Woah, I got some fierce reactions in the feedback from last chapter! But I like it! Means you're invested.

I seriously can't focus on my shitload of schoolwork. My motivation has hit zero. Think it's because I'm going to change course next year. Yadda yadda, 'nough about me. I'll just leave this here for you to read okay?

Skins ain't mine, fellah.

Chapter 16: Since Last Wednesday

Naomi PoV

She's not looking at me.

She's not even acknowledging my presence.

I was sitting in the canteen at work looking over at Emily who was sitting by the next table. She hadn't cast a glance my way since she came back to work yesterday. And that was the first time I saw her for a whole week.

I stuffed some more yoghurt into my mouth as I stared her down, trying with willpower to make her turn her head. She didn't. She was just sitting idly there with Effy and Freddie. Yes, she had vacated her usual seat beside me, and joined Freddie and Effy which changed table last week. I couldn't help but think I was the cause.

After Emily told me to give her a few days, I was completely prepared for that. I was just relieved it was so easy to make us go back to being friends. Well, wrong.

She didn't turn up for work the rest of the week. I asked Effy about it, but she just mumbled something about her picking up some shifts at the store. And that was the last words she'd said to me.

It was currently last break on friday - the week after. I was sitting next to Cook which I'd been hanging out with lately, and Thomas. They'd do, but they were no Emily.

Needless to say, I was miserable.

It had started out great last wednesday, after the suffocating feeling in my chest that appeared when I'd asked Emily to be friends disappeared, I had only the internship to mope about. And I did. Loudly. I think my mum wanted to strangle me more than once, but I didn't care. She dragged me out here, so she could bloody take the consequences.

I got the time to pass by reading and writing angry letters to political readers and to newspapers and so on. It suited me well, as I had all this built up anger inside me. My mind was occupied, and I tried not to think too much about Emily and our night on the beach. The nights were the hardest though. She always unconsciously crept into my mind. But eventually the erotic thoughts about her passed.

They passed because they were replaced by general thoughts of her. When her couple of days passed, I was wondering if she was lying. Was she cutting me off? My mood got darker and darker, much like the sky and weather, which was currently bordering on rain.

The weekend came around, and a dance had been organized in the village hall. There were apparently going to be a band, playing old songs so people could dance swing and waltz. I didn't really feel like going, as I had not heard from Emily in three days. I missed her immensely. But not like you would believe. I had been hanging around her for weeks, and a couple of days without speaking with her left me empty. I just wanted a conversation with her, she always made me smile despite everything.

But fate had other plans. Mum and Kieran were going, and were obviously sick of me shutting myself away in my room and listening to depressive music, so they pestered me until I agreed to accompany them. It was embarrassing as hell, going with your mum. But I messaged Cook, and he'd promised he would be waiting with a bottle of vodka, thank god.

Emily wasn't on the dance. But the rest of the gang was. Effy and Freddie were sitting on their own table, oblivious to us others. Well, except for Panda who bounced back and forth between the tables. I was stuck with Cook, JJ, Thomas and Lara. It was alright, I mainly stayed for the alcohol Cook secretly kept pouring into my soda. I often felt Effy's stare upon me, but when I turned to meet her gaze, she always averted it.

I ended up drunk and nauseous. Cook lead me outside for air, and we ended up walking for a bit. He was his usual self, obnoxious. But it was okay, he was the only company I had. We sat on a small stone dock further down from the village hall, and shared a spliff. I told him about the internship, and he listened. Then he suggested some willy waggling to cheer me up. He was leaning in for the kiss when I felt that feeling again, the same as when I turned Emily down. I was so sidetracked of it, that a few beat went by before I pushed Cook off me. I expected him to be angry as I'd turned him down more than I could remember, but he just laughed and was really gentleman about it. His exact words were: "You're not feeling it are ya blondie? It's alright, you're clever. I see something is bothering ya. You'll figure it out." I was grateful to say at least.

