"Harry what in the hell were you going on about earlier?" Danny shouted as he slammed open my door. I could tell he was furious with me. Danny rarely got really angry but when he did there were three telltale signs that showed that he was not to be messed with. The first was his flailing limbs. Whenever he was in a rage he didn't seem to know what to do with his arms so while he shouted at you his arms just flung themselves about at random, if he wasn't shouting abuse at you, it would be near on impossible to not burst into uncontrollable laughter at the sight of him - but when he is in a mood like this, laughing at him would be one of the most unwise decisions ever made.

The second signal to look out for was his flared nostrils. He always reminded me of a bull when he is in a bad mood. His nostrils for some reason seemed to double in size and expand at an ever increasing rate. You were nearly waiting for smoke to billow out. The third and most vital sign to acknowledge is Danny's lack of blinking. He stares at you, like he is searching through your mind for the reason you have wronged him.

"I dunno look I'm sorry alright there is no need to go on about it alright." I huffed at him. I hadn't moved from my place on the bed. I was avoiding eye contact with him. Danny had a way of getting the truth out of people and I wasn't in the mood for an emotional heart to heart. "Harry what the hell is up with you? You can't speak to people like that and you sure as hell can't speak to Lola like that. She is supposed to your friend, one of your best friends in fact and you treated her like shit" I knew what he was saying was nothing but the truth but this seemed to enrage me even further because I was so annoyed at myself. "Danny. You cannot tell me what I can or cannot do, so just get the hell out of my room." I said while jumping up from my bed and moving towards the door signalling for him to leave. He glared at me .He had no intention on leaving. He stood there and folded his arms. It was like the calm before the storm. I knew this argument wasn't even nearly over but we just stood there in silence glaring at each other. Neither one blinking nor looking away so as to not show any signs of weakness. "I am not telling you what to do Harry I am just telling you something you already know." he spoke calmly and steadily but his voice was full of venom. I don't think I had ever seen Dan this angry before. I knew he was protective of Lola but I had never witnessed his reaction when someone had hurt her. It wasn't a pleasant experience and it was eating me up inside that I was witnessing it first hand it was just emphasising in mind what an idiot I had been and how close I was to losing Lolly as a friend let alone as a girlfriend. "Fine, Danny I get it, alright. Look I know you're protective of Lola, just drop it." The second I had said it, I knew it was the wrong thing to say, Danny's eyes were like saucers. "Harry, this is not me being protective of Lola this is me telling you to cop the hell on and realise that you can't treat your friends like that I can't believe that I have to tell you, of all people this. Over the last few weeks you have been acting weirdly in general and especially towards Lola. The poor girl is worried sick that she has done something to annoy or hurt you and you don't even seem to care. You're turning into an absolute jerk Harry."

He was right in my face, so close that when he spoke little flecks of spit found themselves on my face. Once again I realised he was right but I didn't know how to explain myself without telling him that I had fallen for Lola. The only response I could muster was possibly the most pathetic response ever. I slapped him across the arm. Yes I know its not big, its not clever and it is most definitely not in any way manly. Danny looked at me for a second and then quickly responded by slapping me on the arm. As could be expected it quickly descended into a ridiculous fight where we slapped each other harder and harder and began rolling around on the floor.

Before it escalated to us actually hurting each other which I know neither of us really wanted to do, hence the pathetic slapping, Lyndsey walked in and pulled us apart. She stood in the middle of us holding both of us at arms length. Danny glared at me then stomped out of the house slamming the door behind him.

I fell back on my bed holding my head in my hands trying to figure out my life. "Harry what is wrong? I know I haven't known you that long but it is as clear as day, that there is something major bothering you" my thoughts were interrupted, I seemed to have completely forgotten that Lyndsey was in the room. I stared at her. I was debating in my head whether or not to blurt out everything or to follow my usual manner of dealing with things - bottle it all up until I can figure out a solution - slowly turning myself insane. She moved forward sitting directly across from me. Lyndsey was a relatively new member of our group of friends, she and Tom had been going out less than six months, but she had slotted into the group so well it was like she had always been there. "Sometimes its good to get an outsider's point of view, Haz, believe it or not, no one has the answers to everything." she said with a comforting smile.

