Oops! Sorry for not updating for a couple of weeks, been away trying to crack a tan (and failing, I don't know what it is about my skin that refuses all sun-exposure excluding burn). Anyway here in New Zealand it is bloody hot and I've hardly been wanting to sit inside at a computer – so forgive me. Anyway, here we go! Another short one, I do apologise, however, in theory, some is better than none! Happy New Year!
"Oh for fuck sake Em. Just txt her already. It's not a big deal." Katie whines for the umpteenth time as if I haven't already heard her for the last hour and a quarter.
"Why are you so bothered anyway?" I snap back at her. "Normally you'd be telling me to 'treat 'em mean to keep 'em keen'."
"Because," She says exaggeratedly "I am your sister, and it is my job to… you know… set you up."
"I don't want, or for that matter, need to be set up." I state simply as I stare at my phone.
Katie rolls her eyes and sits down on my bed next to me.
"Come on Emily. Don't be a cunt. I saw the way you were looking at her." I close my eyes and try internally blocking my ears. Failing, of course. I know where this is going. "The last person I saw you look at like that was…" She trails off when she sees my reaction.
"Can we just… not do this now?" I open my eyes and look at Katie, a worried expression on her face.
"Emily…" She begins again. I shake my head and stand up, leaving Katie alone in my room. As I get to the door she speaks again. "It's okay to talk about it you know." She says quietly.
I sigh and turn around to face her.
"I know." I say, defeated. "Doesn't mean I want to, though." I shrug and half smile at her, showing that I'm okay before leaving the room and locking myself in the bathroom.
Right, no more silly shit. I'm just going to txt her. I mean, she left her number for me, so obviously she wanted me to txt her, right? And I don't want to leave it too long, otherwise she might think I didn't get the note and forget all about me. No, Emily, you're just being paranoid. Oh, fuck it. I'm just going to do it.
Hey, Naomi. It's Emily. Found your note. I suppose fate was on your side today :P x
I don't know how to flirt. Really. I don't know what's 'too much' and what's… well… platonic. With Effy, it just sort of… happened. There was no time for flirting. No need. That's what intimidated me about Naomi. She seemed so… confident. She asked me if I had a girlfriend within thirty seconds of meeting me, for Christ's sake. I do contemplate the 'x' for a while though, but decide to fuck it all. Naomi doesn't seem like the kind of girl who would be bothered by an 'x', or lack thereof.
I quickly press send before I can change my mind and take a deep breath. I exit the bathroom to find Katie still in my room on my bed, now lying down and flicking through one of my… uh… magazines, that I probably didn't want her to see. I drop my phone down on my dressing table before speaking.
"Katie! What are you doing, how did you find that?" I go and grab it off her and she laughs.
"Wow, and here was me thinking maybe you just confiscated it from James!" She laughs harder, directed more towards me, this time, rather the situation.
I throw the magazine into my closet and shake my head.
"Come on, Ems, you know I was just teasing."
"I know," I crack a smile, myself.
"You alright?" Katie asks seriously, obviously referring to our 'conversation' we had earlier, if you could call it that.
I nod and just as I'm about to open my mouth, my phone vibrates on my dresser.
I look at Katie and she smiles, nodding towards it. I smile back and walk over to it.
My heart drops when I see that she's actually calling, not texting.
"Katie, she's fucking calling, what do I do?" I panic.
"Uh, I don't know, maybe you could try answering it!" She replies sarcastically. Fuck Katie, of all times for you to be useless…
I quickly press answer and press the phone to my ear.
"Hey." I try to say coolly.
"Emily? You there?" She screams over what sounds like… well… a lot of noise.
"Yeah, what's that noise?" I ask her, calming down a bit now.
"Ugh, sorry, that's just Cook." The noise dies down so I think she's walked outside or something. "Better?"
"Much. Anyway what's up?" I look over at Katie and wave her away when I see her listening into the conversation, trying to get as close as possible.
"I'm at this party at my friend Cooks house, do you wanna come?"
"You're at a party? It's only ten to five!" I laugh.
"Trust me… you don't know Cook. Time doesn't matter to him. When he wants to party, he parties." She laughs with me and I smile. I look at Katie and see her pointing to herself and mouthing 'What about me?' I roll my eyes as if to act hostile, but really, I suppose if I was going to go anywhere with Naomi I would actually want Katie there, at least until I get to know her better.
"So, party?" She asks again.
"Fuck it, why not. Can Katie come too?"
She sounds a little hesitant. "Twins, aye?" She says jokingly. "I've always wanted to try twins…"
"Uh, excuse me! I'm no lezzer!" Katie yells down the phone and I try slapping her again.
"Katie, I'm assuming?" Naomi laughs.
"Sorry about that," I say uncomfortably, pissed off that Katie ruined a moment where I may have been able to try… flirt.
"Listen, I've got to go. I'll txt you the address."
Before I can say anything else she hangs up.
"Jesus Christ," I mutter under my breath. I turn to look at Katie and find her on her knees (as usual…) digging through my drawers. "Katie, what the fuck are you doing?"
"I… am going…" She says between rummaging "to make you… look… fucking… amazing."
"Would you just-" I begin, before shutting up. I suppose there's no harm in looking 'fucking amazing' just for one evening. Especially if Naomi's going to be there.
"So whose party did you say this was?" Katie asks me as we walk along the road.
"Um, I don't know, some guy Cook?"