So he'd been the only one talking to me this last week. Emily had been avoiding me, always staying clear of where I was at work. We were rarely placed together, and when we were, she always looked sullen and refused to look me in the eyes. I had no idea how to make it better. Effy, which was the person besides Emily I'd talked the most to, was giving me a similar treatment. Except the intense glances she'd been sending my way. They were almost … disappointed? Like she wanted another outcome of me and Emily. She clearly didn't know I had no intensions of getting involved. With anyone.

So, no Emily in my life had resulted in depression and bitchiness. I needed to stop giving her longing looks.

"So, how's things with you and Katiekins?" I asked Cook, while my gaze finally let go of Emily.

"It's cooled down a bit." he said.

"Really?" my eyes snapped to him again from where they'd drifted to Emily. Again. Damn it. "How cooled down? Is it over?" I couldn't help my paranoia making an appearance. Maybe she'd learned that he kissed me for a split second saturday night? Oh god, I wasn't even in on it.

"It's cooled down to the point where I don't think it's gonna heat up again," he said bitterly, "but what the fuck, hey, I'm Cook and I get ladies just snapping my fingers." he snapped his fingers as if a train of half naked, willing ladies would turn up. I rolled my eyes.

"Get out," I shoved him lightly in the shoulder. "But really though, why did she blow you off?"

"She said that Emily had told her everything, and that since I fucked Karen she thought I was disgusting or sumthing. I didn't know that Emily and Karen was tickling each other tinkles, I swear! But somehow I always end up as the bad guy." he muttered as he gnawed on a carrot. Thomas momentarily stopped his conversation with JJ and gave Cook a look before returning to it. I remembered Emily saying something about Cook interfering with his relationship to Pandora. Cook really had this habit of getting into trouble unintentionally I reckoned.

But then I realized Cook'd said that Emily had told Katie everything. Had she told her about me? I didn't want there to be rumors going around. I was after all staying here for the next year, whether I liked it or not. The possibility of people knowing what we did out on the beach was unsettling. It was private. And it was a one-off.

"Speaking of Emily, what's up with you and lil' red, blondie?" he gestured to her with the fork he was eating some spaghetti with. I looked over to her, finding her engrossed in her phone. She was kind of cute when she concentrated so much. And the way her nose scrunched up unawarely. Shut up brain.

"Why would there be anything 'up' with us?"

"I don't know, because you aren't talking?"

"Yeah, well…" I sighed.

"Look, I'm no expert of girls and their dramas, but I'm not stupid either. You go from being joined at the hip to ignoring each other. I probably will never understand ya birds, but if I were you, I would make it right with her soon. Or rather today." he said with food in his mouth.

"Why today?" I asked incredulously.

"The Fitches are leaving for France sunday, yeah? Two weeks. So I dunno, maybe it will be wise to kiss and make up before she goes. I've learned that the longer you go without talking to each other, the worse it gets, yeah? Almost broke me and Freddie off back in the days." he mused.

France. Two weeks. Were they fucking kidding me? I'd gone one week without talking to her, and now two more without even seeing her? I felt my stomach squeeze tight. I needed to talk to her. Now.

"Oh, break's over." Thomas announced and stood up. I swallowed as I saw Emily scurrying out of the room. I knew she would be on the cutting table and I would be on the packing station. Which meant no opportunities to talk to her. I had to catch her after the last period if I wanted to save our friendship. Because she was obviously not putting in any efforts.

I used the whole two and half hours to burn a hole in her back with my gaze. I was really craving her company again, she was probably the only one capable to get me out of this funk.

I had always prided myself with loneliness, but it was different now. There was pre-Emily loneliness, which really was my personality before - and there was post-Emily loneliness. And this loneliness, it was killing me. And it was scaring the fuck out of me. I reckoned it would go away when me and Emily picked up our friendship again though.

When the period finally dragged to an end, I saw her scoot away before even cleaning up after herself. It was standard procedure to always do that when you were on the cutting station. I needed to move fast.

