Hello, I've been writing all day!

Skins aren't mine

Chapter 6: It's just a spark

Emily PoV

I wake with a startle, realizing that my annoying alarm was signaling the start of another week. I hear a groan from the bed across the room.

"Fucking hell, couldn't your alarm be a sea breeze or something more sleep friendly?" Katie groans again.

"Then it kind of would've been against its purpose, wouldn't it?" I snap back, getting up and rub my eyes. I don't get an answer, she's probably fallen asleep again. I sigh and move to the bathroom to sprinkle my face with water to stay awake for the next fifteen hours at least. It was 6.30 am monday morning, and the hangover from yesterday was still tugging at me.

After waking up properly and putting on some warm sweaters and sweatpants I move to the black kitchen to make some proper breakfast. There's no point in showering or putting on make-up for work, I would just end up covered in fish skin and smelling like it. While munching on my scrambled eggs I move from the kitchen into the living room, finding James fast asleep in the sofa. Fucking typical, I return to the kitchen. His hospital visit had gone well, so my mum could fortunately go back to the store today.

I finished my meal, packed the rest in some boxes and snatched some fruit and crisp bread with three different toppings. The industry was hard work, so food was a life source.

I open the front door and take a deep drag, feeling some of the sleep haze leave my body. There was no smell like the morning air, everything was fresh and new. A black car were waiting for me at the end of the drive way. I smile to myself - here we go.

"Hi guys" I great when I hop into the front seat.

JJ and Freddie give me sleepy smiles and Effy gives me a smirk and a nod. She hits the accelerator and we're off.

It's not a very long drive, just across the bridge and a bit further, but it's our daily grind. We arrive in the canteen fifteen minutes before work starts, so we take a coffee or tea with Cook and Thomas, and sometimes Lara if her son Albert wasn't difficult that morning. She's not there today to JJs big disappointment. I think he's a bit in love with her.

We joke about the things that happened at the party at Thomas this weekend and tease each other. Just an usual morning to get us through the day.

Suddenly a figure sits down on the empty seat beside me. I turn to find Naomi. She smiles at me, and I smile back, surprised. God, she looked even more beautiful for every time I lied my eyes on her. Her hair was messily braided to one side, and she was wearing some old grey clothes and still she took my breath away. I tried not to think about her too much since that first night, but her turning up everywhere was making it hard. What are the chances you struck gold with this one, Emily I remind myself.

"I see you took me up on my offer then."

"Yeah, about that, it wasn't-" she starts to explain something after biting her lip.

"Naomikins! Looking as fit as I can remember! Are ya gonna work here with Cookie?" Cook stands up and move around to give her a hug on his way to the kitchen.

"Huh, yeah" she looks a bit taken aback by the physical approach. That's Cook for you. I glare at his retreating form, wondering if he was planning on 'scoring' with Naomi. I hoped not. The thought made me so uneasy my face scrunched up.

"As I was saying, I-" she starts again, catching my attention before she gets cut off again by Doug walking in.

"Everyone!" he shouts to the room, and it gets silent. I groan inwardly. Please not be another one of his motivating speeches.

"We have two newbies with us today!" my eyes widen, and I look around me for another new face.

He points to Naomi "Naomi Campbell," I can't help a small giggle escape my mouth. Poor girl. I hear whispers and laughs from around the room. I glance at her, noticing she's rolling her eyes and looking kind of pissed of. I reach out my hand to touch her forehand to give her my sympathy. The spark that comes when I touch her make me retract my hand immediately, looking away when I feel my face heat up. I catch Effy's eye, and she's smirking at me before shifting her gaze back to Naomi.

Doug walks to another table where mostly the older people sit and continues "and her mother, Gina Campbell." An older looking version of Naomi stands up and smile brightly at the room, giving a few waves while she states how excited she is to work with us. I can't help but smile at her, she looks so friendly opposite to my mum. I almost envy Naomi.

I turn back to Naomi with a smirk, realizing this was what she was going to say before.

"So, is this a family business, then?" I ask as she groans and clasp her forehead.

"Oh God, she's so embarrassing. I was going to tell you that she called and arranged the whole thing, it wasn't my choice really." she looks at me through her fingers. I feel my heart slightly fall inside my chest.

"You don't want to work here?" my voice getting small and unsure. Something about her showing up here to work after I told her to, made me unbelievably happy.

