Best Thing In Town

Together we wandered into my apartment - well shared apartment, home, that place I eat and sleep - whatever you want to call it; we both looked like we had spontaneously decided to jump into a canal and have a swim for fun. I was freezing; shivering like it was nobody's business and generally just felt awful. It also didn't help that as soon as we stepped inside my flat it miraculously stopped raining.

"Jade, hello... God, you look awful." Robin exclaimed from her couch, in which she never moves from, on the sofa. She was smirking at the state of me and hadn't even bothered to acknowledge Alex - or the fact I had invited him inside.

"Hey... Robin?" I called back. "You know, I think I saw you today?"

With narrowed eyes, Robin sat up. She was eyeing me sceptically, waiting for the rude comment. Rude? Me? Honestly, I wasn't rude; she was just being over precautious.

Quizzically arching a thinned eyebrow in my general direction and completely unable to give me any direct eye-contact what-so-ever because she was unable to look at anyone bar her boyfriend in the eye, she questioned, "Where?"

"Well, I was at the Zoo." I began, treading carefully as her eyes turned into nothing more than slits. "I'm sure you were in a cage in fact, the gorilla one?"

Beaming proudly I awaited her response. Instead, with a huff Robin threw her feet over the edge of the couch and I panicked. When Robin was angry, or even remotely provoked she turned into the Incredible Hulk and it was terrifying. I was terrified. She would go red face, she would tug on her hair, she would scream and shout and then she would storm out and make you think you were the worst person in the world. Even if you had only said something small like you didn't think the top she was wearing was her style, one time her boyfriend had told her he wasn't keen on her shoes and she flipped. It's fair to say he's never, ever said a bad thing about her outfit choices, or anything really, again.

"Jesus, don't hit me Robin, I was only kidding!"

"I'm not going to hit you." She reasoned, approaching me steadily.

I stepped backwards and she only rolled her eyes - but nonetheless didn't stop moving towards me. "Seriously, stop." I cried, pushing Alex in front of me.

He yelped as I did so and I placed my hands on his hips so that he couldn't move - he was my shield, some form of protection. Although I wasn't sure as to what extent he would protect me because he was scared of lizards and Robin was definitely scarier than any lizard.

"Calm down, Jade." Robin snapped.

"Are you really going to kill me? You cannot kill me!" I protested, glancing around Alex whom just stood like a tree. "We are meant to be friends, you and me, we're good buddies for life and now you're plotting my death? Well how dare you. I have a witness now; Alex will defend my honour, right?"

Alex shrugged.

"Oh wait. You're going to kill him too? Alex run, you can't save me but you can save yourself." Pushing Alex towards the door, he glared down at me and his facial expression was wondrous.

He was humoured and shocked and scared all the same time; if I was an artist I would have painted a picture just so I could see it all the time; but I shit you not, I was not an artist.

"You are fucking hopeless." Robin sassed as she grabbed the back of my t-shirt and yanked me away from Alex.

Worriedly looking at her; she shot Alex an apologetic look and then shoved me down so that I was sat on the couch. Clasping my hands across my lap, I eyed her sceptically and then noticed that she was dressed in normal clothes. Was Jesus rising from the dead once more?

"Why are you dressed?"

Robin lifted a brow.

"Not that I want you naked."

The image of my best friend stood in front of me in nothing but her birthday suit made me wince; fair enough we had changed in front of each other and once or twice I had gone to the toilet whilst she was in the shower - but there was a blurred piece of glass between us; or a layer of cloth over our modesty. Standing in front of me with her bits hanging out would have not been normal. The only plausible explanation would be we're naturists... but we're not.

"Flyzik is coming round." A sigh slipped from her lips.

"So?"

Flyzik often came around and Robin still never made an effort to get out of her pyjamas.

"It's our two year anniversary..." She trailed off. "And you came home! You're not supposed to be home yet, we wanted alone time."

I smirked as I watched Robin throw her arms across her chest. Was she telling me that she wanted to have sex with her boyfriend? Was she actually saying she was going to put a book down for longer than ten minutes to do something that involved a lot of giving and taking? Well that... is a miracle.

"I'm quite sorry that I live here." I shrugged. "You can't expect me to leave though, I need to make sure you and your boyfriend don't attempt to christen everything we own... also, in-case you haven't noticed. I have a guest!" Waving at Alex, my hand dropped to my lap as I saw he'd made himself quite at home.

Leaning against the doorframe, his legs crossed across each other, smirking at Robin and I currently in the middle of a domestic. "You can come back to mine for a bit if you want?"

My mouth popped open. Alex's smirk grew. Robin's eyes lit up.

