This Love's Contagious, So Catch It (Josh Franceschi)

Chapter 1

Three years later, December 2011

Toni and I sunk into the chairs on the bus after I finished my shift at the clothes store where I worked. Toni had been waiting for me to finish so that we could both go back to our place together.

“I can’t believe we ended up moving to Surrey instead of London. What happened to going to the Veterinary College there?” Toni huffed.

We were 19 years old, and had finished our A levels just over a year ago. We had planned on moving to London and finding a flat together but I had decided to take a break from college and recharge my batteries. I rolled my eyes at my best friend.

“Hey you didn’t have to move with me, I did tell you I would join you after a while. Besides I needed time to myself without stressing about school. You know how bad I became” I said and Toni nodded before messing with her red hair, which had been recently dyed and was down around her shoulders instead of up in a ponytail, though we both knew it wasn’t her hair, she’d ordered extensions after a hairdresser messed up her cut.

Let’s just say I’d had a bad final six months at college, what with the stress of exams as well as finding out my boyfriend was cheating on me with the college slut. I’d never wanted the time to go so quick so that I could finish and move in with my best friend. But because I’d quit my part time job to be able to move, I couldn’t afford the place in London because the book shop that I’d previously worked at didn’t pay well.

“Yeah well we did say we would stick together after high school finished, and we have. I wasn’t about to bail on you when you needed me the most” Toni said and I nudged her shoulder telling her I was grateful for what she did. She returned my nudge.

“Laura, which bus stop is it again?” Toni asked causing me to laugh.

“I swear girl, one of these days I’m not going to be around and you will end up losing your head. We get off at the next stop” I said and Toni pouted, which was something she was good at doing now, but nodded anyway. We had originally lived elsewhere for the first three months when we moved to Surrey, but afterwards a friend of ours invited us to stay with her until we had made enough money so that I could go to the Veterinary College, and so Toni and I could find a place to live.

Our other friend that we lived with was called Elissa. She was a good friend of mine and I had met her because a friend that I met in college had a sister who was best friends with Elissa. Confusing I know, but she also happened to know Toni and I because we were regulars at her gigs. She has an amazing voice, and even though she’s sold quite a few albums she still refuses to believe that she’s that good. I love how down-to-earth she is, not big headed like most artists nowadays.

Toni and I got off at our designated stop and walked up the steep road to the house we shared with Elissa. It wasn’t too weird since she was only about five years older than us and most of the time she was out quite late doing shows. We go to her shows as much as we can since we are her mates and she loves having our support, though she’s perfectly fine with it if we don’t come since she always asks us to listen to the songs beforehand to see if we like them. Not that we could say no, since her songwriting skills are awesome.

“Hey Lissa we’re back!” I called, using her nickname as we hung our coats up and tried to get warm. I swear the temperature had dropped since we got on the bus.

“Living room!” she called back and Toni and I headed to the door just on our right, before opening it and walking into the living room, where Elissa was sat down nursing the television remote. She grinned at us and flicked through the channels before landing on our favourite one. Kerrang!