She removes her hand and her eyes darts between mine for a few seconds. "No, I didn't say that, I mean … I wanted to give it a chance, okay?" I feel the corners of my mouth tug up. "Just, I didn't want her" she points in the direction of her mum "to tag along." giving me an unamused look.

Before I can answer, Doug is speaking again. "So, they obviously need some supervision down in the production. In the first period Gina will be taught to pack in boxes by Al and Naomi will be in the cutting machine with Cook." I feel my face fall, of course destiny wasn't going to be on my side in this case, it was going to be on fuckings Cook's side.

He came whooping out of the kitchen. "Alright Blondie, are ya ready for some quality time with the Cookiemonster?" he grins from ear to ear. I hear a chuckle from beside me, and realizing it's her. Of course he is going to charm her pants off and of course she is going to fall for it. It's fucking last summer all over again. I quickly glance at Effy because she's the only other person aware of everything that happened last summer, only to find her already watching me.

I roll my eyes and get up, ready to put on all the accessories required for work. It was still some time before the rest of the lot bothered to get dressed, but I needed some time by myself before it all. I walked down the stairs to the common dressing room, only to hear footsteps behind me. I groan. Can't anybody leave me alone.

When I get to the bottom I turn around, expecting to see an all-knowing Effy ready to talk about God knows what not, only I come face to face with someone blonde instead. My heart flutters. She stops on some steps above me, and we just stare into each other eyes for a minute.

"I, huh, don't really know what to wear, or how, so I was wondering if you could, huh, show me, or something?" she looks hopeful and shy all at once while fiddling with her hands. Why does she looks so nervous?

"Yeah, I could show you … or something." I answer, gesturing to a shelf behind me.

I help her with the thousand gloves and things you needed on your forehands, and a shocking blue apron as well as finding her a couple of gigantic boots to make hers. At last she only needed to put on the ugly white hat / hairnet / cap. It's hilarious and everyone looks kind of dumb in it. She don't manage to put it on properly at all, strands of hair sticking out everywhere. I chuckle at her, moving closer to help her. She leans on the wall while I work at stuffing everything in, brushing her soft skin from time to time. A spark erupt every time, and I don't know if it's electricity or just in my heart.

Our faces has become very close, and I can feel her breath on the side of my cheek. She smells like coconut and sea salt and it makes my head a bit dizzy.

"There, all done." I state tucking the last strand of hair inside. I step back, noticing her cheeks are a little flushed.

She touches her head self consciously. "God, I must look horrendous." she mutters. I shake my head.

"You're not, not even close." I whisper back. Her icy blue eyes lock with mine, and I can't help admiring the shade of it. They are just like the sea, as deep and as mysterious.

A click of the door opening and Cooks boisterous voice come fleeting down the stairs snaps us out of our … whatever it was. I hurriedly dress myself for the cutting station and Naomi tries to readjust her clothing.

Soon, the room is full of the rest of the workers. I give Naomi hearing protection before scurrying out into the work place. I don't want to hear Cook flirting with her. I position myself where I'm supposed to be, finding knives and such. Everyone comes slowly after me, obviously not that refreshed and ready for another week. On my conveyor belt is me, Lara and Anthea, Effy's mum. Soon, Cook and Naomi passes on their way to the cutting machines. They're obviously laughing about something he's said. She looks beautiful when she laughs like that.

She catches my eyes and give me half a smile before disappearing into the other room. Somehow that reassured me, and the dark feeling in my gut evaporated a bit. There are windows, so I'll be able to see her the whole session before next break. Two and a half hour. But she'll be facing away from me, so I can't see her face. I turn away, stretching and cracking my back. I bet this will be the longest period ever, with her being so close but so far away.

The work starts, and I'm busy searching through and cutting fillets. My conveyor belt is led from the other cutting machine, the one Naomi is not in, and the workers there are obviously struggling with most likely big ass fishes, because the stream is unsteady and often stopping. Every time it stops my gaze flickers to Naomi, bent over trying to grab fishes as fast as she can. And the words seems to repeat themselves in my brain. I regret not bringing music today. Naomi, bent over, Naomi, in those clothes, Naomi's arse looking so good, Naomi, Naomi, Naomi. I feel myself getting lost in my thoughts while observing her.

Then I notice that Cook has stepped back from the railing, and is now doing exactly the same as me. I feel rage infiltrating my bones, first at Cook and then at myself for being so, so, pathetic. Stop it Emily, don't go down that road. She's probably not interested in girls at all. Nothing will happen. Ever.