Forgetting about me, Robin literally ran across the room towards Alex and wrapped her arms around his neck. She wasn't exactly small and doing so wasn't difficult. Maybe I would have been jealous of her height, or lack of height issues, if it wasn't for the fact Alex looked scared and panicked; his arms lingering over her back as he awkwardly patted her. He probably thought she was going to stab him. But that wasn't the point, were they both being serious about removing me from my own home? Removing me from my own home on the basis of sex?

"Would you seriously be able to do that?" Robin quizzed, quickly spewing out words as she let go of Alex and allowed him to breathe.

He nodded his head weakly and I narrowed my eyes at him.

"You're incredible; I'm not sure how you put up with her but thank you."

"Do you want me to have her overnight, or shall I return her later?"

"Excuse me, do I have a say in this? After all, I pay half of the rent." I went ignored.

"Overnight would be lovely..." Robin battered her long eyelashes in Alex's direction and all I could think was screw her for being so attractive.

I also grunted at the way they were talking about me, almost like they were a divorced couple and I was their unfortunate child.

"If she does however gets on your nerves at any point drop her off at the nearest dog kennel and I'll pick her up in the morning." With a wicked grin, she turned on her heel moved to her bedroom.

Alex was stifling a laugh.

"Did she, of all people, really just refer to me as a dog?" I scoffed, mildly offended. Although, I had called her a gorilla only minutes before. As of now we stood Even Stevens.

"She did. Ah, if it makes you feel any better... I don't think you look anything like a dog."

"Thank you." I snapped as I pushed myself up and off of the couch with great difficulty.

The couch was a pain and I hated sitting on it as Robin had made a massive dent with her big butt in the cushion and I, not having anything that resembled a bum, constantly fell and got stuck in it.

Clearing his throat, Alex rocked back and forth on his heels. "You should probably go and get some stuff together if you're staying at mine."

Arching a brow, I crossed my arms. "You make it sound like we're two teenage girls about to have a massive sleep over together. Go and get your stuff Jade! We'll watch movies and paint each other's nails whilst wearing face masks and munching on munchies! How old are you again?" although my mimic sounded nothing like Alex, I was quite proud.

"I don't sound like that." He grunted, pulling me towards the hallway and ultimately my bedroom. "You can watch a film if you wish, that's fine. But there's no way I'm having my toes painted or wearing a face-makes. I'm up for the food though, I like food."

"Fine." I shrugged as I pushed him to the side and walked by him. "I really can't believe that you would suggest something like this, never minding the fact we barely know each other, I was going to have so much fun spending the evening teasing Robin and her lover, but you ruined it. Idiot..."

Wincing, I bit my tongue as I was carelessly speaking everything I was thinking needed to shut myself up. My thoughts are supposed to be for my mind only and, well, a teeny part of me was quite excited to be spending the night with Alex. I didn't want to let that slip. Oh how things had changed in the last few days...

"I want to make a good impression on your friends... Robin would probably like me, and you to be fair, a little bit more if you left her and her lover alone." He followed me into my room.

"I do like you." Robin shouted from her room.

"Shut up Robin." I called back in a sing-song voice.

"Thank you!" Alex called.

"No, thank you. You make Jade leave me alone." Was the respond that came from my so-called best friend, I was appalled. She didn't appreciate my company. Then again, not many people did.

With a scowl, I turned away from Alex and his obvious smirking and started rummaging through my drawers. I pulled out clothes, underwear, a pair of pyjamas and my spare toothbrush before stuffing all of the items into a spare and random bag I found lying on my bedroom floor.

"Ready?" Alex spoke up from the doorway as he noticed me hitch the bag over my shoulder.

I sighed dramatically and nodded my head.

"Come on then, sweetheart." He grinned, showing off his row of perfect, white teeth, as he stepped to the side of my doorframe allowing me to step through.

-

We arrived back at Alex's and to say he was some kid I had only met a few days ago, for Robin's sake, I had put a hell of trust into him. Deep down I knew he was harmless and you never make new friends unless you try, right? Right. I mean, once when I was ten I met a girl at the park and then two hours later I was getting my stuff together to go and sleep over at her house. That was just how things worked nowadays. Everything moved quickly, strangers, friends, best friends, relationship... Nothing. In a matter of weeks or months, it didn't take long for things to spark up and it didn't take long for them to fizzle out; but I think I liked Alex... he was growing on me.

"You can go and sit down if you like." Alex offered as I sniffed - it was fair to say that being out in the cold, in almost the worst clothing, whilst it hammered it down with rain was bringing on a cold. "I'll go and get you something warm to drink... tea? Coffee?"

"Yes."

"Yes?" He laughed. "Is that a yes for tea or yes for coffee?"

I frowned, not even realising I'd answered a question that needed a decision with the word yes. A cold was definitely coming on and it was warping its way inside my mind; I'm not stupid. I'm really not, I assure you. It was either a cold, or the lack of sleep I'd had and it was now catching up with me. Or maybe the fact I was dragged up at the crack of dawn against my will. Damn had I really just answered a question about choices of drinks with ‘yes'? A cold was coming on; I assure you I am not dumb. Either a cold or the sleep I'd lost from having to get up early.

