Hello again. I want to start with thank you for reading!
So apparently week gaps tend to be my work rate…I will try my best to shorten this up a bit.
Huge thanks to Anon, RebeccaLong, and PhoenixWing78 for reviewing. Rebecca you're a reviewing chap! Reviewing every single chapter. (Also, I can make no promises to any of your requests haha BUT I do promise if you stick with the story you should be happy in the end.) But to all of you, thank you, it is very much appreciated to get some outside perspectives.
Please let me know what you think! Thanks again for reading. I appreciate your patients with this slow build.
I don't own Skins or anything of the sort.
Chapter VIII: It's your secret, why would you tell it to me
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"You came!"
Naomi turned to see a very muddy Sarah walking off the pitch toward her. Naomi had come to watch her rugby match.
"I told you I would." Naomi smiled.
Sarah grinned, "D'you enjoy yourself?"
"Yeah," Naomi replied, "but to be honest, didn't really have a clue what was going on most of the time."
Sarah laughed. "Yeah, most people don't when they see their first match. Come to enough and you'll pick it up."
"Right."
"Stay for the guys game. I'll explain the chaos." She offered as she waved to an equally muddy teammate that walked by.
Naomi shrugged. "Sure." She didn't have any plans anyway.
"Excellent." Sarah smiled. "Come meet some of my mates."
Naomi stood with a group of rugby girls trying to keep up with the conversation. They were joking and using terminology Naomi had never heard before.
"Finally!" Sarah said as a teammate of hers approaches with a cooler. Taking two beers she handed Naomi one as they make their way to the side of the pitch; the guys match about to start.
Naomi's eyes widened as she took the beer. "It's like…noon."
Sarah laughed as she took a swig from her beer. "Saturday is game day." She said in a singsong voice.
As the match ended Naomi was feeling a slight buzz. Despite not knowing much about rugby she was enjoying herself.
"Pussy!" she heard Sarah exclaim as a large bloke walked off the pitch.
"Sarah!" he exclaimed with equal enthusiasm encircling her in a bear hug. "You coming to the drink up?" he asked.
"Course!" she smiled. "Good match. Some nice hits out there."
"Thanks." He said as his eyes turned to Naomi. "Who's your friend?"
"Naomi, this is Pussy, Pussy this Naomi" Sarah said introducing the two.
"Nice to meet you Naomi." He smiled, "See you guys at the drink up!" he added before walking off toward the cooler where a number of his teammates had already congregated.
"Did you just call him a pussy?" Naomi asked stunned. "And him not get offended?"
Sarah laughed. "That's his rugby name." she explained nonchalantly.
"His what?" Naomi asked. What in hell was a rugby name?
"You're coming to the drink up, yeah?" Sarah asked expectantly.
"Why not." Naomi shrugged. Not that she had a clue what she was agreeing to.
The drink up was at a dodgy bar in town. It turns out a drink up was a celebration of sorts that took place after a rugby match. All the teams got together and drank and sang songs and partook in general shenanigans. Naomi had been anything but prepared.
As they walked in Sarah turned to Naomi, blue eyes set on blue. "One: watch your drink. Two: If you don't know the words, don't sing along. And most importantly, never, ever, agree to be the rugby queen."
That was the only warning Naomi got. And while at the time Naomi was clueless as to what Sarah's words meant, they proved to be wise. Boys tried to drop pence into her cup to make her down her beer. Rugby songs (who even knew such things existed) were sung and fouled lyrics resulted in "shooting the boot" which she learned meant filling a dirty boot full of beer and downing it. And the rugby queen was hoisted onto a few blokes' shoulders and flashed her tits.
It was some good wholesome debauchery. And she had thoroughly enjoyed herself.
A few hours later Naomi stumbled back to campus. She had forgotten it was well before dinner until she walked out of the bar into the bright light of day.
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"Fancy seeing you here." Naomi smirked. The amount of beer consumed in the early afternoon opening the floodgates of words usually filtered out.
The redhead looked up to see who had spoken. An amused look graced her usually unreadable face.
"I could say the same." She tossed back.
Naomi grinned. The two girls were on the sidewalk that led to the far end of their dorm. Emily, a few steps in front of the blonde, had stopped as Naomi meandered to her side.
"Early start today?" Emily quirked an eyebrow, noticing Naomi weave slightly before stopping at the redhead's side.
"What?"
"Bit early for some pre-drinks don't you think?"
"I'm not drunk." Naomi stated, catching on to what Emily was insinuating.
"Is that so?" Emily gives her a questioning look, "You always zigzag along the path then?"
"Yup." Naomi affirms with a nod of the head. "Never walk in a straight line, really." She added. Which was true, Naomi really never did walked in a straight line. Years of Alex muttering 'will you stop bumping into me?' and 'I swear you'd probably walk a straighter line completely pissed' had confirmed that.
Naomi couldn't read the look Emily was currently giving her, her head cocked in an assessing look. But Naomi also could have sworn there was amusement somewhere in her slightly narrowed eyes. Then again Naomi was quite drunk. That's what she gets for spending a Saturday afternoon with ruggers.
"I see." Emily said as she began to walk toward the dorm again. Naomi not even a half step behind. The blonde got to the door first and opened it for Emily.