It was nearing 9pm now. Naomi had texted me a few times to ask where I was but Katie had insisted I didn't reply, much to my anger, she'd even fucking hidden my phone when I suggested telling her we were going to leave soon.
"Cook?" Katie asks. "Jesus Christ… Cook as in James Cook?"
"I dunno, Naomi just said 'Cook'. Why? Do you know him?"
"Uh, hello, Emily, are you retarded or what? You know Cook. Freddie's best mate. That guy who tried to shag you at that Prodigy show."
"You're kidding me?" I ask, putting the pieces together. "How the fuck does Naomi know that guy?"
She shrugs. "Cook knows everyone." She suggests.
"Does that mean Freddie will be there?" I ask.
"Don't know, don't care." Katie asks nonchalantly.
"Are you two…?" I begin.
"Don't know, don't care." She states simply.
"What's he done now?"
Freddie was Katie's on-again, off-again boyfriend, mostly off-again, actually. They'd been together for about 10 months, Katie's longest boyfriend yet. To be honest I think about 60% of those 10 months have been spent shagging, and the other 40%, they've been arguing. Katie loves him, though, and they both now that no matter how much they fight they'll always end up back together.
"I don't know, let's just go inside." She says, we're at the door of the party now, it sounds pretty wild outside, I just hope it's as fun as it sounds. The house looks pretty fancy, never picked Cook for the rich kind of guy, but hey, don't judge a book by its cover.
We open the door and push past all the people. Katie grabs a hold of my hand I smile at how secretly vulnerable she can be sometimes, though she'd never let anyone but me know it.
I instantly spot Naomi and my heart races. It's hard to believe I only met this girl this afternoon and she's already having this effect on my. It feels good, though.
I lead Katie up to Naomi and am not surprised when I see her there with Cook, and Freddie.
"Katie?" Freddie sounds surprised. "What you doing here?"
"What does it look like I'm doing?" Katie doesn't look at him, just crosses her arms and taps her foot impatiently.
"Can I get you a drink?" Freddie grins charmingly. Katie looks hesitant before smiling and grabbing him around the arm as they wander off into the kitchen. No surprises there.
"Naomi, Cook." I smile.
"You know Cook?" Naomi asks, confused. "Hi, Emily, by the way, sorry." She turns a light shade of pink.
"Oh, you're fuckin kidding me, man. This is your Emily you was talking about earlier?"
Naomi smiles tightly and I can't help but smile internally at that. Naomi was talking about me. In a good way, I conclude.
"She's not my Emily, Cook. But yes. This is her…"
I smile and Cook laughs like a hyena. Gross.
"How do you know him?" Naomi asks me as if Cook isn't stood right there.
"Well, Cook's best friend Freddie is Katie's boyfriend…ish…thing."
"Ah, I see." She nods, nicking a fresh beer from Cook's hand and passing it to me, winking as she does so.
I take a swig, relishing the taste. "So that leaves… How do you guys know each other?" I ask, pointing between Cook and Naomi.
"Blondie and me and have been chums since our old days back in London." Cook throws his arm around Naomi and grins like a child. "She just moved here, couldn't stand to be away from me much longer."
Naomi rolls her eyes, smiling at him affectionately though.
"Oh, I'd love to stay and chat, ladies, but I've just spotted a top fucking notch girl back there who looks like she could do with a little Cookie Monster love." He licks his lips hungrily and scurries away.
Naomi laughs before taking a swig of her beer. "You know, I think it's guys like Cook that make me so gay."
My stomach does back flips. I obviously knew that Naomi wasn't exactly straight, but then again she hadn't actually admitted that she was gay so it was weird to actually hear her say it.
I laugh. "Same."
"I mean I love him and everything but…" she pulls a disgusted face and we both burst out laughing.
"Fuck, it's pretty hot in here; do you want to get some air?" Naomi shouts over the loud music.
"Uh, yeah, sure." I smile and look around for Katie anxiously.
I see her dancing with Freddie on the other side of the room. His lips are attacking neck and she's looking over his shoulder giving me a thumbs up. Wow, thanks Katie, that's what I really want. For you to communicate with me during sexual acts with your boyfriend. Along with Katie, Freddie and I have also had a bit of an on-again, off-again relationship. I like him now, it's just, apart from Katie, we only really have one thing in common: Effy. Freddie had a thing with Effy before she got together with me. He still had a thing for her when we were together too; I think he always will, to be honest, though I'd never tell Katie that.
He, obviously, was jealous when we got together, but after a few months, he'd gotten over it, or so he'd say, and he found Katie. They love each other, it's obvious to everyone. Katie can just be a bit much, hell, I would know. So I have to feel sorry for the guy. We kind of bonded over it, especially now Effy's gone. We can talk about it, sometimes, just us. He understands. I don't feel so alone when I talk to him.
My thoughts are broken when I feel Naomi's soft hand against mine as she entwines our fingers.
I look down at our hands then up at Naomi and seeing her smile, I smile back. She quickly starts to walk away, our hands still connected.
"Come on, you coming or what?" She laughs and continues in her stride.
I don't miss a beat and am hot on my heels to chase her. Tonight, I believe, is going to be a fucking good night.
Ooooh, alone Naomily action to come next chapter! What will our girls get up to, I wonder? As it goes without saying, thanks so much to everyone who reviewed and subscribed, favourited, the whole shebang. Means a lot to know people like what I write! I accept anonymous reviews, so please if you get a tick leave a review! It only takes a sec, and means a lot to hear your opinions!
Will try get next chapter up ASAP, won't put a date on it though as I am rather useless.