The Story of a Dying Girl Chapter 7, a skins fanfic

The Story of a Dying Girl

Hey. I'm not really too sure about this chapter, but then again, I'm never really too sure about any of them. Thank you for everything. I know I say it I lot, but I really do appreciate it. So away we go.

Enjoy!

Chapter 7:

My phone buzzed annoyingly on me nightstand.

A text from Cook.

I get ready and walk to Cook's, opening the door and sitting down on the couch, still smiling like an idiot with a newly discovered secret.

"You alright there Blondie?" He asks, looking at my smile like I'm deranged.

"Yeah, I'm good. You know, except for the fact that uh… Emily Fitch is my girlfriend," I say nonchalantly, counting to see how long it takes until Cook processes what I just said.

"Wait… She's your bird?!" He asks giddily.

"Yep," I say kinda smugly.

He cheers loudly, hitting my back as Paddy looks at him kinda strangely, and then shrugs his shoulders and joins in on Cook's cheering.

We sit there, watching Jackass and laughing, and I realize that for a while when I was little, things were going kinda shit.

Dad left.

Tina died.

Mum was sad.

And now, things are going… really fucking awesome.

I'm watching Jackass with my best mate and practically my little brother. Emily Fitch is my girlfriend.

I can't ask for a whole lot more.

I spend Sunday with Cook and Paddy again.

We go out to a movie, buying tickets to some shit G-Rated movie and sneaking into some shitter R-Rated movie.

It becomes increasingly more clear that this was not the right thing to do as the two main characters on screen begin to fuck roughly, and Paddy stares directly at it, not entirely sure where else to look.

I lower my hand over his eyes as Cook looks down at Paddy almost apologetically.

Whoops.

I wake up on Monday and it's the same as all the other days, except as Cook goes off with Wendy McRevend to under the bleachers to… well you know.

To fuck.

I start to walk around, deciding to go over to the mad scientists, which were the kids who spent all their time in the science lab, developing new ways to make things and inadvertently find new ways to set it on fire.

And trust me, it's not pretty when it's happens. I've been the one to put it out on more than one occasion.

I make my way to the lab, but I'm stopped when I feel a small tap on my shoulder.

I turn around to see Emily with a shy expression on her face.

"Hey."

"Hey." I smile.

She gently grabs my hand and begins to rub her thumb over it, sending a nice tingly-again with that goddamn word- feeling down my spine.

She reaches up and places her hands on her neck, tangling one of them in my long blonde hair.

She pulls me down and I meet her lips again, and I wonder if I will ever get tired of doing this.

Our mouths move until we're interrupted by a loud cough, and we break away to see Violet Dergewein looking at us.

Violet Dergewein, was well, to put it nicely… a bit of a bitch.

I had spoken to her a few times, because, as mentioned before, I was acquainted with everyone.

I did not enjoy speaking to her.

She spoke at you, going on making snide comments and looking always pissed off.

She was also a friend of the Fitch twins.

"Hi Violet," Emily says smiling, but it doesn't reach her eyes.

Violet doesn't seem to notice, and that makes me mad.

I have known Emily for not a long time. It is currently mid November, and though I was acquainted with Emily previously, it wasn't until October that I really started to know her.

Violet has known her a lot longer than me, but just from looking at it, it seems like Violet doesn't know her at all.

Emily drops my hand and gives Violet one of those really fake hugs that people give to people who they don't really want to hug.

"This is Naomi, my girlfriend," Emily says and links her arm with mine.

I like the way that sounds.

Violet smiles at me and then starts talking quickly.

"Oh my god! I didn't know you two were dating! Emily, you have to tell me everything. Where was your first date? Who asked who out? Does Katie know? Has she eaten dinner with your parents? We should totally double date! Tommy and me and you guys! Wouldn't that be great?" Her voice sounds like the one Emily does imitations of.

I can't keep up with what she said.

Something about eating with her parents and Katie and double dates?

Emily is nodding and they start talking and I'm just standing there like a twat, trying to keep up.

"Naomi has to go get something from her locker, right Naomi?" Emily looks at me suddenly and I'm about to say no before I realize that that is not the correct answer.

"Uh, yeah."