I tried my hardest to concentrate on the fish the rest of the session, succeeding at it.

Finally a break, and I couldn't wait to devour into my lunch box. Naomi took the seat next to me again, looking a little worse for wear. I couldn't blame her really, the first day was tiring at best. But she would get used to it, eventually. She also had a lot of fish remains on her face, the result of working with the fresh fishes before they're being cut up. I'm actually surprised they put her there first.

"Gosh, Naomi, those fish streaks on your cheeks really suits you." I tease. She chuckles and wipes them away with her sleeve.

"God, I've never felt so unattractive my whole life." she exclaims. I turn away, stifling a smile. I stuff my face full with my food as fast as I can manage. Oddly enough I'm not feeling very hungry cause to the flipping of my stomach whenever I'm near her, but I know better than to skip the chance to eat at work days like this. She eyes me with a smirk.

"I never knew someone so small could eat triple their size." she laughs "Jeez, Emily, no wonder the world is starving."

I just flip her off and continue with my assault while she's making small talk with Effy and Freddie. Finally switching my attention to a coffee, I turn to her again.

"So how was first period?" I ask.

"It was alright. My back is killing me though." she says while shifting a bit in her seat.

"Yeah, that never really goes away."

Doug comes over to my table and stops right behind me. "Emily, I need you to learn Gina with the cutting station." I nod at him. "Naomi, you'll be with Effy in the packing section. Is that alright?" they both gives him thumbs up, and he moves away.

"Poor you." Naomi mutters to me.

"Why?"

"She's going to do your head in, I promise. She's so irritating." she rolls her eyes.

"Let me be the judge of that." I smirk and poke her ugly hairnet. She just swat my hand away. "Oi!" she warns me, and stuff another spoon of yoghurt into her mouth, but it escapes at one side and trickles down her cheek. "You're such a pig" I laugh while she removes it with a napkin, embarrassed.

In the common dressing room, Effy helps Naomi with the clothes. I'm a bit sad I didn't get the chance to, but smile when the alternative option of it being Cook doing it instead.

I can't perve on Naomi this time around, because I'm on the other side of the conveyor belt, and she's on a platform behind me. Not that I would've had time for that anyway, there are coming crazy amounts of fillets without a stop, in addition to me showing the drill to Gina. I imagine that they would be busy in the packing section too. Gina's hilarious though, and from the bits of conversation we squeeze into it she is so excited to be in a small loving society like this, in spite her daughters protests. I laugh, tempted to ask more about Naomi, but the noise is too loud and the tempo is too high.

There is just one time I take a quick pause to stretch my sore back, and it just happens that I turn around to glance up through the shelves to where Naomi probably is. My breath hitches when I already find her blue eyes fixed on me. I try to smile at her, but she's already busying herself with something, not meeting my eye. I catch the small twitch her mouth does and the twinkle in her eyes, though.

The next break is as eventful as the first, in other words it's just the noises of people eating. Naomi sits with me again, and I wonder if that is going to be her permanent seat here. God, I hope so.

Naomi and JJ is arguing over the politics in some country when once again Doug comes over. "Naomi, how is the day going so far?" She just nods and answer with a polite "Very good, thank you, sir." he smiles proudly, probably because no one here is that formal with him. He's just a part of the work group that happens to run the place. "Good. Now there is just one more thing I want you to master before you can be on your own." she nods at him and I understand that it's my station. Please, let it be me who'll be her mentor.

"Since you and young ms Fitch here seems to get along very well, I'm pairing you up." he states as he walks away. I can't help but let a smile escape. I want to squeal and dance, but that would probably be too obvious.

I turn around to Naomi stealing some of my fruit.

"Hey, that's mine!" I shriek.

"Nu huh!" she holds it away from my reach. I try to take it, but she holds me back with her other hand. It burns patterns where it touches me.

She quickly brings it to her mouth and licks it. "Okay, okay, it's yours." She offers it to me, but I just scowl at her.

"Bitch!" I fold my hands over my chest. She just laughs and take another piece and eat that too, clearly amused over my reaction.

"Try not to kill each other down there, knives and all." Effy bows down to say on her way to the production. I redirect my scowl at her smirking face, but follows none the less, Naomi in tow.

