Abi took ages deciding what to wear. It wasn't that she was trying to impress anybody, but it had been a while since she'd had a night out and she wanted to make an effort.
"What's going on in here?" Max appeared at her doorway and had to shout to be heard above Abi's music. "It looks like a bomb has gone off."
Abi turned down the radio."I have nothing to wear."
Max looked at her empty wardrobe then at her bed piled high with clothes."What are you on about, Abs?"
"I'm going out tonight and I don't have anything to wear."
"You've got a whole pile of clothes there."
"You don't understand," she groaned.
Max shook his head and made his escape. "Girls are so much easier than boys, that's what my mother always said. She clearly hadn't met my kids."
Abi sat down on her bed in frustration. She just knew that Lola would look better than her. She always did and she didn't even need to try. For once Abi wanted to be the girl that all the guys looked at, not Lola.
In the end Abi settle on her burgundy peplum top, black skinny jeans and Lauren's wedges (she was in New Zealand, she'd never know). She quickly curled her hair as she was running out of time and put on a bit of makeup. She was only just ready by the time Jay and Lola knocked at the door.
"Hey," she said a she closed the door behind her.
Jay stared at her for too long and she wondered if she had lipstick on her teeth. "What?"
"Nothing, you just, you look good."
"Thanks, um, you too."
"Alright?" Lola said from the bottom of the steps.
Abi nodded. "You?"
"Yup."
Jay could feel the tension between the girls and he was determined to get the conversation started. "So me and Lo thought we'd head over to The Albert first and then go up West. What do you reckon?"
"Sounds good to me."
They wandered over to The Albert in silence.
This is awkward, Jay thought, I need to do something.
"So, are you glad to be home?"
"Definitely." She shot him a glance. "No offence."
He laughed. "None taken."
"I've got in to sixth form," she told him. "Again."
"Really?"
"Yeah, they let me in to retake year thirteen. Hopefully I'll get the grades this time and I can finally get to Uni."
"That's great, Abs. Well done."
She beamed. "Thanks."
"Golden girls at it again," Lola piped up.
"Lola, don't," Jay warned her.
"What? It's true. She always has to take the limelight and outdo us all."
"All I want to do is become a vet," Abi explained calmly. "I don't see why I should feel guilty about it."

A few hours later the drinks were flowing and Lola and Abi had pretty much forgotten about their little spat earlier.
"Ill get another round in," Jay told them heading for the bar.
The girls watched him go.
"I'm sorry, Abs," Lola slurred, the drink clearly taking its effect.
"Sorry? For what?"
"Everything, I've been such a terrible friend."
Abi shook her head. "No, I was. I should have never have blamed the break up on you. It wasn't your fault."
"But I should have been there. I should have been with you to watch Bridget Jones and drown our sorrows in wine and chocolate." Abi laughed. "But instead I was hiding from Ben Mitchell. And for what? He doesn't even care about Lexi."
"Lola, it doesn't matter anymore. We should just move on, yeah?"
"You know, you were the first best friend I ever had. Girls don't like me Abs," she explained. "And I don't understand why."
"Well I think I might have some idea."
"I was so happy when we became friends," Lola continued, ignoring Abi's comment. "I actually felt, I don't know, normal. And then everything with Jay happened and I felt awful. Promise me we'll never let any guy come between us again."
Lola was getting teary now so Abi pulled her into a hug.
"Come here, stupid. Nothing is never going to come between us again."
"Promise?"
"I promise. Everything is going to be fine."
She let Lola cry on her shoulder for a few more seconds until she saw Jay.
"Everything okay?" he mouthed.
She nodded. Everything was great.

"Come on, Lola." Jay stood up. "It's time to get you home."
"But the night is young, and so are we," she shouted, quoting one of the girls favourite films.
Abi giggled. "You're also a bit tipsy."
But she could hardly talk either, the alcohol was taking its effect on her and she was beginning to get dizzy.
"No, you're right." Lola nodded dragging on her coat. "I am a mother, and I must do mother things. Like not getting drunk and making a show of myself."
"Here, here," Abi added.
Jay laughed at the blondes. "Come on you two."
They followed him out of the bar and headed back to Lola's, who had just thrown her arms round the other two's shoulders.
"Do you know what, guys?"
"What?" they questioned at the same time.
"I love you."
Abi and Jay looked at each other and tried to suppress their laughed.
"Seriously, you are the best friends I could ever ask for."
"That's great, Lola," Jay told her.
They stopped when they reached her door.
"I'll see you two tomorrow, at the cafe. Just like old times," she ordered.
"Of course," Abi promised her.
Jay waited until Lola was safely in her home before he turned to Abi. "Do you want to come back to mine for a bit?"
"Oh, I don't know. It's late, I don't want dad to worry."
"Just one drink, please." He gave her them puppy dog eyes he knew she always fell for.
"Fine," she agreed as she pulled out her phone to text Max. "Just one drink."

"Why did I ever go out with him?"
A couple of drinks later, Abi was still at the Mitchell's.
"I mean, it was kind of like incest."
Abi was definitely tipsy now and Jay was letting her ramble on about her relationship with Ben. He was finding her pretty entertaining to be honest.
"Because we'd been friends for so many years. I'd known him since I was 10. Isn't there like a law against that somewhere?" when Jay didn't reply she quickly continued. "And it wasn't even like he was a good boyfriend. God, he was awful. Nothing like you." She eyed him then, suddenly going shy.
Jay put a hand to Abi's cheek. He didn't know why he was doing it, all he knew was that he was doing it. But right in the moment nothing else seemed to matter apart from her.
Abi looked down at her hands, making her eyelashes flutter. She was always beautiful to him.
Gently, Jay leant forward not wanting to scare her off. Before either of them knew what was happening, Jay's lips were on Abi's.
Abi knew that they shouldn't be doing this. She wanted it to stop so neither of them would feel the heartbreak after, her in particular, but she couldn't find the strength in herself to push him off. Soon, she was kissing him back.
Everything felt like it should, like it always had. So pure and so passionate. Abi didn't want it to stop.
Jay pulled away but kept close so there faces were only an inch apart. He pushed a bit of Abi's locks behind her ear and then put his forehead against hers.
"It's been a long time since we've done that." Jay laughed.
Abi bit her lip. Why did she do that? She knew he couldn't resist it.
A few seconds later, they were kissing again. This time it was more urgent, hurried like it was the last chance they had. Soon, they were both getting breathless as their tongues fought for dominance.
Jay pulled away to catch his breath.
"Shall we take this upstairs?" he whispered.