Heeey,
Sorry it's been so long…I can only apologize. Between the Women's World Cup, Harry Potter, a rugger trip, and a new story idea I've been quite distracted.
Huge thank you to gayasawindow, phantomfundraiser, HappyAsIAm.x, LoveTypeThing-SureTypeThing, PhoenixWing78, and anon for reviewing, it really does mean a lot. As always, you're input is greatly appreciated. Please, please, please let me know what you think.
I promise I will try my very best to never leave you waiting quite so long for an update again. Again, thanks for reading.
I don't own Skins or anything of the sort.
Chapter XI: And maybe this slow burn treason
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"Why're you pushing this so much?" Naomi asked exasperated. She didn't even want to go to this stupid formal in the first place. Combining that with needing to find a dress and a date, and Sophia's constant badgering about said date she'd nearly had it.
"I just mean you'll want to get a move on if you're to ask someone." Sophia defended.
Naomi waved her words off. "Got plenty of time."
"Naomi…you've got a week."
"Not so." Naomi said looking up. Was it really that soon?
"Fine, sorry, week and a half."
"Oh," Naomi said, time apparently had slipped by her, "It'll be fine."
"You going to ask Cook?" Sophia asked.
"What?" Naomi looked at Sophia if she had just grown an extra head. "Don't be ridiculous."
"So who're you going to ask then?" Sophia inquired again.
"Jesus." Naomi rolled her eyes. "Not sure yet. Why don't you worry bout finding your own date, yeah?"
"Already got mine." Sophia said.
"You what?" Naomi asked surprised, before laughing. "David Beckham doesn't count, you know." She added taking the piss at all the David Beckham posters Sophia had plastered about her side of the room. A stark contrast to Effy's half.
"Not David Beckham," Sophia countered indignantly. "You know that bloke from the men's rugby team, one of Sarah's mates?"
"Pussy?" Naomi asked. Sophia had tagged along with Naomi to a few of Sarah's matches.
"Joe." Sophia corrected. Joe, evidentially, was Pussy's actual name.
Naomi couldn't help the snicker that escaped her lips.
"What?" Sophia asked defensively, "What's so funny?"
"Nothing, nothing," Naomi said trying to bite back her laughter.
Sophia gave her a disdainful look. "He's a nice guy."
"Oh, I know." Naomi said regaining her composure. "So," she began with a tight lipped smirk, "You're going on a date with Pussy, 'ey?"
"Joe." Sophia corrected again.
"So do you like Pussy?" Naomi grinned. She couldn't help but take the piss, how could you not?
Sophia huffed. "His name is Joe. And he's nice."
Naomi chuckled "Sophia likes Pussy." She teased.
"Muff muncher 'ey? Effy said appearing in the door, startling both girls, "Well David is very pretty."
Naomi laughed. Sophia looked visibly upset. "I'm not a muff muncher!" she said with mild disgust. "I like cock." She added determinedly.
"Oh-kay." Effy said her hands raised in surrender, "I just thought I heard you liked pussy, my mistake."
Naomi snickered again, "She's going on a date with Pussy."
"Will you stop that?" Sophia snapped at Naomi. "His name is Joe," She informed Effy "and its not like a proper date, he's going to the formal with me is all."
"Oh right," Effy said, "Your journalists formal." She added elegantly. The newspaper was having a formal, much to Naomi's dismay. It was all too much work and stress in her opinion. And really it was just an excuse so people could dress up and get fucked up.
Effy and Naomi exchanged a look. "He's a rugger." Naomi explained.
She nodded in understanding. "So who you taking?" Effy asked, eyebrow quirked.
"Duno."
"Never heard of him" Effy deadpanned.
Naomi rolled her eyes "Shut up. I duno, maybe Will I guess." Will, whom she had met randomly one night in the car park had chatted a fair amount of times since. The similarity in their musical tastes was uncanny.
"Oh." Effy stated, "not Andy?"
"No, not Andy. Why'd you ask?"
"Well you two seem to get on well," she shrugged, "so I just figured it was a goer."
"Right…" Naomi hesitated, "Well, I don't exactly want to give him the wrong idea…"
"Oh you mean like kissing him?" Effy asked.
"Exactly." Naomi shot her a look.
"So where's your shadow?" Naomi inquired, changing the subject. This was the first time she'd seen Effy without that boy a step behind her for some time.
Effy shrugged and Naomi almost felt bad for the boy, almost.