Fortunately this period of work is not as stressful as the previous, with everyone being tired and ready to head home soon. I show Naomi the basics in how to cut a fillet, and what bones to look for. She's a fast learner and I admire her triumphant smile when she makes the right cut on her first try.

We're switching who is cutting and who is searching the rolling fillets for bones. She's currently facing away from me, focusing on the conveyor belt. I move so I'm standing right behind her, almost touching her, cutting on the disc beside her. I think she notices me, the way she tenses up before relaxing again.

If we're going to talk in here, we have to shout into each other ears, so I lean in close, my shoulder coming in contact with her strong back. I shivered of the sudden urge to brush my hand down it.

"SO WHAT TASK DID YOU FIND THE MOST FUN?" I shout. She turns her head a bit, still keeping her eyes on what she's doing.

"WHAT?" she answers.

I try again. "WHAT TASK, MOST FUN?" She turn around to look at me for a second before turning back.

"I DON'T KNOW." she answers after a while.

"COME ON, THINK!" I ordered, desperate to make some small talk for the last half hour.

"WELL, THE FIRST PERIOD WITH COOK WAS THE HARDEST ONE, BUT IT WAS KINDA FUN. HE'S FUN." I shrink, yes physically shrink, of her answer. Of course she would like him the best. I know I asked about the task, but I was actually checking if maybe she liked this period the best, with me. At least, that's what I was hoping. Before I got time to say anything she continues.

"AND THE SECOND PERIOD WAS DEFINITELY THE LEAST STRESSFUL, SO IT WAS NOT TOO BAD. BUT I HAD TO DO ALL THE TALKING WITH EFFY." I nod, aware of how Effy can be very aloof at times.

"STILL, DESPITE THIS BEING BORING AS HELL, I THINK THIS SESSION IS THE WINNER." my heart flutters and I almost cut myself with the sensation of it all. I sport the biggest smile ever, because she can't see my reaction.

"WHY?" I ask, certain she can hear the joy in my voice.

She takes a few minutes answering before gesturing to JJ a few spots down. "BECAUSE OF JJ OF COURSE" she turns around and give me the most mischievous smile I've seen. I roll my eyes and bump my shoulder into her back.

"WATCH IT, FITCH!" she shouts back.

I just shake my head, not being able to stop grinning. "YOU'RE SO FULL OF SHIT, CAMPBELL." I answer.

We continue this banter for the rest of the day, me bumping her every time she's being rude. The need to touch her driving me insane. She's driving me insane.

When the last piles of fish sails past us, the rest of the people around the cutting table start to dance. It's a tradition with the relief and joy at the end of the day to celebrate it with some stupid dance moves. Naomi turns to me with a questioningly and amused look. I just roll my eyes and starts dancing myself, feeling how good it is to finally be done. I hear her laugh when I take a clumsy pirouette, which spurs me on, bopping around the place, making some lame synchronized moves with Freddie.

We still have to wash up with big hoses and stuff. Luckily I didn't get all wet today, it's bad enough Naomi have seen me as rough as I look when I work.

Me, JJ, Effy, Naomi and her mum is in the dressing room, twisting out of our stinking clothes. Naomi and Gina are discussing dinner plans while Cook comes laughing into the room wet as hell, water drops flowing down his face. He goes over to Naomi.

"So, Naomi, fancy a ride home in my boat?" Naomi gives him an amused look while she studies his drenched figure. Gina turns up behind her daughter, smiling wide.

Cooks attitude changes a bit, and he adds "You too, of course, mrs Campbell."

"Please call me Gina, and that would be lovely, thank you very much." Naomi nods in agreement beside her.

I fling the last of my accessories in the bin before stomping to the stairs. Sometimes I want to strangle Cook. Charming idiot.

I'm just about to climb the stairs when I sense someone behind me. I turn around to Naomi looking intently at me. God, I was about to leave without even saying goodbye, I taunt myself.

"See you tomorrow, then?" she asks softly.

"Yeah, bye Naomi"

"See you, Ems." she grins and turns back to her mum.

The nickname made my stomach flip insanely. I was still smiling when I settled in Effy's car.

"Naomi is really cool." Freddie says from the back seat.

"Yeah, it's nice with new coworkers" JJ answers him.

I can't help but think that both of those comments are great understatements.

The first thing I do when I arrive at home is head for the shower. My mum always scolds me when I walk around the house stinking of rotten fish.

After getting cleaned up, I head to the kitchen stepping over workers and planks on my way. We're finally rebuilding the house, me and Katie getting separate bedrooms and all. I couldn't wait.

