this is how it starts || m.h

10) black dress

The flat was empty when I finally got back, Matty trailing close behind me, and I was glad I wouldn't have to suffer through an awkward encounter with Addie.

I loved her but there was no way she'd just turn a blind eye whilst I waltzed through the flat with Matty on my heels.

We walked in silence towards my room and I made sure to close the door once we were inside, making a beeline towards my wardrobe.

Matty remained mostly silent as he waited in the corner of my tiny room, watching as I flung my old suitcase on my bed, quickly routing through my drawers in search of all the underwear I owned.

It didn't take him long though to find his way to my wardrobe, the sound of coat hangers clattering filling the room.

"You have to bring this." He suddenly said, an amused smile on his face as he presented a black dress to me, the same black dress I had worn the first night we slept together.

I had to admit, it looked significantly better now that the majority of the creases had been washed out of it.

I snatched the dress from his hands, tossing the material onto my bed beside my suitcase.

"I don't know how I'm going to explain this to Addie." I sighed, throwing more clothing into the case now, my eyes continuously drifting towards the balled up dress on my bed.

"Addie?"

"My flatmate." I added. "And friend."

"The friend you made that promise to?" He asked, a hint of amusement in his voice.

"Yeah." I had almost completely packed my suitcase now, various items of clothing spilling over the edges. Maybe I would have to ask Matty to sit on the case for me whilst I zipped it up.

"I could tell her."

"You will do no such thing."

I was struggling to pull the zip around my case now, and I could see Matty beginning to laugh at me from where he stood next to my wardrobe.

"Right." I groaned, giving up with the zipper now and standing back. "I'm gonna sit on the case, and you're gonna help me zip it up, okay?"

He just nodded at me, laughing the whole time as I climbed onto the small case, planting my bottom on the top of it.

I waited in my spot on top of the case as he tugged on the zip a few times, finally getting it all the way around. And when I climbed back off, he was still quietly laughing at me. "What?"

"Nothing." He chuckled. "It's just that normal people would actually fold their clothes instead of resorting to methods like yours."

"Well it worked, didn't it?"

He didn't answer my question and instead pointed towards the forgotten black dress on my bed. "Aren't you going to pack that?"

I just shrugged. "I figured I'd have enough clothes without it."

"Please bring the dress."

"Is it really that important to you?"

"Yes."

"Fine." I huffed, picking up the dress and throwing it at him. "But I'm not opening my case again."

"That's fine by me."