And with that Emily grabbed my hand and we began to walk away until Violet was out of sight.

She kissed me again.

"Walk me to class?"

"Of course."

We start to walk to her history class, me carrying her textbooks in one hand and holding her hand with my free hand.

We get to her class and I give her the books, being rewarded with a small peck for all my troubles.

I walk to Mr. Dirken's class smiling even though I'm walking into Mr. Dirken's class.

The classes pass without questions from Mr. Dirken or crying from Mrs. Incart.

I find myself sitting next to Cook at lunch like always.

He enthusiastically slaps down a flyer on the desk after spending five minutes going through his backpack looking for it.

"'New Beach Fossils Album. Be one of the first to own a copy! Can be bought at William's Music Emporium! Goes on sale on Sunday'" I read aloud, already starting to get excited.

"Do you know what this means Blondie?!"

"We're gonna be two of the first people to get the album?!"

"Hell yah we are!"

"Shhh! Quiet!" The librarian shouted, despite the fact that it was silence she was seeking.

"Sorry," we both say sheepishly.

"Okay, so we're gonna get there on Saturday and pitch our tent in line."

Paddy would be spending the weekend at his friend's house.

The week passes with ease.

Cook and I make our plan, deciding what we need to bring, how to keep ourselves from getting distracted, and all that fucking jazz.

I go over to Emily's house on Wednesday.

On Wednesday, we lied down on her bed, talking and making out and laughing and joking and stuff.

"No… you did not!" Emily laughed in hysterics.

"I did! I didn't mean to!"

"How the hell did you manage to piss off meditating hippies? They're supposed to be all peaceful and shit!"

"Well if you insult their chakras and they will become very agitated."

She laughs loudly, giggling and trying to catch her breath while I smile.

Her head is resting on my arm and I keep on glancing over at her and her beautiful smile.

I moved my head so it was covering hers and kissed her, kissed her like nothing else mattered because in that moment, maybe nothing else did.

I kissed her neck, sucking hard and nipping a bit gently.

And we continued to do this.

Talking and kissing and I was just really happy.

"Cook and I are waiting out in line to get the new Beach Fossils album," I said on Thursday morning while we sat at a table before school while Cook had gone off with some girl with very large tits.

"The Beach Fossils?" She asked, furrowing the eyebrows.

"Yeah, ya know, Twelve Roses? Sleep Apnea? Adversity? What a Pleasure? Shallow? Fall Right In?"

"Are those bands?"

"No, those are some of their songs."

"Oh."

"Yeah, they're cool."

"Can I listen to them?"

"Sure."

I pulled out my phone and a pair of earbuds from my messenger bag.

I plugged them in and handed Emily an earbud.

"Pick a song to listen to."

"Fall Right In?"

"Fall Right In it is."

I hit play and watched her face closely and she shut her eyes and smiled.

I can't see a thing, well it's on your face

I'm running down my stairs, and I'm heading to your place

Do you know what you have done to me?

We're spending all our time, it's never felt so right

The sun lights the room , 'cause we talked all night

I could stay with you till the sun goes out

And I'm walking home, through the empty streets

I gave you a kiss, and you turned to me

I've never cared so much about anything before

It's easy to lose track when you've lost your cares

Forget about my friends, and I know it's unfair

I've been reminded how it feels to be again

I'll do it again, I'll fall right in

I'll do it again, I'll fall right in (Do it again, all again)

I'll do it again, I'll fall right in (I'll fall, fall right in)

I'll do it again, I'll fall right in

I'll do it again, I'll fall right in (Do it again, all again)

I'll do it again, I'll fall right in (I'll fall, I will fall right in)

I'll do it again, I'll fall right in

(Beach Fossils- Fall Right In)

"I like it," she said.

"You do?" I smiled.

"Yeah. A lot."

She clears her throat.

"So camping out, eh?"

"Yeah."

"Maybe I could come?" She asks hopefully.

"Sure. Cook would like that."

"I am supposed to go to this thing with Katie, but maybe I can convince her to come."

"…"

"Naoms?"

"…"

"Naoms?"

Katie is not notorious for her kindness and willingness to experience and except all walks of lives and tastes.

"Naoms?"

"Uh… I don't know," I say kinda cautiously.