"Tea please." I sighed.

My head was starting to hurt which was never a good thing. I tried to massage my temples with my fingers, but it wasn't working and Alex - ignoring my no touchy rule - placed his hands on my shoulders; he bent his knees and scanned my face - a worried frown etching its way onto his own as his eyes darted manically all over the place.

"Go on, go and sit down." He told me and I nodded, directing myself through his house until I found his couch.

I then flopped down onto it, because I wasn't lady-like at all and there was no-one around to witness my flopping. Moments later I found that I had kicked my shoes off and brought my legs up onto the couch, I had curled them up and into my chest to be exact. My head was resting on an extremely soft pillow and my eyes were heavy, as heavy as a tonne of bricks. I lay my head down against the arm of the chair and closed my eyes, breathing in deeply to try and make my eyes feel lighter.

"Are you tired?" Alex's gentle voice cut through the air and I jolted upright, my eyes flying open and my head leaving the comfort of the super, soft pillow.

"I swear I wasn't just about to-"

Before I could finish my sentence, a huge cough worked its way out of my chest and mouth. I slapped my hands across the lower portion of my face and tried to muffle the loud, pained sound and millions of little coughs that followed; my eyes must have widened to three times their natural size because I really did think I was choking.... It felt like a pineapple, or other large fruit had wedged its way into my windpipe. My throat burned, it burned so bad. I glanced over at Alex whom was stood, frozen to his spot, his eyes locked with mine.

"-fall asleep." I finished.

Sounding like a wheezing, chewed up dog toy. Quickly as another cough attack started, Alex placed the mug of tea down and ran towards me. Slumping down on the seat next to me, he wrapped his arm around my shoulder and gently patted my back - letting me cough all over him as he cooed, soothed and nurtured me.

"Jade, are you okay?" He asked seriously.

I attempted to laugh and look away from him; mentally willing the coughing to stop. A few more moments of spluttering and patting and wincing passed before I finally stopped. Slipping a finger under my chin, he carefully and slowly turned his head back towards my direction - placing his spare hand on my forehead.

"You're so hot." He muttered, thoughtfully.

Biting back another cough, I smirked and managed to spit out, "Well there's no need to be so upfront." Just before it hit, but Alex didn't find my joke amusing.

Instead herolled his eyes and tutted. "I think you're coming down with a cold."

"Well no shit."

"You're definitely coming down with a cold." He let go of my face and rubbed his eyes with his fingers.

I frowned, of course I would be coming down with one - I was attracted to colds, I had one almost every other week; and running around in the rain was not going to prevent me from getting them. Alex was stupid to think that this was anything other than a cold. What I did not expect was for the words "I'm so sorry." To slip out from his lips as he stared down at me, brows furrowed and eyes filled with sympathy. He then placed his hand back on my forehead, his thumb smoothing over my hairline.

"You're sorry that it rained?"

He nodded.

"You're sorry you couldn't prevent something that's natural? Made by nature?"

He nodded once more.

I decided to argue back "You couldn't have prevented it, I'll be fine, I will live." I sighed as Alex eyed me carefully; his hand still placed on my forehead. "Ur-you, you can move your hand now you know."

"Oh right, yeah sorry about that... I should-" Alex's reply was bashful and timid as he removed his hand from my forehead.

Unable to look at me as his cheeks filled with a pink tint, he reached towards the mugs he'd earlier placed on the table and handed me one before taking a sip of his own. I watched as he blew the hot liquid, attempting to cool it down - there was something so damn attractive about the way his lips pursed together as he blew lightly and I just couldn't look away from him. I was trapped.

"It's a little bit hot." He whispered noticing I was watching him.

"Mhm..."

Finally, he stopped blowing his drink and started to drink it. I was disappointed; honestly, I could have watched his pursed lips for hours. Which was not creepy for your information, girls have things that turn them to jelly in an instance don't they? Yes well mine were lips. Perfectly, pink, plumped lips.

"You really don't look well, are you sure you're going to be okay?"

I shrugged. "I swear I'm not even ill... I mean, look I mean I'm perfectly fine!"

Being the amazingly smart person I perceived myself to be, I placed my mug down and pushed myself up off of the sofa. It wasn't a good idea, something inside me changed and the floor started to spin. I couldn't even mutter my own name before my body hopelessly gave up and I tumbled back down against the couch, jolting Alex and almost spilling his tea all over him as a groan slipped through my lips.

"Yeah," He scoffed, placing his mug down on the table. "You look perfectly fine."

I grunted and dismissed him, trying to tell him to go away as he laid me down on the couch; resting my head back underneath the pillow I'd fallen in love with.

"Just, please, don't puke anywhere."

Notes