"AAAAHHHHHH why is life so bloody annoying Lynds?" I moaned clutching my head in my hands again staring at the carpet - I really need to hoover!

"Right so I'm guessing it's a girl problem" she said authoritatively "right come on this is my area of expertise. I am destined to become a relationship counsellor slash matchmaker in later years so chances are I can help you" I lifted my head to look at her - I could practically see her putting her therapist hat on she so looked the part, I was nearly waiting for a leather couch to appear beside her so we could start our session.

"Ok …….. em………eh…. I dunno where to start…" I stuttered after a long silence. Suddenly a rush of uncertainty came over me. "Actually no it's grand - look I'm fine, just a bit moody. Thanks Lynds but I'm grand." I said hurriedly, I wasn't one for spilling my feelings, pretty much the only person that I divulged everything to was Lola.

"Not on your nelly Mr Judd, I'm sick of seeing you mope about, It's not good for you - I think I have an idea what the problem may be but you have to tell me so that we can deal with it properly so sit down and start spilling." I gawped at her and sat down again, to be honest I was kind of afraid not to. "right …eh… Ok … right eh well the problem is that I kind of have feelings for someone that I shouldn't and to put it mildly I'm not dealing with it very well." I said quickly, I was not enjoying this at all and I was feeling horribly uncomfortable. "oh my god you're in love with Danny" she said with a grin. "not funny Lyndsey" I said with a grimace.

"I'm sorry I was only messing, well I am guessing I am 100 percent right in thinking that you have fallen for Lola right ?" my head jerked up from the floor to look at her, I was a bit shocked. How did she know? I sat there gawping at her for a few minutes my mouth wide open catching flies. "Jesus, Haz from the look on your face you would swear I just figured out how to fly or something. Look you weren't that obvious but to the trained eye it was damn obvious you like her and before you ask unsurprisingly the lads especially Danny haven't got a clue and I'm pretty sure Lola doesn't either. Now, as brilliant as I am at dealing with relationships etc I have yet to see why this is such a major problem." she said matter of factly. "What do you mean you can't see the problem? I can't fall for Lola, for one there isn't a chance in hell that it's reciprocated and two, Danny will kill me, and don't think it will be a quick painless death, it will be a long torture filled slow death."

"don't be so stupid Harry, if he knew you would take care of her and not mess her about - which I don't think you would - I think he would actually be quite happy for you, and on the Lola front I don't know for sure but I reckon there is most definitely a chance in hell that she likes you too - remember Judd I am very good at this matchmaking thing, I can spot it a mile off." I pondered what she had said. I had built it up so much in my head as an impossibility that I guess I had never really considered it as a possibility. Oh god maybe I had ruined my chances already by acting like an idiot. " Lynds what am I going to do, she isn't even going to want to talk to me, I mean for god sake I pretty much called the poor girl a whore, how on earth is she ever going to be interested in me now." my head was so messed up at this stage, nothing was making sense. " calm down Harry its ok, what you need to do is talk to her and explain to her why you have been acting so…… lets say strangely for the last while and once you do that she will realise that you didn't mean it." she said kindly. I knew she was right. If I didn't tell her I think id slowly go insane I'm just going to have to grow a pair and tell her. Right now all I have to do is decide when, where and what the hell am I going to say.


After that day I avoided going to the house for a while, I figured there was less chance of running into Harry that way. Danny quickly figured out what I was doing when I point blank refused to call over even though he had offered to cook - I usually jump at the chance to laugh hysterically at his pathetic attempts at cooking. I'm pretty sure that Danny had a "stern" word with Harry . Lyndsey told me she had interrupted them rolling around on the floor having a pathetic slap fight.

