Worse Than The Rest

Chapter Two

I was making coffee. The rain was still pounding hard against the windows, I was half expecting a thunder storm. I knew that it wasn't cold outside, despite the unrelenting water that was falling from the sky. It was June and England was being blessed with hot days and even hotter nights. The odd thunderstorm was to be expected.

Yet I digress. It was 10pm, and I had an essay due for the next day that I had forgotten to finish. The coffee was a necessary part of staying awake to get it done. I knew there wasn't much left to do, but it was likely that I would find some way to procrastinate.

I took the coffee and proceeded to go to my room, where my laptop was located. I lived alone. I had done for about three months, but I was doing pretty well. My obsessive behaviour meant that I'd unpacked all my boxes in the first two weeks. Most things had a place and it was starting to feel like home now. It wasn't a very big place, it had one bedroom, a bathroom that only had a shower, a toilet and a sink, and a cozy living room. There was no dining room, but even if there had been, I probably would have just sat in front of the TV like I did anyway.

In the three months of living there, Mikey had only come over twice. The first time he only stayed for a few minutes before we went out for lunch. The second time was when he stayed over, we watched Avatar and cuddled under duvets. He'd often asked to come over, but I didn't want him to get too attached to the place, or the smell. I knew how much it hurt to have something like that taken away. You get used to something being there, and then when it's gone, it's like going cold turkey from drugs- it's the worst feeling imaginable. I already felt bad enough that he was used to having me around all the time. He really did deserve better than me.

I was watching the rain against my bedroom window. There was something very soothing about the rain. It had no real rhythm, but it was patterned I suppose. I enjoyed looking at each drop slide down the window. It was simply comforting.

Eventually I started to read through what I had already written of the essay, before writing my next paragraph. It wasn't a particularly difficult essay question, so I wasn't struggling with it- like I did with basically all my other classes.

An hour or so passed and finally I was finished. At the same moment that I clicked 'save' on my essay, a text came through on my phone. I smiled. It wasn't Mikey this time, I wouldn't have known what to reply if it had been. I opened the text.

Immy: HEY YOU PIECE OF SHIT

I smiled. She was an idiot.

Me: HEY YOU LITERAL CRAP FEST

Immy: WYD?? I'M COMING OVER I NEED YOU

Me: EW REALLY? UGH FINE BUT I'M NOT PICKING YOUR WHORE ASS UP

Immy: SEE YOU IN AN HOUR SHITHEAD

Imogen was my best friend, and the only person that I truly trusted. There was nothing that I couldn't tell her. She had always been there for me no matter what- and I was the same to her. I would fight any guy that so much as insulted her. I loved her, despite the outrageous names that we called each other. There was nothing that I wouldn't do for her.

It was about half eleven and I was aware that I had school the next day, but my guess was that something had happened which meant Immy wasn't going to go in. Depending on what had happened, I might try and get her to, but I wouldn't force her.

About ten minutes before she was supposed to get there, I pulled out the soda bed and got a spare duvet. There was just enough time to put the kettle on before there was a knock on the door. I opened it to reveal Imogen with soaking hair, just from walking from the car that had dropped her off to my front door. She looked frantic, and was holding a rather large bag in one hand and a suitcase in the other.

"Tell me everything." I said, concerned about what it could possibly be this time. Imogen smiled sadly.

"My parents found out about everything." She said quietly. I had seen this coming, really. Parents will find out everything you hide sooner or later, so there's no point in lying to them about anything if you can help it.

"Come in then, you absolute idiot," I walked through to the kitchen with Imogen and got two cups down, starting to make tea for us both, "Leave your bags in the hallway and come and sit with me. Don't worry, we'll sort this out." Imogen smiled at me as she walked into the kitchen.

"Thank you, Oli."

I hugged her before we went and sat down on the bed in the living room.