Katie was in the kitchen, making some kind of health sandwiches. "Hey, bitch!" I greet her, and steals one of the sandwiches from her plate.

"You whore! Give me that back, I made it!" she yells after me, but I'm already on my way to the patio snatching my laptop on the way. The house was full of noises from the workers, and I needed some silence after today.

I settled in a chair and put the laptop on the table next to me while I eagerly consumed my loot. I checked Facebook, and in addition to the regular invitations to random uninteresting events there were a friend request. From Naomi. The smile from earlier reemerged. I quickly accepted and used the next few minutes stalking her profile pictures. There wasn't many, but they were all gorgeous.

When my creeper level reached maximum, I hastily closed the computer and leaned back in my chair, closing my eyes, enjoying the last strands of sunshine for the day. A boat drove past in the distance and I heard kids playing from the street. It was peaceful, just what I needed after a good day of work.

Soon, my sister joined me. I felt her staring at me, but I couldn't bother open my eyes.

"You look happy." she commented.

"It's a nice day." I explained. It was just half the truth.

She accepted the reason and started updating me on a few boys she was talking with online. I listened and answered as best as I could, but my thoughts were elsewhere. When the sun disappeared behind a cloud she muttered something about not getting tanned and wandered back inside the house.

I sat there for maybe another hour, just relaxing, feeling the energy slowly come back into my tired limbs.

Then my phone buzzes from my pocket.

Chocolate. My porch. Now. Eff.

My mouth went dry. Chocolate was exactly what I craved now. I dragged my hand through my hair a couple of times, but decided the unruly style would be my thing today.

I walked the small path through the woods to her house. We were neighbors, but had used this road since she moved here, it was our secret escape from our homes. I see her sitting on a big comfy outdoor sofa smoking. She holds up a big chocolate when she sees me arriving. I grin back.

"You know me so well." I greet her when I sit down beside her, almost jumping into her lap to get the sweet surrender.

She just smirks and give me an 'of course I do'-look. She give me chocolate and cigarettes and before I know it I'm more contended then I'd been all day. Well, almost.

We sit a while in silence, and it's nice. I always appreciated how without a word we had the most meaningful conversations. That was until Effy decided that this wasn't how it was going to be this night.

"How's Karen?" she starts, not moving her gaze from the horizon and the sailing boat out there.

"I don't know, haven't talked to her for a couple of days." I shrug. The mentioning of her name had a smaller impact on me than what it would have a couple of weeks prior.

Then she shifts her gaze to me, silently watching my every move and feeling I might display. I was so used to this that I let her work her psychic thing until she reached a conclusion.

"Freddie tells me she started dating Victor again." that stung a little.

I shrug again. "Okay."

A few minutes go by where she continues with her all-knowing stare. I ignore her.

"Interesting." she comments.

"What is?" I shoot back.

"Your reaction."

"What do you want me to do? Scream and shout?"

"No, but given your history it's what I would've expected." she flicks her cigarette, going back to the uninterested state.

"I don't know what to tell you, Eff. Maybe we've grown apart." I raise my hands in the air.

"Maybe." she answers mystically. Sometimes I wish I could go into her head and watch her thoughts. I bet I would have entertainment for years. Then I remember the last time she told me her exact thoughts, her inner secrets. It was the day we became best friends. She told me about her suicide attempt and the causes of it. I shudder. Maybe I don't want to walk inside her thoughts anyway.

She must have sensed my change of mood, because she gives my hand a light squeeze and gives me a true smile.

I leaned back and put my feet on the table in front of us, sinking into the pillows, feeling my eyelids drop. She mimicked my movements, and soon we lied there watching the day turn into night.

"She's not the same, you know." a whisper from the hole in the pillows next to me, sometime after the moon announced its arrival.

"What?" I answer sleepily, too far gone to analyze anything she would convey now.

"She's not the same as Karen." still whispering.

"Who?"

"You know who."

I did. But I didn't.

I didn't know where she was going with this, I didn't know if I wanted to know. Not right now anyway. Maybe tomorrow. A sleepy haze swept over us, and before I knew it, we were in the state between conscious and unconscious.

I whispered the last thought going through my head into the night before sleep brought me away.

"Naomi."

.

Woo-hoo! So Emily is definitely interested, huh? And what is it about Karen?

Thanks for the reviews, they make me smile :) See you soon!