping his drink again. "That is a long time."

"It is. We met at school," shrugged Rachel, feeling unusually comfortable in Garth's presence. "When I decided to move to the city, Gar had just got a transfer to a department downtown. It made sense to share on bills; neither of us are affluent."

"Very practical. So, does it work, or do you drive each other mad?"

"A little of both," laughed Rachel, leaning back in her chair and reminiscing over the past two years. "But actually, it usually works really well. After all these years, I suppose we just 'get' each other, if you know what I mean."

Garth nodded, sipping at his coffee thoughtfully. "So, what did you argue about?"

"Well...we didn't argue, exactly."

"I thought you said you did."

"I said fell out. Gar and I don't really argue anymore. Believe me, he drove me insane when we were kids. We were in the same friendship circle, and at first I couldn't stand him. But then I realised that we're just very different and that's okay. We see the world differently but ultimately hold the same values, you know?" Rachel mused, looking into the dark coffee. She closed her eyes and exhaled. "From the moment I realised that was the case we were inseparable. Things have just changed lately."

"Changed how?" asked Garth, tilting his head. Rachel felt her stomach drop, at the realisation of what she had been a hair's breadth away from disclosing to him. She looked up. The dark eyes were staring at her expectantly. The even stare was uncomfortable. She shuddered and decided that was far enough for today.

"It's not important. Anyway, all I've done is talk about me and Gar. You must have hundreds of friends back in Steel City far more interesting than the likes of us."

"Not really," shrugged Garth, seeming to accept the change in conversation without question. "I've never really had that 'friendship group' thing like you were describing. I certainly don't have friends I'm as close to as you and Gar. I just have a collection of friends that I've made over the years. But each one is special to me in different ways."

"I see," replied Rachel, nodding. "I suppose I've got other friends outside of the 'group' as you put it. My only friend from the city these days didn't go to school with me but we're pretty close really."

"Oh, so you do have some female friends then," laughed Garth, clearly trying to make light of the earlier comment. Rachel gave a small smile, feeling the heat creep over her again. Draining the last of her coffee she checked the time.

"I should get going. Thanks for having me over. I feel better for talking things through."

"It's really no problem. Anytime you need a friend you know where I am."

"Ah, have I made it onto your list of special friends already?" remarked Rachel, raising her eyebrows as she put her mug down. "That was easy."

Garth let out a deep laugh that made Rachel's toes curl. "Maybe. We'll see."

She nodded, thanking him again before leaving. As the door closed, she felt her heart flip in that familiar way. She was definitely attracted to him and that terrified her.

But what terrified her more was the fact she now had to go and face Gar. Did she want to revisit everything from last night? She hit the call button and waited patiently.

Perhaps some things were best left in the past; she liked things the way they were. The thoughts she was having must have been simply because she was afraid of him leaving. That was all there was to it. They were just friends. Best friends.

That was all.

"You're late, Rae-Rae," came a familiar voice from the inside of the apartment. Rachel closed her eyes and kicked off her shoes.

"Sorry, I was having coffee with a friend," she shouted back, as she hung her jacket on the rack and walked into the lounge. Gar was sat playing on his favourite video game, eyes firmly on the screen. She lingered behind him, unsure what to do. The strangest part about all of this was that she was normally so comfortable around him. Previously she would have launched herself onto the couch with a book and kicked her feet into his lap without a second thought. Now it all felt odd; uncomfortable somehow. She took a deep breath, trying to centre herself. "It was kind of an impromptu thing. How was work?"

"It was fine. They let me come home early, so I was making the most of my time off."

"Ah, being productive as ever, I see."

"Quiet, you. How was your day in the end? Wilson giving you grief still?"

"Nah, it was actually fine today just as you predicted. Wilson was busy in the office for the most part. Plus, I was able to get away on time for once, so it wasn't all bad."

Gar was silent as he progressed through a more difficult part of the game. Rachel bit her lip and looked at him. His face was lined with concentration, his jaw clenching slightly. She felt a peculiar desire to touch his cheek creep over her and blinked hard before clearing her throat.

"So, um. What did you want to do for food?"

"I'm not feeling it tonight, Rae. Pizza?"

"Yeah, works for me. No emergency fluids though. I need to be up on time tomorrow otherwise Wilson will be on my ass again," she added, picking up the phone and dialling their local delivery place. Gar seemed distant but other than that his tone was friendly and normal. The pizza arrived and they both huddled around the counter, tucking in. Rachel looked up from her slice to see Gar looking at her thoughtfully as he chewed. She touched her face absently.

"What, do I have something on my face?"

"Well apart from that massive zit...kidding!" amended Gar, as Rachel hit him with a napkin. "No, nothing like that. I was just surprised, that's all."

"About what?" asked Rachel, munching her pizza hungrily. Gar tilted his head, reaching over and rubbing some stray sauce from her lips. Rachel felt her heartbeat escalate at his touch and tried to calm herself down. Rubbing her lips together absently, she grabbed a napkin self-consciously to get the rest of herself.

"I'm surprised that you didn't mention what happened this morning. It's not like you to hold that stuff all day with no consequence."

Rachel shrugged. "You said we were still best friends."

"We are, Rae."

"So, Gar. What more is there to say?"

Gar looked awkward for a moment and then munched in silence. Rachel looked at him, unsure what else to say. Wiping his fingers on the napkin, the young man shifted uncomfortably in his chair.

"I guess nothing," Gar said eventually. He managed a weak smile. "If you're happy, I'm happy, Rachel."

The young woman smiled back, still feeling that strange knot in her chest. She knew she wasn't being wholly truthful with him. But she so desperately wanted things to go back to normal. Her talk with Garth had solidified her thoughts, and she was clinging onto it with both fingers. There was a silence, but it was heavy and laced with something unknown. Garfield took a deep breath then exhaled.

"Anyway, the weekend away with the guys is on. Next month we're all heading up to a cabin in the mountains for the catch up. Are you still in?"

"As though you even need to ask. Of course. I can't wait to see everyone."

Garfield gave a toothy grin; fist pumping the air triumphantly. "Sweet! Just think, all of the Titans together again."

Titans. It had been a long time since she had heard that name. Their friendship group had been widely known throughout the school as the Titans, due to the fact that Victor was a member of the school football team, the Jump City Titans. Seen as his 'fan club' by the rest of the school, the nickname caught on pretty quickly and everyone embraced it. Since school it had stuck, although rarely used anymore.

"Titans forever," whispered Rachel, a small smile on her face as she took another bite of pizza.

Review replies:

GolemXIV: Purr away! Haha, I'm so touched by your reviews and kind comments. Honestly. Thank you so much, I hope you keep reading and enjoying!

Miss Geek: Thank you so much, what a sweet comment! I hope you enjoy the story, I promise to update regularly!

Sanzojoe: You might be onto something there ;)

SharonLaly: Glad you're enjoying it so far - hope this didn't disappoint!

Anonymoose: Aww, would I do that to you? Maybe I would. But you know by now it will all come right in the end...it'll be worth the journey, promise :)

Thanks to you all for your kindness - see you on the next chapter!