Effy was working right beside me, weighing up fish in boxes, so I stumbled past her to go after Emily. I didn't care with washing, I wasn't on the list to do it. The oldest employees would scrub down every inch of the industry since the next four weeks would be a joint holiday. I guess that's why the Fitches was going to France.

She wasn't in the dressing room, clearly rushing through it. I twisted out of my coveralls and accessories quickly, before sprinting up the stairs. There was no trace of her in the canteen either, just loads and loads of ice cream and balloons. Doug was standing in the middle of the bravado, reading something on a card. I didn't want him to spot me, so I moved to the other stairs, thinking maybe she'd gone outside. I prayed she hadn't gone home.

As I wrenched open the door, I noticed how foggy and shadowy the weather was. It was definitely going to be bad later on. I looked both ways, no trace of her. It was weird, she always rode home with Effy. I walked past the parked cars and finally spotted her out on the pier. She was standing with her back to me, gazing out on the grey sea. Her hands were wrapped around herself to somehow protect her from the cold breeze. And she looked so impossibly small. Much smaller than I know she is.

"Em" I called. She didn't turn, but I saw her shoulders tense, so she'd heard me.

"Em, can you … can you just look at me? Please." I tried again, moving closer. She slowly turned around, looking so utterly defeated that it almost took my breath away. It was like the world had turned against her in a second, and I didn't like that look one bit.

"What?" she said so low that it's a miracle I even catched it.

"Emily, you said a couple of days. It's been over a week." I pleaded. She looked me in the eyes for a beat before looking away. I could see tears glazing her eyes.

"I miss how we used to be. I miss our banter at work and I miss hanging out with you." I said. She slowly looked back to my face, an open look sporting hers. "I miss us. You." I whispered in the end.

She opened her mouth to say something, but closed it. It looked like she was contemplating something in her head, so I continued.

"So please Emily, can we be friends again? Because you promised me. You said that you promised me!" I felt tears running down my cheeks as I begged her. "You promised." I choked. Her eyes were running too at this point. We probably looked like right knockleheads, standing on a pier in the grey weather, crying and pleading with each other. Like taken out of an american cheesy movie. But this wasn't cheesy, and we weren't romantically involved. She knew that. I knew that. It wasn't meant to be, I was too fucked up. Too scared.

"Look, Naomi," she began, her voice husky and shaky, "you need to give me time, okay? This isn't easy for me either, I can't just forget what happened. Because it wasn't nothing to me, I fucking felt something. I need more time, more days. But I miss us too, okay? It'll be okay, but right now it isn't. So just … just give me time." she explained, her face sad and upset. I hated seeing her like this.

She walked towards me, and then past me - heading for the doors in to the industry. Her stance was still sagged, and her demeanor told me that she was protecting herself.

I felt a rush of panic rising inside me while I watched her retreating form. Her words were so final. It felt like she was slipping through my fingers, like she was walking out of my life. She needed more time? What if weeks turned into months, and I was still here without her.

"Actually, no." I called after her. She stopped abruptly and turned around. Her eyes were wide in surprise and her cheeks were red from tears. She sniffled.

"Wh-what?" she stuttered.

"No." I repeated as I started walking towards her, determined. She watched me with alerted eyes as I approached. I could tell she was confused by me. Hell, even I had no idea what I was doing.

I grabbed her face in my hands and crashed our lips together. The force of it all made her tumble backwards as my lips moved against hers. God I've missed this taste, these lips. Her smell invaded my nostrils and my whole body filled with feelings I had willed away all week. I felt her hands grabbing my upper arms as we collided into a car. I didn't care. She was finally where I wanted her to be, needed her to be. I wouldn't let it slip.

But then a loud alarm sound wiggled its way into my Emily-haze, breaking our passionate lip lock off. We stared wide-eyed at each other for a moment, still in a very close embrace. My actions had clearly shocked us both. Then I noticed that we'd slammed into Effy's car, setting of the car alarm. I just stood there, puzzled, still trapping Emily between me and the car, not having a clue how to make it stop or what to do with the girls in my arms.