"She's not that bad!" Emily says, but it doesn't seem like even she believes that.

"Didn't she break that one girl's nose for stealing her boyfriend?"

"… It was an accident."

"How do you punch someone in the face on accident?"

"Shut up!" She gives me a playful shove.

She pulls her scarf higher around her neck.

"What are you hiding, Fitch?" I ask, trying to move it down.

She pulls it down and shows me a rather large hickey.

"Next time be a bit more careful. My dad almost saw!" She hits my arm playfully.

"He did? Christ, he could snap my neck."

She giggles.

"He wouldn't do that."

I give her a confused look.

"Scotty Renold."

"…"

"Exactly."

"Walk me to class?"

A pattern has been developed where every single day I hold Emily's books and her hand and walk her to history.

And I like the pattern.

I like how she always gives me a kiss when we get to her class.

I like how I stand in the doorframe for a bit, making sure she's seated and made it, as if something could possibly happen from the door to her chair.

I like that I find myself smiling as a result even though I'm in Mr. Dirken's class.

I like it.

I find myself in the library once again on Friday, but that was to be expected.

There has not been one day that I was at school and did not eat lunch with Cook in the library.

"So… Emily wants to come to wait in line with us for the album. And… she wants Katie to come too."

I have a pretty good idea of how Cook will react.

It was eighth grade when Cook showed me his list.

His list of girls to fuck.

If you think about it, it was quite a crude and demeaning thing, but Cook tried not to do it in a demeaning way really, so it was kind odd an odd situation. I mean, he did do it in a crude and demeaning way, he just tried not to.

This is not to say that Cook only fucked the girls on the list.

No, he's probably fucked more than half of the female population. But the list was different.

The list was comprised of the attainably unattainable for Cook.

It had seven names, six when he began it.

The list used to read:

Suzie Ganglerson

Evelyn Reese

Avery Uninter

Nora Deenyin

Mila Nimminson

Sadie Hindle

You might be asking yourself what's so special about these girls?

Let me explain.

Suzie Ganglerson had the biggest boobs in eighth grade. And all the guys noticed this. And some girls too.

But she was as pure as they came.

She refused all of them.

Until Cook came along.

I don't know how what she saw in him, especially since the only thing he saw in her was himself.

Get it?

Yeah I know it was gross.

I'm sorry.

Evelyn Reese and Avery Uninter were thought of as celebrities because they were in that ad for takeaway pizza that plays when you are trying to watch your favorite show.

Nora Deenyin was a model, plain and simple. And very picky in whom she would date.

Mila Nimminson was the most popular girl in school.

Sadie Hindle was… well I don't know why Cook wanted to fuck her, but he did.

We were in the tenth grade when he had showed me the completed list, grinning and saying something about needing a challenge.

Enter Katie Fitch.

The Fitch twins were not new at school, in fact, they had gone to the same elementary and middle school as us.

But now enter Cook's realization that Katie was very fuckable, and that he would like very much to add her to the list.

The list looks like this now:

Suzie Ganglerson

Evelyn Reese

Avery Uninter

Nora Deenyin

Mila Nimminson

Sadie Hindle

Katie Fitch

But in his hunt to somehow get Katie to have sex with him, he began to develop a tiny crush.

He denies it.

And Katie doesn't want to go anywhere near him, or his dick for that matter.

But back to the library.

As I told Cook about the plan, his smile got wider, and wider, and wider.

"Katie Fitch, you say?"

"I do say."

"Yes, yes, yes! I'm finally gonna tick her off my fuck list!" He shouted whispered.

"Imagine it Naomio. You and Emily in one tent. Me and Katie in one tent. You get laid. I get laid. It's gonna be great. And then we get the new album."

"I'm not gonna have sex with Emily! I just started dating her!" I whispered.

"Right. But I'm gonna shag Katie."

And with that, the matter was settled.

And so Saturday rolled around and Cook and I grabbed our things at three in the afternoon drove to William's Music Emporium.

We were not the first in line, but we were very close to the front.

We set up our two tents and began to unpack.