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Alex: Ohmygod.
Naomi: What?
Alex: What's Sophia's last name?
Naomi: Moore, why?
Alex: Because she just friended me on facebook.
Naomi: What the fuck? You're serious?
Alex: Yes. Hahahaha.
Naomi: That's weird.
Alex: Uhh, yeah.
Naomi: You didn't accept it did you?
Alex: Nooo. Why?
Naomi: Don't, that's weird. You two have never even spoken right?
Alex: Yeahh.
Naomi: Yeah, just ignore it, I think she's jealous of you, to be honest. Whenever my phone rings or I'm on the computer she gets this sort of accusatory tone and asks how you are.
Alex: Hahaha. Well I am your only friend…it's a fair assumption.
Naomi: Shut up.
Alex: Do they all still think we're dating?
Naomi: Ugh. I hope not.
Alex: Haha maybe I'll leave some hearts and xoxo's on your fb wall.
Naomi: Please don't encourage it.
Alex: Aw, but it's so fun. Bet that would drive Sophia crazzzy!
Naomi: Stop talking as if she likes me or something.
Alex: Mate…seriously?
Naomi: What?
Alex: You're serious?
Naomi: What are you on about?
Alex: Mate she likes you.
Naomi: She does not.
Alex: Does.
Naomi: We're friends.
Alex: Sounds more like a jealous girlfriend than a friend if you ask me.
Naomi: Well I didn't.
Alex: Relax. I don't think she has the balls to do anything about it anyhow. Just sleep with one eye open if you catch my drift.
Naomi: Shut up. She does not fancy me.
Alex: Whatever you say…it would be pretty hilarious though.
Naomi: Whatever. I have a meeting. I'll talk to you later.
Alex: Tell Sophia I say hiii!
Naomi signed off rolling her eyes at her friend.
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Naomi felt heavy; her thoughts, her arms, her eyelids, everything felt weighted down. She slowly registered that she was awake and swung her arm over her head in hopes of finding the source of what had intruded upon her sleep. Eventually her hand found her mobile. She lifted the offending phone over her head to her face. It continued its pattern of buzzing twice, indicating she had received a text, followed by lying still for a moment, then repeating itself—over and over.
Naomi growled at her phone as she opened it. All of the texts were from Alex. Each text consisting of a different singular number: 1, 2, 3, and so forth. Naomi tried to turn it off but the frequencies of the texts prevented her from doing so. She threw her phone over the side of the bed. It crashed down onto the floor with a thump before continuing it's ceaseless buzzing.
Unable to ignore the nuisance any longer Naomi dragged herself out of bed with a huff.
"What is that?" An amused and slightly perplex Panda asked from her desk. She had gotten up earlier to get some work done.
"My soon to be ex-best mate." Naomi grumbled picking up her phone.
"Oh, you two get in a fight?" Panda asked concerned. "I'm sure you two can work through it."
"No, I'm going to kill her." Naomi stated as she hit the call button and her phone.
"What?" Naomi said grumpily into her phone as she climbed back into bed. It was half nine on a Sunday morning.
"Thirty." Alex stated.
"You know that I am going to kill you the next time I see you right?" Naomi said talking over Alex.
"Thirty. It took you thirty texts to respond. What kind of piss poor response time is that?" Alex said. "It only took Emma seven."
"I hate you so much right now." Naomi mumbled attempting to get comfortable in her bed again.
"You're supposed to be my best mate and it took you thirty. What if it had been important?"
"Is it important?"
"I'm leaving for America tomorrow, and you ask if its important! You know I don't get service over there."
"You're not leaving 'til tomorrow."
"Yeah, but early tomorrow, so we wont get to chat before my flight."
"We never chat in the morning. What is wrong with you?"
"Is that any way to talk to your mate who's traveling across the pond tomorrow? What if my plane crashed and we got stranded like they did on that show Lost?"
"Yeah cos if the plane crashed that is the most likely scenario."
"You know actually, if Evangeline Lily were on that island with me it wouldn't be the worst thing to happen…"
"Alex!" Naomi said interrupting her friend's random train of thought. "Why did you ring me so very early this Sunday morning?"
"You rang me." Alex corrected.
Naomi paused for a moment, curbing her annoyance. To say Naomi was a heavy sleeper was an understatement. Waking her early on a day she could have a lie in was like poking a bear, a hibernating bear.
"You know what I meant."