Suddenly, Effy seemed to appear out of nowhere, and clicked a button on her car keys. The annoying alarm subsided, and left me and Emily sheepishly staring at a smirking Effy, one of her eyebrows sky high.

"So, if you two are quite done vandalizing my car, I think Doug is about to start his speech. And there's cake." she said smoothly, before turning on her heel and walking back inside.

I took a step back from Emily, trying to gauge her reaction, but she just gave me an unsure and small smile before wordlessly following Effy. It seemed forced, it all seemed forced. She obviously wanted to react another way. I needed to get something out of her, I just kissed her, Christ's sake.

I stood back, bewildered, and watched her saunter inside. I needed to tell her what she was doing to me. It wasn't fair to neither her nor me to go on like this. I'd just tell her that she confuses the hell out of me, and that I have a slight problem with commitment. She was Emily. She would understand. I just needed to come clean, have a decent chat with her. Make her see it from my perspective.

I walked back inside, seeing Emily on top of the stairs, disappearing in the door as I start to climb the stairs, two at a time. The scene in the canteen looked like a circus. Mum and the others her age were sporting party hats, Cook was stood whooping and Doug was shouting something like 'Oggy Oggy Oggy!' with everyone gathering around him.

He started reading something from the card I saw him with earlier, but it was all a blur. I had only eyes for one other person in the room. She was stood beside Effy further away from me. Emily wasn't looking at me though, she was watching her feet with a solemn expression. I stared so hard on her to try and get her attention. It was hopeless. It was like the rest of the week, instead now it was different. I had just kissed her outside, hadn't I? Good God, I needed to explain things to her.

Effy, however, catched my gaze, and answered with a somewhat challenging look. Her eyes was telling me to Step it up. And I would. At least I'd try.

Finally Emily's eyes darted upwards, meeting mine for a split second. Only it wasn't warmth in them as expected, they were troubled and dark. She turned to Effy, leant in and whispered something in her ear. Effy nodded and took Emily's hand, guiding her out of the room. Doug was finished with his speech, and people started to move around, getting ice cream and cake. I just stood watching the door Emily and Effy vacated from.

How many times in a day would I find myself chasing Emily Fitch? Three, and still counting!

I reached them as Emily had just opened the car door and was about to get in. I grabbed the door to stop her continuing.

"Em, listen, I-"

"No, don't fucking do that. You're all the same, everyone just fucks me up! You, Karen, you just do whatever you like and don't stop for a second to think how I feel! It's always hot and cold with you Naomi. One day you want me, and the next you say it didn't mean anything, and now you want me again. You just want me when you feel like it, when you're bored. Well, you know what, I'm done!" She flailed her arms as she ranted. "Yeah, I'm fucking done! I thought you would be different from her, but you're not, you use people. And I'm not going to let you walk all over me! I won't have someone do this to me again."

Her eyes were wide and angry as she practically spitted the words at me. Her voice was so spiteful. I had never in my whole life imagined that someone as sweet as Emily could explode into this … resentful creature. I stood helplessly and gobsmacked, just watching her.

She sat down inside the car, in the passenger seat next to Effy. She slammed the door shut, and then rolled down the window.

"Don't fucking talk to me again!" She hissed. Her face all distorted and disgusted. A few angry tears escaped her eyes.

"Effy, go." she silently instructed at last.

And then the car drove away. I stood back, my mouth hanging wide open. Did I just detonate Emily? I was so in shock that I had no idea how long I'd stood there, watching the car drive on the tortuous roads that lead back to Wisteria Lane. I didn't react when the door opened and people starting flowing out.

Something inside my chest was hurting real bad. I suspected it was my heart.

"Where's Effy? She usually waits for us." I heard JJ ask from somewhere beside or behind me. I turned and found him and Freddie staring at me questioningly. They probably wondered why my face was looking like the world just collapsed.

"She … she left."

.

I'm not sure that the chapter is exactly like I wanted it to be, but yeah, I think it's close to it. I did however achieve my goals for it, even though it's somewhat short. Now I'm gonna go and write on my exam paper!

Auf Wiedersehen!