These were the following contents:

Three sleeping bags (one would be shared by Cook and Katie after a long night of shagging, as he put it)

Two lanterns

A deck of cards

One Monopoly board game

Two large bags of chips

Eight protein bars

Two large bags beef jerky

Two loaves of bread

Ten bottles of water

Two jars of peanut butter

Two jars of jelly

Four pillows

Two large winter coats

One hoodie (For Cook, I had my army jacket)

Four small chairs

One bottle of Vodka

One small table

And that was it.

A lot of stuff, but Cook and I had both done camp outs where we had basically nothing, and those never ended well.

We were sitting on the chairs playing War with the cards.

And let me tell you something about War.

War is fun for the first game, until you realize it doesn't end.

And you keep on playing, and playing and playing.

And then you realize that you are fucking trapped in a card game, because you don't want to lose, but you don't want to keep playing, so you just on slapping cards down, hoping against hope that it will end.

We played for an hour before deciding to call it quits.

We decided to tell stories instead, real and false ones, trying to see if we could guess if they were true.

"One I had a threesome with two models." –Cook. (True)

"One time I found a dying bunny in the woods and tried to nurse it back to health in my house. It ended up shitting everywhere." –Me (True)

"I have fucked someone fifty years older than me." –Cook (False)

And so on.

It was five when the Fitches arrived, both wearing large coats.

Katie already looked pissed, which was understandable, and Emily had a small, sweet smile on her lips.

They walked to where we were sitting.

"I can't fucking believe that Emily convinced me to come wait in line with you losers," Katie spat.

"That's the spirit," I said.

Emily gave me a small kiss and sat down in my lap.

Katie sat down huffily in an unoccupied chair.

"Quite the set up you two have," Emily grinned.

"Ya know us, we only like the best," Cook said, winking at Katie, who, in return, promptly flipped him off.

Katie took out her phone and began to fiddle with it, while the three of us looked at her.

She looked up after realizing the three of us were staring at her.

"Fuck off. I'm texting Veronica."

"Feisty, I like it Katiekins."

"Fuck off, I'm not going anywhere near your diseased dick," she snapped while Cook laughed.

We continued to play our game, Emily joining in.

Although I was a bit distracted.

Her arms around my neck, her ass in my lap. I couldn't think straight, and yes, pun fucking intended.

And that's how we carried on until a little after seven, when the incident happened.

The incident was Katie's phone dying, and her realizing that she would now have to actually spend time with us "losers."

"For fuck's sake! What am I gonna do now?!"

"I could distract you." Cook winked.

"Fuck off and die," Katie said, grabbing one of the open bags of chips and taking a large handful.

"Anyone up for eating dinner?" I asked, breaking the silence that had consumed us.

"Sounds good Nomi," Emily said as Cook grabbed the bread, the peanut butter, and the jelly.

"What the fuck is this?" Katie asked, looking at the food in horror.

"Dinner," Cook said proudly, like he had just caught a seventy pound fish.

"This is a fucking joke, right?"

"Katie don't be a bitch, eat the food," Emily said, beginning to make one of the sandwiches.

"Fine," she grumbled and began to assemble one.

The sky was dark and it was fucking freezing.

Emily had cuddled closer to me while Cook had tried many times, unsuccessfully, to put his arm around Katie.

It was nearing nine, and it looked like it might rain soon.

"We have Vodka," I said, suddenly remembering the bottle of vodka sitting in one of the tents.

"Vodka?" Katie brightened and Cook grinned.

Cook sat up and searched one of the tents, coming out of it waving the bottle around.

"Let's play a game," Cook said with a dangerous smile.

"What game?" Emily asked.

"Never have I ever. If you've done it, you take a drink."

"Okay, I'll go first," Katie said first.

"Never have I ever fucked a teacher."

Cook took a sip.

"Never have I ever… been arrested," Emily said, giving me a mischievous smile.

She knew I had been because of Cook.

I regretted ever telling her about that.

Cook took a sip and passed me the bottle.

The alcohol hit the back of my throat and didn't go down easily.

"Never have I ever… worn leopard print," I said looking at Katie, who glared at me, harshly grabbing the bottle and took a swig.

"Never have I ever, skinny dipped," Cook said before grabbing the bottle and taking a swig.

Katie took a sip too.

"Never have I ever been a virgin at 18… take a sip Emsy," Katie said passing her the bottle.

