I am sorry for the impromptu hiatus. I'll try to not let it happen again. I promise I will get the next Chivalry is Dead chapter up soon as well.
On a happy note, I was offered the job I really wanted, and am starting / moving in less than 2 weeks. Also, if it applies to you, happy turkey (tofurkey) day.
I'm leaving for work at 2:30 this morning to open the store for black Friday (joy) so please, please leave me a review to make my day a bit more bearable. Or at the very least challenge me to words with friends ( kaybzik ) to keep me awake haha.
mzsavanna, Critic, yy4nmes, winsome wonder, StayWithMeForTheKids, fookyeahskins, fakevegan, lostANDdelirious-malex, R3dN0te, anon, and anon – thank you for taking the time to review.
Please let me know what you think. And as always, thanks for reading.
Without further rambling, here is the next bit.
I don't own Skins or anything of the sort.
Chapter XVII: I gotta tighten down on the lag time.
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Naomi sat in the tiny café she always went to with Alex. They sat in their usual spot by the window. Drinking their usual drinks. You know you've become a valued patron or go somewhere way too often when you're handed your order before actually ordering it. She'd been home for a week and still felt drained.
"So you going to make your move when you get back then?" Alex asked.
"What move?" Naomi asked, sipping her tea, "No, there is no move for me to make," she added firmly.
"Are we reading the same script here?" Alex asked, "Because from what I'm reading, it's definitely a goer."
Naomi opened her mouth to chastise the other blonde when the two were interrupted.
"Naomi?" Came a voice to her right. "Naomi Campbell? Back in town?"
Both girls shot their heads over to see a slight girl with light brown hair.
"Corbin?" Naomi said surprised, "Hi."
"How are you?" Corbin asked. "Thought you'd gone off to university?"
"I have," Naomi said, shooting a look to a seemingly bemused Alex. "Home for holiday."
"Oh, right!" Corbin smiled, "Well, we should hangout sometime, before you go back, catch up."
"What am I, invisible?" Alex asked, causing Corbin to finally turn to her.
"Hello Alex, how are you?" Corbin offered.
"Fair to lousy, now that you ask, thanks," Alex deadpanned. Corbin looked at her unsurely before turning back to Naomi.
"So Naomi, what do you say?" the brunette smiled, "For old times sake?"
"Yeah, um right, sure," Naomi answered.
"Well incase you don't still have my number," Corbin said as she produced a pen and bent over to write on Naomi's napkin.
With a smile Corbin waved as her order was called and left the café.
The two friends watched the girl walk by the window.
"Dude."
"What?" Naomi asked as the girl disappeared. They looked between the napkin and each other and back again.
"Dude."
"Are you discovering gaps in your vocabulary?" Naomi shot at her mate. "Or should I be worried you're stroking out or something?"
"She was totally hitting on you."
"What?" Naomi asked incredulously, "She was not. Don't be ridiculous."
"Emily's got competitionnn," Alex sang out as she snatched up the napkin to inspect it.
"She does not," Naomi rolled her eyes. She swiped for the napkin as Alex pointed to the xoxo left below the girl's digits. "Will you stop that?"
"Well true," Alex placated tossing the napkin back at Naomi. "No one really does seem to be competition for our dear math girl, I mean just ask Sophia for example."
Naomi closed her eyes pinching the bridge of her nose with her fingers, "What happened to promising not to bring her up?"
"Did I?" Alex feigned innocence.
"Yes, you did."
"Huh," Alex pondered, "I don't remember doing that. Wonder how the poor lass is doing anyway, probably the longest she's gone without being able to stalk you properly."
"I'm leaving," Naomi said not amused.
"Oh stop it," Alex stated. "I was only having a laugh."
Naomi shot her a look past her hand. She was still tired. She tried to not think about Sophia, about any of it. It made her tired.
"Well I mean, besides the obvious truth to my statement…" Alex continued.
"Will you stop that?"
Alex started to laugh. Naomi huffed folding her arms in front of her chest as Alex bent over in laughter, clutching the small table for support.
Naomi folded her arms, "You done?"
Alex sighed wiping a tear from her face, "Yes, yes," she began, "You've got to admit it's a bit funny though, all these girls just pining away after you."
"Sod off."
"They all go home crying at night to there little locker shrines, praying to the Naomi gods you'll notice them."
Naomi gave Alex a reproachful look, "Where do you come up with this stuff? I think you're actually going mental."
"Not as mental as those birds are over you."
Naomi rolled her eyes as she sipper her tea.
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Naomi let out a breath. Her mobile was buzzing on the nightstand. She dog-eared the page she had just opened to before reaching for her phone. Alex had left not ten minutes ago. Her brow furrowed as she read the screen. She didn't recognize the number.
Next Tuesday at 10 sounds great. Same place? See you then xoxo
Who the fuck?
Naomi looked through her history and found an earlier text from her phone to the mystery number. She hadn't sent the text; yet there it was staring at her from her outbox.
Naomi looked over at her dresser and "Alex's section" which was the far right top draw. When Alex had acquired the draw it hadn't been a "oh hey you're my best friend and leave your shit here all the time so have a draw" type of situation, but rather one day Alex entering Naomi's room like a pioneer on a conquest and dumping the contents of her draw onto the floor and informing Naomi it was now hers. She looked above Alex's spot and saw the napkin from the café.
With a furrowed brow Naomi got up off her bed and compared the napkin number to the mystery number. It was a match. Her and Alex were officially in a fight.
Naomi hit the send button.
