"We're not falling in love,

We're just falling apart.."

-Fer Sure, The Medic Droid

Freddie and Effy are standing facing each other. Effy is shaking, fists clenched, tears running down her cheeks. All you can hear is the sound of Freddie's alarm clock, ticking away the time. Freddie's face is frozen.

Freddie sat down on his bed, numb. He didn't know what to say. Effy had told him what she'd just done. She'd – no he couldn't think about it. She'd – no. No. She'd fucked another guy when she was meant to be meeting him for a date. She was meant to be seeing him but she'd gone to some grungy bar and shagged a guy in the toilets. She'd done this while he'd been waiting at a restaurant table like some idiot. Did she even love him? How could she if this is what she did? Anger flooded him.

"JUST WHAT THE FUCK?" he suddenly shouted. Effy flinched. "JUST WHAT THE FUCK EFFY?"

Effy shut her eyes, refusing to look at him. She couldn't, she didn't want to see the hurt in his eyes. She was too scared to see what he looked like now she'd told him something true. She could hear him getting up from the bed and kick his skateboard to the side of the room. She yelped in surprise when she felt his hands grip her arms and push her into the wall.

"Do you even love me?" he spat.

"I-I-I-"

"Don't you fucking hide from me this time," he growled, "Just tell me. Do you love me? Cause if you did, you wouldn't do this. And don't tell me you can't love someone because I know you can. You left Cook like a helpless child for me. You ran away from me the whole time and finally gave in. I thought I had you finally-"

He broke off as a sob escaped from his throat. Effy cried as she felt his body shake against hers. This was what she had reduced him to - crying in front of her. She really was an evil bitch. He didn't deserve this.

"I-I don't deserve this!" he whispered, resting his forehead on hers. "Your constant mindfucking me, it's not right.. from the beginning I knew you were tough to handle but this is beyond anything. It's my own fault getting caught up in this and what sucks is the fact I can't leave because I love you too fucking much. That's your stupid fucking fault because if you weren't so amazing, I could just let go-"

"I'm not amazing!" Effy choked out. "I'm an evil bitch! You're better off without me-" "That's not true," Freddie cut in.

"Freddie. I fucked someone else-"

"And that I can't forgive right now but please, just accept that we are meant to fucking be together." Effy stared into his brown eyes and knew he wasn't going to give up. "Fred.. you don't need me."

"Why are you so hell bent on making me leave you? Do you want me to leave you, is that it?"

"No!"

"Then why are you telling me to? I CAN'T READ YOUR FUCKING MIND, EFFY. I DON'T GET WHAT YOU WANT FROM ME. YOU PUSH ME AWAY BUT YOU SAY YOU WANT ME. YOU TELL ME TO LEAVE YOU BUT YOU DON'T REALLY MEAN IT. WHAT DO YOU WANT?"

Effy shoved him away from her and rubbed her eyes furiously. "Just fuck off Freddie!"

The mood had changed. It was no longer a romantic scene but a furious argument. "Face it, you don't love me and you never will!" Freddie yelled. Effy pushed past him. "You don't know what you're fucking saying!" she screamed. He grabbed her wrists and pulled her forward. "Ow! Freddie, let go of me!"

"Just admit the truth!" he ordered, frustrated.

"I've already told you before! You've got me, I feel love for you but I CAN'T SHOW IT TO YOU. I'VE TOLD YOU THIS, WEREN'T YOU LISTENING?"

"I was but then you acted as if you'd changed! I found you in that shed at Naomi's and I saw you for what you were! Delicate, fragile, needing me!"

"DON'T FUCKING FLATTER YOURSELF!"

"YOU KNOW IT'S THE TRUTH!"

Effy looked up at him with anger flashing in her eyes. "FINE. IT'S THE TRUTH. DO YOU EVEN KNOW WHY I WAS IN THAT SHED IN THE FIRST PLACE?" Freddie narrowed his eyes and leant down towards her. "Every fucking day."

"I was in there because it reminded me of your fucking shed. I'd just had coke and I felt like shit. I wanted you but couldn't find you so I went into that shed, pretending it was yours. I knew you would find me if I was in that shed. Your shed is a good place to hide."

Freddie was speechless. He didn't know what to say or feel. Should he feel assured? Happy? Irritated?

"I love you Freddie but don't fucking expect me to show it. Dates don't work. I'm not a dating kind of girl. Ask Cook, he'd probably say I like it 'mindless'-"

Freddie gripped her shoulders and pushed her into the corner of the wall. "Don't say his name."

"Cook."

"Just don't.."

"Mindless," Effy spat, venom lacing her voice. Without warning, Freddie kissed her roughly. His hands in her hair, he pulled her closer and she didn't protest. For some twisted reason, the mention of Cook had made Freddie want her again. Maybe it was jealousy, maybe it was the threat Cook possessed, but as his lips were on hers, Freddie knew he couldn't let her go.