"Fuck you Katie," Emily said harshly, obviously not pleased that Katie had revealed something like that.

I sighed and grabbed the bottle, taking a sip too as Emily stared at me, connecting the dots in her head, and smiling slightly.

We continued to play this, until we had about half a bottle of vodka left, and the guy in the tent next to us told us that if we didn't turn off our lights and go to sleep, he would be calling the cops and reporting us for underage drinking.

It was close to midnight.

"Okay, so Katie and I will be in a tent, and Emily and Naomio will be in the other," Cook said, getting into his tent.

"Wait… hold on. Do you actually fucking think I would share a tent with you and your Crayola dick?" Katie asked sharply.

"I was kinda hoping."

"Yeah, not gonna happen. I'm sharing with Emsy."

"Katie, I want to share with Naomi," Emily said, clutching my hand.

"Well, too fucking bad."

"Well, we only have three sleeping bags, cause you were gonna share with me," Cook argued.

"Well that was a shit assumption."

"Fine, but can you guys share the sleeping bag then?" Cook gave up.

"No fucking way. You and Campbell are gonna have to share."

"No way!" Cook and I both said at the same time.

"Sucks for you two, doesn't it?"

And with that Katie climbed into the tent that I would have been sharing with Emily.

Emily kissed my cheek apologetically and got into the tent with Katie as Cook and I looked at each other, not entirely sure what to do now.

The last time we had shared a bed was when we were nine, and we went top and tail in my twin bed.

And now here we were, one sleeping bag.

The rain was coming down, pounding on our tents.

We packed our stuff up, and then climbed into our tent.

"So…"

We unzipped the sleeping bag and turned it into a kinda blanket.

But sharing a kinda small blanket with another person is not an easy thing to do, especially when you are both in large coats.

"For fuck's sake, stop hogging the sleeping bag blanket thing, Cook," I said, tugging over.

"Well now I have nothing," he said, pulling it over him.

We were playing fucking tug of war.

And I was losing.

We continued to do this for a while.

"Oh, you know what, fuck this, I have a plan," Cook said.

"What?" I asked, desperate for a way to solve this.

"Take off your clothes."

"Um…"

"Not like that, you're like my bloody sister. Take off your pants, winter jacket, shirt, and army jacket.

I did as he said and he did the same.

He flipped himself around, so we were sleeping top and tail.

"Ok, now flip the sleeping bag the other way."

I followed his instructions and flipped it so the sides were now the top and bottom.

"Now, just use the clothes as a blanket for the parts the sleeping bag isn't covering."

"Cook, that's practically the same fucking thing!"

"…Oh yeah," Cook said, realizing that it was almost the same thing.

"It's a bit warmer though, I guess," I said, and tried to go to sleep.

I woke up to laughter.

It was Katie and Emily, currently laughing at the fact that Cook and I were sleeping like nine year olds, and using our clothes as blankets.

Cook sat up at the same time I did, and to my horror, the blanket slid down off of us, and I remembered that I was in my girly boxers and a bra.

And that was it.

I grabbed my shirt and hastily threw it over my head, looking around for my pants and putting them on, trying to get dressed quickly.

"Should I be jealous?" Emily laughed, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, playing tug a war with a sleeping bag is a lot of fun," I laugh.

"I'm sure it is."

Cook got dressed, winking at Katie who just looked angry, but I wasn't really sure how Katie Fitch looked when she wasn't angry.

Or crying.

We started to pack up the tents and other stuff, waiting until the clock hit 8:00, so the line would surge forward and we could buy the new album.

I held Emily's hand, taking my phone out and putting it back in my pocket every three seconds, waiting for the time to pass, but I lost track of time because her hand felt so good in mine.

And then it happened.

The line moved and so did we, up and up until we were in the store.

The store was huge, but Cook instantly spotted the albums, which we grabbed quickly as the rush behind us followed.

"I need one for my grandson!" An old lady shoved a pregnant woman out of the way.

"I need one now!" A girl a bit older than me pushed a man with thinning hair.

"Give me it!" A dad holding his daughter on his back stole one from a teenage boy's hands.

We rushed to the counter, sweating and panting a bit as we quickly paid and ran back to the parking lot, throwing our stuff in and scrambling into the car.