"Wasn't I just there?" Alex asked in a greeting, "What could you possibly want now?" she said it in the kind of voice where you knew the person was smiling.
"Seriously Alex?"
"Haha oh, she texted you back didn't she then?" Alex laughed, "Bugger I thought it'd take you til at least tomorrow to piece it together."
"I can't believe you text her."
"Oh come on, she's your friend."
"We were friends, I haven't talked to her in ages."
Corbin had been in primary school with Naomi. She transferred schools not long after Alex had moved.
"Didn't you used to catch up?"
"Used to."
"Well now you can start again."
Naomi rolled her eyes.
"You're a twat."
"If were stating facts, it wouldn't kill you to be more social."
"I was more than enough social this past semester, great lot a good that's done me."
Alex laughed, "It'll be good for you."
"You have absolutely no way of knowing that."
"It'll be fun."
"Again," Naomi said exasperatedly.
"Eh," Alex relented, "At the very least it'll be entertaining…for me."
"I hate you."
Alex ignored her best mates comment, "What are you scared she fancies you as well or something?" she teased. "I mean at this point that's a legitimate fear, what with every girl you talk to liking you and all."
"Not true."
"Hah!" Alex laughed, "Too true."
"We're talking right now," Naomi said, making her point, "You're not attracted to me."
"You sure…" Alex quipped.
They were both silent for a beat.
"Too far." Naomi stated, her face scrunched up.
"Bleh, you're right, you're right, sorry." Alex apologized, "And I didn't mean me."
"Your general sweeping assumption, not mine." Naomi retorted.
"Bleh," Alex yucked again. "So any who…when's this coffee date of yours with Corbin?"
"It's not a date," Alex insisted, "And I don't even know if I'm going to meet up with her."
"So when is this coffee not date happening or not happening?"
"Next Tuesday," Naomi sighed, "Did I mention I hate you?"
"It was duly noted."
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"Naomi darling, mind grabbing the bags out of the boot?" Gina called as she made her way up the walkway, baked goods in hand.
"Yeah, sure, course," Naomi muttered to herself as she closed the car door and walked round to the back. "Just the family house elf, don't mind me."
She heaved the bags holding gifts out of the car and followed in her mothers wake. Gina's boots had left a melted trail of footprints in the thin dusting of snow that covered everything.
The red front door swung open.
"You're late," Alex stated as Naomi ascended the steps and entered. Inside the air was warm and smelt of something delicious, as it always did at Alex's. There was the distinct sound of indistinct chatter from further within. Somehow it had become Christmas Eve again.
"I'm on time," Naomi replied as Alex shut the door and the two made their way toward the tree so Naomi could dump the bags.
"Yeah, but you're usually early," Alex explained. "And when you're early I get out of doing shit."
"Oh, well I'm so sorry I impeded on your laziness," Naomi rolled her eyes.
"Apology accepted," Alex said, "But I don't think my mother will recover from the shots of whiskey she witnessed me take earlier for quite some time."
"You're ridiculous."
"I was bored," Alex shrugged, "And you weren't here."
Naomi and Gina had been attending Alex's parents Christmas Eve party since the two became friends.
"You're going to give that woman a heart attack," Naomi laughed.
"Oh, it's nothing she hasn't seen before," Alex stated nonchalantly, "Besides, keeps her on her toes, keeps her young."
"Whatever helps you sleep at night," Naomi said patting her friend on the shoulder.
Some time later after sufficiently stuffing herself on too much food and skulking off for a periodic shot with Alex, Naomi found herself sitting in the living room expertly not participating in conversation.
She felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. She rolled her eyes. Alex was just in the next room, texting her was a bit ridiculous. She pulled out her phone then stopped when she read the text. She stared.
Happy Christmas! xo Emily
A slow smile crept across her face as she read and reread the text. She hit the reply button then stopped herself. She began to type a response, and then deleted it. Was she supposed to respond? Was it too soon? Was she supposed to wait a certain amount of time before responding? What should she say? That was too much. Should she put an xo back? She never used xo's. But Emily had used them…was it too early to respond yet? Fuck it.
Happy Christmas to you too! Hope your break is grand. xo Naomi
Regret. It was definitely too soon. And she most definitely should not have put the xo on at the end. She sounded like such a twat. Naomi opened up the text Emily had sent her again. Again, that slow smile slid across her face.
"What'cha doinnn?" Alex asked sliding into the spot next to Naomi on the couch.
"Nothing," Naomi replied shutting her phone.
Alex smirked, "Who ya texting?"
"Why do you care?" Naomi asked.
"Because I'm here, and I can also see your mum from here…so I know it's neither of us," the blonde continued to smirk. "And if it were our dear Sophia I don't think you'd have that stupid smile on your face."
Naomi rolled her eyes, trying to suppress that exact smile, but every time she thought of why it was there, of Emily texting her, it crept back across her face.
"…and you yelled at me earlier –"
"I didn't yell."
"…and you yelled at me earlier for texting Corbin for you…so I think it's safe to say it's not her...which leaves…" Alex darted for Naomi's phone.
"Hah!" Alex exclaimed triumphantly as she read the message Emily had sent her. "I knew it."
"Will you give that back," Naomi said grabbing for her phone.
"Ooo a kiss and a hug," Alex waggled her eyebrows, "And you reciprocated. How romantic."
Naomi swiped the phone from Alex shoving it into her pocket and out of reach.
"Like I've been telling ya mate," Alex said handing Naomi a drink she had gotten earlier. "It's definitely a goer."