"Well I just wanted to point out…"
"Alex!"
"No reason really, I just wanted to see how long it would take you to respond."
Naomi hung up on Alex.
A moment later Naomi's phone went off, Alex was ringing her back.
"You hung up on me!" Alex said surprised.
"You poked the bear."
"You hung up on me!"
"You deserved it."
"Fair." Alex conceded. "It was a bit funny, you have to admit…"
"Alex, stop poking the bear."
"Yeah, yeah."
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"Hey." Naomi heard a distinct husky voice call from behind her. She stopped and turned as Emily closed the few paces between them.
"Hey." Naomi returned with a sheepish smile.
"Haven't heard from that friend of yours in a few days." Emily began.
"She's in America at the moment, actually. Family trip." Naomi stated. It had only been a few days but Naomi missed her already, not that she'd admit it. They hadn't gone this long without regularly talking since they'd become a pair all those years ago.
"I see." Emily nodded in understanding, "She is quite the character." She smiled.
Naomi laughed, "Oh I know it. She's ridiculous really."
"I'd love to meet her," Emily said giving Naomi a measured smile, "I feel like you two would be quite the pair in person."
"We're more like an bickering old couple than anything else." Naomi shrugged with a smile.
Emily laughed, "I can see that."
The two laughed before falling into a comfortable silence as they walked.
"So what are you up to on this fine afternoon?" Emily asked, continuing the conversation.
"Drop my crap off in my room, head to a meeting with Sarah for the paper." Naomi shrugged, "Nothing very exciting."
"You spend a lot of time on that paper, yeah?"
"Loads." Naomi said with a laugh, "I kind of really like it though, all the work and everything that goes with it, that weird?" Naomi said making a face.
"Maybe a bit." Emily smiled. "But that's one of the things I like about you."
Naomi looked at Emily, surprised by her comment.
Emily Continued, "I can just tell, whenever you start to talk about it, how passionate you are about it. It's incredibly endearing." Emily met Naomi's eyes sincerely.
Naomi's head was buzzing. "And yourself," She forced out as not to be rude, "what are your grand plans for this very fine afternoon?"
"Nothing as exciting." Emily said nonchalantly, "get some work done, deal with the girlfriend, go to work, the usual really."
"Right." Naomi said. Right. Girlfriend.
The two continued walking but the silence was different than before.
"Look, Naomi," Emily said touching her arm to pause their movement. "I'm really glad that you told me. It means a lot to me." She gave a small smile.
Naomi awkwardly tried to return it feeling more and more uncomfortable thinking back to revealing her feelings.
"Not many people would be brave enough to do that, what you did. Knowing I had a girlfriend, telling me anyway." Emily smiled again. "I really appreciate you wanting to get to know me anyway. Not many would."
Naomi gave her best attempt at a smile.
"Honestly, Naomi," Emily nudged her in the arm, "I'm really glad you did."
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Once alone Naomi was lost in her head. She wished she could over analyze her walk with Emily with Alex, but she was of course away. So she was left to her own devises, swirling all her thoughts and anxieties, bacteria germing in the petri dish that was currently her head.
Sarah had texted her saying Sophia was joining them for the meeting, and that they were to meet in Sophia's room.
She beat Sarah to Sophia's room. Sophia began speaking before Naomi registered her words. Still lost in her own bubble of thoughts.
"…so I asked him for you…" seeped its way in.
"You what?" Naomi said suddenly snapping herself into the present.
Sophia shied back into her desk chair.
"I ran into Will today…" she began quieter that before, "so I asked him to the formal for you…"
"And why the hell would you do that?" Naomi asked instantly annoyed.
"Naomi it's less than a week til the formal, I figured I'd help you out."
"Bloody hell Sophia." Naomi stated coldly, "I don't need you to do my bidding for me."
"I'm sorry." Sophia said shrinking further into herself.
"What the actual fuck?" Naomi breathed resting her head in her hands before running her hands through her hair. She exhaled a few times before looking back up. "Well?" she asked.
"He said he couldn't, sorry…" Sophia mumbled out.
"Of course." Naomi sighed. This day. What the fuck was with this day?
"So what're you going to do now?" Sophia asked after a moment.
Naomi gave her a death glare before answering.
She let out a sigh. She thought of her possibilities. She thought of who she wanted to ask. And spend time with. And then she answered with a name different to the one in her thoughts. "Ask Andy I guess."