Cook began to drive off and as we took deep, heavy breaths, I began to laugh, chaotically, like I had never seen anything funnier.

Like when the big scary guy chased us and we realized we were safe.

I laughed kinda like a crazy person, and soon enough everyone else joined in, even Katie fucking Fitch.

Cook popped in his CD and we listened to it, smiling, as we drove back to the Fitch residence.

The house with the red door where a man who was scarily strong threatened suitors of his daughters, and a mother cried on the sofa and hugged a little too tight, and a pervy boy sat up in his room, doing god knows what.

We were about halfway there when asked a very important question.

"Anyone want to go get some fucking breakfast?"

There was a murmur of agreement as Cook turned the car sharply, sending the Fitches crashing into each other and me to the side of the car.

"For fuck's sake, Cook!" I swore as he grinned like a second grader who had broken a crayon and gotten away with it.

He pushed hard on the gas, sending me flying back into my seat.

Cook is not a great driver.

We stopped in front of a small diner, completed with the classic '50's look.

We parked and walked inside.

Cook swung the door open and made a grand entrance, even though no one even looked his way, mostly because there wasn't really anyone to look.

The waitresses looked bored and kinda tired, but I couldn't really blame them, especially if I had to repeat the same phrase over and over.

"Welcome to Carl's Swinging Diner! Would you groovy cats like to eat inside or outside?"

Cook smiled his shit-eating grin.

"Inside. I always like being inside."

Gross.

Very gross.

"Christ, you're disgusting." I rolled my eyes as Katie and Emily groaned.

She led us to a booth in the corner and slapped down menus with a fake smile.

"I'll bring you cool cats some water."

Cook opened up his menu and looked through it.

"I'm getting this!" He said, slapping the menu down and pointing enthusiastically to a meal that read, "The Goliath."

"'Finish the meal in under thirty minutes with a maximum of five people and you win a t-shirt, a picture up on the wall, and a free meal,'" he read aloud.

"No."

"Come on you guys."

"No."

"How much money do you guys have?" He asked.

I reached into all of my pockets, pulling out four dollars and a nickel, while Emily pulled out three quarters, and Katie just shrugged.

Cook pulled out two dollars.

"We don't have any fucking money," Cook stated the obvious.

"Well, I'm not eating that fucking thing," Katie snapped.

"How else we gonna eat princess?"

"Why did you ask us if we wanted breakfast if you didn't have any money?" She said harshly.

"Listen, if you ain't gonna eat the food, then get to fuck."

"I guess we don't really have much of a chance," Emily sighed.

And I just sat back and watched this shit show happen.

The waitress walked back up to us.

"We'll take the Goliath," Cook said, handing the menus over to the waitress.

"Coming up… groovy cats."

They really didn't know that much 50's lingo.

We sat in silence until the waitress brought us a giant plate with ten slices of toast, ten strips of bacon, three giant sausages, a shit ton of scrambled eggs, and two huge pancakes.

She brought out a clock and hit start, as Cook grabbed two slices of toast and slipped them into his mouth.

I grabbed five pieces of bacon and started to shove them down, barely remembering to chew it.

Katie grabbed a sausage and began to choke it down, and Emily grabbed handful after handful of scrambled egg.

I tore off a large piece of pancake and ate it quickly, reaching forward for a slice of toast.

Katie was on her second sausage and grabbed some toast.

And this is how we ate, chaotically.

I don't know if any of you guys have ever force-fed yourselves scrambled eggs, but it's pretty awful.

The plate was clearing up and we only had a few more slices of toast and one pancake left with five more seven more minutes to go.

We started to swarm over it, drowning the pieces down with water and trying not to choke.

We had half a pancake left with one minutes to go.

"And time!" The waitress said as the timer went off.

"Congrats y'all, you've conquered the Goliath!" She said, looking down at the empty plate and the four bodies slumped in the booth.

"That was fucking… awful," I said finally as they nodded.

They woman came back with four t-shirts that read in large yellow peeling letters, "I conquered the Goliath!"

She made us put the stupid shirts on and took out a Polaroid and snapped a picture, walking over to a small bulletin board and tacking it on.

