Best Friends and Boy Friends

Chapter 3 - Jar Of Nutella

CIARA

I was starting to worry about Clo. Every night this week she's been going to The Hutch, partying hard and staying out all night. Tonight was no different. After our tiring day shopping she came into my house to borrow a pair of heels before returning to her own house to get ready for yet another wild night.

Clo isn't an alcoholic or anything like that. Her world was just turned upside down recently and she's trying to cope as best she can. Two weeks ago, just before graduation, she discovered her father cheating on her mother. She was furious. She informed her mom Tina immediately and her father had his bags packed that same day. Her mom took the news badly, which is pretty understandable considering her husband of 20 years was off hooking up with another woman. Tragic, I know.

Anyway, since then Clo has been trying her best to avoid being at home. Between her mothers constant wallowing and constant reminders of her dads betrayal, going home was her idea of hell.

I watched as Clo pulled out of her short driveway towards The Hutch. It was quarter to seven and I knew my favourite show Friends was on TV at seven so I decided to grab myself a quick snack before it started.

As I started to twist the top of my jar of Nutella, I heard a knock at my front door. I was immediately alarmed as I had no idea who it could be. My parents and my younger brother Jason went to my grandparents in France for the Summer, Clo would never knock as she practically lives here too and the few neighbours I do have tend to keep to themselves. I grabbed the closest weapon-like object I could find - one of Jason's old lightsabers he used to play with years ago. Great. I thought. If this is a robber or murderer I'm so screwed.

I heard another knock and looked though the tiny circular window in my door. I was shocked and slightly relieved at what I saw staring back at me. I recognised him immediately, his face was one you couldn't forget. It was the guy from the ice cream parlour, I couldn't quite remember his name. He was in the same clothes I saw him in earlier and he was looking down at his feet. He raised his hand to knock again but I beat him to it, opening the door eagerly to find out what he was doing here.

He looked shocked to see me too. A very panicked look took over his face and he began to look behind me into my house. He seems too startled to talk so I cleared my throat and greeted him.

"Hey your that guy from the ice cream place earlier right?" I asked knowing the answer, I just really wanted to know what the hell he was doing at my house late on a Saturday evening.

"Yeah...uh..." He stuttered, still looking behind me as if he was searching for someone. It was just me living in the house now so I was very suspicious of his odd behaviour.

"Who are you looking for?" I questioned him, eagerly wanting to know what was going through his head.

"Is..uh..your friend still with you?" He asked, sounding a bit nervous. This question suddenly raised an alarm in my head. He hadn't talked to Clo in the parlour so how did he know I was with her less than half an hour ago?

"Hey wait a minute.. How do you know my friend was here? Did you follow me home?" I asked him, raising my voice a little while maintaining a stern look on my face.

"No no no God no I'd never do that to a girl" He defended himself.

"What are you doing here?" I asked bluntly.

"I was on the way to dropping my friend in to town to the hospital but my car broke down a little down the road, can I please please use your car?"

After he said hospital I felt sightly worried. "Oh my god what happened? Is he okay?" I asked as I was genuinely worried all of a sudden.

"Yeah he just got pretty drunk and his aunt is a nurse in the hospital, we were at mine but my parents came home and if they knew we were drinking they'd kill us so I said I'd take him to his aunt so she can take care of him"

I watched as he nervously rambled for a bit, considering if I should let him use my car or not. I decided to do more questioning. "Why can't he go to his own house?"

"We aren't from around here. We live way up on the coast but my parents own a small house here which we stay in during the summer months." He looked adorable as he was explaining himself, and I found his story to be very believable. If they were from here, Clo and I would definitely know him or at least recognise him from school, but I haven't laid my eyes on him before today.

"I'll drive ye." I offered.

"No you don't have to do that its okay. I'll just drop him off with his aunt and drive your car straight back here again. I'll be twenty minutes, the most." He pleaded "You can even time me if you want." He added, like a child.

Hearing the almost desperate tone in his voice, I agreed. I nodded slowly before turning to get my keys. I grabbed my keys off the counter and returned to see him standing in my doorway casually. I handed him the keys.

"Thanks, I uh better get going then, so you can get back to uh whatever it was you were doing, I'll see you in twenty" He stated before turning around and walking towards his car to retrieve his drunken friend and move him into mine. I shut the door, feeling the chill of outside creeping into my clothes and retreated back to my warm sitting room.

Looks like I'll have to watch Friends some other time.