"I went to my mates rugby match." Naomi explained as she followed Emily through the door. "Did you know they have something called a drink up after every match with the other team?"
Emily looked at her, "No." she said as she turned up the first stairwell, Naomi following.
"Me either." Naomi said raising her eyebrows. "But they do. With kegs. Lots, and lots of kegs."
A small smile broke on Emily's face. Obviously amused by the blonde's drunken chatty state.
"Good to know." She bemused. "so lots and lots of kegs and you're not drunk?"
Naomi smirked sheepishly, "maybe a bit."
"Uh huh."
Naomi bumped into Emily slightly as they made their way down the hall.
"Sorry." Naomi apologized. It was the briefest of contact but it still startled Naomi.
"Maybe a bit?" Emily questioned with a raised eyebrow. The amused smirk on her face doing things to Naomi's stomach. Things that had nothing to do with the amount of alcohol she'd drank.
"Maybe a bit more than a bit." She admitted cheekily.
Naomi couldn't describe the look she earned from Emily. She wasn't sure if it made her more nervous or thrilled. But whatever was going on in her stomach beforehand, intensified ten fold.
"Naomi!"
They had just walked by Effy and Sophia's room. Naomi turned to see Sophia now in the doorway.
"Hey," Sophia began but stopped when she noticed Emily.
Following her gaze Naomi noticed Emily's face had become unreadable again as she kept going. She could have sworn she saw a disdainful look pass between the two but that didn't make sense. And she was drunk she told herself.
"Later, neighbor." She heard the redhead say without turning to look back.
She felt torn wanting to continue on with Emily who had not stopped walking.
"Later." She felt annoyed at Sophia, though she knew she had no right to be.
"Where've you been?" Sophia asked as she watched Emily continue on down the hall before reverting her gaze back to Naomi. "I came round earlier to see if you wanted to hangout."
"Oh," Naomi responded, "I went at Sarah's rugby match."
"I didn't know she had a match." Sophia said sounding slightly dejected.
"She asked me bout going a few meetings ago." Naomi said confused about Sophia's current mood. "We could hangout now though?" she added.
"Yeah!" Sophia said cheering up. "That'd be ace."
Naomi followed Sophia into her room. Her eyes locked to her left looking down the hall where Emily had been until out of sight.
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"You should just tell her."
"Absolutely not."
It was Sunday evening and Naomi had caved into her distracted mind, taking a break from her essay.
"Oh, come on!" Alex stated through the line. Exasperation lacing every word. "You like her. I know it. You know it. Why shouldn't she know it?"
"Alex, Emily and I have had about three conversation our entire lives. So the idea that I should tell her I like her, is a bit ridiculous."
"You're ridiculous!" Alex exclaimed. "What do you have to lose?"
"You mean besides my dignity?" Naomi retorted. "And besides, I'm not even gay!"
"Oh not this again. Will you just stop."
"What?"
"Stop focusing on labels and titles will you?" Alex sighed, "For someone constantly on about not judging you seem to do it to yourself quite a lot."
Naomi opened and closed her mouth. No adequate words coming to air.
"Naomi," Alex stated more kindly, "just let yourself go with the flow for once, yeah?"
Naomi let out a sigh pinching the bridge of her nose with her left thumb and index finger. She always had to be in control.
"Yeah, alright." She breathed.
"Push yourself out of your comfort zone."
"I'm not just going to go up to her and tell her I fancy her. I'm not. I can't." Naomi almost pleaded.
"Fine." Alex conceded before adding almost devilishly, "Then let me."
"What? What are you on about?"
"She's got a messenger right?" Alex stated.
"Yeah…" Naomi hesitated.
"So let me message her."
"And what have you be all 'my friend fancies you'? you've got to be joking."
"Yeah! Why not?" Alex said indignantly. "I won't give your name or anything! It'd be perfect."
"We don't even know if she's, you know…"
"Lebanese?"
"Shut up. I'm serious."
"Well, what better way to find out? Since you apparently can't find the stones to ask yourself?"
Naomi hesitated. And that's all Alex needed to know she'd eventually agree to it. After placating Naomi a bit more, Alex eventually wrestled Emily's messenger name from her.
"No, I won't talk to her unless you approve. No, I will not tell her its you. Yes I'll tell you everything we talk about…"
"Okay," Naomi breathed quietly.
"Yes!" Alex squeals. "I'll talk to you on messenger." Naomi hears her say before ending the call.
Signing online Naomi feels a flutter of nerves in her stomach. She's not even the one that's going to be talking to Emily yet even the thought of her has an effect.
Naomi: Wait.
Alex: What now…
Naomi: What if she…what if she's seeing someone?
Alex: What if she has a girlfriend?
Naomi: Yeah…
Alex: Well, one way to find out. Or you'll just pickle in all these what ifs.
Naomi let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. Alex was right.
Naomi: Alright, do it.
A few moments later a message from Alex popped up on Naomi's screen.
Alex: And Sent.
There was a long moment that stretched itself out in the silence. Naomi sat motionless. She couldn't believe she'd agreed to this.
Alex: Ohmygod. She replied.
Naomi felt her heart palpitate.