We staggered out of the booth, clutching our stomachs, but kinda laughing.

We clambered back into the car and drove away, Cook proudly dawning his shirt while Katie took hers off and probably threw it out the window or something.

Cook parked the car and we got out.

I grabbed Emily's hand and walked her to her door, as Katie and Cook trailed behind.

"Thanks for coming."

"Yeah, it was fun."

"I'll text you?"

"Yeah."

I cupped her face gently and kissed her, getting lost in it.

"Alright that's enough! She's my sister!"

"No, no, no! Keep going!" Cook cheered.

I pulled away and watched as her eyelids fluttered open.

I watched Cook slobber a kiss on Katie's cheek, which she immediately wiped off.

"Gross, you fucker!" She said, but she was trying to keep from laughing.

Mr. Fitch opens the door and I walk quickly back to where Cook stands, a lot straighter and with no shit-eating grin on his face now.

Katie walks up to where I was just standing.

I watch as they are pulled inside and Mr. Fitch continues to just stand there, looking at us.

"Did you guys have fun on your trip?" He asks smiling scarily.

I want to smile back, but I feel like it's not a real smile, and I can't tell if he wants to hug us or stab us.

I'm not gonna take my chances.

So instead we both nod.

"I remember going on those types of things with my mates," he gave us a melancholy smile.

We said our goodbyes and he waved at us and shut the door.

We walked back to the car and drove off.

I wonder if he ever wishes for prior times in his life. He looks like a tired man, happy, but tired.

I feel like most people wish for a time when things were brighter because things were always brighter some other time, or at least, that's how it seems.

I bet that's how Mrs. Incart feels. I bet she wishes for the time when she could tell her husband loved her, and didn't plead with her classmates to reassure her and lie to her so she could continue to pretend like her wasn't fucking Tiffany.

I bet Cook wishes for the time when his mum smiled more and Paddy wasn't so used to his mum being passed out.

I bet mum wishes for the time when dad still loved us and Tina was still alive.

As a kid, I used to wish for those times.

I remember seeing her crying, and not really knowing why. I remember when she would get sad, and she wouldn't come out of her room.

She was up and she was down, and when she was down, it seemed like nothing would ever be up again.

But, I don't think you want to hear wallow in some fucked up self-pity.

You don't need that, and I don't need that either.

Cook drove away and dropped me off at my house.

I laid in bed for a bit, playing my album over and over again, the words and their meaning disappearing until they were just sounds and they were just part of the melody.

It's odd.

Emily.

I haven't been dating her for a while, but I can't imagine not dating her.

I don't really know, but then again, I never really do.

It's just that I like spending time with her.

I just like being with her.

I feel… I don't know… good… when I'm with her.

I don't really like spending time with that many people on this great big planet.

I don't love asking the math nerds about their teachers and I don't love listening to dark poetry, and I don't really enjoy passing a soccer ball around while someone rambles about little problems that aren't really that important when you think about it.

I don't like telling stupid, insignificant stories and lying in bed looking at someone's ceiling and feeling them laugh against me.

But I like doing those things with Emily.

I like telling her about the time I broke my arm and mum thought a hippie healing tea would help.

It didn't.

I like it when the vibrations of her beautiful laugh rumbles against me as she lays her head on my chest.

I like it when she calls me a twat for not reading Harry Potter and I like how she teases me and I like how she wraps herself up when I give her my jacket and I like that she stood in line with me so I could do something I like and I like that she makes me happy and that she doesn't write Cook off and that she doesn't think that I'm stupid when I ramble about the universe.

I like her smile and the way her lips curl up shyly and how she sneezes and how she nudges my side when I'm stupid (which happens a lot), and how her eyelids flutter when we pull away after a kiss and how her lips are parted just slightly afterwards.

I like how I notice all these things about her and how much I like them.

I like her a lot.

That was it.

A little nervous about this one.

I am currently working on the 11th chapter of this story. So, I will try to write a lot more.

In case you are wondering, the Beach Fossils are an indie band I really like. They do not have a new album, but I just wanted to use them, so I made up that they had a new album out. Check them out if you want, or don't, I don't want to force music on you, that's never fun.

The next chapter will be posted on Thursday.

Let me know what you thought.

Thanks again!