Lyndsey met me in town, we were in dire need of some girly chat - we spent far too much time listening to people talking about Xbox, page 3 girls and the latest way to burp the alphabet. We cosied up on one of the big couches in the corner of star bucks. "so missy tell me what you have been up to, you haven't been hanging around the house or with the lads much lately - your Uni friends more fun than the rest of us or something?" she said with a cheeky smile. "Hey you, stop with that nonsense, of course they're not as fun as you guys, I just …. I don't know… after the way Harry has been acting towards me lately I thought I would give him a wide berth. I don't know what I have done but I don't want to upset him anymore than I already appear to have done." I started to fiddle with my hands. Even talking about the situation with Harry made me nervous and on edge. I was really beginning to worry that I was losing my friend. " hey come on hun, don't worry so much look I think you really need to talk to him, staying away from him is just prolonging the problem and it will make it more awkward when you do eventually meet up." Lyndsey always was the voice of reason. There was a very wise head on her young shoulders. " I guess you're right, but you know me, I'm absolutely horrendously bad at anything that even resembles confrontation. I turn into a mute." I exclaimed nearly toppling my coffee all over the couch in frustration. "careful there you, these trousers are too nice to have creamy coffee stains all over them. Look I know stuff is weird with you and Harry at the moment but you have been friends for years it may be a bit awkward at first but it will be ok after a few minutes. I mean come on its you and Harry - you tell each other everything." she said with a comforting smile . I leant back on the couch and absorbed what she had said . The words "its you and Harry - you tell each other everything." were reverberating around my head. It would be a bit more accurate to say "we tell each other nearly everything. Instead of convincing Harry I was the girl of his dreams. I seemed to be driving him away. I sat there staring into space until my thoughts were interrupted by a hand waving in front of my face. "Lolly, earth to Lolly." I shook my head and refocused my attention on Lyndsey. "sorry, was in a world of my own" I muttered quietly. "Lolly what's wrong? You look like the troubles of the world are on your shoulders, you look like you need a good old rant, come on lay it on me." exclaimed Lyndsey. "nothings wrong , my mind is just very muddled up at the moment."

"about what? Is it boy trouble because the look on your face has boy trouble written all over it." " its not so much boy trouble I mean I don't know AAAHHH why is life so bloody annoying lynds?"

Lyndsey gave her a comforting smile while she felt a severe sense of déjà vu run through her. Lyndsey's suspicions about Lola's feelings for Harry looked like they were about to be confirmed.

"Ok ….. Eh …….right……. Ok well I've kind of been having feelings for someone that I shouldn't and I don't know what to do ?" I said hurriedly. Part of me wanted to tell Lyndsey everything but the other part of me wanted nothing more than for Lyndsey to have a bout of temporary deafness and for her to not have heard a thing I had said. "right so this person I am presuming is Harry, am I right ?" she said matter of factly. I was a bit shocked, I knew Lyndsey was really observant but I didn't think it would be that obvious. I just nodded at her in response I was preparing myself to listen to her give me a comforting speech about how silly Harry was for not liking me and that there were plenty more fish in the sea etc. my mouth nearly fell open when she began talking. "well what's so bad about that? I think you would make a nice couple" she said like she was talking about the weather. "what ? Well that would never happen because to Harry I'm just a friend, just one of the lads and at the moment I don't even know if I'm that." I ranted on only to interrupted by Lyndsey's giggling " look missus I wouldn't write yourself that quickly you have to tell him how you feel"

"Are you joking Lyndsey? He will run a mile and I least want to be friends with him." I was astonished that she would even realistically suggest it. " Well Lolly you are never going to know unless you talk to him."

"I guess you're right but that is very much easier said than done - what's that mischievous grin for?" I asked her. She seemed to have a naughty glint in her eye. " Oh …..Eh" she stuttered " well I've had this great idea for Tom's birthday, you know the way he doesn't make a big fuss out of his birthday and just says its another day well I was thinking we could make a big event out of it and throw him a big surprise party, he will never ever guess and I reckon he would secretly love to have a big fuss made over him. What do you reckon?" you could tell she had given this a lot of thought. " I think it's the best idea you have had in ages lets get to planning" we spent the rest of the day planning the party for the following weekend. It was fun organising it with Lyndsey but it was more helpful in that it temporarily kept my mind off Harry and the fact that I knew deep down that I had to follow Lyndsey's advice and talk to him or else I ran the risk of losing one of my best friends.